Month: August 2015

Categories
Uncategorized

Houses get smaller in Mumbai

Unable to sell large apartments in a sluggish market, developers are shrinking the sizes of houses while not reducing costs.
by The Editors | editor@themetrognome.in

Since nobody is buying houses in Mumbai and other cities, developers have hit upon a better idea: sell smaller homes. But don’t go running away with the idea that these smaller homes are more affordable. Their per square foot area rate is still unchanged.

As per JLL India Research’s latest report ‘Is Indian Real Estate Heading Towards A Tectonic Shift?’, ‘among the major trends is how developers have been decreasing apartment sizes to suit affordability of buyers.

‘Builders are exploring innovative ways to make residential housing across major cities more appealing to potential buyers at a time when it is increasingly becoming difficult to sell expensive apartments. Unable to sell expensive homes in a sluggish market, builders across India are making smaller apartments without lowering the price per square feet and compromising on the quality of product. In the last five years, average apartment sizes are falling across all major cities of India.’

The report details the Shrinking House syndrome in Mumbai thus: ‘Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR) – including Mumbai, Thane and Navi Mumbai – witnessed the maximum fall in apartment sizes on annualised basis, along with Bangalore, Chennai and Kolkata. Other cities also witnessed varying degree of fall in median apartment sizes.’

As per the report, Mumbai, which ‘already had smaller and compact apartment sizes compared to other cities, saw a decrease of 26.4% in the past five years.’ The report adds, ‘The dynamics of apartment sizes have a tale to tell – that developers are paying conscious attention to consumers’ requirements. The fall in average apartment sizes across all top seven cities [in India] is a clear indication that developers intend to make houses affordable for buyers by reducing average apartment size instead of reducing the capital values.

‘While property prices are not purely a product of developer’s discretion, the decision to alter apartment sizes as per the needs and spending power of buyers is definitely within their ambit.’

Read more about this trend on JLL India’s blog.

Categories
Eat

Review: Dr Bubbles Chai Specialist

Bubble tea is relatively unknown in Mumbai. We checked out a bubble tea cafe in Bandra but were left slightly disappointed.
by Ritika Bhandari Parekh

Rating: 3 out of 5

There is a new doctor in town and he goes by the name ‘Dr Bubbles Chai Specialist’. Serving bubble tea in the queen of suburbs, the nondescript joint is located right opposite the Marks and Spencer showroom at Bandra’s Hill Road.

The concept of bubble tea caught the Mumbai crowd’s attention courtesy the new wok take-away restaurants mushrooming at every nook and corner.

Bubble tea is basically a drink that has the base of a tea mixed with milk and fruit jellies (or tapioca balls) to chew on. Introduced in Taiwan, bubble tea is a fairly new concept in Mumbai.

Bubble teaOn entering Dr Bubbles Chai Specialist, we were greeted by smiling, white lab coat-wearing doctors (they are not real doctors, don’t worry). One rattled off the rehearsed menu of Milk-based Bubble tea (priced at Rs150) and Fruit-based Bubble tea at (Rs 130). Dark chocolate, white chocolate, tapioca bubbles, mango bubbles, kiwi jelly, pineapple jelly were some of the available topping options. The jellies are vegetarian-friendly and are made from aloe vera.

Green melon, raspberry, passion fruit, strawberry are the other options for the fruit-based flavours. The milk tea choices are vanilla, rose, Irish, masala chai, jasmine, chocolate and hazelnut.

The owner readily helped us with suggestions. On asking why he chose to specialise in bubble tea, he said that it was a different idea than the regular cafes. Heeding his advice, we ordered the Hazelnut milk tea with tapioca and the Litchi fruit tea topped with Kiwi jelly.

The place suddenly started whirring with activity as our chais were being concocted. They put on a show of adding syrups from huge bottles and blending the crushed ice rigorously. A few shakes here and there, and the drinks were sent to be sealed off in a curious machine. They asked our preferred straw colour and we went to sit in their outside seating area.

The the first sip of the Litchi fruit tea topped with kiwi jelly was refreshing. It was sweet but not too much. The bursts of kiwi jelly went quite well with the litchi flavour.

But we were disappointed with the Hazelnut tea as it was heavy and the taste was lacklustre. The tapioca balls were very chewy and we had second thoughts about the topping. The milk tea was also a bit bland in taste. Maybe in our bid to settle for a less sweet version, we made the wrong choice.

Call it pearl milk tea or boba milk tea, the variants are many. But Dr Bubbles Chai Specialist will need to be spot-on in its suggestion mantra. The chais and toppings need to better pairing for customers to revisit.

The Metrognome reviews restaurants and cafes anonymously and pays for its meals.

(Pictures courtesy Ritika Bhandari Parekh)

Categories
grey space

A letter to a mother who doesn’t remember

Author and blogger Lisa Hirsch writes with love and gratitude to a mother who changed her world after developing Alzheimer’s disease.
Lisa Hirsch with her mother
Lisa Hirsch with her mother

Mom, as I sit down to write my letter I wonder how I can possibly start to share all my feelings with you. So much has changed since you developed Alzheimer’s 10 years ago. As I gather my thoughts I realise that you will not be able to comprehend most of what I say.

As a teenager I loved you, yet somehow I wanted one of my friend’s mothers to be my mother. Then, after you became ill I fell so deeply in love with you. An unconditional love was born and since then you have inspired me each and every day.

I’m not really sure why my sentiments changed so drastically, I just know that I was given a second chance to feel a deep love and appreciation for you. As I reflect back through these years you have inspired me and have become my hero.

Your humor, your smiles, your sweetness have melted my heart.  In several months you will be turning 90 years “young”. You can still be feisty and, as you run around in your Merry Walker, I wonder what you could possibly be thinking.  Of course I could ask you, yet as silly as that might seem you would not be able to remember anything.

Before entering the nursing home this past August I spoke to you every single day. We ended each call throwing each other our kisses. I have continued to phone the nursing home every day only wanting to hear how you are doing. On occasion I get lucky and am able to hear your sweet voice.

Most of the time you say ‘hello’, and after a minute you just drop the phone. You do not even realize that I called or recognize the sound of my voice. Recently I was able to catch you when you were having a minute of clarity. You sounded free of Alzheimer’s as you shared that you missed me. These words immediately melted my heart. After hanging up the phone I knew that this was a magical moment, an occasion for me to treasure.

Mom, I am also a mother. My son, your only grandchild, is 26 years old. You adored him and yet today you no longer remember who he is. There have been times that you think you have seven children and days when you think you have none. As a mother I cannot envision that one day I might also not know that I have a child.

I find it hard to believe that a disease like this can wipe away your whole world as if it never existed, leaving your mind a blank canvas. Daddy passed away almost twenty years ago and I do not believe that you have much recollection of him. I’m actually happy that he is no longer alive. I cannot imagine the pain he would have endured watching you fade away.

Today, in your world, I would have to help you brush your teeth, comb your hair, eat your food and get dressed. As a child you once did all of this for me, as well as comforting me when I was sick, or perhaps feeling a little blue. Yet with everything that has changed, at least I know that we still have each other to share our love.

What has changed is that our roles have reversed. Now it is my turn to care for you as you once cared for me. The truth is, mom, that no matter whatever you can or cannot do, I am still your daughter and you will always be my mother.

Life is strange; for out of you becoming ill I have discovered a whole new world. I was given a second chance to love you unconditionally. You have opened my heart to such a deep compassionate love. Mom as I end my letter, I just want to share with you, how very much I adore you. I feel honored and I am so proud that you are my mother.

Your one and only daughter,

Lisa

Lisa Hirsch is a popular blogger and the author of My Mom My Hero. You can find more of her writings at http://mommyhero.blogspot.com. 

‘Grey Space’ is a weekly column on senior citizen issues. If you have an anecdote or leagl information, or anything you feel is useful to senior citizens, caregives and the society at large, feel free to get it published in this space. Write to editor@themetrognome.in or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/Themetrognome.in and we will publish your account.

(Pictures courtesy www.pinterest.com, positivemed.com)

Categories
Kharcha paani

The perils of using credit cards

Do you know what ‘spending limit’ means, or that you may be using your credit card wrongly? Know the pitfalls.
by Reyna Mathur

Credit cards are both the boon and bane of the last century. The idea of a credit card is so entrancing, anybody would be tempted to opt for it. After all, they facilitate spending when your finances are low, or provide you with emergency cash when you really need it.

But people are injudicious with their credit card spends. The credit cards themselves are not harmful, but people’s indiscriminate use of them is. Most users are not even aware of what banks mean when they speak of a ‘credit limit’ on their card, wrongly assuming that the term implies that they have that much spending power per payment cycle.

For the uninitiated, the term ‘spending limit’ implies a loan from the bank or financial institution that has issued you the card. It is not an upper limit to which you can spend, but the maximum amount of money the company will allow you to borrow on that card.

Here are some other facts you should be aware of:

Destroy your credit card once you cancel it
Destroy your credit card once you cancel it

– Many credit card companies will have telemarketers call up people and offer credit cards at no joining charges and no extra fees. If you are inclined to make a purchase, go through the card documents carefully. You will discover several hidden costs that are never mentioned during the promotional call. Agree to the purchase only when you are satisfied that you are not being promised things which are not true or non-existent.

– Some companies send credit cards to your residence or office despite you informing them that you don’t want one. This is an illegal activity and you should not allow it. The companies will also say that the card is free. Eventually, even if you don’t use the card, you will be billed for it. When you receive a credit card under such circumstances, call up the customer care number for that company, have the card cancelled and cut the card into four pieces before mailing it back to the company.

– Credit card companies are notorious about money recovery. After a couple of polite reminders, their conduct abruptly changes and verbal abuse begins. If you still fail to clear your dues, they send recovery agents to your office and home to intimidate you.

– The most disastrous thing you can do is overspend on your credit card. Even Rs 10 spent over the pre-set limit can invite huge charges from the card company. Try and stay within your limits, and clear any dues immediately before they start piling up.

– Do not be swayed by the ‘minimum balance’ aspect of your credit card. Most people are tempted to carry forward the balance, which keeps on piling. Before you know it, your finances are in the red and you have a big amount to repay.

– Defaulting on your card payments is a whole different issue. Not only do you have to regroup your resources to pay off the money, it reflects badly on your credit rating as well. This has wider implications when you are trying to get a loan; banks examine your credit history and process or reject your loan application based on how healthy your credit rating is.

(Pictures courtesy www.loanwire.co.uk, www.getoutofdebtoptions.com. Images are used for representational purpose only)

Categories
Film

Review: Double Seat

This week’s release is about choosing between a home in Mumbai or the idea of a family; explored in sensitive detail.
by Ravi Shet

Rating: 4 out of 5

Double Seat directed by Sameer Vidwans is the story of newly married middle class couple – Amit Naik (Ankush Chaudhari) and Manjiri Naik (Mukta Barve) – who live in a small house with Amit’s parents (Vandana Gupte and Vidyadhar Joshi) and brother (Shubhankar Tawade) with the determination to buy a new home in the city.

The couple comes back from its honeymoon to their chawl based in Lalbaug, Mumbai. Manjiri works as an Insurance agent hailing from small town, living in Mumbai for the first time in her life, while Amit works in a courier company. She quickly settles into Mumbai’s pace of life and also learns how to ride a two-wheeler and catch the local trains. But the couple struggles to find privacy. There are moments when they resort to sending each other text messages to express their emotions.

 

As the days pass by, Amit tells Manjiri that it’s time to have their own home. They start their home hunt, Amit likes a house and pays a token amount for it. The couple is about to go ahead with their plans when Manjiri announces that she is pregnant. They now have to decide if they should buy the house or have a child, since they cannot afford the expense of both. This causes a rift between them.

The direction is excellent in terms of connecting the storyline realistically. The dialogues are good, too, as is the music by Jasraj, Saurabh and Hrishikesh.

Ultimately, the film rests on the performances by Ankush Chaudhari, Mukta Barve, Vandana Gupte and Vidyadhar Joshi, who are excellent in this film. Double Seat is a must-watch film for all Mumbaikars who struggle to find homes, love and meaning in the city.

(Picture courtesy www.megamarathi.com)

Categories
Deal with it

Experiment with symmetry in your home

The human mind gravitates towards symmetry but is intrigued by asymmetry. Set new rules with geometric designs in your home.
by Reyna Mathur

A few years ago, a study in the UK asked a group of men to study several photographs of women’s faces, and to rate the most attractive ones. In almost all cases, perfectly symmetrical faces – eyes set at almost the same distance from the bridge of the nose, the same lower jaw on both sides, perfectly aligned ears – were rated the most attractive.

Our eyes naturally gravitate towards order and symmetry, Hence, we are more comfortable with a space that has proportion in size and dimension. Geometric shapes are more attractive to us than amorphous ones. Symmetric designs and shapes give a sense of order and discipline, and are more preferred visually than asymmetric ones.

For those looking to add style and panache to their home, there are several ways to make symmetry in design rock a plain dwelling. There is no need to purchase expensive materials to bring about this change – you can get creative and let geometry work its magic on your home.

Tap the symmetry trend for your house:

1) Combine the beauty of geometry with the whimsy of colour. Pick a plain rubber doormat and draw geometric shapes like squares, rectangles and triangles on it in a design of your choice. Next, colour in certain overlapping sections created in the design with neon colours to create an eye-popping statement right at your doorstep.

Glass vases arrangement2) Create an eccentric arrangement of identical glass vases of different sizes in a prominent corner of your living room. Arrange the vases in a straight line as per colour or descending size. To add a twist, place a single long stemmed flower in each such that the tops of each of the flowers are at the same height. This is a visually confusing but striking arrangement, and will make visitors steal glances at it from time to time.

3) Define the geometry of your TV set by embellishing its four corners with square paper cut-outs. Add depth to the design by sticking 3D pyramids (base on the TV) in the four corners. Or you can make concentric squares on each paper cut out and colour each square a different colour for an interesting optical effect.

4) Beautify a bare wall by marking a rectangle space with pencil in the centre of the wall. Further divide this rectangle into evenly spaced squares. Inside each square, place a painting or a photograph of the exact same size. Or you can get creative with poster colours and paint each square a different colour in even strokes.Paper wall hanging

5) Create your own symmetrical wallpaper or wall hanging, using long lengths of thick paper. Select the area for the wallpaper or wall hanging. Now cut out rectangular strips of thick handmade paper or coloured mount board, ensuring that they are the same length and width. Place them crisscross or intertwined over each other to create the pattern of your choice. Glue the overlapping parts firmly. Once the assembly is set, snip of the ends in a straight line and encase the edges in a picture frame or a length of sturdy cloth. Hang on a suitable wall.

6) Break the severity of your geometrically designed room with a table or chair of asymmetric form. For this to be visually appealing, the rest of the room must be completely symmetrically designed, preferably in monochrome. You can then give a fun twist to the room by placing a bright red or yellow chair on one side, or a shape-shifting couch of a bright hue.

(Pictures courtesy tomsplans.biz, www.guidinghome.com, decorideaz.com. Images used for representational purpose only)

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