Things I'll miss about the Dominican Republic

1. Fruit juice - proper freshly squeezed, just fell from the tree fruit juice, preferred flavours: Strawberry, Mango, Chinola (passionfruit)

2. The way people say 'hi' or 'good day'when they get on a bus or into a guaga or public car (six passengers - two in the front and four in the back - have to be seen to be believed)

3. Music everywhere you go, and not the atmospheric background Starbucks tosh either, this stuff is invasive, in your face merengue or reggaeton. It's unavoidable and it becomes something you get used to and is just a part of life here.

4. Cheap travel. 20p to get from our house into the city centre, £1 to get to work, £5 to get to the other side of the country... beat that TfL.

5. Leidy and the way she made me feel like a Dominican, her enthusiasm for everything, her smile and the way she says '¿tu entiendes?' with a look of hopeful expactation that could go either way depending on whether I had actually understood what she way saying.

6. The weather and the beaches... enough said I think.

7. Fresh fish - I can almost see Billingsgate market becoming a new favourite hang out.

8. Endless opportunities to practice Spanish.

9. The kids at school and their keenness in the face of not having the things in life that I take for granted.

10. Being different. This is one for my ego, but here you do get attention for being white (with a good tan by the way), and it makes a change from London where everyone fades into anonymity.