My Perfect Weekend with Nafees Khundker of Lush Singapore
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Mr Nafees Khundker (second from left), with his daughter Sarah, wife Sohana and son Shaun.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF NAFEES KHUNDKER
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Who: Nafees Khundker, who is in his 50s, is the managing director of Lush Singapore. The entrepreneur and his wife Sohana, who is in her 40s, brought the British cosmetics brand here in 2011.
Today, Lush has five physical outlets as well as an online retail presence. The couple have a 23-year-old son and a 17-year-old daughter, and the family lives in Bukit Timah.
“I typically use my weekends to relax and recharge. My family and I try to set aside our digital devices as much as possible and enjoy weekend activities together, or get some much-needed personal time.
On Fridays, I generally have quiet evenings at home with my wife Sohana, or have an early dinner with our close friends. Once in a while, I indulge in a long bath with a Lush bath bomb or bubble bar before going to bed.
Saturdays start off with brunch. Everyone in the family except me is great in the kitchen, so brunch is usually a home-cooked feast prepared by Sohana. The fare could be anything from fried eggs and avocado toast to sushi bake, kimchi soup or even spicy south Asian curry with roti prata.
I enjoy playing tennis and my daughter and I love to play together on weekends, often after brunch. We play at the American Club at Claymore Road. I’ve been playing tennis since I was 12. I’ve always loved the fast pace of the game and played competitive tennis in my younger days – be it in singles matches or teaming up with my friends for doubles.
We also participate in charity events as a family, such as food distribution or beach clean-ups.
On Saturday nights, we catch up with friends over dinner, either hosting them at our place or heading over to theirs. We also enjoy spectator sports and try to catch up with friends over screenings of major sports events such as Wimbledon or the World Cup.
On Sunday mornings, I enjoy sitting outdoors with a cup of coffee while watching the dogs run around the house.
The schedule after that tends to be similar to Saturday’s, though we might head out for brunch at Dempsey Hill instead. Favourites there include The Dempsey Project, Da Paolo Dempsey Restaurant & Bar and The Dempsey Cookhouse and Bar.
I have time to read only when I am travelling. Lately, I have been enjoying books on mental wellness and self-development. I hope to be able to catch up on reading more during my weekends in the new year.”
