If a child got $5 they might be excited to buy them self a candy bar. Or a teenager with $50 would get the latest XBox game? Maybe a college kid getting $500 would pay for their spring break to Mexico? I could go on, but in every case you see someone who is restricted by some cost which, when overcome, would make them happier or provide some momentary gratification.

So last weekend a whirlwind of events that started in India finally came to an overwhelmingly positive finale. For anyone who doubted that such a major event could be planned in such a short time without disaster, you would be surprised. But, not really, so long as you've got friends and family that you can depend upon - nothing is impossible. So for the most part it was a big success.

Well it has been a few days since I returned from India. Each trip so far has been totally different. These are just some random observations that I want to record for myself. Rains This is the first time I ever visited India during the rainy season. There is a reason they call it the "monsoon season". It was just non-stop rain. And during the brief bouts of sunlight, the heat was unbearable.

Well "quick" means a little less planned than my usual excursions, and of course, a bit shorter than the past few trips. This should be quite the interesting experience with many "firsts" for a few different people, and I hope they all manage, seeing as they're not a seasoned desi like me (jk). I will be intentionally disconnecting from the internets for the whole duration (unlike some BlackBerry toting brethren). So email replies will be a few weeks delayed.

From reading Fear of philanthropy, the following question is presented in regards to donations and charity: "how much is enough?". A good read with some interesting points. My adopted philosophy is quite simple: Give out of need, not out of abundance. What I share comes out of my pocket, so I will decide how much based on the gravity of the need. Sticking to some percentage seems far less ... considerate.