This is seriously about 25 feet from my window, an old relic of the Chinatown that used to be here on Commercial road, now just an out-of-place ornament next to a bus stop. I was really confused as to why it was there; there's seriously NOTHING that is oriental for miles around; except given a chinese take away or delivery place down the road. Well it sure is a sign of how things change, such as the predominant muslim and middle-eastern concentration now in the area and the uber-commercialized zone that is Canary Wharf just down the road.

a relevant anecdote:

On spotting and being seen by Asian-immigrants

It's really USUAL to get glances, nods and gestures that are along the lines of "Hello brother," or "greetings comrade," and anything that feels along the lines of whispering in my ear through a glance: "you - you are one of us."

A sense of belonging, an identification status, the universal nod of "we're going through the same thing" or just a feeling of understanding, the extended stare, the fixed eye contact that says, "we're both not from here, and have come from a similar place."

I'll get recurring glances, fixed eye contact, sometimes stares, and very rarely, subtle smiles, at least in the eyes. Girls on the street will not often smile at me, but will sometimes look occasionally. Older men and foreign males will look more than assimilated young men. If I'm at a stoplight, I'll be glanced at more than a few times by a 30-something asian driver. If there's a shop, street vendor or guy selling chinese, thai or even just kebabs and fried late-night foods, again more eye contact will be made whether its an older man, woman or someone around my age. And the trend also seems to lean towards more smiles. If I'm at a club, a drunk asian guy will give me the "whats up" nod or even go up to me to give me a handshake. Asian girls also seem to give me a lot more stares. Even at the shop I work at, Asian customers will wait for me to offer assistance before they say anything, often denying other employees of different ethnic backgrounds; sometimes they will go straight for me when they have a question.