The Surprising Wonders of East Ham

Life is very different here. It's not stereotypically 'classy', but you can't complain: there is an abundance of eastern culture, and the streets are alive. I believe wasn't a bad start in my discovery of the East – it's right in the centre. There's kind of atmosphere of confidence in East Ham, where residents know exactly what they're doing in their daily lives.

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Everyone works – whether it's selling their products, walking their children to school or grocery shopping, everything is done peacefully. It seems quite poor here, but each and every aspect of life works in a rhythmic routine that blossomed in some way or another, kind of like a flower that grows through the tightest, darkest cracks in concrete. The area is full of little, authentic clothing or jewellery shops; Indian, Sri Lankan and Romanian cuisines; and places of worship. I found that there is much fewer bars around here – or alcohol in general, for that matter – and I have the impression that these types of East Londoners might prefer to enjoy life in sobriety.

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If I were to give this place just one word to describe it, it would probably be 'lively.' On first impression, East Ham might give you 'rough' or 'tacky' vibes but actually, everyone seems to appreciate the life they live. You might associate it with the word 'kitsch' which essentially means tacky but in an artistic sense. But in reality, this 'kitsch' culture brings a lot of comfort – the brilliant colours, the 2000s fashion, the stock markets. They have a very human feel to them. There is so much beauty in slight imperfection; it seems that everyone is accepted, religious or not, no matter where you're from, I'm inclined to say that whoever the pioneers of this neighbourhood are, I'm sure they are proud of their culture and might want to encourage more exposure.

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I came here with my housemates to try some Indian/Sri Lankan food at Royal Chef and I felt like I teleported to Eastern Europe, the Middle East and South Asia at the same time, spending my holiday with all these colours and all the sun. I remember having been to Sri Lanka years ago on a family holiday and being here reminded me of how it was such a friendly, active place, being content with little.

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BTW, the painting thing above is my silly little impression of the vibrancy of East Ham. I'm not quite as suited to painting as I am writing…