Dining at home during lockdown has been fulfilling, memorable for Sterling and Wilson HES Business head

Deepak Thakur's travel schedule had always inhibited him from getting to relish lunches and dinners with his family. But, the lockdown turned out to be a blessing in disguise for the CEO of Hybrid and Energy Storage at Sterling and Wilson Pvt Ltd.

The top boss has indulged in some intense and fun conversation with his daughter while preparing exotic meals for the family.

Getting courtside
“All of us are anticipating things returning to normal – the new normal. Doing sport is an integral part of my morning routine, helping me with my physical and mental wellbeing. I am keenly looking forward to my first post-lockdown badminton game. That one hour on the court with friends, rejuvenates me and peps me up for the day ahead. Among so many other things, I miss about being outside, sitting down to eat in a restaurant, is at the top of the list. There is an Italian spot which is quite liked by my family - it's a lovely and cosy space, and we would love to go there for dinner to relish our favourite dishes.”


Summer Down Under
“My family's summer break to Bhutan was canned due to the pandemic, and I would like to re-plan this trip when international travel opens. Some time ago, I had visited Bhutan for work, which was a fascinating experience for me. And, I decided to go back to Bhutan to soak in the ambience, at leisure. Since our family had always longed for a serene and tranquil holiday destination, Bhutan was a perfect country for us to enjoy our holidays. A trip to Australia, during the scheduled T20 cricket World Cup, with a group of friends was also on the anvil, but the plan got shelved due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic. We might revisit plans and may also take a cruise to Australia.”

Self-care
“Amid the lockdown, while I did attempt to pursue, with complete earnestness, aspects of a healthy lifestyle such as exercise, diet, and sleep, however, I did play truant, many a time. Stepping outside post-lockdown, I will pamper myself with a spa, which will surely help me feel better in addition to supporting the self-care aspect and enable bringing back a sense of normalcy.”

Eating out
“Dining at home during the lockdown has been a very fulfilling and memorable experience. My travel schedule had always inhibited me from getting to relish our lunches and dinners together as a family, as much as, I would have liked to. Staying-in enabled me to enjoy home-cooked meals, with my daughters preparing a lot of exotic and delicious dishes, over fun-filled and sometimes intense conversations. I have a list of favourite restaurants across Italian, Continental, Brazilian, Asian, and Indian cuisines. We usually visit these over weekends, and I am looking forward to these outings again, especially the conversations to decide which one to go to next.”

Doing the dishes
“Shopping for myself is a bi-annual ritual, in terms of my wardrobe and accessories. However, when I travel to an international destination, especially to the US and Europe, I usually take time out to shop for my family, and depending on the purchase items, the shopping venues vary. Fortunately, we were well equipped in terms of gadgets when the lockdown came upon us. However, our dishwasher started acting up just around that time and we had to wait for Unlock 2.0 to get it repaired. So yes, the thought of getting a new dishwasher crossed my mind! My phone has been the most useful device, as is for all of us, in this period, and I think I will be upgrading it soon.”

Hobbies
“Reading is something I love to do, but I have been slipping on this, all these years, due to paucity of time. During the lockdown, I have been able to get back to books, and being old school, I have always been inclined towards reading printed/bound books. I read a varied range of genres, encompassing spiritualism, history, thrillers, sci-fi, and management. Sometimes, I do attempt to write poetry and the lockdown offered me time to pen my thoughts, which has been extremely fulfilling.”

Fitness
“Walking was my way of keeping fit, in addition to a few sets of badminton every morning. However, during the lock down period, while play courts closed, even walking as an activity in public spaces was indicated as avoidable, in initial days, so I decided to procure a cross trainer. An hour on the cross trainer, with warm up and cool down exercises, is my daily routine now. Additionally, encouraged by some of my friends, I have taken initial steps to do mediation and yoga.”