"The man who can drive himself further once the effort gets painful is the man who will win."

Post by: Beth

I never imagined that I'd one day be able to see the Mumbai Marathon, but here we were, getting up at 5:30am on Sunday morning to head to South Mumbai for the start of this annual race! CHIP Mumbai - the NGO for which I volunteer - had several of their team members running, so some of the staff & volunteers gathered to support them. It was such a cool experience to just sit and take it all in. Some participants walked a short distance and carried signs for organizations for which they'd raised money... many participants carried flags and anti-terrorism signs... other participants ran for the love of running and had been training for months to complete a half or full marathon. It was as chaotic and exciting as most things in Mumbai, and I feel so fortunate we got to experience this event.

(Above are some of the CHIP staff and volunteer members.)

"Today was good. Today was fun. Tomorrow is another one." -Dr. Seuss

Post by: Beth

I know it's been a while since we posted, but we have just been incredibly busy! I spent a month at home over the Thanksgiving holidays and came back to Bombay on Christmas Eve. Since I stepped off the plane, it's really been a whirlwind and we've barely had time to sleep! We're really enjoying our time in India, and I have to say that the city of Bombay continues to grown on us each and every day. Along with work, volunteering, and the usually daily tasks, we've been able to do lots of fun things... so despite the lack of posts, I do still have photos, and am happy to finally get to blog some of them! My posts may be a little shorter for a bit due to being so busy, but I'm sure some of you will actually really appreciate fewer words and more photos. :)


Recently, Kristen's sister, Kimberly (yes they are twins.. I literally cannot tell them apart) got to visit Bombay for about 10 days. For much of the trip, they stayed at the JW Marriott and this came with the great benefit of being able to wear a real bathing suit next to a swimming pool --- Believe it or not, despite the oceans and heat in India, this is a rare treat! We hung out for 3 or 4 days at the pool and it was so relaxing and nice. Raja and Beej even got to join us one day since they were off work for a holiday!

Beej's parents have also been in town visiting from the States, so one night was devoted to meeting them over dinner. A large group of us went to "Oh! Calcutta," which is a traditional Bengali restaurant in South Bombay. The food was great and seemed never-ending, and it was nice to meet Beej's family and spend time with friends.

Gateway of India / Taj Mahal Palace