Street Beggars - Today I was saddened to realize that I have already lost count of how many badly disabled beggars have hobbled alongside our rickshaws at red lights. Our first week driving in and out of the city during business hours I didn't spot any. Now that we are living in the city and going out at all times of day and early evening I am noticing them more. Perhaps they too make rational economic decisions: traffic is heavier during rush hour and therefore more people can be appealed to later in the day. It is terrifying to see some of them propel themselves on their hands and one foot (the other leg is oddly amputated) between the filthy, loud, uncaring traffic. It is so hard to know what to do. Any donation is surely encouraging this, and no one could think this is a good option for such individuals. Avoiding eye contact trying to wish them out of the junction fast is my normal response. I ask for God's blessing on them and wonder if I haven't in return just been cursed for my perceived lack of generosity.

The various amputations are alarming: they raise the question of whether someone deliberately maimed a small child.

I am very grateful that I have only seen one young child with his naked younger sibling tapping frenetically on car windows. I hope the children are older than they look (about 5 years old with 9 month old baby on hip) but it still seems monstrous to plant them in the midst of 6-8 lanes of traffic.

May we not become hardened to these sights.