Arakkal Jayan and his wife Lakshmi have been living in their three-bedroom villa in Mirdif for 15 years. All photos: Chris Whiteoak / The National
The villa, near Mirdif City Centre Mall, is a short distance from the main roads and amenities.
The family is emotionally attached to the house as their two children grew up in the villa. The children are now abroad but the couple's empty nest holds many fond memories.
The spacious living room has a brown colour scheme and is the couple's favourite space in which to hang out.
The villa has three spacious bedrooms, all on the first floor.
The biggest plus point of living in an old villa is the plentiful space available.
The villa's spacious kitchen.
The villa is filled with the couple's decorations and ornaments.
The villa has a spacious garden and backyard where the couple love to host their friends.
Midrif Grand Mosque and many other facilities are nearby.
My Dubai Rent takes you inside a reader's home to have a look at what they pay each month, see who they live with and ask what they like and don't like
An Indian couple have lived in their spacious Dh100,000 three-bedroom villa in Mirdif for 15 years.
Arakkal Jayan, 55, and his wife Lakshmi, both from Kerala, say their home is “filled with memories of a lifetime”.
Their son, Sharath, 25, now lives in the UK and their daughter, Gauri, 21, is studying in India, but both grew up in the family home and went to school in Sharjah.
The couple say the villa is full of memories too precious to leave behind if they move elsewhere.
Why did you choose to live here?
This is a four-villa complex and we had a friend living here. My company was providing the accommodation and we could choose anything within a budget.
The rent was Dh145,000 for a single cheque payment 15 years ago. We loved the space and the area.
Now, the rent is on us and we are paying Dh100,000 in two cheques.
The spacious outdoor area allows the couple to host plenty of guests. Chris Whiteoak / The National
Why do you love it here?
This is home for the children. This is where they grew up. All our best memories are attached to this house.
Also, it is very quiet and easily accessible to any part of Dubai.
Our children were studying in Sharjah. My company is just a 30-minute drive away. Mirdif has great access to Emirates Road, the airport and Al Khail Road. All facilities, including City Centre Mirdif, are very close by.
Where were you living before?
We were in a two-bedroom apartment in Sharjah. It was small and the traffic was also bad. As the children got older, we wanted more space.
The best thing about this villa is that it is old and hence spacious. There is a big garden and a backyard where we can easily host 20 to 30 people.
What did you do to make it feel like home?
Everything that you see here is acquired over time. That happens when you live in the same house for 15 years. We chose brown as a colour scheme and everything fits into that.
Anything you wish to change in the house?
It is perfect as it is. Whenever our children visit us, we want them to feel like they are coming back home. So, we want to keep it as it is.
In the village of Mevagissey in southwest England the housing stock has doubled in the last century while the number of residents is half the historic high. The village's Neighbourhood Development Plan states that 26% of homes are holiday retreats. Prices are high, averaging around £300,000, £50,000 more than the Cornish average of £250,000. The local average wage is £15,458.
Troy Payne, head chef at Abu Dhabi’s newest healthy eatery Sanderson’s in Al Seef Resort & Spa, says singles need to change their mindset about how they approach the supermarket.
“They feel like they can’t buy one cucumber,” he says. “But I can walk into a shop – I feed two people at home – and I’ll walk into a shop and I buy one cucumber, I’ll buy one onion.”
Mr Payne asks for the sticker to be placed directly on each item, rather than face the temptation of filling one of the two-kilogram capacity plastic bags on offer.
The chef also advises singletons not get too hung up on “organic”, particularly high-priced varieties that have been flown in from far-flung locales. Local produce is often grown sustainably, and far cheaper, he says.
Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina
Rating: 4/5
Iftar programme at the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding
Established in 1998, the Sheikh Mohammed Centre for Cultural Understanding was created with a vision to teach residents about the traditions and customs of the UAE. Its motto is ‘open doors, open minds’. All year-round, visitors can sign up for a traditional Emirati breakfast, lunch or dinner meal, as well as a range of walking tours, including ones to sites such as the Jumeirah Mosque or Al Fahidi Historical Neighbourhood.
Every year during Ramadan, an iftar programme is rolled out. This allows guests to break their fast with the centre’s presenters, visit a nearby mosque and observe their guides while they pray. These events last for about two hours and are open to the public, or can be booked for a private event.
Until the end of Ramadan, the iftar events take place from 7pm until 9pm, from Saturday to Thursday. Advanced booking is required.
