LOUNGE LOVES
Things to watch, read, hear, do—and other curated experiences from the team
NUTS AND BOLTS OF F1
Despite having followed Formula One for years now, there are still certain technical aspects which I find tough to grasp. F1 has, of course, a lot to do with aerodynamics, technology, strategy, car-building and race-craft. But I have found some great answers to my F1 doubts on London-based freelance journalist and illustrator Craig Scarborough’s X handle @ScarbsTech. Scarborough, who focuses purely on the technology of F1, has covered F1’s technical developments since 2000. He also runs a blog called ScarbsF1. Be it the workings of the DRS (drag reduction system) mechanism, sidepod designs or how brakes on an F1 car are cooled down, every post on his X feed is accompanied by a photograph or detailed illustrations. A great voice to follow if you are keen to understand the nuts and bolts of the sport.
—Nitin Sreedhar
ALPHABETICAL ORDER
Reading on digital devices has meant our relationship with physical books has dwindled (raise your hand if you, like me, have tapped the corner of a physical book to turn a page) but a recent purchase brought me closer to the many books crying out to be read from my shelves. I picked up some beautiful metal bookmarks with filigree work in brass finish from Anand Prakash, the Delhibased design house, featuring various letters of the alphabet; some to gift and one to use. The website has a vast range of bookmarks in different designs, from religious motifs to cute ones like cameras, aeroplanes and guitars. At ₹450, they make perfect gifts with a personal touch, whether you get an alphabet one or something that reflects a loved one’s interests.
—Shrabonti Bagchi
WEEKEND LISTENING
Five albums in, Vampire Weekend is still a Cheshire cat of a group, their little pop symphonies grinning at listeners as they fade away. Their latest, Only God Was Above
Us, starts with the careening Ice Cream Piano, and continues brightly over 10 fussed-over tracks. Ezra Koenig’s songwriting is somewhere between vaguely meaningful and playful. There are so many tasteful touches: the ethereal chorus in Mary Boone; the
Graceland-like guitar part in Pravda. Still, I’ve heard the album a few times and would be hard-pressed to sing two lines from it unaided. It’s the Vampire Weekend conundrum: great as long as it’s playing, dissolving into nothingness the minute it’s turned off.
—Uday Bhatia
MODERN CANTONESE CUISINE
Ihappened to visit The Legacy House at the Rosewood Hotel, Hong Kong, for dinner just after it won a Michelin star, earlier this year, and finally got to understand what the fuss was all about. Reservations are hard to come by at this fine dining restaurant, helmed by the soft-spoken chef Li Chi Wai. Specialising in refined Cantonese cuisine, the restaurant pays homage to the legacy of the founder of the Rosewood Hotel Group—Cheng Yu-Tung. One of the highlights of my meal was the way in which the chef had used aged and dried tangerine peel—an ingredient considered as precious as gold in Hong Kong. It added a lovely flavour to a dish of deep-fried duck and mashed taro, and also to the minced fish soup.The memory of the meal is one that will linger for a long time to come.
—Avantika Bhuyan