In this episode, your hosts Big and White talk about maintaining relationships with people back “home,” and in other places as well. Any time you move it can be a challenge to stay in touch, but moving to a new culture makes the gap seem even wider. They talk about some ideas for staying connected, whether you are homeside or awayside! They also are super stoked for their upcoming, much-needed vacation in Cambodia! Stay tuned for season 2 of Big and White in 2019.

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In this episode, your hosts Big and White talk about fun and different things to do in Kathmandu! Traveling in a new place means doing touristy things (like looking at temples and eating local food), but it also should be accompanied by everyday things like buying a newspaper and walking down narrow streets. They hope that this episode inspires you to visit Nepal! Your hosts also talk about their Enneagram types, only the best personality test ever.

In this episode, your hosts Big and White talk about everything you HAVE to do when (not if) you travel to Nepal! Of course they discuss common things like trekking and visiting the jungle, but they also mention motorcycle rides, Tibetan tea, water sports, and a host of other exciting things to do in this tiny yet diverse country.

In this episode, your hosts Big and White talk about what it’s like to celebrate holidays as an expat. Being away from family can be difficult, but it’s also an exciting chance to make your own traditions such as eating meals on rooftops, making orange rolls from scratch (sorry Pillsbury, these are better), and forcing your friends to open Christmas stockings.

In this episode, your hosts Big and White reunite with an old friend who lived in Nepal four years ago. They talk about her experience coming back now that so much has changed, and all the things that she missed about Nepal (including amazing Indian food!) Her husband also joins the conversation and describes his traumatic experiences brushing his teeth with Perrier, sleeping on a hard bed, and trying to embrace ambiguity (not easy for a software developer). Big and White also wax poetic about two of their favorite things: Jazzmandu and Newari food!

In this episode, your hosts Big and White talk about going to the movies in Nepal! It’s surprisingly different than the experience in Western countries, with exciting features like early morning showtimes, enhanced security, delicious food, and weird commercials. There is only one English movie out at a time, and no subtitles to be found anywhere. But they love it! They also discuss Bohemian Rhapsody (because, obviously) and the linguistics guy Eric Singer. Plus their favorite festival, Tihar!

In this episode, your hosts Big and White talk about what makes shopping in Nepal different from anywhere else they’ve lived. They discuss how many times a week one should grocery shop (hint: it’s more than one), how one might find random items such as kale and good cheese, the large variation in prices, and how long it took them to figure out these things. They lament that shopping for a big and white body in Asia is difficult, but that other amazing things such as fair trade goods are abundant. White also expresses her desire to grow long, beautiful, Nepali locks, while Big goes through all 5 stages of grief.

In this episode, your hosts Big and White talk about Dashain, the biggest Hindu holiday of them all! They talk about the fun and not-so-fun parts of the festival, from flying kites and giant swings to goats being sacrificed to a goddess who defeated evil demons. They talk about their outsider perspective of such an important (one might say auspicious!) time, and conclude that the best part of any holiday is getting to spend time with family and friends. Finally, they discuss their plans honor an important American holiday by drinking blood-themed cocktails and eating spooky cheese… because that’s what Halloween is all about?

In this episode, I hope you’re feeling hungry, because your hosts Big and White talk all about Nepali food! They discuss such mysteries as the food-snack continuum, weird eating customs, and what category dried yak cheese belongs in. They also talk about momos, chowmein, thukpa, Newari food, all the parts of the national dish (dal bhat, literally: lentil rice), and snacks forever. All the snacks. They also talk about how Big is doing actual linguistics and White has actual friends!

In this episode, your hosts Big and White explain a little of the work they actually do. It’s mostly boring office work, but sometimes they travel to the village, which is great fodder for glamorous instagram posts! They share stories of crossing rivers, adorable animals, interviewing old ladies, and the struggles of being an introvert in a communal setting. This week Big’s listener mail question for you is: what unnecessary (but amazing) things should the ladies add to their packing list?