5 Reasons Why Sunday HT Brunch Was Special!

Reading Sunday HT Brunch magazine is one of my favorite indulgences on any given Sunday. This is nothing new though. Newspaper reading is as much a ritual since childhood as much as was having bread rolls and cheese toasts for breakfast. Getting up late and gathering on the breakfast table for tea. Sunday newspapers spread out on the table and everyone trying to snatch their favorite pull-out. The number of papers were always the maximum on sundays. One English (The Tribune as kids and Hindustan Times now), one Hindi (usually Dainik Bhaskar) and one business (mostly the Economic Times). The happy hormones would be in abundance at the prospect of having the whole day dedicated to reading.

Presently, even though family demographics have changed, sunday reading ritual is thankfully intact. A cup of tea in one hand and the newspaper in another. Yes, yes, in this digital era of news apps and all (HT Brunch e-paper or hindustan times e paper), reading the conventional newspaper hard copy is still my prime source of joy.

Reading this Sunday HT brunch was a delight for many reasons.

5 useful insta apps

The first page itself, which provides neatly curated online updates at a glance, was exactly what I needed for my technically illiterate brain. The page had a dedicated article on apps useful for instagram-users. I ended up downloading two that will hopefully make my instagram experience way better. Otherwise also, this page is my one-stop-solution for online boredom. I get to know of new insta accounts that makes my content consuming worthwhile.

Rehana Munir’s time concept

Though her articles are a delight always, this Sunday’s took my heart away. Einstein and the concept of time. Any reading that leaves a smile on your lips reaches straight to the heart too. Her choice of topics is always bang on. From the sound of her articles, i am assuming she is in my age bracket, so the relatability factor is much more. The fact that she is such a good writer is an altogether different story than mine. An excerpt below:

I often ponder the practical manifestations of Einstein’s Theory of Relativity. Time moves five times slower in Goa; 7.5 times slower during a summertime power cut. Even on a three-day long holiday, you can do everything there is to do (ocean dip, pork sausage chilly fry, gin and tonic) three times over before your afternoon nap. In the hills, a similar principle operates. Only, there the nights are three times as long as the day. When the sun sets behind the pines, thoughts about human fragility and impermanence rise with the dark night of the soul. Einstein proved all of this, I swear.

Saif Ali Khan on cover page

He is one of my favorite men in the film industry. Not as much for his acting skills though as for his personality and undiluted charm. He seems so secure in his own space, comes across as a well-read person in his interviews, apart from being the suave urban man who has perfectly minded his Ps and Qs (if it makes any sense). Reading his interview in sunday’s ‘Hindustan Times’ gave more insight into his persona. So much for an actor “who loves to stay in his pyjamas, read , and watch the sun go down.” My kinda life, which may be, he can afford but not a middle class person like me.

The story on Heston Blumenthal

Vir Sanghvi’s food stories in Hindustan Times make for interesting read. Always enriching and informative. This Sunday’s story was no different. Another peep into a great chef’s life. If I am asked to attribute my (little) food knowledge to someone, Vir Sanghvi it would be. He has been writing great food content for so long that I marvel at his consistency. Besides, he is the only writer whose articles are written simply and can be read without a dictionary. It’s a rarity. Any wisdom notes taken? Yes, of course. An excerpt below:

“So that’s what food and drink are about…It is as much to do with your state of mind as it is with the quality of what you are eating and drinking. All your senses and your emotions come into play at the same time.”

Solo eating

Seema Goswami’s to-the-point, casual and unconventional approach towards most things in life resonate with me to the T. This weekend’s
article in Sunday HT brunch on preferring to dine and shop alone has again hit the right chord. I do that too often, and get stared too. Like her, I haven’t been to a movie alone but it’s on my bucket list. Her articles in Sunday HT Brunch make for a gentle, honest reading.

(Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored article or anything of that sort. It’s just that I genuinely enjoyed reading the edition, and hence thought of sharing my thoughts here. )