<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/236540/original/file-20180917-96155-6xi579.jpg?ixlib=rb-4.1.0&amp;rect=16%2C8%2C5447%2C3628&amp;q=45&amp;auto=format&amp;w=1050&amp;h=700&amp;fit=crop" /><figcaption><span class="caption">I had never encountered the word &#39;curry muncher&#39; until I arrived in Australia 10 years ago.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/keep-calm-curry-on-handbag-710808244?src=K8tE2f3oHZAWBfV2cNGiJg-1-1">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Opening Night, Melbourne Comedy Festival 2018. Dilruk Jayasinha’s introductory salvo:</p> <blockquote> <p>This is so exciting. I honestly… Sorry, it’s unbelievable — that I get to do stand-up comedy here at the Palais in Melbourne. Because I… I’m from Sri Lanka! And I used to be an accountant. Yeah. A Sri Lankan accountant!!! So — not just a money cruncher, but a curry-munching money cruncher!</p> </blockquote> <p><em>Thaaat</em> word … is it back again? For someone who has spent the last 30 years of her life specialising in English literary, postcolonial and cultural studies, I had never encountered it until I arrived in Australia 10 years ago.</p> <p>On today’s episode of <a href="https://theconversation.com/au/topics/essays-on-air-48405">Essays On Air</a>, a podcast from The Conversation, I’m reading my essay, titled <a href="https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-the-politics-of-curry-97457">The politics of curry.</a></p> <p>Find and subscribe to Essays on Air in <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/au/podcast/essays-on-air/id1333743838?mt=2">Apple Podcasts</a>, <a href="https://play.pocketcasts.com/">Pocket Casts</a> or wherever you get your podcasts.</p> <hr> <p> <em> <strong> Read more: <a href="https://theconversation.com/when-a-suburbs-turn-for-gentrification-comes-75609">When a suburb's turn for gentrification comes ...</a> </strong> </em> </p> <hr> <h2>Additional audio</h2> <p>Big Mojo Vadodara by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0X_LvXLFt9c">Kevin MacLeod</a></p> <p>Dilruk Jayasinha’s performance at the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOKT8u9P3Bg">Melbourne Comedy Festival 2018</a> (used under fair dealing)</p> <p>Indian beats by <a href="https://soundcloud.com/delta9thc-2/indian-beats">delta9THC #2</a></p> <p>Indian dream by <a href="https://soundcloud.com/zebra404/indian-dream">zebra 404</a></p> <p>Old Man’s Tale by <a href="http://freemusicarchive.org/music/David_Szesztay/Cinematic/Old_Mans_Tale">David Szesztay</a></p> <p>Snow by <a href="http://freemusicarchive.org/music/David_Szesztay/Cinematic/Snow">David Szesztay</a></p> <p>Sound effects from <a href="http://www.orangefreesounds.com/">Orange Free Sounds</a> and <a href="https://freesound.org/browse/">Free Sound</a></p> <p><em>Today’s episode was recorded and edited by Maggy Liu.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/103321/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" /> <p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mridula Nath Chakraborty does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>