Lounge Loves: Paco’s Place, ‘Voicemails for Isabelle’ and more

Distinctly Kashmiri

MMA is not a sport I watch but what caught my eye on social media was the player’s attire. Owais Yaqoob was in the ring with a black Kashmiri shawl with tilla (silver thread) embroidery draped around his neck. Over this, covering his shoulders, was the Tricolour, and a Karakul cap on his head. As he blustered. “I want belt, belt for India, let’s go”, it was ethnicity, nationality and sport fervour distilled into a moment. The elite athlete from south Kashmir’s Pulwama district defeated world champion Delyan Georgiev in Bulgaria on 1 August. He returned home to a warm welcome, sporting a black shalwar-kameez, the same shawl and cap, proudly displaying his rootedness and identity—and also the centuries-old crafts of embroidery and Karakul cap-making, which travelled to Kashmir via the silk route.

—Nipa Charagi

You’ve Got Voicemail

Netflix romcoms aren’t usually my thing, but Voicemails for Isabelle completely won me over. After losing her chronically ill younger sister, Jill (Zoey Deutch) copes by leaving voicemails on her old number while living in San Francisco trying to make it as a baker. What she doesn’t know is that the number now belongs to Wes (Nick Robinson) a real estate agent in Austin, who’s listening intently in a You’ve Got Mail twist. There’s even a moment where Jill wishes someone would sit down next to her like Meg Ryan. Supported by a fantastic soundtrack and well-timed comic relief, the film stays surprisingly light on its feet without ever undercutting its heavy premise.

—Ghazal Chengappa

Doggo Love

I stumbled upon Paco’s Place a few months ago while browsing dog videos on Instagram. It’s a dog hotel in the UK that specifically caters to dachshunds, the German breed fondly called sausage dogs. The owners also have an adorable trio—Paco, Posie-Bloom and Ramón—that mingles with fellow dachshunds, enjoying long walks or spa days and doggy treats. The dogs have recently started reviewing pet-friendly hotels across Europe dressed in their best outfits. There’s one where they are on the Amalfi Coast, sunbathing in satin scarves wrapped around their long ears. Growing up with a dachshund long before pet daycare and boarding facilities became common, the page is all very bittersweet.

—Rituparna Roy

Electrical Roulette

It’s been a year in my new place and the seven-switch board in my kitchen still puzzles me. Which one turns on the lights? The fan? It gets especially entertaining when a service professional asks me to switch something on and I press three wrong buttons first. I recently recorded a video explaining the switches of the house to a friend staying over so she wouldn’t accidentally switch off the Wi-Fi switch that’s nowhere close to its router.I finally bought switchboard stickers to end this confusion. Labelling each switch made me notice how many invisible electrical connections run in the background of our lives. It reminded me of a gratitude journal prompt about all the electrical conveniences we take for granted. A bland switchboard suddenly came alive. I don’t know if my switches were looking for personalities, but they have them now.

—Shephali Bhatt