For those of you that are still reading this despite the title, thanks.

It's nearly the end of another very exciting and pleasant year. True, there's been economic depression, and things in that regard haven't been great - but there have been a load of positives.

I'm not going to list all the good things that have happened to me, as I know I'd omit some and end up making some people feel like crap, but I think the best thing that's happened to me has been perspective.

When I began 2009, I'd just got back from a pretty inspiring visit to South India, and had made the decision to head back out there. It was a bit of a dramatic change from the seemingly monotonic day-job - and was a fresh and direct challenge to help a cause that I believed in. Having spend 7 of the last 12 months out there, I feel a pretty strong connection to the area. Imagined or not, it's like another 'mini-conscience' inside of me, making me think of how privileged I am to be able to do what I'm doing either out there, or here in England.

One of the things I spent alot of time doing was trying to reconcile the lifestyle here in England with the lifestyle that I've been calling my own out in India. Whether it be the ridiculous amounts in comparison spent on a cup of tea, to the meals that I was eating and the clothes I was wearing; to even how I was thinking. The conclusion though is that it's impossible to reconcile it. Living a Western Lifestyle is passively harming the people I met in India.

At this juncture, I can see two options open to me.

A) I decide to become a saint and live with as little as possible and try to live a 'perfect' life - avoiding those things in Western Society that I see as damaging to my friends out in India.
B) I live the life that's put in front of me, and work out a way that I can affect the situation as I make my way through it.

Whilst option A is probably the most laudable option, I know I'm going to make mistakes and option A doesn't allow for that. I do not yet have sufficient experience or foundation to be able to fulfil option A without having to rely on someone else. As that 'someone else' would effectively just be living the Western Lifestyle, all I would have ended up doing is passively harming 'by proxy.'

The most important thing therefore is never to lose sight of my overall aim. I need to get myself in a position where I can positively affect the situation, and despite my best intentions I've come to realise that the time is not now. However, my thoughts are with my friends in India over Christmas. Guilt is the wrong emotion - perspective is knowing that what's coming to me I in no way deserve.

Time has been passing by quickly since my return from India, and much has changed. One of the biggest changes since my return has been my Dad's new role with the local rugby club, Birmingham and Solihull. It's been an interesting turn of events, as previously he's always shunned the limelight and just got on with it.

It was quite funny on my return to be greeted with news of his new involvement with the rugby club, though in honesty I was a bit anxious. Going down to Sharman's Cross Road on a Saturday afternoon was one of the few pastimes my Dad afforded himself, and having that turn into 'just more work,' wasn't a welcome thought.

Tonight there was a supporters meeting down at the club, to let the supporters know the new direction that the club is taking, and to keep them abreast of the developments since the old club went into liquidation. Since the old structure of the club was a "Members Club," it's pretty important that the supporters be kept in the loop about the club, not to mention the fact that were it not for the supporters there'd be no point in running a club. I though the meeting went pretty well, it covered all point that I should imagine a supporter would want covered, and at the end of the evening, there were very few questions.

Having come back, Dad was keen to get me involved with the Rugby Club as I try and 'process' what I've been doing over the last few months, and to give me time to build a game-plan for further charity work. One of the biggest challenges I can see for the rugby club is getting the community engaged. I was speaking to one of the management team, who walked around Solihull and asked 10 people where their local rugby club was. Not one of them could tell him.

Some might take that as a negative, but he saw it as a huge positive. People don't know about the rugby club and therefore don't come. If people knew where it was, and still didn't come - that's a bigger problem.

If you're interested in seeing what the rugby is all about down at Birmingham and Solihull, they're quite a friendly bunch. You can either get more information at their website, or come down and see them play. The next match is Nottingham, 2pm Saturday 19th December, at Sharman's Cross Road.

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Feel the Buzz

Since I've been back two weeks already, it's probably time to let the world know I'm back in the UK, after an enjoyable and challenging stint out in India.

My time out in India was an absolutely brilliant learning experience, and it tested me to my limits. It's such a fascinating and brilliant country, in which you bombarded on all fronts. I got to see both the beautiful side, and the not-so-beautiful side - and though I wished I could have stayed out there longer, I concede it would have been for selfish motives.

Since getting back, I've been ultra busy. I've stepped right back into my old job doing Systems Administration. It may not be the most logical of steps after seeing the potential for working in a more 'humanitarian' field - however, it's a job that I feel as though I can manage - and hopefully it'll continue to provide me with the growth and experience that I achieved over the years I spent in the same job before heading off to India.

For the time being, I'm going to be hanging about mostly in Birmingham, with trips aplenty to Nottingham and Manchester. I'm sure that the arrangements may change over the coming weeks, but I should imaging it'll be these three cities I spend most time in, with the occasional sojourn down to London.

I hope I won't be letting anyone down as I re-adjust the balance of the scales between voluntary work and making a living - but there's just not enough hours in the day for me to help as many people as I would - no matter how deserving I know they are.

So, in conclusion, thanks for having me back. Thanks to all those who've welcomed me back with open arms and shown me how much you care. It's great to have that, though I massively miss the great friends I made out in India too.

A friend of mine is selling his Vauxhall Corsa. It's around Birmingham and I know it's been well looked after.

See Here

Last night I went to see the band of my Childhood - The Eagles - perform their Long Road out of Eden tour at the National Indoor Arena in Birmingham City Centre.  This was the fourth time I've seen them play - the first being in 1999 just a couple of weeks after they dropped Don Felder from their line-up due to 'artistic differences' with the rest of the band.  Stuart Smith has stepped up to the fold, and although he still wears the 'black shirt' on stage to blend into the background, despite contributing to the compositions on their latest album.

All in all it was a fantastic gig - they balanced a few of their own classics with those of the individual band members - allowing Joe Walsh and Don Henley to bash out 'Boys of Summer' and 'He's Cool' to the wishes of the crowds.  It's always an 'older' crowd at these gigs, but it was nice to see a few younger faces enjoying the concert too.  The vocal harmonies were so tight, which is all the more amazing considering these guys are now getting on a bit :)

The only down side to the night was that Glen Frey has obviously got a big of a frog in his throat, and although he managed to soldier on through with a valiant attempt - he didn't hit the highs of the last few tours I've seen him do.  Don't get me wrong, his voice was still hitting the notes and singing along - but it wasn't the voice of Glen Frey, but Glen Croak.  I'm sure it's just a passing illness, so I hope he recovers from it soon.

One of the things I like about the Eagles is the simplicity of the tracks.  Tim B. Schmidt isn't the most amazing bass player you'll ever see - but he hits the notes at the right time and puts plenty of emotion into it all.  He's "the ribbon" of the group, according to Frey, "playing low and singing high".

The backing band were awesome as usual, adding plenty of brass and percussion to the eclectic mix of songs.

I'd give the concert an 8/10 - bearing in mind the last three have all cleared 9 it's still a good performance, however, those of you unfamiliar with their latest works may want to go and get the newest album to get the full enjoyment of watching them live.