Conference over, time to party

Happy about being photographed with a hooker
Three in a row
yes, that's a big dildo
One man demonstration
Ministerial visitor
Shoes
All dead
Demonstration
Where is France?
A bit like Robocop
Indian dance troupe
Indian dance troupe
Indian dance troupe
Indian dancers
Scary, almost
The national auditorium
Happy condoms
Death mask
Happy face
Lovers
The national auditorium
Ban Ki-Moon
Introducing MYMSTA
Hotel Nikko
Bill Clinton
Funerary
Patriotismo
Patriotismo, one of the metro stops in Mexico City
Fek!
Old stuff
Rouzeh, Lois
Rouzeh, Lois
Lois
A lonely boothman
Peter Piot
Festus Mogae
Clean
An empty HDN booth
Dressed up
Posers
Mother and daughter
Speak
Rouzeh
And this and that
Rouzeh
Exit
Ring
Bozo (the clown?)

Observacion numero uno: There’s an unholy amount of ancient Volkswagen Beetles on the streets of Mexico City. Most of them are cabs.

Observacion numero dos: Mexican chicks are quite hot.

Observacion numero tres: Regularly, you can see a Mexican face which would have been just as easily at home in south east Asia.

It’s over and I have mixed feelings about the World AIDS conference. Obviously, a large part of this humongous meeting of 25000 AIDS professionals, an event with a budget of, I’m told, 53 million euros and a combined estimated spending of the delegates of around 100 million, is primarily creating a conducive environment for face time with known and unknown potential clients, partners, customers, friends and whatnot. In short, a bloody expensive high school reunion, of sorts.
Then, there’s a lot going on of people patting themselves on the back. Primarily in the shape of demonstrations (typically in front of the media center) or self promotion in front of an audience which really doesn’t need to be convinced of anything which is promoted on the conference floors. Of course no one disagrees that HIV is not a crime and that PLWHA (that is, people living with HIV/AIDS) are not victims.
But, of course, having so many professionals in one particular field in one place does allow for some extensive networking possibilities. And that, I suppose, is what it’s all about. And, indeed, why I was attending, selling a platform which soon will be available at NGOspace.net.

Meanwhile, Rouzeh slipped and fell, resulting in a traumatized tendon in her left arm. WIth a nice big piece of bandage wrapped around her underarm, she’s a bit of a Robocop.

Related:  On the waterfront