10 things I did while on holiday

Early morning swims, eggs, and rice lagers in Pondicherry and Goa

Hey there! My name is Apoorva Sripathi, I’m a writer, editor, and artist. This week’s paid subscriber newsletter is a list of ten things that I enjoyed on holiday from drinking strong coffees to eating fruits at 6am.

1. Drank many cups of strong coffee. S and I drove to Pondicherry to begin my birthday celebrations. We woke up at 5, had a sandwich, and tried chugging a can of cold brew between us so we could stay alert behind the wheel and…. we abandoned it halfway. It was too bitter and frankly, stale. Instead, I blasted some tunes from the 90s and 00s¹ to keep us awake. We drove straight to Marc’s Cafe for breakfast — an espresso fredo for me and an iced latte for S complete with chocolate syrup on the side and a sprinkling of chocolate on top. We returned the next two days as well: the Vietnam cold drip in particular was our joint favourite. Strong, sweet, and a soothing salve for the humidity blanket that was constantly wrapped around us.

2. Ate some fruits. Nectarines in particular, which were available at the fancy grocery store we stopped by before we drove to our destination. And a pack of peaches that I brought with me, courtesy my fruit seller. I have arrived at that stage of life where fruits comfort me more than salty snacks². So before a swim (at 8) to start the day, I woke up at 6 and ate two nectarines on the bed in the dark. Watermelon and papaya in the modest breakfast spread put out by the guest house we were staying at. A scoop of pineapple-ginger and a scoop of fig-walnut sorbet each.