I write to you all on the 25th of December to wish each and every one of you who celebrate a very merry Xmas and a great new year. This is our first Xmas in India and it feels somewhat odd.
I have given up on Xmas Cards. That is the end of the road for them. Instead the money goes to supporting an Indian child’s education for a year. Less cards, less paper another consideration.
Back from a week’s trip to my home country I am now in the count down to Xmas. No queues in shops, nothing more than the usual traffic jams. Only the smallest signs of consumerist Xmas goodies and spending and no Xmas lights to talk of. In some respects this is welcome and absolutely right as this is a largely Hindu country. There is no snow on the ground, just sunshine every day.Does it feel strange…
Well we have wrapped presents and put them under a tree. The tree was a quest in itself as I was determined not to succumb to an artificial tree but there were no farmed xmas trees to be had so I went to the closest nursery and bought a fir-looking tree in a pot which is a pathetic little thing but which can be used year in year out while we are here.

But my little xmas miracle …finding a turkey for Xmas lunch.

Now all I need to do is negotiate cooking it with Parmesan who promises that special indian twist to roast turkey and tatoes.