Hello world.

Its 2009 already!

Hoping to start writing again

Test post once again! More should follow.

The fight against HIV

Good news from South India.

I had not believed Murali who has been the DFID project manager on HIV awareness projects when he was telling me about their success with the condom promotion programme among high risk groups such as truck drivers. The programme focused on making contraceptives available at non-traditional outlets. The problem apparently was(is) that since encounters with sex workers happen at night and are usually not planned, last minute access to condoms become a problem. And that is what the DFID programme sought to correct.

Superb article on demography

It's the demograhy, stupid

"And the hard data on babies around the Western world is that they're running out a lot faster than the oil is. Replacement fertility rate--i.e., the number you need for merely a stable population, not getting any bigger, not getting any smaller--is 2.1 babies per woman.

...United States, hovering just at replacement rate with 2.07 births per woman. Ireland is 1.87, New Zealand 1.79, Australia 1.76. But Canada's fertility rate is down to 1.5, well below replacement rate; Germany and Austria are at 1.3, the brink of the death spiral; Russia and Italy are at 1.2; Spain 1.1, about half replacement rate."

India is doing no better either. For all the population trouble that people complain about, the annual average rate of reduction in the TFR has been 2.4% between 1990-2003. It is a pity no one seems to be thinking of a world with only old people.

Female infanticide in India

From the IHT: India's lost daughters: Abortion toll in millions

I am not surprised. I was in Siddhagad -- a small village about 3 hours from Bombay a week back. The village is infested with little boys playing outside their houses. Little girls was a rare sight. I won't be surprised if the answer to that was abortion of female fetuses or female infanticide.

My favourite places in Bombay

Since Shruti was moving to Hyderabad we decided to list down all that we have loved about Bombay in all the years we have spent here. And hopefully visit whatever we can while she was here. Here are some of the things we remembered. Additions to the list are welcome.

Town

1. Fountain restaurant
2. Mocambo restaurant
3. Kala ghoda festival
4. Rajmahal restaurant (near Xav, for sentimental reasons)
5. Ferry near the Gateway in the evening. (I have never done this but will before the end of Jan)
6. Pizzeria
7. Churchil
8. Kailash Parbat
9. Theoboma
10. Crystals
11. Banganga festival
12. Leopolds
13. Chor bazar
14. Bohrigali for the best sitafal icecream
15. Mohd. ali road and nagpada during iftaar
16. The first kobe restaurant
17. Elephanta caves (I still have never been there!)
18. Horniman circle
19. Roadside chaat. Especially near Mangaldas market.
20. Khau gali for the chaat and pao bhaji
21. Status for the most amazing gujju thali
22. Kayani and Bastani and all the lovely Irani joints
23. The line from Jehangir, NGMA to Regal. Samovar in Jehangir.
24. Breakfast places in Matunga. I know they exist but I have to hunt for them.

Suburbs

1. Prithvi
2. Kanheri caves
3. Bandra fest
4. Totos
5. Stomachs of course!
6. Axa beach
7. Uncles kitchen
8. Bandstand
9. The new bandra flyover walk (you know what I am talking about!?)
10. Early morning jog in Aarey or cycling in Aarey
11. The cute joints in Bandra (Potpourri, Candies and for a lot of people but not me, papa pancho)
12. Inorbit
13. The dome theater (I wonder if it is the suburbs or town!)
14. Juhu beach
15. Naturals ice-cream
16. Royal Challenge for the best prawns khichadi
17. Bandra linking road barista (because that is the first meeting point for going anywhere)
18. Desert at Cafe Mocha
19. Udupi Vihar (for whatever it is worth!)

What else?

From the NYT: luring people to join the police

Making the police forces an attractive proposition

Very interesting turn of events. The richer the society, the higher the
price it pays for securing law and order.