The Flat

I was never a huge fan of the Sex and the City series, but one episode that I actually did enjoy in its entirety is the one in which Carrie is looking around to buy a flat in Manhattan, and there is nothing suitable—absolutely nothing—within her modest salary range. That is how I felt when I was looking at flats here. In a quick synopsis, most places that I looked at cost more than half of what I earn, and a few places wanted 70% of what I earn per month.

One agent was uber aggressive and showed me a 12 m2 flat with one bed. A girl was standing there and the agent said, “You’ll sleep in the bed with this girl, and the owner sleeps on the couch with her daughter out there” (and she pointed to the living room). The kitchen was dark, dirty, oily, complete with cockroaches. That place was half my salary. I said, “Thanks, we can stop the tour now….” Another equally priced place was a single room, about 12 m2 or 70 sq ft (I think), with a corridor with a tiny kitchen and a toilet. There were two huge piles of dirt sitting on the floor when we walked in due to “construction” (they were putting in a Western toilet). I just wish I'd taken pics. It was unbelievable.

So after these experiences I sought out two PG (Paid Guest) accommodation prospects in two nicer neighbourhoods: Breach Candy and Colaba. Each of those flats would have cost me about 70% of my earnings, and although they were nicer I couldn’t imagine spending so much for a place that I would probably spend so little time, plus pay the agent one month’s rent for finding something mediocre.

Finally, I found a place on craigslist in Mahim, which is a 20-min train ride to central station, and right near the Mahim train station. It’s really safe and bright, with a nice balcony and a small garden in the centre of what everyone calls “the society.” One flatmate is from Ohio, though she’s to be replaced by an Indian woman next week, and another flatmate is moving in two weeks’ time from France. Here are some pics to give you an idea...as you can see it could use a little work (for ex, curtains in the bedroom should be replaced and the kitchen needs improvement).

I did have to clean the bathroom, including a collection of multi-colored mold, to the shock of one of my office mates....here people hire maids to do "dirty work." Actually we had hired a maid but she refused to clean the bathroom. But since I'm not above it (yet) I scrubbed until the toilet and tiles became closer to the white shade that they should be.

Next posts:

My Affairs with Indian Food and Textiles

Flirting with the Idea of Part-Time Work for a Multi-National so that I Can Afford to Buy a Drink in This Country