I thought in the spirit of honest reflection I should write one final entry, addressing the question of whether this trip really has changed me in any way.
I have to say that if it has, then I think the changes are only really quite small ones.
We've been giving regularly to Asha since we left Delhi and intend to continue doing so. We also get regular updates from them which I sometimes find time to read.
Recently I've been doing some work in London for my Leeds-based employer and living in the big city on expenses! My company has quite a generous expenses policy which means I can eat out at some nice places sometimes if I don't go too mad and don't do it too frequently. Some colleagues of mine have taken to eating at one really nice restaurant a week and I've been only too happy to join them! Occasionally though, I still think about the people I met in Delhi, living on a few rupees a day, and what a massive contrast that is with the life I'm currently living. I don't normally mention it at the table, as people don't usually like to think about things like that while they're enjoying luxury - but it does make me feel a little sad sometimes and also a little grateful!
I do feel very conscious that luxury is fleeting. I don't feel bad for enjoying it occasionally when I have the chance, but I don't think I'd be massively worse off without it. Life is made of more substantial things. The amount of pleasure you get from something is not directly proportional to how much it costs - not usually anyway and often less so I think, the more expensive it is.
I still believe that love is the supreme and most worthwhile treasure, and I've seen that in action in Anna Nagar and in other places. Real love is not only hard to give though, it's also hard to believe in. I hope I'm making some progress, but it's still all too easy to fall back on familiar comforts instead.
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