An thrilling Sunday for Aparna Nancherla is a Sunday with out a lot pleasure. “My cortisol runs excessive with out something occurring, so I’m making an attempt to get it down,” she says.
Eliminating stress was a part of the explanation the comic moved again to Los Angeles in 2023, after over a decade in New York Metropolis, the place she wrote for “Late Night time With Seth Meyers” and “Completely Biased With W. Kamau Bell,” appeared in TV collection like “Search Social gathering” and burnished her stand-up comedy profession.
In Sunday Funday, L.A. folks give us a play-by-play of their ideally suited Sunday round city. Discover concepts and inspiration on the place to go, what to eat and learn how to take pleasure in life on the weekends.
“I’m slightly little bit of a hermit, and simply needed some extra bushes and slightly extra space,” Nancherla says.
Nancherla’s ebook of essays, “Unreliable Narrator: Me, Myself and Impostor Syndrome” was additionally launched in 2023. In it, she examined her emotionally fraught relationship with stand-up. After a break, she not too long ago introduced her understated method again to the shape and her new particular, “Hopeful Potato,” is out there on the comedy streaming service Dropout beginning Dec. 15.
She likes to spend her Sundays principally partaking in acquainted routines, although she’ll pursue slightly little bit of discovery round city.
This interview has been evenly edited for size and readability.
10 a.m.: Late riser
I wish to be somebody who wakes up round 7 to eight a.m., however I’m waking up in all probability within the 9 to 10 a.m. neighborhood. I might wake earlier, however I feel in a previous life I used to be a two-toed sloth or one thing as a result of I’m nocturnal and I transfer very slowly. It takes me a whole lot of time to ease into a unique state of being — sleep to wake, wake to sleep. Just about any transition I’m dangerous with.
Being a stand-up doesn’t assist. Numerous my job is oriented towards evening, however even earlier than comedy, one thing concerning the evening known as to me. It’s not essentially the healthiest habits, however so far I haven’t been capable of change my methods.
10:15 a.m.: Morning rituals
I’m somebody who falls into doing rituals for some time, virtually obsessively, till I substitute them with completely different ones. Recently my ritual is as quickly as I rise up and brush my tooth and wash my face, I’ll placed on a track and dance to it and do some stretching. I have a tendency towards despair and anxiousness, so dancing is a simple approach to instantly get your endorphins and it doesn’t really feel like as a lot of a requirement as going for a jog.
It’s actually three minutes of a track after which I’ll attempt to meditate. My mother really helpful doing 20 minutes of meditation, however I really feel like 10 is the place I’m touchdown. My consideration span is so dangerous recently that it truly is simply me closing my eyes and composing emails that I’ll neglect to ship relatively than attuning to some increased energy.
11 a.m.: Chasing waterfalls
I’m fortunate in that I stay close to three botanic gardens, so I actually have my choose, however I acquired a membership to the Arboretum as a result of I like that they’ve peacocks.
Additionally they have an enormous waterfall. I’m making an attempt to type a stroll the place I’ll finally find yourself there. They’ve a number of very nice spots the place you may relax close to the waterfall, so I’m in all probability simply sitting, perhaps journaling, form of having fun with the atmosphere.
I don’t know if there’s a phrase for somebody who’s in love with waterfalls, however I actually like them. Apparently there’s amongst [the cable channel] TLC’s huge array of choices, a program the place persons are in love with inanimate objects, like vehicles and bridges, and so they desire a romantic, sexual relationship with this stuff. I simply need to say that that’s not how I method a waterfall, however I do deeply look after them as a pal.
1 p.m.: Aspiring common
I actually like Lemon Poppy Kitchen in Glassell Park. Each time I’ve been there, I’ve seen the identical folks, so I don’t know what number of instances it takes so that you can develop into an everyday, however I assume I’m an aspiring common there. They’ve a scramble I actually like. It’s not too loopy, it’s a Cali scramble. Additionally they have some Jap European-y issues. They’ve some form of polenta dish with eggs. It has slightly little bit of sauerkraut. I like what they’re doing with their brunch path.
3 p.m.: Studying is key
I’m a giant books individual. There are such a lot of unbiased bookstores I need to point out. I actually like North Figueroa Bookshop in Highland Park. They function a bunch of unbiased presses.
I really like Sierra Madre. It’s such a walkable neighborhood. They’ve a bookstore known as Fables and Fancies. They’ve a tree inside — who doesn’t like that?
There’s additionally one known as DYM Books & Boba in North Pasadena. The proprietor, Desiree [Sayarath], is so candy. It’s not an enormous bookshop, however they function a whole lot of authors of colour and queer authors. Then it’s acquired a full espresso menu, and you may add boba to just about something. They’ve gulab jamun-flavored matcha, which I’ve by no means seen anyplace else. Gulab jamun is that this Indian dessert. It’s like a rose water and cardamom taste.
4 p.m.: Presents for the unknown
I might like to go to a craft truthful. There’s one in Pasadena known as the Jackalope Artwork Honest that’s there periodically. I already purchase issues that I perhaps don’t want, however I do like a craft truthful since you’re making eye contact with the creator as you’re shopping for their factor and it feels such as you’re getting additional dopamine from that.
The worst factor is that I’m like, “This will likely be a terrific present for somebody later.” I’ve baggage of items for folks, and I don’t know who these persons are, however sometime they’re going to be getting a bag of buttons.
6 p.m.: Feeding schedule
At 6, I’ve to feed my cats. They’re very strict about their mealtime. They eat at 6 and 6. My associate feeds them at 6 within the morning, however I feed them at 6 p.m.
They’re sisters. They’re 5 years previous. They’re fairly demanding on the whole. They’re fairly vocal about what they need and once they want it.
6:30 p.m.: Health to struggle despair
Recently, I’ve been doing a whole lot of exercises at dwelling. I’ll do a kickboxing factor or yoga Pilates. I attempted to get into the health club and, I don’t know, one thing concerning the health club surroundings actually bums me out.
I’m not like a Peloton girlie. I’m becoming a member of a few of your extra avant-garde platforms. I don’t suppose they consider themselves as avant-garde, however there’s this platform of African dance known as Kukuwa these girls in Africa began and I really like their exercises. Then there’s free stuff. There’s Transfer With Nicole, which is a Pilates account on YouTube that I do quite a bit. I’m on the lookout for your smaller companies.
As I’ve gotten older, my psychological well being has plummeted for numerous causes. I really feel like train is among the solely issues that helps regulate it to some extent, which I hate saying as a result of once you say you’re depressed, persons are like, “Simply go for a stroll.” And it’s not just like the stroll cures despair, but it surely does assist to get some vitamin D or simply be like, “Oh yeah, I’ve these muscle tissue, I ought to in all probability typically use them.”
7 p.m.: A brand new dish
I don’t thoughts a dinner in, however I really feel like given the prospect, it’s at all times good to eat on the restaurant. I found this vegan place in Highland Park that does vegan sushi that’s fairly new known as Tane Vegan Izakaya. I’ve additionally been which means to take a look at this vegetarian place in Echo Park known as Males & Beasts that I preserve listening to about.
I like making an attempt a brand new place, however then as soon as it really works for me, I’m in all probability hitting that up a bunch of instances. If a restaurant clicks the place the meals is nice, the service is nice, the environment is nice, then I’m blissful to help them as a lot as potential.
9 p.m.: Puttering towards mattress (finally)
I’ll come dwelling and watch one thing. I’m making an attempt to scroll much less on my cellphone, so perhaps I’ll watch “The Nice British Bake Off” or one thing that’s not too taxing on the mind.
I often make myself a giant cup of ginger tea at evening as a result of my abdomen has been extra temperamental as I’ve gotten older, however what often occurs is I make the large cup of tea after which I neglect about it, and it form of watches me whereas I scroll on my cellphone.
Daily, I need to be in mattress by 12:30, after which it finally ends up being 2 a.m. and I can’t account for a way that occurred. I feel I’m only a serial putterer, in that I putter round and I don’t know what I’m doing a whole lot of the time.
