Tatler Weekend: How to make and enjoy a good cup of coffee

A company I worked for had an unwritten hiring rule: any Olympic medalist could walk in and be given a job. The logic was simple—if someone had excelled in one field, they would likely succeed in others too. Striving for excellence is a transferable skill. As a result, I saw former champion swimmers, theatre artists, and even Air Force pilots thriving there. As our lifespans extend, employees will need to consider roles beyond their core fields, and employers will need to be more open to accepting talent from other disciplines. In this Tatler Weekend we profile two extraordinary women who provided immense value to the society in their second innings.

It’s Diwali season—my favourite festival. My understanding of Diwali has deepened over the years. Born into a Sikh household, my journey began with a simple curiosity: What does Diwali mean for Sikhs? This curiosity blossomed into a lifelong cultural exploration, which I'm excited to share with you in our Editor’s pick this week.

Happy Diwali and enjoy Tatler Weekend!

Parminder Singh
Chief Operating Officer

Lisa Macuja-Elizalde was the first Filipina to dance on Russia’s grandest stages. But her greatest performance has been at home, building a legacy of dance.

“I was rejected by the Sadler’s Wells Royal Ballet due to visa issues,” she shares. “This development made me go home.”

Returning back to her home country, this prima ballerina’s vision became much larger: she wanted ballet to belong to the people, not as an imported spectacle but as something deeply Filipino. The grand halls of Russia had given her the gift of artistry, and the theatres of several countries experience, but the streets of Manila called her back to build something of her own.

World squash icon and founder of Nicol David Organisation Datuk Nicol David is setting up future champions for success by uplifting the most important women in their lives: their mothers. 

“When we started, it was all about helping the children,” says de Reyes, who serves as the CEO of NDO. “As we saw them grow, we noticed another population that was not well looked after, and that was their mothers. We also saw data about the growing global agenda to improve women’s health, because neglecting women’s health will cost the global economy around US$1 trillion. At NDO, we saw our students’ mums struggling with health issues, mental wellness support and access to medical care. We knew we wanted to help them.”

David adds that, a year ago, they came up with the idea of a dedicated programme to make mental wellbeing and healthcare more accessible to these women.

Wake up, brush your teeth, coffee. We’ve got our morning ritual down to a tee. For us coffee drinkers, that daily cup of joe anchors our mornings, sparking the first burst of energy to kick off the morning right. Some drink it for practicality, others to appreciate its aromas and flavours, but regardless, it is a quintessential stronghold of our mornings.

Coffee is no exclusive ritual, casual sippers and dedicated aficionados consider coffee an indispensable daily indulgence, but do we have the artillery of knowledge to match? As we go through the motions of enjoying our morning cuppa every day, how do we know if the coffee we are drinking is good? Here’s how to tell, according to these industry experts.

Festival of Lights, the triumph of good over evil, and a harbinger of prosperity.

These are phrases commonly used to describe Diwali, also known as Deepavali, celebrated by over a billion people in multiple countries. For me, Diwali over the years has also meant self-discovery, cultural immersion, and jalebis—an Indian treat that laughs in the face of blood sugar levels!

For those unfamiliar, jalebi is not for the faint-hearted. Deep-fried to a golden yellow, shaped like a pretzel, and drenched in sugar syrup, this treat should come with a “don’t try this at home” warning for those who closely monitor their glucose levels.