It's raining again! It's a real downpour this time, huge sheets and buckets of the stuff! It's great for us, but all the Indians are cold. Never mind. I've been thinking of New Year resolutions - a bit early but I figured I could start the new book positively.¹

• I'm going to try and always have time for visitors, no matter what I’m doing at the time.
• I'm going to become Indian, insofar as that’s possible, doing what they do, etc.
• I'm going to rise above
• In England we do this
• Indians can't do this
• Why can't we get...
• Why can't they...

I think that this is a pretty good start, though time will tell how successful I've been. I'm sure if it works I'll be able to get the most out of my stay, even if it makes it harder to leave in March. It would be easier to 'become' (for both of us) if we were alone, but all things considered, we've had a valuable outlet for all our fears and prejudices through each other. But we have to be careful, I'm sick of the Western detachment that has kept us apart from the people and their culture. It would also have been easier and solved a lot of problems if we had stayed with a family (not that anyone would want to stay with us!). it doesn’t help that the culture here revolves so much around film music and Western tack. Where’s the folk music and dancing? Maybe in the villages...

I'm reading CS Lewis' 'Letters to Malcolm' at the moment, giving me some valuable hints as to what may have been wrong in my spiritual life all this time – namely, not praying! I've been a very lax Christian lately, giving very little time to God. There is no doubt that I believe and when I sing, I really 'feel' the meanings, but I have made very little store for prayer. I have behaved in an 'arrogant Christian' sort of way and the only times I have prayed properly have been those times when I was really ill. That old syndrome of using God only when I think I need him. I must stop this and sort myself out. Instead of reading or writing about it I should DO it! Yet again I’m procrastinating. I want to study mysticism – India's probably a good place to start – and learn a bit more about that 'True Love' stuff A.D's² always going on about. Well maybe tomorrow.

Gnanaraj came round this evening and I sort of gave him some tuition and useful tips. He wanted to know if his five yr-old daughter was too young to learn and when I said any age is a good time he wanted to know how to teach her! I did the best I could, teach her to play by ear first, then introduce notation, names and the art of reading music. Playing by ear is very important though, you can't play anything if you're tone deaf! Except for Beethoven of course, damn. Gnanaraj was also hoping that I could play the violin – he's teaching himself and wants some help. I haven't played for about seven years but I can still remember the important stuff like how to hold the bow and the proper wrist action. So I'm a violin teacher as well, without a tune to my name! It's all good fun though and I'm using my skills, which is why I’m here.