13 neighbours have shared what matters to them — in their own words.
“Quiet beach”
Nearby, the main topics are dominated by significant challenges impacting daily life. Citizens are grappling with an unprecedented heatwave 🌡️, leading to substantial discomfort, increased electricity consumption, and concerns over power outages. Concurrently, there is widespread concern over soaring fuel prices for LPG and petrol, alongside a general rise in commodity costs, deeply affecting household budgets and even food portions. While these challenges are significant, residents are actively finding ways to cope, such as adjusting routines, conserving fuel, and seeking relief through communal activities like enjoying ice cream 💡. There's also an appreciation for local mango varieties, indicating areas of local enjoyment and quality produce.
“In our house, among the mangoes, we buy Himapasanth, Algoa, Maganapalli, and Neelam. Among these, my favorite fruits are Himapasanth and Neelam. Both of them taste good. They are delicious to eat. They are good. They are juicy. They are pulpy. They are good. Okay?”
“The city I live in had a lot of heat this year. In fact, it got very hot, which wasn't seen last year. There's nothing much to do in this heat. We just drink as much water and sherbet as we can and stay in AC. Our directly”
“It's very hot in Chennai right now. Because of that, I will go out with my friends, eat ice cream, and then play pool. All of that together will bring down that heat.”
“We haven't directly been affected by LPG shortage, but the prices of travel and petrol have increased, so those are understandable.”
“Due to LPG shortage, the prices of LPG have gone up, so we can't eat much because we have to save a lot. It's very difficult because we have to save a lot. Due to this, petrol prices have also increased. Petrol prices had increased earlier, it was around ₹100 before. Now it's around ₹108. So, if someone was putting petrol for ₹300, now they have to put it for ₹400 daily. Because of that, it's very difficult for me to manage our daily life and figure out where we are going.”
“Due to this Iran war, it is very, very, very difficult. Fuel is very scarce. There's no gas. In homes, it's impossible to light a stove. We cannot cook by cutting wood and lighting it. Even if we want to use an electric stove, its price is also continuously increasing. What else can we do? It's very difficult. So, in order to save fuel, we are cooking as sparingly as possible and saving fuel. The fuel that used to last us 25 days, we are now making it last for 40 days. Okay, okay.”
“The mango I like is in Chennai. Alphonso mango. I like it. Because it's like, very small, easy to eat. So I like that too.”
“So, when I go out with friends, it's many times. So this time when we go out, the fuel charges have increased. Also, our food sizing has all reduced. In other places, the price has increased. But here, they are giving us less food itself. That's a difference I've noticed now.”
“In Tamil Nadu, if you're talking about famous mangoes, it's Sakkarakutti, Alphonse, and then Imam Pasand. Among these, the best is Imam Pasand. Why do I say Imam Pasand is good? Because it doesn't spoil quickly. It's very sweet. It doesn't give a sour or bitter taste. Even if it's unripe, it won't be sour. You can store it well and eat it.”
“The mango that is most found where I live in Chennai is Banganapalli. This year, the mangoes are of very good quality and I am seeing many types of mangoes.”
“Because it's very hot in Chennai, we can't go out anywhere. Because of that, the electricity bill is increasing a lot since everyone is at home. Also, we can't buy many grocery items anywhere outside because it's very sunny. Also, we can't go out to eat anywhere because we don't feel like eating. Because of that, the power goes out at home, and we often fall sick. So, to avoid all this, how are we? We are sitting at home with the AC on, comfortably.”
“Unlike usual, this summer is very terrible. It wasn't like this even this year. I am 75 years old. But I haven't experienced anything like this. The heat, the heat, the sun is terrible. It's very very very hot. I don't know why it's like this. Because the world is changing. People are changing. Even the general public is changing. Because of that, nature itself is changing. I can't cope. Okay? How do you cope? To cope, I feel like I should bathe in cold water, like I should stay in water. So I bathe three times a day and cope.”
