Rafa in India ...

Following his defeat in Shanghai, Rafa took a few days to go to India to inaugurate a school, created as a result of his Foundation.

Sure the school has tennis courts, but its also there to offer a chance and an education in one of the poorest parts of India, Anatapur. I always did wonder why Rafa's Foundation was concentrating a lot of its efforts in India, but it appears that it is affiliated with the Vincente Ferrer Foundation, set up by its namesake, who was a Spanish philanthropist who spent half his life working with the poor in the area until his death last year.

Rafa has apparently stated that he hopes to spend 15 days working in India next year. Forgive me for saying this, but as a professional tennis player, I think that a tad ambitious, however, I think that Rafa hasn't failed to be moved by the place.

Its a funny place, India. I worked with someone who used to say that you'll either love it or hate it, but you'll never forget it ... and its true. When I went, I have to say that it took me a good few days to get into the place, to assimilate because seriously ... you have never seen anything like it in your life before. The infastructure is almost non-existent, there are tut tuts, scooters, cars and cows all vying for position on the streets. Sure there's beggars, but there's beggars in every major city in England, but you've never seen poverty like it. There was even a farm at the end of the small "road" leading up to our hotel with pigs running wild around it. I couldn't believe what I was letting myself in for ... but yet through it all, the people you meet are absolutely outstanding. They have a grace about them and happiness that I don't think we'll ever know, simply because, their life is simple. There's nothing materialistic about them, because they don't have, know or crave for, material things ... and yes they have to work hard and survive on little, but they don't beat themselves up on the nonsense we drive ourselves mad about. They are friendly, courteous, kind, polite ... manners that are overwhelming.

Some things I saw, like workers in a cashew nut factory ... well, I just had leave because I couldn't believe the conditions they worked under. But we had a wonderful guide that talked to us all the time about not looking at things through our Western eyes, to stop judging things by what we know and are used to here, as the Indians view so many things so differently than us. They have work, a roof over their heads and are grateful that we go round gawking at them in factories and in their villages because it helps to feed them.

So after my initial horror on arrival and thinking, calm yourself ... it will get so much better when we get to the coast, to OMG no! FFS they are starting to drop people off ... OMG are we going to have to stop here!! ... I came home having one of the best ever experiences of my life and being deeply moved by the wonderful people I met.

And it would not surprise me one jot if Rafa has not failed to be moved by those wonderful people in exactly the same way ...