Gurgaon and dengue

Gurgaon. Dengue.

Two words - I'd never heard of before I lived in Asia! But part of my life these days.

Gurgaon is like India's equivalent of Basingstoke. About a 25 min drive South of Delhi, it's all very new and very modern and sadly very concrete. Very Basingstoke c.early eighties. I've been spending an increasing amount of time there - before this year, I'd never heard of the place, but think this is my fifth or sixth visit now. Reason? It's where the IT companies are located in Northern India - including our Microsoft client (which is why I am in Gurgaon now).

The area could be really great - but is strangled by poor infrastructure ... takes HOURS to commute into Delhi by road from here ... and yet it's a journey of only a few KM. And, this is India, so we have amazing contrasts off rich and poor living alongside each other. Walking to my car from the high-tech Microsoft offices today, I had to side step round a herd of cows. Fantastic.

So I got in the car ... the driver wound the windows up and I promptly got accosted by 1,008 fat mosquitoes. The drivers in India have the annoying (but understandable) habit of waiting for you (all day!) with the car windows wound down - so you get all sorts of bugs in the car alongside you. [As an aside, in HK I was recently warned against leaving the car roof down all night - apparently, pythons just love to shelter in cars! ... won't be doing that again].

Anyway, so I killed a few hundred mozzies and then was troubled by a particularly nasty looking one (I think he was the father or best mate of all the others I'd just blammied). I eventually flattened him on my jeans ... he was full of blood (not mine!) and I now have a stain the size of a penny piece on my leg. Relaying this story to the kids, I had to explain what a 'penny' was! Maybe we've spent too much time in Asia.

This mozzie killing frenzy made my mind wander to: "who's blood was that anyway?" and "I wonder how the dengue fever is in India". I thought about the latter because I'm hearing terrible stories coming out of Singapore. I know of three expats who've been recently laid low by dengue fever there. One guy was bedded for nearly four weeks. Nicknamed the "break-bone fever or bonecrusher disease" because of the severe pain it brings, dengue can fall on anyone - no matter how fit you are. Worse still, it kills indiscriminately.

++++++

Next day.

I wrote the above text in a Gurgaon bar whilst waiting for an Indian colleague to arrive. I was writing it on my new toy - a Blackberry Bold (s'cool). Naturally he wanted to see the toy and see what I was writing. I explained I was writing something on Gurgaon and Dengue - I explained about the car episode and the fact I was buzzed by the pesky things waiting for him by the pool that evening. Aha! He explained -- did I know that Gurgaon was getting the unenviable reputation as the "Dengue capital of India".

From the Indian Times:

Gurgaon is now reeling under a massive dengue outbreak. With 28 blood samples testing positive on Wednesday, Gurgaon's dengue count has risen to 348 cases, with two deaths.

Alarmingly, as many as 263 cases have been reported from Gurgaon's urban areas and posh colonies. Inspections carried out by officials from the National Vector Borne Diseases Control Programme and the National Institute of Communicable Diseases reported the breeding rate of Aedes mosquito (that carries the dengue virus) was alarmingly high in Gurgaon - sometimes 40% of the houses inspected were found to be breeding sites.

According to NVBDCP records, Gurgaon had reported 297 cases till August 31 this year, as against 36 cases till August 2007 - an increase of nearly 800%. Delhi till now has recorded 92 positive dengue cases.

If Gurgaon's reputation as an upmarket destination and a shining symbol of the new economy was already being tarred by civic woes - and the perpetual hassles of expressway commuters - the dengue situation may well be the last straw for many residents.

Yikes! All news to me. On my next visit, I'm bringing a mozzie net and buckets of "mozzie off!". I do like the sound of this however: "National Vector Borne Diseases Control Programme" - I imagine their business cards are A4 sized.

M

China spacewalk - pride of the nation

I was walking around a shopping mall in HK last weekend - called 'Time Square' it happens to boast one of the largest outdoor TV screens I've ever seen. At the event of historical happenings, people gather in their thousands in front of this screen.

I found myself gawping AND clapping AND cheering with the rest of them last Saturday when a Chinese astronaut - or yuhangyuan - made the country's first spacewalk. Exciting to be part of the crowd.

M

Kate 'n' Giles + 4 boys in HK

Last week we had friends to stay with us -- the first staying/payng ;-) visitors to our new luxurious abode in Stanley.

We (well I) was a bit nervous about it - not because I don't get on well with them (on the contrary, they're great) - more because they are encumbered with four children - four boys - four big bouncing athletic boys all under nine years old. On top of our two smaller bouncing unathletic boys.

Anyway, should not have been concerned - they and we had a great time. They packed loads in.

Good to see them!

Now it's your turn!

M

Getting bored of sushi - but whale bacon? NO THANKS

I've been a vegetarian for nearly six months now. I don't miss meat at all - apart from, that is, when Sofia or I cook bacon or roast pork for the boys - tempting but have not yet succumbed. I wonder if I'd be able to cope in the UK given the number of roasts I'd be exposed to.

By accident, Joss is veering towards no-meat too. Today she cooked us a beautiful lasagne made from soya mince ... the kids did not blink.

I do, however, find lunches hard to navigate in Hong Kong. There are very few salad bars. Getting a good sarny is near-on impossible. For lunch, I'm dependent on either cheese & branston pickle or department store foodhall sushi.

Consuming too much cheese (coupled with creates of airplane food) is beginning to add a few pounds to me again -- 7 months ago I was 11 1/2 stone ... now creeping back up on the wrong side of 12 1/2 stone. The books (body mass index) suggest I should be less than 12 stone. I'd be happy with 12 stone dead. Goal for Christmas. As is getting rid of my re-developing boy boobs as spotted in this photo of me in Tokyo recently.

Talking of Japan .. I'm getting a bit bored of sushi to be honest ... there's only so much raw fish one can eat. Having said that, we got taken to Nobu Hong Kong by our visitors Kate and Giles last week - was great (TOO generous guys!!).

Here's a halfway house - something I saw in a Department store in Tokyo on my last trip: "Whale bacon!". I kid you not. Smoked/cured streaky whale meat rashers. No, not for me. Unthinkable. Monsters.

M

Summer of UK travel; friends; rellies and fun

Joss and the boys spent two weeks in the UK ... and I managed to get away for two weeks ... visiting various relatives and friends. It's so nice when you've not seen people for so long (over a year in many cases) to be able to carry on conversations where we left off last time we saw them.

M

Summer 08: Some choice photos

Occasionally, the kids will stay still long enough to take a few snaps - and if they are not putting their fingers up their noses (or worse), they sometimes turn out OK. Here are a few I like.

M

Archie - Vet in the making

I really wonder what Archie will end up doing as a career. A comedian perhaps? A greengrocer? Or a vet? This summer, he had three horseriding lessons in as many weeks. He can't resist approaching and (hopefully) touching anything with fur; feathers or scales. I think he will be a comedy vet.

M

Hampshire: A walk in the country not

Last year we had a great walk in the Hampshire countryside (Old Winchester Hill) - so good that we decided to do it again this year. But it was so cold and wet outside, we decided to sit in a pub and have a few shandies. Not just ANY pub - one of my favourites - 'The pub with no name' in Steep (AKA the White Horse). I swear the public lounge has not been decorated since 1912. And much better for it it is!

Of course children are not allowed in that part of the bar, so we slummed it in the annex round the back amusing ourselves by seeing who was best at rolling their eyes up into their skulls (Joss was the winner).

Later that week the weather improved slightly and we got a few walks/picnics in. One thing Joss and I both remarked on was the presence of wasps -- another warm winter (I guess) meant that the UK was plagued by them this summer ... @ least we felt like there was a plague! We don't think there are any wasps in Hong Kong (just snakes and BIG spiders - one on our landing window this week had a body the size of my ring finger).

M

Hampshire: Beaulieu National Motor Museum

The boys enjoyed a day out at the Beaulieu Motor Museum. Despite it being situated just up the road a bit from his was my first visit in over twenty years. It's not changed that much in two decades - still as quaint as ever and stuffed with cars! A new attraction: 'Wheels':

Step into Wheels, a space age pod ride taking you on a fascinating journey through 100 years of motoring history, from the dawn of motoring through to a vision of cars in the future.

Which was, in fact, a rather lame ride sitting in an old Ferris wheel cradle where you were forced to watch a 15-minute parade of dusty, animated and abandoned ex-Madam Tussauds wax works in unairconditioned discomfort.

The disappointment of this was countered by the joy on Billy's face when he saw Bluestreak (he used to read about it continuously), by the rather beautiful Beaulieu house and by an amazing falconry talk given within the grounds of the near-derelict abbey.

All this for £45 entrance fee. Our second day out that week - Marwell Zoological Park - at the same price. Not cheap England.

M

Cornwall: Brrrrrrr English summer

We all had a great time in Cornwall this year, but by GUM was it ever cold! My wetsuit stayed in my bag and I went into the sea up to my lower shin (no chance of breaking a rib this year unless I happened to slip up on some sea ice - which might have been possible late August 2008).

M

Cornwall: Mackerel fishing out of Padstow

We've been threatening to go Mackerel fishing for many years now - but thought that this year the kids were finally old enough to be trusted on a small boat out at sea.

Trust us to pick one of the most blustery days of the summer. There was a fair old swell and the boat was rolling quite a bit (especially when hit on the broadside). On the way back a few of us were feeling a bit poorly! (See Paddy with the wet wipes!).

None-the-less, we caught about four or five dozen fish - we took them home to be gutted and cleaned by the person who felt least sick (me). Smelly old job that one - but they tasted great (nothing beats eating fish that fresh).

The only downside of the trip (apart from the seasickness that is), was the sight of the idiotic fisherman's assistant throwing his empty polystyrene coffee cup into the sea. As Joss said, he should "know better".

M

Cornwall: The lost gardens of heligan

Had a very moving but enjoyable day at Heligan. I've always wanted to go there - and it was far far better than I expected it to be. A great English summer's day ... warm; showers; sunshine; blackberries; wasps.

Sad to hear the history of the place - how the fact so many (men) staff were lost in the Great War that the garden eventually fell in to disrepair. Great to see what they've done with it now. Veggie 'patch' mad me feel a bit homesick.

M

Old mates and kids in UK

Great to see Mike; Sarah; Alister and Esther + associated children again after a year. Kids had shot up of course!

M

Nintendo Wii - healthy outdoor fun for all the family

We finally gave in to the insistent whining and pleading from the boys to get a video games machine (that phrase sounds very old fashioned - Binatone era). They had their heart set on a Playstation; Nintendo DS or an xBox -- so we got them a Wii on the assumption it's a bit healthier!

I must say one does work up a bit of a sweat. These pictures are of Joss and the boys playing the boxing 'game' -- I had to sit down after five minutes for fear I was going to pass out. Billy, utilising his finely-honed Kung Fu skills, is approaching Professional level in this game. Archie excels at golf. I'm OK at the Mario Kart sitting down game! Joss, well she's good at bring the drinks in and mopping our brows ;-)

Actually, I suffered a rather nasty Wii sporting injury the other week - it's just getting better now. I was beating Joss at Wii Tennis (rather fun as I would never be able to beat her @ the real thing of course -- which is how I got my injury - trying too hard). Match point ... I was just about winning ... I slammed a backhander down the edge of the court to slam in a winner ... but also slammed the knuckle of my middle finger into the edge of the wooden bookcase. Think I chipped a bone. Ohhhhh painful -- but oh-so worth it!

M

This picture summarises my life at the moment

Taken from a plane, late night landing @ HK airport -- a whirling whizz of colour and speed. Travelling too much. I need a break.

M

Archie's birthday

Birthdays are getting more and more expensive - we thought they cost lots of money in the UK, but in HK the expectation is even higher. Not just the kids' expectations of having a party complete with entertainer etc, but parents also seem to be trying to out-do each other. Archie's birthday fell at a bad time for us - we were getting ready to move and Joss was preparing for the 3-week UK trip --- so Archie's Bday this year was sans major party. And this will probably be the way forward for both of them -- small gathering of close friends @ home from now on. Much more civilised (and cheaper!).

M