When I was growing up my family had a tomato-shaped tomato sauce holder. It always took pride of place at the table and even though it always got clogged with dried up tomato sauce, we kept it for years. It was part of the family and now that I'm living in London, that little tomato reminds me of home more than anything else.

So imagine my surprise when I enter a London burger place to see one of those cute little tomatoes on every table. The reminiscing didn't stop there either. On the menu was a 'Kiwi burger' complete with beetroot. I'm not even beetroot's biggest fan and it was still exciting to see a big slice of the stuff being served up on top of a meat pattie.

Most young Kiwis living in London are here to experience the world. They'll go gaga for trips to Italy to drink locally grown wine or to visit the pyramids in Egypt or see ancient ruins in Croatia. And while most of them will talk enthusiastically about traveling and how London is so much better than home, almost anyone will travel halfway across London for a coffee made 'the proper way' or to grab a pie which tastes like it was bought in a good old Aotearoa dairy.

It's a limbo life really. While we're here we want all the things New Zealand can't offer whilst simultaneously longing for everything that's familiar. I recently gave in to the Aussie pie shop down the road. I was sure the pies wouldn't taste as good as they do back home but one bite and it was heaven - Georgie Pie heaven! The shop also sells all the junk food I miss from home - Cheezels, Twisties, L&P, Tim Tams, Jet Planes...

And it doesn't stop with craving familiar food. When my London workmates talk about a famous Kiwi's latest film or television show, I always feel my ears pricking up and then I always want to point out that the person comes from New Zealand, even though this always sparks the joke that I'm probably related to them. On the train this week I saw a man reading an article about David Beckham getting a traditional Maori welcome to New Zealand and I was tempted to tell him: 'That's where I'm from!'

The pride doesn't stop there - sometimes it pops up in crazy situations, like when I hear an English person mocking the Welsh for being a nation of sheep shaggers. I've had to stop myself from saying: "Hey, wait a minute, that's our stereotype, don't take that doozie away from us."

When I first arrived in London I was a little embarrassed by the idea of being a proud Kiwi. I'd see people dressed in cheesy slogan tee-shirts and feel a little ashamed. There's people from every country in the world living here, what makes us so special? But then it slowly snuck in - that undeniable pride.

It's an identity thing, I guess. Being from New Zealand is really cool. We do have really talented entertainers, even if those Aussie buggers have claimed most of them. We might not all be related and we might not like to shag sheep, but damn it we're a nation of legends. And we make the coolest tomato sauce holders in the world.

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