You must must must make friends with a family from Goa!!!
We did and were invited round to one of their houses for dinner and that was just such an amazing experience!
When you see how cramped the conditions are, how many people fit into a small house and just how happy the children are playing with the most simple of things, you'll re-evaluate your life style big time!!
Sonia - our lovely host - kept on apologising for how small and basic her house was, how simple the dinner is, how poor they are etc We felt humbled by the whole thing. This family struggle daily to make any money but yet they gave us the most wonderful meal, they even went out of their way to show us how clean they are - as we eyed up our meals with slight caution!
When you are welcomed into a family like this, you realise just how materialistic you can be living in Britain. I'm not a designer clothes fiend, but I like having a new outift every couple of months. However being around this family made me think of all the awful drama queen moments I've had in the past over 'having nothing to wear' - and my god, its made me cringe!
These families literally have nothing to wear! Clothes are worn till they are worn out, they have few towels, blankets etc We gave them a sterio so they could listen to the radio together, some clothes I wasn't going to take home, our towels when we were leaving, as well as the blankets I pilfered from the FC plane
the look on their faces was priceless. All I did was prevent myself from facing huge excess baggage costs, but in their eyes I had given them so much! They did comment that they have never known British people to be this nice, now I don't know if they were just saying that to be polite, but what I do know is that so many of us leave our towels and toilettries behind without thinking about where it goes. Take that extra walk, find a family and give them what you don't need on your last day, it means the world to them and the looks on their faces makes you feel so good about yourself.
Goldie xx
hi sunnypop i think it was so good of you to give your room boy things that you did not want to bring home ......we always do that like you say just to see the look on his face says it all 
we also bring a few extra t shirts and give them to the lads who work in the beach shacks......they are only shirts that my hubby and son no longer want but the lads are so happy with them especially football...and brand name ones ..........I always say when you do a good turn it comes back to you another way 
hi matti what a wonderful story it does make you think how we all take things for granted.....I think everyone should bring a few wee things extra no matter how small someone in goa will have use for them..even if you give them to the kids at the side of the road or older ones for that matter ......I have read on h/ts some staff at the hotels are not allowed to have the things we leave.......I know in the carribean you have to make a list of what you have left 
