An thrilling Sunday for Aparna Nancherla is a Sunday with out a lot pleasure. “My cortisol runs high without anything happening, so I’m trying 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 With Seth Meyers” and “Totally Biased With W. Kamau Bell,” appeared in TV collection like “Search Party” and burnished her stand-up comedy profession.
In Sunday Funday, L.A. folks give us a play-by-play of their preferrred Sunday round city. Discover concepts and inspiration on the place to go, what to eat and get pleasure from life on the weekends.
“I’m a little bit of a hermit, and just wanted some more trees and a little more space,” Nancherla says.
Nancherla’s e-book 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 strategy again to the shape and her new particular, “Hopeful Potato,” is obtainable on the comedy streaming service Dropout beginning Dec. 15.
She likes to spend her Sundays principally participating in acquainted routines, although she’ll pursue a little bit little bit of discovery round city.
This interview has been frivolously edited for size and readability.
10 a.m.: Late riser
I want 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 quite a lot of time to ease into a unique state of being — sleep to wake, wake to sleep. Just about any transition I’m unhealthy with.
Being a stand-up doesn’t assist. A variety of my job is oriented towards night time, however even earlier than comedy, one thing concerning the night time referred to as to me. It’s not essentially the healthiest conduct, however to this point 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 exchange them with completely different ones. Currently my ritual is as quickly as I rise up and brush my enamel and wash my face, I’ll placed on a tune and dance to it and do some stretching. I have a tendency towards melancholy and anxiousness, so dancing is a simple technique to instantly get your endorphins and it doesn’t really feel like as a lot of a requirement as going for a jog.
11 a.m.: Chasing waterfalls
I’m fortunate in that I reside close to three botanic gardens, so I actually have my choose, however I bought a membership to the Arboretum as a result of I like that they’ve peacocks.
In addition they have a large 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’ll be able to sit back 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 may be amongst [the cable channel] TLC’s huge array of choices, a program the place persons are in love with inanimate objects, like automobiles and bridges, they usually desire a romantic, sexual relationship with this stuff. I simply need to say that that’s not how I strategy a waterfall, however I do deeply look after them as a good friend.
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 occasions it takes so that you can turn out to be a daily, however I suppose I’m an aspiring common there. They’ve a scramble I actually like. It’s not too loopy, it’s a Cali scramble. In addition they have some Jap European-y issues. They’ve some form of polenta dish with eggs. It has a little bit little bit of sauerkraut. I like what they’re doing with their brunch course.
3 p.m.: Studying is prime
I’m a giant books individual. There are such a lot of impartial bookstores I need to point out. I actually like North Figueroa Bookshop in Highland Park. They characteristic a bunch of impartial presses.
I really like Sierra Madre. It’s such a walkable neighborhood. They’ve a bookstore referred to as Fables and Fancies. They’ve a tree inside — who doesn’t like that?
There’s additionally one referred to as DYM Books & Boba in North Pasadena. The proprietor, Desiree [Sayarath], is so candy. It’s not an enormous bookshop, however they characteristic quite a lot of authors of coloration and queer authors. Then it’s bought 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.: Items for the unknown
I might like to go to a craft truthful. There’s one in Pasadena referred to as the Jackalope Artwork Truthful 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 further dopamine from that.
The worst factor is that I’m like, “This will be a great gift for someone later.” I’ve baggage of presents 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 outdated. They’re fairly demanding on the whole. They’re fairly vocal about what they need and after they want it.
6:30 p.m.: Health to battle melancholy
Currently, I’ve been doing quite a lot of exercises at dwelling. I’ll do a kickboxing factor or yoga Pilates. I attempted to get into the gymnasium and, I don’t know, one thing concerning the gymnasium atmosphere 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 assume they consider themselves as avant-garde, however there’s this platform of African dance referred to as Kukuwa these ladies 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 rather a lot. I’m in search of your smaller companies.
As I’ve gotten older, my psychological well being has plummeted for varied causes. I really feel like train is likely one of the solely issues that helps regulate it to some extent, which I hate saying as a result of whenever you say you’re depressed, persons are like, “Just go for a walk.” And it’s not just like the stroll cures melancholy, but it surely does assist to get some vitamin D or simply be like, “Oh yeah, I have these muscles, I should probably sometimes use them.”
7 p.m.: A brand new dish
I don’t thoughts a dinner in, however I really feel like given the possibility, it’s all the time good to eat on the restaurant. I found this vegan place in Highland Park that does vegan sushi that’s fairly new referred to as Tane Vegan Izakaya. I’ve additionally been which means to take a look at this vegetarian place in Echo Park referred to as Males & Beasts that I hold 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 occasions. If a restaurant clicks the place the meals is nice, the service is nice, the environment is nice, then I’m joyful to help them as a lot as doable.
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 telephone, so perhaps I’ll watch “The Great 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 night time as a result of my abdomen has been extra temperamental as I’ve gotten older, however what often occurs is I make the massive cup of tea after which I overlook about it, and it form of watches me whereas I scroll on my telephone.
Every single day, I need to be in mattress by 12:30, after which it finally ends up being 2 a.m. and I can not account for the 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 quite a lot of the time.
