Doolally - Pune's first micro-brewery

Over the past few years, Pune has seen the opening of an array of  fine new hotels, restaurants, casual dining options, bars and fast-food joints. These include iconic international chains like the Hard Rock Cafe. Fine dining restaurants like Stone Water Grill (which also has a fabulous lounge bar). A historic heritage hotel – Fort Jadhavgadh. There are the usual international fast food favorites in McDonalds, Subway, etc. And then there are my personal favorites in my local Deccan Gymkhana neighborhood like the Deccan Rendezvous.

But an important piece was missing…a micro-brewery. Why a micro-brewery in this list? And what is a micro-brewery…you might ask!

A micro-brewery is a place where beer is brewed the old fashioned way. The way it is supposed to be brewed. The way it’s supposed to taste – Fresh, free of synthetic additives, and flavorful. In a micro-brewery, beer is brewed onsite in small batch quantities, unlike large commercial breweries. Micro-breweries are quite popular in the U.S. and Europe. Successful pioneering micro-breweries like Gordon Biersch started in Palo Alto, California 20 years back and now have multiple locations all over the U.S. But this concept is virtually unheard of in India.

Four years back, two ex-IIM entrepreneurs Suketu and Prateek decided to change that. They are well on their way towards creating something special. Their first creation is ‘Doolally’ – Pune’s first micro-brewery (as well one of India’s pioneers in this area), which opened earlier this month. Along this long and interesting entrepreneurial journey, they were also joined by Oliver, a German ‘Brew-Meister’ (The Beer Specialist). Incidentally, Suketu is originally from Nashik (a city about 200 km north of Pune), which is also home to one of India’s premier wineries – Sula Wines. Maybe there’s something in the waters of Godavari there that creates and nurtures these entrepreneurs like Suketu and Rajiv Samant!

Weird name – ‘Doolally’, you might think… but I guess it’s very apt. Doolally is derived from the name ‘Deolali’ – a small army cantonment near Nashik that dates back to the British Raj.  It literally means ‘going insane’! British soldiers used to be stationed in Deolali (often for months) as a staging point before returning back to England. Here they didn’t have any active tasks and some used to go crazy of boredom and the summer heat. Well…coincidently, Doolally is located fairly close to the Pune Cantonment Area. From the point of view of those early 20th century British soldiers – I guess wrong cantonment and wrong century!

Doolally is located in the fabulous new Corinthian Boutique Hotel near NIBM Road, Kondhwa. They have done a great job on the decor. The lighting, the bar stools and the wood panels/floors set the perfect ambience. As you enter you see the huge stainless steel vats where the beer is made. You are greeted by the bar upfront with huge taps serving the different varieties of fresh brew. Presently they are brewing Premium Lager, Dark, Wheat, Rye and a Cider (not technically a beer (tastes more like aerated wine) - but on tap for the occasional rare non beer drinker amongst the patrons). They plan to add more varieties in future. My favorite is the Dark – which has a hint of bitter malt/chocolate like flavor. The Wheat is great as well.  But don’t take my word for it – you need to find out which one’s your favorite! You can try out the different samples before deciding on your order. Pints and Pitchers are available.

Doolally - Handcrafted Beer On Tap

The food menu is a little limited and primarily consists of snacks such as wraps and sandwiches. We understand that plans are afoot to extend this menu and introduce more conventional bar snacks such as Chicken Wings, Nachos, Chips, etc. On a side note – the Greek & Mediterranean restaurant ‘Salsa’ located right besides Doolally serves an excellent multi-cuisine menu. The Greek food we had there was probably the best in Pune. The Corinthian Hotel & Club complex presents a great location on top of a small hillock. The outdoor sitting of Doolally is also nice and Pune’s perfect weather, especially at this time of the year, is an added bonus.

My only initial reluctance in going to Doolally was the distance. Yes, in the minds of many Punekars, Kondhwa/NIBM Road area is virtually a different city, tucked away in the remote South-East corner. I myself ventured there for the first time in over a decade. However, now I realize that it is not that bad. At a distance of about 14 km from Deccan Gymkhana and only 7 km from M.G. Road – it will take you anywhere between 30 min – 1 hour, depending on traffic. Aundh, Baner residents have a slightly longer drive, but I am sure it will be worth it.

Doolally also plans to have live music on certain weekends. Check with them regarding the exact dates and artists. While Doolally is a perfect place to hangout with friends, it can also be a nice place for entertaining corporate guests, and for team events. One important note – do check if there’s a ‘Dry Day’, before you head over there – else you might be disappointed.

Some closing comments – Drink responsibly and enjoy! Don’t drink and drive. Have a designated driver.

 ‘Cheers’!

General Information

Web:   http://www.doolally.in/home.html

Address: Doolally, Corinthians Boutique Hotel, NIBM Road, Kondhwa, Pune

Phone: 020-2695 2226

Map (courtesy Sadakmap.com): http://www.sadakmap.com/p/Doolally-Micro-Brewery/

Timings: 7:30pm onwards

It is impressive to see the world’s biggest democracy participate in the complex electoral process. For all the inefficiencies,red-tape and corruption that the Indian Government Bureaucracy is riddled with, the Election Process seems (in comparison) to be refreshingly better and different. The statistics for the process themselves are mind-boggling. Millions of voters (even for a state election…), thousands of polling stations, thousands of candidates … and yet, the whole machinery seems to perform with near clock work precision. Yes, there are a few irregularities, but statistically, they are much smaller than any other process of a similar magnitude.

Just watching those part-time workers (many of them school teachers) systematically process voters at the polling booths make one wonder…if only you could see this efficiency at any other government office! Clearly, full-time government workers don’t even come close.

Maybe we should get the Election Commission to run some other Government Departments! At least for a few days. We might just be pleasantly surprised to see how quickly applications get processed, permits getting approved, refunds getting sorted out, licenses getting issued, etc.

Why does the Election Process run so much better? I wonder why. Maybe it’s because this is one process where the politicians stay away (Literally – they are supposed to be a few hundred feet away from the polling stations during the voting process)

Some years back, Election Commissioner Seshan showed how he could use the ‘real’ power of this office, provided to it by the constitution. That was probably an important event, and even today plays a role in shaping the role of the Election Commission.

Wonder what your thoughts are on this topic.

Netherlands has its series of attractions and icons: some extremely famous, and others not so much. In this brief blog, I will make an attempt to highlight some that caught my attention during this brief stay. I really enjoyed my time and look forward to making another trip.

Food – Global Cuisine and Dutch Classics

Netherlands is not exactly known for food, but I had a great culinary experience. I guess Ham & Cheese Sandwich is to Holland, what Fish & Chips is to Britain. I loved the great variety of breads,sliced meats and cheeses. Dutch pancakes were also quite terrific -  different and a lot better than what you get in America.

Apart from the traditional Dutch food, what struck me was the wide variety of eclectic global cuisine that was available in Amsterdam and other smaller towns. I expected to see a lot of Indonesian restaurants in central Amsterdam, but was really surprised to see a huge number of Indian restaurants there as well! There were Chinese, Middle-Eastern, Turkish, Argentinean and many other cuisines represented.

In Europe, they serve great coffee. Even in a small town cafe, the Cappuccino was perfect. I guess this might be a problem for Starbucks to expand here.

Our hotel ‘The Golden Tulip – Lisse’  located in a small suburb Lisse, about 30 km from Amsterdam, also had a famous 100-year-old restaurant ‘De Nachtegaal’ that served a variety of different dishes, ranging from Dutch Pancakes, to Italian Pastas and Thai Sateys.

Bicycles

Bikes are one thing a first time visitor to Holland would expect; but the sheer numbers are astounding! Just look at the massive multi-storeyed bicycle-only parking lot next to the Amsterdam Central Train Station. Even in a small town like Lisse, you would see a swarm of bikes during the morning and evening rush hour. The riders include school kids from primary to high school, office goers, retirees, and from every other section of the society. 

Dedicated bike lanes definitely help and are clearly essential. Hotels (especially in suburbs) have bicycles available on rent. I was able to enjoy a nice 1 hour bike ride through Tulip country (No Tulips this time of the year!).

Given the amount of bike riding the Dutch do, I wouldn’t be surprised if their overall health ranks much better than most other countries in the world.

Windmills

Windmills are probably the first thing that would come to mind when one thinks of Holland. They are not as omnipresent as one would think, but still you would see quite a few, especially in small towns. Many are not in a working state anymore, and a few have been converted into restaurants, galleries, etc. We had a nice dinner at one such restaurant ‘ d’Oude Molen ‘ (translates as: ‘The Old Mill) in a small town of Nieuw-Vennep.

On expressway A4 leading south from Amsterdam towards Rotterdam, you do see some interesting contrasts of old windmills standing shoulder to shoulder with their modern airplane propellor like counterparts.

The Hague

Few cities carry such weight and seriousness in their name, as ‘The Hague’ (translated from ‘Den Haag’). But then this is a fairly unique place. The capital of the Netherlands, and the seat of many important international organizations – such as the International Criminal Court.

I didn’t spend too much time there, but did drive around a bit. The palace (I only saw it from outside) is very impressive. The beach boulevard near the palace is a very popular place for tourists and locals. A large number of casual beach restaurants are a big attraction. I had a good lunch at Waterreus.

This beach had an interesting historical photograph, prominently framed there. It showed the same view (with a lighthouse in the background – it is still there…) from 1944, with all the German fortifications – in preparation for defence against an Allied Landing.

Given its capital and international diplomatic hub status, The Hague has a lot of dignitaries visiting and living there. While driving by some apartments, I noticed an interesting parking sign – ‘This Parking Spot Is Reserved For The Ambassador Of Guatamala’!  I am not sure if they have similar reserved parking for every country’s ambassador (guess they should!) – it’s just that I saw only one such sign!

Heineken

Another extremely popular Dutch export is Heineken. I noticed that in Netherlands – many restaurants just serve one kind of beer: Draft Heineken. They have a nice museum in Central Amsterdam called ‘Heineken Experience’. I have been to the Miller Brewery Museum in Milwaukee  (many years back) and found this to be a better experience.

Dikes

If there’s one type of structure all Dutch people need to be eternally thankful towards, it’s a ‘Dike’ (also referred to as ‘Dyke’ or ‘Levee’). These earthen structures protect the low-lying areas from raging sea waters. A large percentage of Holland is actually below sea-level (One data-point suggests that it is 27%). Schipol International Airport in Amsterdam is the lowest (11 feet below MSL (mean sea level) ) international airport in the world. For the past many centuries, the Dutch have been reclaiming land from the North Sea.

Canals

Given the geography of Netherlands, canals are a very popular means of transportation. Like any modern European country, a vast network of expressways crisscross the land, but Canals continue to maintain their unique identity. These canals lead to many ‘opening bridges’ on roads and local highways. Inside Amsterdam, the canals create a complex network of transportation routes. A common legend about these canals in Central Amsterdam goes like this – most canals were originally 3 meter deep, but presently, their usable depth is only 2 meters. Reason? The huge number of old bicycles that have been thrown in there over, the past century

Tulip Country

Tulips are another classic attraction in Holland. I think this is especially the case amongst Indians – thanks to Bollwood. If one song caught the imagination of the Bollywood audience in the 1980s and created an everlasting impression of Tulips country – its ‘Dekha Ek Khaab …’ from Silsila (imdb link), staring Amitabh Bacchan and Rekha.

Our hotel in Lisse was right in the middle of Tulip country.  It was surrounded by vast Tulip fields and bike trails that run through them. Only problem was that we were at absolute right place, but not at the right time . Tulip season is in April-May. All we saw were mostly ploughed fields and small sections of some other flowers that grow during this time of the year.

Central Amsterdam  

Central Amsterdam is beautiful. Canals, small streets, bicycle paths and footpaths blend in and coexist together. Old buildings (some over 400 year old) line these canals and streets. The Grand Central Railway Station building is quite imposing. Many refer to Amsterdam as a ‘walking city’. It’s not difficult to see why. The sheer number of people we saw in Central Amsterdam was huge. Yes, it was a weekend and the weather was nice – but still we heard from locals that this kind of crowd is not abnormal. If  you think Manhattan is crowded, you should see this place! Clearly comparable with some of the crowded cities in India!

The central part of Amsterdam has many tourist attractions – Shopping, Museums, The Famous Red-Light District Area, Canal Rides,..to name a few. I got an opportunity to see the Van Gogh Museum. I am not much of an art lover so its best that I don’t attempt to describe any of his famous works! Rembrandt Museum is also close by in the Museum District.

I can recommend 3 good ways to checkout Central Amsterdam – I tried all of them. A canal cruise is a must as it takes you around the complex network of waterways around the city and gives you a nice close-up view of some of the great historical buildings. It was interesting to learn how all those old buildings are built on a 40 (or 60) wooden pillars foundation. Due to some structural problems that have arisen over the years (I must say the construction is good – since many have been around for 3 or more centuries!), a few buildings are tilted. (See the above photo of the famous ‘Tilting House’).

If you have extra time on hand, and the weather is good – walking is probably the best way to see the city. The third way is less exciting, but the most efficient. Just buy a 7 Euros daypass (I bought it at the Central Station Tourist Office – but I am sure it must be available elsewhere) and you can roam around Amsterdam on any of the Trams and Busses.

And finally some quirks

We found the Dutch people to be warm and friendly.

However, didn’t have a great experience when asking for directions  On atleast 2 occasions, we were confidently sent on a wrong detour (that resulted in us driving around for over 1 hour..) to reach our hotel, that was just a few km away. And English was not the problem!

I know its typical European to have shops close in the evening, and remain closed on Sundays. But this still takes getting used to, if you are coming from U.S. or India. I always wonder what the locals do if there’s any emergency shopping need.

Amsterdam Grand Central Station has a Tourist Information Office. I got there at 10:30am, only to find a huge line outside. Turns out that this place only opens at 11am. There were many irritated tourists from all over the world here.

And a few closing comments

Netherlands is a great place to visit. Being a small country neighbouring U.K. and Germany – it has influences from both. English is more prevalent here compared to many other continental European Countries. It is also home to some leading multi-national companies such as Phillips, Royal-Dutch Shell, Unilever, ABN Amro,ING, etc.

I spent most of time in and around Amsterdam. I am sure the other cities like Rotterdam, Eindhoven will have their own sets of nice attractions. Netherlands is a great confluence of history and nature. Nice, green modern cities. Beautiful, quaint small towns. The landscape changes significantly as one drives East from Amsterdam towards the German Border. I didn’t get a chance to visit the Northern Netherlands – home of the famous Dutch Cheese.  Well, something for my next trip!

Today, I complete one year in blogosphere. It has been an interesting and fulfilling journey with over 50 Posts and over 400 Comments. Many thanks to everyone who provided feedback and support! I realize that my list of topics is extremely diverse; and it was great to get inputs for all of them. 

Over this past week, I spent some time thinking about the 10 articles I liked the most. It was a hard choice, but this is what I came up with.

As always, your overall thoughts and comments are most welcome – as I continue with the musings of a global citizen.

Driving In Europe – How It’s Different From U.S.

The Greatest Technological Achievement Of The 20th Century – The Apollo 11 Mission To Moon

Is the paranoia around H1N1 in Pune / India justified? – A look at some factoids & information resources

An Indian Road Trip in the 1980s – We sure have come a long way!

Can Pune Emulate The Silicon Valley Technology Startup Ecosystem?

Slumdog Millionaire – The Most Over Hyped, Most Average Movie Ever?

Did India Skip The 20th Century?

Is TV News Making Us Dumb?

US Financial Crisis – Who Is To Be Blamed?

50 ways in which Pune has changed over the past 15 years

Autobahn

 There are many more differences than just seeing cars cruise-by at 250 km/hr!

On continental Europe, they drive on the same side of the road as the United States. But the similarities really taper off from there! Recently, I had my first opportunity to drive in Europe, and it was a great experience. In this blog, I will highlight the contrasts between the two systems that are separated by much more than the Atlantic Ocean.

Readers who have extensive driving experience on both sides of the pond are welcome to add their own insights. For readers who haven’t driven in Europe, this article will be (hopefully!) an interesting guide, and an invitation to checkout this experience on your next trip. Note – my experiences are based on driving in the Netherlands, Germany and Belgium.

Unless you are lucky enough to get a ‘company car’ in Europe – renting a car might be your best (and only) option. Car renting in Europe is quite expensive. But you can always look for bargains. Like in the U.S., renting a car in a suburb or a small town is significantly cheaper than renting at an Airport or in city center (‘zentrum’ or ‘centrum’ – as they call ‘downtown’). A manual transmission car is much cheaper than an automatic. A US driving license and a credit-card is typically all you need to rent, but many rental companies will also ask for your Passport as an ID Proof.

1. Where are the Pickup Trucks and SUVs?

The first thing you might notice is the near complete absence of pickup trucks! The SUVs are also significantly fewer in number. You will find a lot of station wagons. Clearly, the ‘drive’ towards reducing demand for oil, starts with vehicle ’size’!

2. Better Driving Discipline – Fewer crazy drivers!

At first impression, the driving discipline definitely feels like it’s a notch higher than that in the U.S. Drivers seem to be more considerate when allowing lane changes, merge-ins, etc. Similarly, the fast lane is strictly used only for passing.

 3. Smaller cars

You feel like the entire class of automobiles got shrunk down by 1 or 2 sizes. The American compact car is a standard in Europe, an American medium sized car is a large car, and so on. Some of the cars are outright tiny – and smaller in size than the recently launched ‘Tata Nano’. On a related note (and quite interestingly, I may add..) – Toyota Prius was more common on European Roads than other iconic Toyota cars.

4. Better maintained cars

In general the cars seemed better maintained than in the US. Not sure if this is driven by necessity (wintery weather conditions, etc.) or by stricter enforcement (regular certification requirements).

5. Manual Transmission & Diesel Engines

These are again novelties to most American drivers. Both are quite popular given that they deliver better efficiencies (ultimately expressed as a lower cost per km) than the automatic transmission and gasoline counterparts.

6. Sheer variety of cars

My belief of U.S. being the global leader in variety of cars got corrected. The sheer variety of cars in Europe is huge! And the number of configurations available for a given model is also extensive. E.g. – Manual/Automatic, Gasoline (Benzin) / Diesel, etc. In addition to all the major global brands you commonly see in the U.S., there are quite a few other brands as well.

7. Speed limits

Contrary to prevailing belief amongst many – they do have strict speed limits on European highways. Even in Germany – 120 kmph (roughly equal-to 75 mph) is common on most highways, but they change to 100 kmph, 80 kmph, etc. based on road/traffic conditions. Many speed limits are ‘dynamic’ – they are indicated by electronic signs and change depending on the external conditions and time of the day. The adherence to the speed limits is fairly decent. There are only certain sections of Autobahns (away from urban centers) in Germany that have no speed limits.

8. Where are the cops?

In my 4 days of extensive driving, I swear I just saw one police car on the highway! That too was at a site of an accident. And yet, the speed limits enforcement and compliance is quite high. I guess they use cameras and technology a lot more in Europe, for traffic rules enforcement. If you are caught speeding, the ticket is mailed to you – complete with your picture driving the car, as proof.

9. 18 Wheelers

The 18 Wheelers are similar to what you would see in the US. Though, you see significantly fewer on the road. I guess there could be two primary reasons: 1. Europeans consume less stuff. Less stuff = Less Volume & Weight to ship! 2. They use a lot of rail transportation.

10. ‘Seamless Borders’

Crossing from one country to the other in the Schengen Region  is as seamless as crossing state boundaries in the U.S. or in India. Typically, there are just 1 or 2 signs welcoming you to that country and some changes in speed limits. That’s pretty much it – Plus the roads signs change from one language you cannot understand to a different one that you cannot understand either But the graphical signs are self-explanatory.

11. Round-Abouts/Yield

When driving on city roads - a ’round-about’ circle is something that might confuse an American driver! It’s a different system of yielding – instead of a 4 way stop-sign.

12. Various kinds of ‘entities’ on the city roads

I can understand why Americans sometime dread driving in European cities!  In addition to the tiny roads – you have bicycles, pedestrians and trams to deal with! Amsterdam also has a few human powered bicycle taxis (And I thought Kolkatta was the only big city in the world to have them!).

For me personally (and others who regularly drive on Indian roads) I guess this ‘diverse traffic’ is not that bad

13. Bicycles lanes

Bicycles are omnipresent in Holland. They are also quite popular in other countries as well. On most city roads, bicycles have separate dedicated lanes. It’s quite interesting to see a few folks ‘bike’ from their home to a rail station – ‘fold’ their bikes (yes, some bikes literally fold in half – and can be stowed away easily..) board the train to the city, disembark and again ride to their office building!

Motorcycles are also more common, and they ‘optimize’ lane usage at traffic lights or in traffic jams by moving forward by the side of stuck 4 wheelers (the way they always do in India   ) . Initially I thought they were breaking the rules – but then it seemed like it was a ’standard’ procedure.  

14. Gas Stations

The first time you pull into a Gas Station – be prepared for a sticker shock! Gasoline is currently priced around 1.40 Euros/liter. At the present exchange rate, that roughly translates to USD 7.60/Gallon. Diesel is a little cheaper at around 1.05 Euros/liter (USD 5.80/Gallon).  Add to this the price of a comparable car is approximately twice as much in the U.S. – and you will understand why driving is so expensive in Europe!

At Gas Stations in Europe you can literally fill ‘Gas’ ..LPG (Liquified Petroleum Gas), that is . Note in Germany and the Netherlands, they refer to Gasoline as ‘Benzin’. Instead of 3 varieties of gasoline and 1 variety of diesel – at European filling stations, you will typically find 2 varieties of gasoline, 2 varieties of diesel and LPG. Initially, I was confused to note the significantly higher octane rating numbers in Europe. However, that is apparently because of slightly different standards. (For more information, checkout: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Octane_rating )

Reliance on Diesel and LPG is part of the drive towards reducing cost / km. LPG is significantly cheaper than Gasoline. Diesel typically yields a much better fuel efficieny in terms of km / liter.

15. Use of GPS and other electronic gadgets

The use of GPS based navigation has increased significantly over the past few years (as it has, in the U.S.) and old fashioned ‘paper’ map based navigation is a dying art. I however had to use this ‘old’ and tried and tested art form – since my cheap rental didn’t have a GPS.

Similarly, I understand that hands-free mobiles are mandatory – hence most cars have an integrated Bluetooth mobile integration with the car’s sound system.

In general, I also observed that for a similar model – an European car would typically have many other smaller gizmos – tire pressure monitoring, range calculators, etc.

Helpful links

Description of Autobahns from Wikipedia  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Autobahns

A good site with lot of information (speed-limits, restrictions, etc.) about various Autobahns http://www.autobahnatlas-online.de/index_e.html

(Image credits: Wikipedia)

RT @CNETNews High-end server chips breaking records http://bit.ly/mqtLq

RT @indianomics SMSGupShup has 22 million users in India. Much more than facebook, Twitter and orkut combined http://bit.ly/16B8qD

A friend’s crossword got published in the premium puzzles section of the Sunday New York Times…! http://is.gd/2Ixcd  

RT @googlenews Cheney says he would have attacked Iran over nukes, but Bush said no – New York Daily News http://bit.ly/PnK9t 

Finally watched #TareZaminPar Agree with most reviews – it’s a great movie by Bollywood standards. Though just a ‘good’ movie globally. 

Nice article by Vivek Wadhwa. Doubt with 9.5% unemployment in US, Obama will listen http://is.gd/2HS5I Free the H-1Bs, Free the Economy

Funds between $ 500 billion – 1.4 trillion, belonging to Indians parked in safe havens abroad http://is.gd/2GOEp 

RT @HarvardHealth Fatigue may be a sign of depression. 20%-40% of people who seek help for ongoing fatigue suffer from depression or anxiety 

Good question! A decent amount..I think. RT @Cleartrip How much extra would you be willing to pay to watch television with no advertising? 

RIP Chandrayaan – India’s first moon mission was a great first step! RT @ndtv Radio contact with Chandrayaan-I spacecraft lost

http://is.gd/2EdvL CNET: US Bill would give president emergency control of Internet

http://is.gd/2E6qM A planet 10x of Jupiter and 50x closer its star, than earth-sun distance: Is it violating the laws of physics??

#punetraffic Really, Pune drivers need a crash(no pun intended) course in lane discipline! With the JM/FC Rd oneways, this is urgent.

Shikimic acid: found in a plant in China – main ingredient for producing Oseltamivir, active ingredient of Tamiflu http://is.gd/2ClXQ

From that first oil well in Pennsylvania, we have come a long way… http://bit.ly/3YA0gO Happy 150th Birthday, Oil Drilling!

Test drove the New Laura 2.0 lt. Terrific car. Deriving from a @d7y quote – ‘its an epitome of understated luxury’

Only Onion can do this! RT @TheOnion ‘Kennedy Curse’ Claims Life Of 77-Year-Old Tumor-Riddled Binge-Drinker http://bit.ly/jwj

Pune’s police commissioner started his blog on August 20, 2009: http://bit.ly/3dBI7g  via @punemirror

Comparing specs of @Toyotafortuner with Innova. No major difference except the 3L engine, 4W drive. Is it really worth nearly 2X price??

Good stats on oil consumption by country(2007) http://is.gd/2zIsC  India is at #6. US consumes nearly 25% of global demand

Interesting stats on the i10, City and other A/T models – Indians Opt for Automatic Variant http://bit.ly/w7BHS  via @carazoo 

Amar Bhide (IIT Bombay Class of ‘77) vs Roger Altman on CNBC debating the merit of Bernanke’s reappointment – http://tinyurl.com/iitb0825

Great article – also very relevant to India ’s healthcare system “Why primary care doctors are fed up”   http://is.gd/2ygnQ    

IISc is India’s No. 1 tech institute http://is.gd/2yfcI  followed by IIT Kanpur and IIT Bombay.

Agri Min.Pawar interview on CNBC. Irrespective of what one thinks of his politics…He is really impressive with statistics and his facts.

Staggering sugar statistics in India (annual) – Demand: 24 Million Tons. Domestic Supply this year: 15 Million Tons.

$1.15 billion Dallas Cowboys Stadium http://bit.ly/mxTw2  Biggest stadium -accomodates 120,000 and has start-of-art 73 ft X 160 ft HDTVs

Arun Shourie: ‘..there’s a need for a resposible voice that respects intellect and stays away from sound-byte journalism..’ great interview!

Nokia joins the netbook race with the Booklet 3G: 10 inches, 1.25 kg, 12 hour battery life, HDMI out http://is.gd/2wvBJ

Latest WHO stance puts them at odds with various countries RT @Naturenews WHO: no drugs for healthy H1N1 victims http://ff.im/-74Pc0

@PritishNandy Air India is in a huge mess. Only positive ending for it would be if Tata buy it back for Rs.1…and turn it around!

CNBC – Fortis to acquire 10 Hospitals (total apprx 2000 beds) from Wockhardt for around 900 Crores.

Pune, doesn’t showup. Delhi at #1 RT @ Cleartrip India’s top 10 hotel destinations: http://bit.ly/d9e6P

Interesting stat ! RT @AlooTechie 34% of reserved rail tickets in India are sold online: IRCTC http://bit.ly/h2t9Q

Don’t come fishing for account details: Swiss banks to India http://is.gd/2vcJx

 #punetraffic Large number of vehicles breaking the JM Road oneway rule at around 11pm tonite. Very dangerous!

 #punetraffic Always impressed by the NH4 highway stretch from CME to Akurdi in PCMC. IMO, Pune needs such highways; and not BRTS!!

Foreigners Attending US Grad Schools Way Down: Wake Up, Xenophobes http://tcrn.ch/8SGo via @TechCrunch

 #ashes @BumbleCricket ’s nickname for Nassir Hussain is Putin Uncanny resemblance! Checkout: Putin looks at pitch http://mypict.me/pKWA

 Humans And Chimpanzees Genetically More Similar Than One Yeast Variety Is To Another http://is.gd/2uDa

 Pune Media: For once, you can print something positive about #punetraffic – JM/FC Road oneway plan(its great!) instead of finding flaws…

 #h1n1 Lot more people die of TB in India. Precaution list is same! (Hand-washing, masks when near patients, etc..etc.) How many follow it??

RT @PritishNandy If Indira’s Parsi husband was a Toddywalla, not a Gandhi would India’s political history be different? Shashi Tharoor(1997)

Rediff – How India secretly helped Lanka destroy the LTTE http://bit.ly/13h9Fk via @amahajani

Jon Stewart and Asif Mandavi at their best …. cover the #SRK incident at Newark Airport http://is.gd/2rrNI via @adityakuber

I was worried about hypochondria, now add OCD to that list http://is.gd/2r6ST After swine flu, is OCD gripping Pune?

Has anyone noticed that these ‘luxury’ Mumbai-Pune private busses are often the most polluting, and probably really badly maintained!

RT @PritishNandy The way the BJP’s going, soon there’ll be no Opposition in Parliament.There will only be 2 parties: Pro-Mukesh vs Pro-Anil

 http://bit.ly/uRxJ5 Warren Buffett’s oped in NY Times – ‘The Greenback Effect’ – Strikes a cautious note…

 Mumbai, Pune make it but some startling omissions RT @trakin 10 Wealthiest Cities in India: Any Guesses? http://bit.ly/mulPK

 Wondering – In future, what would you rather have from the Mulshi reservoir: 150 MW of power, or about 80% of Pune’s water needs?!

 Was suspected for a while, but now some proof? ‘Found: first amino acid on a comet’ http://bit.ly/17FoPI

 Just CANNOT imagine Favre playing AGAINST Packers on Moday Night! Why?? http://is.gd/2n2CN Source: Favre to sign with Vikings

Twitter is a great medium for sharing interesting thoughts, ideas and links. It is increasingly becoming the ‘micro-blogging’ platform of choice (Twitter postings are limited to 140 characters). However, I still see that many of my friends, colleagues and other readers who subscribe to my blog feeds, are not on twitter.

Imagine 200 people dying everyday from flu in Pune! Was a reality in the 1918 epidemic. Great article by Mandar Lawate in today’s Sakal #Marathi.

    

#pune #mumbai In not too distant future, its conceivable – Pune will use water from Mulshi (9 TMC) and Mumbai from Koyna (80 TMC storage).

    

#punewatercrisis Believe water from Mulshi, Koyna hydel projects goes into the sea – no significant irrigation use..?

    

#punewatercrisis http://is.gd/2msad Tough questions regarding water distribution – White paper on water supply demandedabout 

    

Know quite a few people in this category http://is.gd/2m3Fb ’Mutation Tied to Need for Less Sleep Is Discovered’ via @nytimes

    

IBM looks to DNA to sustain Moore’s Law http://bit.ly/1bqKGN

    

A massive storm spotted on Saturn’s Moon – Titan…Presence of water? via @naturenews http://ff.im/-6JJ5J

    

Energy-Aware Internet Routing: Software that tracks electricity prices could slash energy http://www.technologyreview.com

 

RT @TIME Nearly 90 percent of U.S. money contains traces of cocaine | http://su.pr/2AVoDe

    

Wikipedia isn’t dying! Today, the English version published its three millionth article. http://tr.im/wx0O via @NiemanLababout 20 hours ago from web

    

2009 H1N1 Pandemic – Global Statistics. http://bit.ly/1jgIb Take a look at where India stands (especially proportional to its population)about 20 hours ago from web

    

http://is.gd/2kUZt Great article by Dr T Jacob John – ‘India’s amateur handling of the H1N1 pandemic’about 23 hours ago from web

    

#pune Trivia – The Mulshi dam is owned by Tata Group and generates 150 MW of hydro-power at the plant at Bhira. It was built in 1927.2:09 PM Aug 17th from web

    

Didnt know that the great international architect Christopher Benninger, has been based out of Pune for nearly 3 decades! http://is.gd/2jMTg9:52 PM Aug 16th from web

    

Seeing this h1n1 induced hysteria in Pune, feel vindicated about my stand on the “Illiterate 21st Century Consumer” http://is.gd/2ilJI10:21 PM Aug 15th from web

    

http://is.gd/2hGVB I wrote this last November…as relevant as ever! “Is TV News Making Us Dumb” also add print media to it!11:05 AM Aug 15th from web

    

Prices near 30 year highs… RT @TheEconomist Why the sugar price is soaring http://ow.ly/15KTlR

    

Radical new simplified tax code draft unveiled by the Indian Govt: http://is.gd/2dFyO http://is.gd/2dFBM

    

WiMAX not really 4G: Ericcson CTO bit.ly/Q6zPs via @om

    

Honestly, I don’t have the exact answer. Only time will tell whether we, the citizens of Pune (and India) over-reacted, or should have done a lot more. All we have right now are statistics, data-points, examples from other regions of the world, and expert advisories to look at and  learn from. 

In this article, I am listing out the various relevant factoids, observations and information resources that I have stumbled upon over the past few days. I will let the readers draw their own conclusions.

What is painfully clear though is that we don’t have enough data, and we often don’t rely on credible sources of information. In absence of data and facts, the common population is always swayed by ‘headlines’ and ‘sound bites’ – Sadly, this is true even in the 21^st century. Thanks to the latest technology, data can be accessed easily; yet this same technology can also help in spreading rumors a lot faster as well.

Here are some factoids and observations:

1. According to WHO and other estimates, there are nearly 1 Billion cases of normal flu (influenza) each year.  Around 3-5 Million of these are severe and 300,000 – 500,000 of these result in deaths.

Statistically speaking (based on a simple extrapolation that India’s population is apprx 1/5 of World Population) that translates to 200 M cases, 600,000 – 1 M severe cases, and 60,000 – 100,000 deaths.

For a city of Pune, that translates to 500 deaths/year or 10 deaths/week.

All these are huge numbers. And yet, until a few weeks back, we hardly even thought about ‘influenza’ as something serious! 

2. On a related topic – Pollution levels in Pune and in all major Indian cities are at very dangerous levels. Yet very few perceived the need to wear masks over all these years. Do we know the statistics of upper respiratory problems in major Indian cities?

3. According to WHO (World Health Organization), the recommended mask to protect against H1N1 infections is the one that meets the N95 standard. Yet, these constitute a miniscule amount of the ones being worn around in Pune. The others don’t really offer any significant help. For a complete list of Do’s and Don’ts regarding masks – please refer to the next section.

4. Commonsense tells us that it is better to wear masks in crowded places; but they are not very critical when walking or driving on uncrowded, open roads. Yet, what we are seeing around in Pune is quite the opposite. It is also amazing to see so many people wearing masks that are covering their mouths, but not their noses?!

5. Last year, over 200 riders lost their lives in 2-Wheeler Accidents in Pune – many of these deaths could have been prevented had the riders been wearing helmets. Yet I see so many people on Pune roads today wearing masks but not helmets!

6. According to what I have read thus far, the H1N1 strain is not significantly more virulent than the traditional influenza virus. The prescribed treatments are also very similar to normal flu.

7. Most individuals who get infected with H1N1 will get back to normal in a few days (similar to the normal flu). This is not a virus like HIV that an individual will carry with him / her for the rest of their lives!

8. Apparently, a vast percentage (by some accounts, up to 90%) of the Indian population tests +ve on the skin test for TB (Tuberculosis). Majority of these tests yield a –ve result on a follow-up (and more reliable) X-Ray test. Disease causing germs (viruses and bacteria) are present everywhere – in most of the cases, the immune system should be able to take care of them! It is only when the immune system becomes weak (in case of old age, young children, patients suffering from certain chronic ailments, etc.) do these germs present any significant danger.

Here are some useful information sources:

1. Flu related statistics (from Roche Laboratories – makers of Tamiflu)  http://www.flufacts.com/impact/statistics.aspx

2. Comprehensive Flue Related Information from US Dept of Health & Human Services and CDC (Center for Disease Control)  www.flu.gov  http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/

3. Comprehensive Flue Related Information from WHO (World Health Organization) http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/en/

4. A map based depiction of Flu cases across the globe http://www.healthmap.org/en

5. WHO – FAQ about H1N1 http://www.who.int/csr/disease/swineflu/frequently_asked_questions/what/en/index.html

6. WHO – Document regarding use of masks http://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/swineflu/masks_community/en/index.html

7. WHO – Document regarding cleaning hands as a key preventive measure http://www.who.int/csr/resources/publications/swineflu/AH1N1_clean_hands/en/index.html