The Hidden Coconuts

SPECIAL EPISODE - We are joined by Mariam Meddoui, a half-Palestinian, half-Lebanese Canadian who shares unique and personal insights into the genocide happening right now in Palestine. At a time when basic human rights are being violated, her stories about her family and their connection to their homeland provide a powerful reminder of the importance of standing up for justice and calling for a ceasefire. Mariam also clears up common misconceptions and mislabelling of current events, and recounts a moving conversation her mother had with Canada's Prime Minister. Her message is one of hope and resilience, even in the face of adversity. TW: this episode covers sensitive topics like death/murder, attacks, bombs, and genocide.

For this season’s final episode, we are so excited to share a conversation we had with Melany Roa back in September. Melany lives in Mexico and is medical student there, sharing with us her experience as a future doctor, the impacts pop culture and social media have had on her world and her favourite holiday - el Día de los Muertos, The Day of the Dead - and this is only the tip of the iceberg. We feel like brand new people after chatting with Mel because of the insight she carries! Her moving stories allowed us to reflect deeply on love and life. It was cool to compare and contrast our differing cultures, chat about shared experiences and listen to the first-hand experience Mel went through during a massive earthquake in Mexico. TW: Earthquakes, death

In this inspiring episode, Agnibarna and Maira are joined by graduate student Emmett Mark, who recounts his involvement in politics and experiences as an activist. Emmett is a third-generation Chinese Canadian who has witnessed societal change on the large scale--through the rising social status of his family and the increasing diversity within the Parliament. He gives unique insight into political life and advises us on the importance of raising our voices. 

Content Warning: death, blood, “purity”. In the last episode for 2022, Agnibarna & Maira are joined by Namita Patel, a South African-Canadian self-proclaimed Brownie of Indian descent. Namita discusses coming to Canada during her pre-teen years, and what she has learned about marriage and arranged marriages. She is studying Psychology & Thanatology, so we were also treated with a different approach to loss and grief and how this is affected by cultural differences. Grief is an interesting concept, socially. On one hand, we are told to conceal our emotions and keep it to a minimum, yet when we bounce back and are ready to continue with life, we are judged for moving on too quickly. This is a great time to remind ourselves that grief is not a linear process. Humans like things to be simple, clear cut, but the thing is, we are anything but. Grief is not a linear process, and neither are our moods.

The majority world population, outside of the Western World, are conditioned to think of how their actions will be perceived by others before considering how they will benefit themselves. Agnibarna (and her box of cross-cultural psychology studies) share an epiphany - perhaps it is not her genetic disposition, but the way she was brought up and reinforced that led her to develop social anxiety. She and Maira explore the realms of individualistic and collectivistic cultures to conclude that one cannot understand the world through one--often Eurocentric--lens. They look into the impact their extended family back in South Asia has had on them, spilling some good ol' tea...or should we say, chai.