Two shikaris

OK!! We've begun the house hunting. We've spent virtually every holiday and weekend looking at houses in the Cooke Town/ Hutchins Road and Frazer town areas.

K and I had this lovely idea of a terrace, studio apartment (so urban chic) where we could have coffee in the mornings and look out at trees etc...etc...very New York. So the brief to Salim and Aslam (Who I insist on calling Aslan - but he is nothing like that handsome lion), our real estate agents- was to find us a studio apartment within Rs. 7,500.

Saturday started out as a lovely day. We met Salim (dandy, baby faced boy who kept staring at my chest- K says that I was'nt suitably dressed and that I was offending a nice muslim boys sensibilities...I think he was just curious about the 'drawing' hehehe...) who took us to our first 'Studio'.

Yuck, yuck and double yuck!! The kitchen was done in bright orange and black, the bedroom was tiny and the only terrace we had was the neighbors- which was shockingly eye level. After 2 just studios, we realized this was not NY. Besides, these cramped places gave me claustrophobia and idian style loos (WHY???) imaginary joint pains...

Have upped the stakes and are currently are at a very unaffordable Rs. 15, 000.

Have seen many houses since and have liked quite a few. The parameters we used to select:

1. Two western style bathrooms - one for K and one for me (K very graciously has let me have the one attached to the master bedroom)

2. Two bedrooms - one for K and one for me (no- really- when we fight)

3. Two bedrooms - very important again- cause we're expecting guests who will be very drunk and who will want a room to sleep in

4. One nice big balcony- To hang laundry (dread the Common Terrace Thieves). In anticipation of the BBQ parties we might have. And also to air out The Dog.

5. One color tiled floor - Pink with green border, grey with black- not happening

6. One Kitchen- where I can fit my moms cooking range and which is not done in gaudy colors

7. A decent hall - which can house a K's nice piano and where I can watch TV with headphones if he has to practice at the same time. Which brings me to the point that everything happens because its destined to. Eg. If I hadn’t grown so immune to incessant dog barking at 6:30 am in the morning- I never would have been able to tolerate 3 hrs. of jazz practice scales. Just an observation.

Aslan the Lion is showing us more houses tomorrow. We're struggling to 'bargain' but have no clue how to...I bravely took a shot on the apartment we kind of liked and said (business like tone) 13,000 - all inclusive. The last I heard- the 'woner' wants to talk to us- face to face.

*ulp*