Post Script

I have now been home for more than three weeks and have finally got used to the extortionate prices, the absence of roadside ablutions, the lack of visibly dangerous activities, undercrowding on the buses and blessed peace to my ears. I am also enjoying driving again, despite having already called out the AA, a mere 2 days after renwing my membership and an even narrower margin of one day after my car's MOT. However, I am enjoying the fact that people definitely stop at junctions, horn-use is restricted to sufferers of road rage and cow-slaloming skills are not required. I do miss that no-one cycles in a lunghi and the lorries are really boring with no decorations at all.

Since my return, I have reported back to one of the trustees of the charity which has funded the project about what has been going on for the last eight months. He was very pleased with everything and has asked me to come to the AGM in June to update the remainder of the trustees. I hope that we can discuss fund raising plans, specifically the idea of developing community to community funding for future projects, as well as the future of the pilot project. Also by then, I hope, we would have had the first report from RUHSA following their May evaluation, which will give us a good idea of how the project is progressing and whether they are managing to hold meetings when I am not around to bully them into coming!

My plan for the next few months is to find varied and interesting jobs incorporating clinical work and teaching, but still allow me time off for good behaviour; continue my search for a non-anorexic worm in this country to avoid putting on all the weight I left behind in India and capitalisng on my new found interest in socialising. Step three is coming along nicely, steps one and two need work.

As for the rest of it, you will have to await part two of this gripping tale, which will be coming to a computer near you in January 2008.