GigIndia CEO rediscovered old hobbies during lockdown; picked up the guitar, played basketball

Sahil Sharma, Co-Founder & CEO, GigIndia is looking forward to travelling again, and is eager to visit Himachal Pradesh sometime soon.

‘Not too fond of WFH’
“Being an avid food enthusiast, I am really looking forward to visiting restaurants and having an enjoyable evening. I miss that the most since my friends and I would frequent nice restaurants to try out new foods and cuisines every weekend. I look forward to going to office and working with my colleagues in our office. I am not too fond of working from home. But we have not opened our offices yet as the threat of coronavirus is still quite prevalent in Pune.”

Hill sojourn
“I really look forward to travelling again. I am eager to visit Himachal Pradesh sometime soon. My grandparents live in Shimla so I would like to visit them as well. I am quite fond of mountains – the serenity, the fresh air and the simple way of life of the people there. Moreover, I enjoy Himachali food, which is extremely tasty. And, of course, short treks in the mountains are most enjoyable as well. This would most likely be a solo trip. However, when it is safer to travel, I would wish to go on a trip to Europe with my friends.”

Lockdown cravings
“Since I am foodie, I cannot wait to pamper myself with food from a few eateries in Pune that make some appetizing and popular dishes. There is a restaurant called Vaishali serving South Indian food, which is famous in Pune and has a 70-year legacy. Certain other eateries are renowned for specific cuisines such as Vohuman Café. I’m excited about that because, as a passionate foodie, I am missing the opportunity to go out and eat at some of these enjoyable places. Besides this, I’d love to take my parents out either on a short trip to Lonavala or for a weekend outing to my favourite places in Pune.”

Guilty pleasures
“I am looking forward to the time when it’s possible to visit Agent Jack’s Bar in Pune. I like that place a lot and have many pleasant memories of the evenings spent with my friends there. When it comes to food, I want to visit Vaishali restaurant and eat their Cheese Onion Uttapam – it is simply delicious!”

PC gamer
“I’ve never been much of a shopping enthusiast. All my shopping is done by family or friends! I find it extremely boring and have never quite enjoyed shopping. But since I like gaming, especially FIFA – I would have loved a gaming laptop. I miss that. Right now, I’m unable to play games as, on the Mac, you can’t do this.”

Tech upgrades
“I have recently purchased several things such as new headphones, a penholder, a laptop stand and a whiteboard since I love to brainstorm on a whiteboard. I’ve also bought certain plants for my work area. On the tool’s side – we use Trello, Slack, etc. and deploy this concept called OKR (Objectives and Key Results) when we need to be in sync. So there’s no need for any micromanagement.”

Old hobbies
I have revisited my old hobbies such as playing the guitar. Moreover, after college, I never had the time to play football and basketball. Earlier, I was a national-level basketball player. But the time saved on travelling to office I now use to play basketball and football. Previously, I hardly had any time to read interesting books. Now, I’ve found some time to rediscover my reading habit.

Eating healthy
“During the pandemic, I’ve lost about 10-kg weight. I dedicate an hour to jogging in the mornings. I wake up at 6:00 AM and run for about an hour between 7:00 and 8:00 AM. In the evening, around 7:30 PM, I do some exercises or play basketball or football. Furthermore, I am not too dependent on outside food as I’m with my parents now and my mom ensures I eat food that is not oily or unhealthy.”