City and its youth share a love-hate relationship: Survey

City and its youth share a love-hate relationship: Survey

Life in the city of dreams is full of stress, with demanding work life, long commutes, unsafe environment, etc, say young working professionals from the city. However, 90% want to continue living here. A survey ‘Understanding voice of the working youth in Mumbai’, initiated by the youth arm of the Bombay Chamber of Commerce & Industry, revealed that besides endless commuting and lack of affordable housing, most Mumbaikars are concerned about their lack of time to indulge in any form of exercise. The survey report was released on Thursday. With the city’s changing dynamics, 70% working professionals don’t find it safe and 80% get only one weekly off. Also, with more than 60% having no fitness regime, the city shows unhealthy environment. The survey report states, “Mumbai’s working youth share a love-hate relationship with this city of dreams. Most start their work days early, spend long hours at work, and also spend a big chunk of the day travelling back and forth. This leaves them with hardly any time to pursue other interests. Only 41% are extremely satisfied with the work they are doing. Despite this, only 18% prefer a lower-paying job close to home over a high-paying one requiring a lot of commuting; 26% women prefer convenience over pay.” Commuting takes up 1/10th of the waking hours of young Mumbaikars’ workdays, which is one hour a day on an average. Normally, a working person in Mumbai spends nine hours in office. Men tend to work longer than women, and those aged between 21 and 27 work the longest. Young professionals in the city are so stressed with their work that they try to evolve their social life in and around the workplace. Report shows that 89% have a best friend at work and 49% have a mentor. Ashit Kampani, chairperson, Young Bombay Forum, said, “The forum wishes to understand the broader issues facing youth in Mumbai. The findings are to be discussed with major employers in the city to help young professionals have a balanced life.”

Which exhibitions to look out for, which plays to catch? gives you a weekly dose on what’s hot on Mumbai’s culture scene

Which exhibitions to look out for, which plays to catch? gives you a weekly dose on what’s hot on Mumbai’s culture scene

To celebrate its 40th anniversary, Cymroza Art Gallery is holding an exhibition displaying the works of 43 re n ow n e d a r t i s t s. Some of the artists, whose works will be on display at the show, include Ajay De, Akbar Padamsee, Arpana Caur, Datta Bansode, Douglas John, Lalitha Lajmi, Satish Gujral and several others. On display at the Cymroza Art Gallery, 72- Bhulabhai Desai Road till November 17, 11 am to 6 pm.
Arabinda Samanta’s collection titled Expressive Emotional Splendour, comprises works on canvas with special textural effects to reveal a stone finish and surface finesse. His series generates positive energy. Check it out at Artists’ Center, Ador House, 6, K. Dubhash Marg, Kala Ghoda, till November 11, 11 am to 7 pm. 
 
Gujjubhai Ni Golmal (Gujarati) is the story about Arvind Vakharia, a simpleton surrounded by an overbearing wife, a mother-in-law and a useless brother-in-law. Burdened by the responsibility of being a good husband, he tries every shortcut to make a quick buck, but it always backfires. Does he ever succeed in satisfying them? The play will be staged on November 11 at Bhaidas Hall, Vile Parle, 3:30 pm and at Tejpal Hall, Gowalia Tank, 7:45 pm. 
 
Lisa Scadron’s process of creation always changes her initial conception; through play — trial and mishaps, stops and starts — the materials converge into something unexpected. Her experimentation with paint and texture frequently results in paintings with numerous layers. At The Fine Art Company Studio, 2, Evergreen Society, Waterfield Road, Bandra (W) till November 11, 11 am to 7 pm.

Events in MUmbai

AKS Art Gallery presents “Mario’s World” by artist Mario Miranda. Mario’s World is an exhibition which mainly showcases his travels in Europe, but also his most popular work. There will also be a section of his original pocket cartoons on sale. The exhibition is being organised by the Mario Gallery and has been curated by Gerard da Cunha.
When: Till November 28
Where: AKS Art Gallery, Adarsh Nagar, Opp Samarth Aishwarya, Oshiwara, Andheri(W) Contact: 9820515388
Timing: 11am to 8pm.

Attend a Health Education Library for People (HELP) talk on ‘Wonders of Ayurveda-V” by Dr Rohit Bartake. Entry is free.
When: November 7
Where: Health Education Library, Excelsior Business Center, National Insurance Building, Dr DN Road, CST
Timing: 3.30pm onwards
Contact: 65952394, 22061101, 22031133
Website:
www.healthlibrary.com

Sanctum will host an exhibition of clothing for men, women and kids, by India’s first eco friendly apparel brand, Do U Speak Green. Do U Speak Green’s products are made by using biodegradable materials like organic cotton, bamboo fibre, and soybean protein fibre, which are grown without the use of harmful synthetic fertilisers and pesticides. For these reasons, they retain a pleasantly soft, smooth and fresh feel on the skin and provide a more eco-friendly option to all. Their line includes yogawear and pajamas, designer t-shirts by WWF and Satya Paul, t-shirts inspired by characters from Indian mythology and Amar Chitra Katha.
When: Oct 28 to Nov 11
Where: Sanctum, Vasant House, 19th Road, Khar (W)
Contact: 26495775/6

SEVEN STEPS TO A HOME

SEVEN STEPS TO A HOME

Understand your needs, finance options and the fine print on the project before signing on the dotted line, says PARESH KARIA

    Buying a home is one of the most important decisions in our lives as it could change the way we live forever. Also, it involves investing substantial amounts, which could mean parting with your life savings or even getting indebted for a long period of time. Here are the seven steps to going about buying a home systematically. 

1) CLEARLY DEFINE YOUR NEED
    This is the first and the most important step. It has been observed that people end up visiting numerous properties and realise that most of them do not meet their requirement. Hence, it is essential that you understand your needs first before hitting the ground. The best thing to do would be to sit together with your family and make a table having various parameters/requirements like budget, location, type of house, size, mode of financing, date of moving in, proximity to work place/ schools/ hospitals/ place of worship etc., public transport, amenities like play area, club house, swimming pool in one column and write down your requirements against them in another column. This discipline of putting things in writing will certainly help you in crystallising your requirement and save you a lot of leg work. 

2) DO SOME RESEARCH
    Once you have penned your requirement, you can start your house hunting journey right from your home itself. A good way to start would be to visit various property websites/portals. These websites could be categorised as under:
    Websites like Magic Bricks which have listing of existing properties from property owners as well as brokers and new properties directly from developers.
    Websites of large national level brokers which will have listings of new properties across multiple cities and locations therein.
Websites of local brokers having listings of properties available in resale in a specific micro market.
Another important source would be news papers, especially those carrying special supplements and classifieds (usually with weekend editions).
    Meeting a reputed property broker is also advisable as he would be able to provide information and share the advantages and disadvantages of various properties from multiple developers.
    One should also visit property exhibitions which are held at regular intervals as they give you the opportunity of getting information from multiple developers under one roof. 

3) SITE VISITS
    After you have gathered information about various properties, you need to once again sit together, corroborate the same with the table of your requirements mentioned in step 1 above and shortlist the properties for site visit. Thereafter, you need to plan your logistics for the site visits in such a way that you cover as many properties as possible in the shortest possible time. You may visit the properties on your own or with a broker, in case you are not familiar with the locations. At the site, you need to check on the sample flat, the layouts, detailed costing, payment terms, construction schedule and delivery time, status of the requisite approvals (Commencement Certificate etc.) from the concerned authorities, registration and other legal formalities etc. Also it is very important that you see the exact site where the building is coming up and assess for yourself the status of construction. Do not simply go by what the developer or broker has to say in this regard. 

4) SHORT-LIST THE PROPERTY
    After the above steps and with few reiterations, you would have been able to identify a few the properties from amongst which you would like to buy. It's time to double check and get reconfirmations. You should check the reputation and track record of the developer especially from someone you know who would have purchased from him. One should
    also visit the area in the vicinity of the property and see the life in the neighbhourhood, the social infrastructure, transport facilities etc. It's also advisable to visit the other completed projects from the same developer and see the quality of construction, finishing, amenities etc. One should also check with some leading bank if they have approved the property for home finance. After having done all this, you can zero in on the property you would like to buy. 

5) UNDERSTAND THE LEGALITIES AND PROCESS INVOLVED
    Now that you have short-listed the property you need to understand the legalities involved especially if it's a resale property. You may have to hire a lawyer for title search, documents verification, etc. You also need to understand what would be the related cost like stamp duty, registration fee, taxes etc. and timelines for completion of registration and other documentation. 
 
6) UNDERSTAND FINANCING OPTIONS AND GET THE PRE-SANCTION In case you would be taking a loan then, before you commit yourself, it is important that you meet the bank and understand your loan eligibility, cost of funding, amount the bank is willing to lend for that property, expected EMI, pre conditions and schedule for disbursement etc. It is advisable to get a pre sanction from the bank so that you know exactly how much amount will be available. 

7) MEET THE DEVELOPER FOR NEGOTIATION AND CLOSURE It's time to go for closure and it’s advisable to go armed with cheque and pre sanction letter so the developer knows you are serious and would be more accommodating in negotiations. You may try to negotiate on three fronts, depending on your need and circumstances 

Price: You may negotiate on base price or waiver of floor rise/preferred location charge, free car parking, reimbursement of Stamp Duty and Registration charges. Payment terms: You may negotiate on the payment terms to suit your cashflows. Apartment of choice: You may press for getting an apartment of your choice i.e. on lower floor to save floor rise, on higher floor for better view, corner flat etc. Also at this stage you need to understand whether there are any other hidden charges or liabilities which may arise anytime in future till you get the possession or even thereafter. You also need to understand the t i m e l i n e s, process and documentation requirement for registration.