One of several birthday dinners in August. Seems like everyone's parents were on the same wavelength in December :) 

Brian got ambushed by our drivers during his birthday dinner with spray foam. He took it well :) 

We recently started volunteering for an orphanage in the city, and had a day of games and activities that was super fun. We're also running a literacy program for some of the older kids. 

This guy was very optimistic that his umbrella was actually useful in the pouring rain. Yeah, okay... 

The monsoons started in Hyderabad in July, and this was the result. Just imagine, this type of flooding happens every year... 

Thomas is a helpful guy. He likes to really bond with the locals :) 

Thomas decided to help out the lawn mowers. This thing was about 75 pounds though, so then he just posed for pictures... 

The Taj Mahal has amazing marble inlay work, and when you put a flashlight over it, the red stones glow as if lit from behind. Verrrry cool. 

Thomas and Roy bonded over dinner one night. 

John, Holly, Thomas and I went to a bazaar with very narrow windey streets in Delhi. Just imagine a car heading down this street. I'm not kidding. 

This is a traditional Indian water fountain. 

There are still cycle rickshaws in most cities in India. It's hairraising being on a narrow street with these guys! 

The man-love runs rampant in India. Actually, it's totally part of the culture for men to hold hands and hug, with no sexual overtones whatsoever. 

This was a huge and smelly trash dump, right in the middle of the city. So sad... 

The Taj Mahal at sunset. It was so beautiful and romantic, I wished I wasn't just there with friends. 

John was the only one brave enough to ride the camel for more than a minute. 

Me at the Taj Mahal! 

Thomas on his blackberry in Delhi. I was beginning to think it was surgically attached to his hand. 

Thomas in the airport on the way to the Taj Mahal. Thomas thought he should be prepared for anything.