Biju Balendran

Whenever I find time, I immerse myself into books. I just finished reading an insightful book on artificial intelligence called Human+Machine by Paul Daugherty and H James Wilson. Now, I have moved on to The Future Is ASIAN by Parag K and a spiritual book called There is More by Brian Houston.

I am not a health freak, but I do keep fit. I start each day with light exercises, mostly spending 30 minutes on the treadmill. Whenever I get time, I prefer playing golf. And even though it doesn’t count as a sport, I love gardening. It’s extremely refreshing to grow and nurture something with your own hands.

I love food, but more than that I love to cook it myself. Over the weekends, we get together to barbecue in the garden. It’s such a good stressbuster. There is no greater happiness than spending time with family and doing something for them. I also like to experiment with local food, specifically on the streets of cities such as Singapore.

During my stint in South Africa, I developed a fascination towards vineyards and wines. It all started with a visit to the famous vineyard Groot Constantia in Cape Town. Since then, I have been collecting bottles of wine whenever I find a good one. I still have to learn more about wine cellars and curating wine.

My quest for good food and wine pull me towards eccentric travel destinations. One of the most interesting experiences was plucking fresh, juicy strawberries in farms near Hartbeespoort in South Africa. Recently, I also went on an expansive Europe tour that included regions such as Vienna, Slovakia and Prague.