Saturday Feeling: Spotting birds, Galentine's Day plans and other stories to read this weekend

They’re simple lines and strokes, but each of the birds that veteran Cholamandal artist Premalatha Seshadri sketches express a different mood. I came across her work many years ago, and it seemed to me that though she’d pared the creatures down to their essence—sometimes even taking away the feathers that make birds so unique—one couldn’t take away the essential drama of their being. And birds are dramatic creatures—they chatter, sing, dance, fight, hunt, feed, mate, build homes together, feel so openly and loudly. Very much like us, they also litter and leave messes behind. And, unlike us, of course, they fly—with ease and grace, setting our imaginations soaring. To bird watchers, there are no creatures more absorbing than birds.

We’re in the midst of the Great Backyard Bird Count this weekend, when thousands of amateur and expert birders across the world will record their observations and enter them into a central database, contributing valuable data about bird populations while also having fun. Since the participation in this great count has been rising rapidly in India in the past decade, especially since the pandemic when people learnt to stop and stare at what’s outside their window, we decided to report on the world of birdwatching this week. We take a look at what’s driving this interest in birdwatching as well as the benefits and the need for conservation. A bird sound recordist from Maharashtra pitches in, writing a piece that explains the science behind the beauty of bird calls.

Galentine's Day gets a wellness spin

Galentine’s Day plans are no longer limited to elaborate brunches, themed cocktails and wine-heavy dinners though there are plenty of those too. In the wellness-forward social culture of 2026, spending time with friends is just as likely to involve a Pilates class at sunrise, a shared spa ritual or a workshop where the emphasis is on creating something meaningful together. Many of these events are designed as a low-pressure way to meet new people through shared experiences. Conversation-centred wellness experiences are gaining traction too, writes Anoushka Madan. Read more.

A week with a robot in the kitchen

With full working days and the convenience of food delivery apps, cooking at home often takes a back seat. Sahil Bhalla decided to make his own meals for a week with a little help from a cooking robot. The Upliance 2.0 comes claims to do it all, from chopping and sautéing to everything in between. Does it deliver? Find out.

Do you love your job too much?

Modern work culture rewards the patterns that lead to burnout and isolation, making it important to dismantle the ‘productivity-first’ identity and reclaim a life centred around connection, writes Sonali Gupta in her fortnightly column, Heart of the Matter. She writes that deeply investing time and energy in work can become a way of entrenching life around productivity, serving to numb us from grief or suffering. In her practice, she asks such clients to pause and check what purpose and meaning their work offers them. Read more.

Back to work after a mental health break

Across the world, workplaces are learning that employee well-being is not a perk but the foundation of a good work culture. Corporate India, too, has moved to embed mental health in workplace policy: counselling services, mental health days, manager training, and more. The question is what happens when people return to work after a mental health break, writes Arjun R. Iyer. There is no widely adopted framework for phased re-entry, manager guidance, confidentiality protocols, or relapse support. Read more.

There’s more than food on the menu

Menus are an integral part of the dining out experience yet they are no longer mere purveyors of information. Entire stories are told through menus as restaurants use them to tell you what’s being served as well as explain their ethos and sensibilities. Shrabonti Bagchi explore the changed lingua franca of menus, and how we’ve moved from the simple terminology of starters and main courses to terms like “small plates”, “bar bites” and “chakhna”. Read more.