August 29, 2013
Rating
I had some friends in Bangalore, who I emailed the details of this Home called âJulia Craft Homeâ. I got good feedbacks from my friends, who confirmed with me that the place was âabsolutely clean and good to live inâ.
The Julia Craft Eventide Home Association at No 5, Rajaram Mohan Road, Near Petrol Pump, Near ITC Gardenia Hotel, Bangalore - 25. Its so easy to find this place, as it is bang on, on Bangalore most busiest roads, M.G.Road, just behind 5 star ITC Gardenia Hotel. The Home has its own land, a part of it, which it has leased out to a petrol pump, adjoining the Home. Tucked away Snugly, behind the petrol pump and the 5 star hotel, âthis little Home is a epitome of Pretty Peaceâ. My first impression of this Home was âSo Prettyâ ! It calmed my worried heart, that this Home did not look like the other homes, that one normally sees in busy cities like Mumbai. Bangalore itself is a beautiful city and this Home certainly fitted, well in line, with the ecosystem of Bangalore.
The committee sits in one of the rooms of this cottage, to have their monthly meetings and Interview sessions. We met up with the Committee members, Mr and Mrs Corneille and Mrs Lauren, who were present that day. They are very friendly nice people and put you at ease, with their jokes on Anglo-Indians. The entire Interview process was simple and clean. There is a ânon-refundable depositâ to be paid and a âHealth Depositâ for the member, which would be used, as and when required. Besides every month, there is a very nominal charge for Stay and Food, plus Electricity (as per your meter charges) and water charges. No fuss, no mess, everything gets completed within a couple of hours. A big relief as compared to membership to other Associations !
Flower pots line the road leading inside. Little chairs and tables are placed outside, for the residents to sit and have a cuppa tea and chat with their batch mates. The âCultureâ of this Home is so exquisitely maintained, that even the tea or coffee is still served to the members, in the traditional British tea-pot style. I just love it, when the Elderly folkâs cultures and sentiments are valued !
Each resident has his / her own room, which has its own attached bath. All members are allowed to bring in their own furniture and electronic goods as per their desires, within the bylaws of the Committee. The basic furniture of bed, cupboard, table and chair are given to the member, besides this, they can bring in their own stuff. Many of the residents, leave their families and come here with their full furniture and stay her most comfortably, as if this is their â Second Homeâ.
The Home is managed by 2 wardens, who have 2 cooks and 3 servants, to help them. Presently the crowd is very limited there, due to the restrictions on caste of members. However, there is ample vacant rooms. There is a huge cooking area, where the cooks are busy, dishing out tasty dishes veg and non-veg, as per the menu specified. The wardens do the marketing and supervise the day to day running of the Home. Residents can apply for their own set-top box for their TV sets in their rooms, which they pay for individually. In the same way, every room has its own electricity meter, so residents are charged as per actual meter readings.
The entire structure is painted simple and pretty. Though it could do, with some more pottery for plants and make it more âGreenâ. I also noted that, though the residents had enough of things of their own to do, during the day, a small club house, could certainly add to the recreational facilities of the residents. Considering how the elderly people love to play cards and carom, such games would probably keep them more active and enthused.
Iâm sure there would be Festival celebrations during Christmas and New Yearâs there, with yummy biryani and cakes for all. I will surely update my blog, when I get more news on the Festival activities at Julia Craft Home.
So if you are an Anglo-Indian and need an accommodation for any elderly person, who needs a place to live in, and be happy and peaceful and well cared for, just dial Julia Craft Eventide Home Association at Bangalore on this number 080 â 22214534. Alternately you can write to the Committee Members at corneille.winston@gmail.com and laurenramji@gmail.com.