Sunday Times

LAST WORD

Gareth Pon, filmmaker and Instagramm­er

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Gareth Pon’s perfect Sunday

I’m a man of routine in the morning.

I’m not a morning person (I wish I was) so getting up and doing a small routine gets me ready for the day. I start with a 30-minute high-intensity workout — usually a mix of weights, resistance bands or general callisthen­ic workouts. A workout in the morning keeps the sleep away!

After my workout

I make myself a breakfast smoothie. The ingredient­s mostly depend on my mood.

Then it’s time to put on a podcast.

I turn up the volume while I shower. I believe it’s a good time to reflect and take in informatio­n that gets my mind thinking.

On a perfect Sunday I love to go for a bike ride.

I’ve got a street bike that I thrifted a while ago. It’s nothing fancy, but it’s a pleasant ride. This is really my escape from all things digital, because a lot of my job involves working with social media and being connected — it’s tough for me to turn off.

A bike ride gives me an excuse to not look at my phone.

I’ll take a ride around the city; it’s something I’ve always loved. The route isn’t really important. I go where I feel, as long as it gives me the opportunit­y to clear my mind and give myself time to think, process what’s happened that week and what I need to prepare myself for the week to come.

If I haven’t already made plans, I’ll hit up a few friends and see who is keen for lunch.

Sundays are my cheat days: I eat pretty healthily during the week and I believe it’s important to have exceptions to the rule, simply because it gives yourself a mental and physical break when you’ve committed to something. Lunch will usually be something new, yummy or tasty. I’m a big fan of burgers, pasta, sushi, you know — all the good things! Without fail, I will get ice cream after lunch; a day is never complete without ice cream.

Sunday is play day,

so it’s an opportunit­y to experiment with something new. Experiment­ing is key for my creativity, purely because it’s a safe place to take risks — a new way to discover something I may have never seen before or a new opportunit­y to learn a combinatio­n of techniques I’ve never used.

I’ll end my day relaxing

with friends or I’ll stay home and cook while I catch up on series or watch a movie. Both give me the opportunit­y to cool off and chill before I start my week.

I always keep my Sundays as a Sabbath.

It’s a break from the week and it’s a day where I have the opportunit­y to feed my soul. Happy soul equals a happy life.

 ?? Picture: Cody Pike ??
Picture: Cody Pike

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