#greenhousing

[georgiansuggestion]

cultivate grapes, cheese, and vegetables in the monastery garden that you and your brothers might enjoy a sumptuous Michaelmas meal

[yeah-yeah-beebiss-1]

i saw you reblog a yokai watch post and i was /thinking/ of getting it, but i wanted to know whether you thought it was too easy? as in, "for LITTLE kids" easy (and i play a lot of "kids" games on ds, and i'm fine with those for the most part) or is it moderately challenging?

First off, if you’re going to get one of the YW games, make it a version of YW2 - it’s much bigger and better than the first and is perfectly playable without having played the first. Psychic Specters is the “definitive” version (the Emerald to BS/FS’s Ruby and Sapphire), but Bony Spirits/Fleshy Souls are generally cheaper these days.

But as for difficulty, I’d say it varies - on its most basic level, yeah, it’s pretty easy. You’ll be able to make it through most of the main story content without much fuss (although I remember the difficulty spiking like mad at the very end). However, there’s a lot of postgame content and optional sidequests that are genuinely challenging. The battle system generally places more emphasis on team composition and preparation before battle (the yokai auto-attack, you manage their positions, handle items and buffs/debuffs, and target foes in real-time) - this has pros and cons. On one hand, it makes it really easy to brute-force through random battles, which can be a good thing or bad thing depending on the situation (it does make grinding a breeze tho). But later-game bosses and postgame content will kick your ass if you just blunder in blindly.

[elumish]

Hey Elumish. I'm encountering roadblocks with a character of mine. He's an knight that's been enchanted by a sorceress and has very little free will. Consequently, he spends most of his time running errands for her, and in general just being used and abused, I suppose. His character arc is supposed to show him going from listless to animated as he falls in the love with the MC, but all his early scenes are very boring and hard to write because he is emotionless. Any advice or resources?

The general rule of scenes is, they should do at least one of the following:

Provide exposition

Advance the plot

Develop a character/the characters

If your scenes are boring--not only in this case, but in general--think about whether they’re doing any of those things. If not, consider why you’re including the scene in the first place.

For your case in particular, if your scenes are particularly boring, think about whether they’re necessary at all. Do they just exist to prove that he is being used and abused and forced to run errands? If so, is there another more interesting/productive way to show that? Do they exist to prove his character growth? Can you show that another way?

If it must be shown through following him in the way you have planned, think about how you can make the scenes more interesting. Because I can guarantee, if you find them boring to write, people will probably find them boring to read. Advance the plot somehow in those scenes. Make the errands relevant. Reveal important. Do something to make the scenes accomplish more than just showing how miserable he is.

[elumish]

Re: the gender fluid question...I have a character that identifies as female when performing certain magic rituals, and since those scenes are pretty distinct from other parts of the story, it's easy to just start using the appropriate pronoun paired with the character's name. It clicks with readers more easily than you'd think. So, in general, I think a writer would need to use some sort of mechanic or vehicle or tonal shift to indicate the change.

[elumish]

What exactly are you thinking of including in your essay that made you doubt yourself? If you have to ask, it's probably too much

It’s not an essay, it’s a video submission along with the two essays where they want to get to know me or something. It’s basically that I talk about my mental illness in it, and on one hand destigmatizing mental illness is really important to me, and on the other hand I don’t want them to reject me.

[newsorbiter]

Eco-Luxury – The 'New Normal' in Premium Housing

By Akash Pharande For several decades until fairly recently, marble lobbies, imported fixtures, and sweeping views of the city or landscaped parks, gardens and sometimes reserved forests were the hallmarks of luxury in Indian real estate. This definition has rapidly evolved since the Covid-19 pandemic. Recent global warming statistics have redefined comfort, health, and responsibility. Today, luxury homes must tick several new boxes for affluent buyers who have travelled the world and are very aware of climate risks. The trend of eco-luxury housing has taken firm root in India. It has changed the basic idea of what it means to live in luxury. Modern integrated townships follow this design philosophy as a matter of course. Where It Began This trend can be traced back to factors that came together during the pandemic years. Indians suddenly spent more time at home than they had ever hoped or planned. They have become acutely aware that air quality, natural light, thermal comfort, and proximity to green spaces are actually very important. And, of course, India's urban infrastructure problems – water shortages, power outages – and extreme heat events had already shown us how weak regular luxury is. An apartment with a designer kitchen but no way to collect rainwater suddenly looked like an argument that began well but then remained incomplete. Meanwhile, HNIs and NRIs who had lived in LEED-certified buildings in Singapore, London, or Dubai came back with very clear expectations. ESG credentials, biophilic design, and verifiable sustainability metrics are all normal in those markets. India's government started pushing developers to build more environmentally friendly buildings by making building codes stricter, offering green FAR incentives, and supporting certifications like IGBC and GRIHA. This was all part of India's goal to reach net-zero emissions by 2070. In other words, market and mandate aligned almost perfectly to create the perfect stage for eco-luxury as the responsible way to announce your social 'arrival' without compromising on superior creature comforts. What Eco-Luxury Really Means Let me first state what it is not: putting solar panels on a regular tower as an afterthought is neither luxury nor eco-luxury. What it really is - a design philosophy that weaves sustainability into every part of a luxury project, from its orientation and glazing to how the microclimate and the community's water systems are managed. At a minimum, an eco-luxury home today must have: - IGBC or LEED green certification - Robust rainwater harvesting and waste water treatment systems - Solar power generation for common areas and even individual units - EV charging stations incorporated - Biophilic design with vertical gardens, natural ventilation and lots of natural light - Smart metering to manage energy and water - Smart air filtration systems, non-toxic finishes, acoustic design, and access to curated green open spaces These are now considered standard features of eco-luxury – not 'extra' wellness and sustainability talking points for the brochures. Luxury townships following the eco-luxury blueprint generally do not advertise these details, as they are expected to have them as a matter of course. How Appealing is The Eco-Luxury Township Lifestyle? The appeal is broad, but it works best for three types of buyers. Young high-net-worth individuals in the tech sector, usually between the ages of 35 and 50, see green credentials as a sign of smart, future-proof design. NRIs, who invest USD 14 billion a year in real estate, are used to sustainability benchmarks as a standard in mature global markets. And women who make decisions about buying luxury products – including homes - now have significantly more market power than they did in bygone years. Women HNIs always put health, wellness, and environmental responsibility first when choosing a home. Aspiration for the eco-luxury township lifestyle has never been higher in India. but there is also cold pragmatism behind the rise of this important new evolution of the luxury housing story. In cities like Pune and Bengaluru, where water is hard to come by and electricity costs are high, a home with certified water recycling and solar integration delivers less volatile utility bills. This is a very real luxury for homebuyers who value predictability as much as prestige. Costs for Developers and Buyers Building a township to eco-luxury standards involves notably higher construction costs. Fees for IGBC certification for a large residential project is relatively modest at around INR 3 lakh. But the infrastructure investment in solar panels, STPs, smart metering, and green landscaping adds a lot to the project's overall costs. An IGBC Gold-certified 3BHK in a major Indian city costs anywhere between Rs 10-20 lakh more than a similar unit in a project that doesn't have such certification. But the operational savings are equally significant, and, apart from the considerable bragging rights, Indian HNIs focus more on this aspect. A typical eco-luxury 3BHK unit saves the resident between Rs. 30,000 and Rs. 50,000 a year on utilities alone. This amount compounds significantly over a 10–15-year holding period. The extra cost at the start will pay for itself over time. Returns on Investments and Appreciation This is where the eco-luxury rationale becomes financially interesting for investors. Homes that are green-certified sell for anywhere between 10-20 per cent more in the major Indian cities. IGBC-certified properties are increasing in value by 12–15 per cent each year. Similar non-certified luxury units are only seeing 9–11 per cent annual price growth. This 3–4 percentage point difference adds up handsomely over five to seven years. Eco-luxury homes also rent out for 12–15 per cent more than regular luxury homes, and they have vacancy rates of less than 5 per cent (compared to more than 105 per cent for regular premium housing). Rental yields in the luxury market are between 3.5 5 per cent and 4 5 per cent, which is better than the 2 per cent to 2.5 per cent that is common for mid-market homes. Eco-luxury generates an internal rate of return that is equal to or higher than that of traditional commercial real estate in many markets when combined with stronger appreciation. The Eco-luxury Investment Case in Simple Terms The eco-luxury buyer is not giving up anything by being friendly to the environment. They are getting an asset that is better for the environment, easier on their wallets and conscience, and worth a lot more on the resale and rental market. Green certification is quickly going from something that sets developers apart to something that is required for most projects. In a market where smart buyers can and do make the distinction, projects without it will have a harder time getting top-tier prices.

(The author is , Managing Director – Pharande Spaces, a leading real estate construction and development firm famous for its township projects in Greater Pune and beyond.)

[bankingandinvestments]

Sustainable Housing Simplified: You Need This App

A platform by IIFL to promote green, affordable homes. Connect, learn, and lead the change toward sustainable living.

Play store (Android) - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.iifl.kutumb&pli=1