Month: July 2013

Places

Velo mania!

On a recent three-day work trip to Geneva, Mumbai girl Gurpreet Bilkhu got the chance to go cycling in Europe.

Ever since I took up cycling some years ago, I’ve always wanted to ride in Europe – a continent that promotes cycling like no other. Most European cities have dedicated cycling tracks, parking spaces, sensitive vehicle drivers and a climate that makes the ride even more joyous.

My wish came true on a recent three-day work trip to Geneva, Switzerland. I landed sleepy and tired on a Monday morning and spent the entire day in office. During my lunch break, I checked with everyone in office for bike stores, strangely no one was aware of any. My hotel helped me with this information. Apparently, Geneva offers bikes for free to anyone who wants to ride. Every year, from April 29, one can hire a bike for free from small arcades around Lake Geneva. Alas, I was there a week earlier!

So I took the other option – Genevéroule – an association that promotes the use of bikes in Geneva. They have a big store opposite Gare de Cornavin, Geneva’s main railway station. One can rent a bike throughout the year between 8 am and 6 pm.

Knowing fully well how punctual Swiss people are, I left office early to reach the place before 6 pm. The experience was extremely pleasant. They offered me a bike with a frame size that was appropriate for my height. I was amazed to see their collection of some of the best road, cross-country and daily commuting bikes. I paid a total of CHF (Swiss Francs) 28 of which CHF 20 was a refundable deposit so the ride cost me no more than CHF 8 or approximately Rs 460. A very good deal indeed!

Initially, I was hesitant to ride in the midst of traffic in a new city like Geneva but passion took over soon and I was rolling like it was my backyard. Geneva is a beautiful city and I was able to explore the smaller lanes that took through picturesque cityscapes I had not seen before. I rode in the botanical gardens, did the uphill climbs, and rode through the parks and around the Lake, on the bridges and what not.

After a two-hour ride, much to my surprise, I read names like Chamonix, Evian des Bains…was I at the French border? I was! I so wished I had kept riding that night and entered France but I was on a work trip and had to go back to report to work the next morning.

On my way back, I picked up a meal from McDonalds and sat in a park relishing it along with my dessert. I rode back to my hotel, placed the bike safely in the garage and went off to sleep. I woke up early the next morning and took it out again. Sun-kissed Geneva looked even more delightful. I saw the city waking up, met some riders, sipped coffee by the lake and then returned the bike by 8:10 am as I had promised. I walked out with a happy, content smile.

The day was a normal one as I worked through it but something extraordinary had happened. Something had made me happier this time around. This trip certainly was more meaningful and productive. I felt closer to Geneva than I had ever before. I felt that I knew the city better and probably (hopefully) the city got to know me too.

Some pics from Gurpreet’s Geneva trip:

This story was penned by Salil Jayakar. Gurpreet is a cycling enthusiast who works for an Indian MNC. Read about her earlier exploits with her bike at the world’s highest motorable pass here.

(Pictures courtesy Gurpreet Bilkhu)

Tags biking in geneva, Gurpreet Bilkhu, places, salil jayakar

Trends

Young and the restless investing in realty

Post author By The Metrognome
Post date July 1, 2013
No Comments on Young and the restless investing in realty

Majority of urban young are shying away from investing in gold and stocks, preferring real estate amidst a global slowdown.

by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

With the rupee showing further signs of a slide, and stocks and mutual funds becoming a riskier investment proposition, about 85 per cent of the urban working class is preferring to invest in real estate, finds a survey.

The survey, titled ‘Rise in demand for real estate in urban cities’ was conducted by premier industry body ASSOCHAM (Associated Chambers of Commerce) in the metros – Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Kolkata – and other cities such as Pune, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad. The survey sample included directors of companies, officers/managers in Central/State bodies, teachers and self-employed professionals like lawyer, CAs, doctors, consultants, druggists and small traders. A unanimous thought to emerge from the survey was that a global slowdown and a weak rupee have started casting a shadow on stocks.

“Over 1,500 respondents felt that investments in real estate, residential and commercial properties are found to be lucrative and much safer these days as such investments are completely insured as against those in gold, stocks and mutual funds,” the survey found. “As many as 82 per cent said that real estate should be the preferred investment option compared to gold and other traditional investment instruments.

“According to them, investment in yellow metal is not as profitable as that of real estate, as they expect that gold prices to further fall. The recent fall in prices has led many to believe that funds can face increased redemption pressures because of the general change in belief that gold is a safe haven. This trend has slowly changed in the country, especially among the investment-savvy class.”

Releasing the survey on Sunday, June 30, the ASSOCHAM Secretary General, DS Rawat said, “About 78 per cent of the urban working class remain keen to park their surpluses in buying residential properties in view of better connectivity, infrastructure and basic facilities and they attach not much preference towards buying commercial properties as these properties are beyond their means which involve higher volumes of investments. On the other hand, about 22 per cent working class and professionals give preference to the commercial properties especially in tier I and tier II cities as they feel that within one or two years, prices of commercial properties will also jump up substantially to get them an attractive premium.”

The survey also revealed that the maximum concentration of real estate investments from urban working class and professionals are seen towards residential properties in emerging tier II and III cities which include Jaipur, Bhiwadi, Rishikesh, Haridwar, Nainital, Chandigarh, Dehradun, Sonepat, Panipat, Pune, Nasik, Jaipur etc. Moreover, this is also indicative of the fact that buyers in tier II and III cities are looking for quality development and developers with proven track records are reaping the benefits on those given scale of expectations. Over 62 per cent respondents from the professionals’ lot chose real estate properties in Tier I cities like Mumbai, Delhi, Kolkata, entire NCR, Hyderabad and Bangalore for maximum returns.

Expressing their opinion about the investment in stock markets, a majority of respondents felt that with global slowdown most of the corporations are rationalising the salary structure of their employees with emphasis on cost cuttings, thus dampening the spirit of investment in capital markets.

Nearly 200 respondents, however, still favour stock markets to park their funds and feel that it can give them best returns in a shorter and longer time. They expressed hope that in future, stock markets will bounce back and catch investors’ attention as usual.

As far as urban working class, the investment in gold is concerned, the survey has revealed that the fall in gold and jewellery prices have discouraged the working class to invest in it.

More than half of them said they would prefer to stay in rented apartments and instead, invest in their tier II and tier III city home town for better appreciation potential. About 78 per cent of those working professionals with double income, who bought a house in a metro city, wanted to invest in their home town for a second home.

(Pictures courtesy www.vakilhousing.com, india.nydailynews.com)

Tags ASSOCHAM, delhi, investing in gold, investing in stocks, kolkata, mumbai, trends, young urban india investing in real estate

Tech

The best tablets to buy

Looking to buy a tablet, but confused about specs and prices? We’ve got a handy list to get you sorted.

by Manik Kakra

In the last four years, tablets have taken consumer technology by storm. Be it Apple’s dominant iPad, or Android’s vast options, the gizmo is surely been talked about, and its effect is visible. Be it slow PC sale or the smartphone’s shift to larger screens, tablets are here to stay. Here are some of the best tablets to choose from:

Apple iPad 4, Rs 31,000 to Rs 51,000: No surprise here, right? Apple’s iPad 4 is arguably the best tablet available out there. It has got the looks, a beautiful 9.7-inch retina screen, and hardware inside to make performance and gaming smooth on it. Plus, there are tons of quality iOS apps to install. The iPad 4, available in black and white colour options, comes in WiFi and WiFi + 3G variants with three storage options. It starts from Rs 31,000 and goes up to Rs 51,000 for WiFi + 3G 64 GB variant.

Apple iPad Mini, Rs 21,800 to Rs 41,000: Ever since Apple released the mini version of its tablet, consumers have shown how much they want this form factor. Having all the IOS apps made for tablets, the form factor and convenience make this tablet a hot seller. Sporting a 7.9-inch (1024 x 768) screen, this tablet, too, comes in 3G and WiFi-only variants.

ASUS Nexus 7, Rs 14,000 to Rs 21,000: If you want an Android tablet right now, this is the one to get. Having stock Android and the tablet, which made Android’s apps story serious on the tablet side, it comes with a 7-inch (1280 x 800) screen. This is a feature-packed tablet without too much fuss. Starting from Rs 14,000 for WiFi-only 8 GB variant, and going up to Rs 21,000, the Nexus 7 is surely a value-for-money tablet.

Sony Xperia Z Tablet, Rs 44,000 (approx): Sony’s tablet is the one you should consider if you are looking for good looks as well as a big screen. This tablet boasts a quad-core processor and a great 10.1-inch (1920 x 1024) screen, and it runs on Android 4.1. In fact, it is also water resistant and dust proof, so you don’t have to worry too much about its handling.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 2 (P3110), Rs 9,300: If you are going to buy your first tablet and don’t want to spend too much, this could be a good option for you. Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 2 runs on Android 4.1, has a 3 Mp rear camera, VGA front-facing camera, and it features a 7-inch (1026 x 600) screen. It has WiFi and Bluetooth for connectivity. This is the cheapest tablet on our list.

(Pictures courtesy gadgets.ndtv.com, www.engadget.com, mobiles.pricedekho.com)

Tags asus nexus 7, iPad 4, iPad mini, manik kakra, samsung galaxy tab, sony xperia Z tablet, tech, the best tablets to buy today