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What does it feel like to need a visa to visit your own home? Anastasiia grew up in a seaside town in Montenegro, speaks the language and calls it home, but as a Russian citizen she needs a visa to visit. She takes you inside Montenegro: its small-town life, its coffee culture, its pride, and the slow, carefree way of living she’s still trying to carry with her.

Anastasiia Titarova was born in Moscow, Russia, and grew up in Budva, a small coastal town in Montenegro. She now studies neuroscience and behavioral science in China and hopes to become a clinical psychologist. Comparing life in Montenegro, Russia, China and the US, she gives an honest, warm and thoughtful look at what it means to belong somewhere, and to be stuck between two cultures.

In this episode, she explains:
■ Home Without Papers: Why she has no citizenship in the country she grew up in, and what it’s like to need a visa to see her family.
■ Everyone Knows Everyone: Small-town life in a country of 600,000 people, and how it keeps crime low.
■ Old Values, New Ideas: How Orthodox traditions and the push to join the EU are creating a generational divide.
■ Smiles vs. Straightforwardness: Why Montenegrins smile at strangers, why Russians don’t, and what being direct taught her about boundaries.
■ Beauty Standards: How expectations for women differ across Montenegro, Russia and China.
■ Domaća Kafa: The coffee culture where people skip breakfast and start the day at a seaside café.
■ Ćevapi Over McDonald’s: Why McDonald’s failed in Montenegro, why Burger King survived, and the dishes she misses most.
■ A Carefree Mindset: The lesson from her childhood she wants to keep wherever she ends up.

Connect with Anastasiia:
◼ Anastasiia’s Email - [email protected]

◼Anastasiia’s Instagram - @elavvaim

Connecting with Kenna:
◼ Connecting with Kenna - https://www.linkedin.com/company/connecting-with-kenna
◼ Follow the host - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennaholiday

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What happens when a girl who grew up flying kites in the Vietnamese countryside leaves home to study abroad? Nhi takes you inside Vietnam: its language, its coffee culture, its family values, and the parenting style summed up in four words: “do it or you die.”

Nguyen Thanh Nhi is from Hanoi, Vietnam, and is a senior majoring in Data Science at Duke Kunshan University (昆山杜克大学). From lucky money at Lunar New Year to her grandma slipping her cash for bubble tea, she gives an honest, funny and heartfelt insider’s view of growing up Vietnamese, and why she dreams of one day returning home to help her country grow.

In this episode, she explains:
■ Pho or Fuh?: How to actually say Vietnam’s most famous dish, and how Vietnamese borrows words from Chinese and French.
■ Lucky Money: How Lunar New Year works in Vietnam, and why you still get red envelopes all through university.
■ The Coffee Capital: Why Vietnamese coffee is so strong it “can make you faint,” and the sidewalk café culture where you can get a great cup for a dollar or two.
■ A Countryside Childhood: Growing up without screens, stealing eggs from the chickens, and why she worries kids today are losing their curiosity.
■ “Do It or You Die”: How Vietnamese parents teach through exaggeration, and how her family explained death through Buddhism and a beloved pet pig.
■ Family First: Why several generations often live under one roof, and the grandma who still worries about her more than anyone.
■ Vietnam’s Rise: What Vietnamese people think about factories moving from China to Vietnam, the “brain drain,” and her mission to help Vietnam become a developed country.

Nhi’s favorite quote: “While we still have today, make sure it is a day to remember.”

Connect with Nguyen Thanh Nhi:

■ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thanhnhinguyendku/

■ Email:  [email protected]

She says don’t be shy to reach out if you’re curious about Vietnam or planning a trip!

Connecting with Kenna:
◼ Connecting with Kenna - https://www.linkedin.com/company/connecting-with-kenna
◼ Follow the host - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennaholiday

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Nanjing was the capital of six Chinese dynasties. So why did China’s emperors eventually move the capital to Beijing?

Kuang Sheng, an economics student at DKU, grew up in Nanjing, China. In this episode, he takes us through Nanjing’s history, from the Ming dynasty and the Great Wall to Sun Yat-sen and the birth of modern China, and shares what it was like growing up in a city where education comes first.

He shares:
■ Why dynasties based in Nanjing struggled to last, and why the capital moved to Beijing
■ How the Great Wall we see today was built
■ Nanjing’s temple traditions, festival porridge and favorite foods like salted duck
■ Hanfu and the traditional clothing worn at festivals
■ How Nanjing made silk clothing for China’s emperors
■ Where to go and what to eat in Nanjing
■ Why he admires Sun Yat-sen
■ Why education matters so much to families in Nanjing, and the fear of falling behind
■ How he ended up at Duke Kunshan University
■ His advice: the story of the monk who planted something new

Follow Kuang:
◼ https://www.linkedin.com/in/kuang-sheng-758a12292/ 

Connecting with Kenna:
◼ Connecting with Kenna: https://www.linkedin.com/company/connecting-with-kenna
◼ Follow the host - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennaholiday

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From the open-door parties of Caracas to the LinkedIn-first culture of DC, Amanda explains why in Venezuela, you’re not successful unless you’re happy.

Amanda González Mejía was born in Caracas, Venezuela, and grew up in Arlington, just outside Washington, DC. She’s a fourth-year political economy student at DKU, speaks Chinese, Portuguese, Spanish and English, and is heading to Beijing as a Schwarzman Scholar. In this episode, she shares how growing up between two capitals shaped her views on family, faith, friendship and what a meaningful career looks like.

She shares:
■ Why Venezuelans measure success by happiness, not income
■ “Ojalá,” asking for blessings, and how faith shows up in everyday Venezuelan conversation
■ Going from Caracas to Arlington, and what it’s like to grow up in a divided city
■ Being raised by a village of grandparents, aunts and family friends
■ How her mom, a women’s rights lawyer, inspired her, and why Amanda is choosing her own path between public and private impact
■ Becoming a Schwarzman Scholar
■ Saint days, two-week Christmases, and why everyone in Venezuela dances
■ Venezuela’s beauty pageant culture and the pressure on women to always look their best
■ Her advice: rely on your community, and why “we cannot shame ourselves into change”

Follow Amanda:
◼ LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/amanda-niza-gonzalez-mej%C3%ADa/

Connecting with Kenna:
◼ Connecting with Kenna: https://www.linkedin.com/company/connecting-with-kenna
◼ Follow the host - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennaholiday

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What does it really take for a culture to survive 500 years of foreign rule, communism and the chaos of the 1990s? Philip and Ivana, two friends from Sofia, take you inside Bulgaria: its turbulent history, deep-rooted faith, sacred family meals and the traditions that still shape daily life today.

Philip and Ivana were both born and raised in Sofia, Bulgaria. From Roman ruins under Sofia’s streets to grandma’s breakfast table and homemade rakia, they give an honest, funny and personal insider’s view of a country many people know little about.

In this episode, they explain:
■ The Walkable City: Why walking everywhere is normal in Sofia, and how childhood changed from yelling up to a friend’s window to texting.
■ The Turbulent 1990s: How former athletes and state-security insiders took advantage of the shift to a market economy, and how much safer Bulgaria feels today.
■ The Power of Language: Why Bulgaria was one of the first nations allowed to worship in its own language, and how that kept its culture alive through 500 years of Ottoman rule.
■ The Nod That Means “No”: The story behind one of Bulgaria’s most surprising customs.
■ The Sacred Table: Why bread must never go to waste, why food is Bulgaria’s love language, and the dishes you need to try, from banitsa to shopska salad.
■ The Rakia Tradition: The homemade brandy used as a gift, a medicine and a celebration, including a grandfather who made 100 bottles for each grandchild’s milestones.

Follow Philip & Ivana:
Ivana's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/in36    

Philip's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/philip-yanakiev 

Connecting with Kenna:
◼ Connecting with Kenna - https://www.linkedin.com/company/connecting-with-kenna
◼ Follow the host - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennaholiday

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At 16, Elisa's fascination with quantum computing turned into a global mission to inspire young women to explore the world of quantum. 

Elisa Torres Durney is the founder of Girls in Quantum, a nonprofit she launched in 2022 to introduce more girls around the world to the field of quantum. Born and raised in Viña del Mar, Chile, Elisa turned a personal passion into an international platform, bringing young women worldwide into the world of quantum computing and science. 

She shares:
■ The mission behind Girls in Quantum
■ Her philosophy on self-discovery
■ Why throwing yourself into new experiences beats fear of failure
■ Why staying open to feedback matters
■ How negative feedback can fuel positive results

Follow Elisa:
◼ Website - https://www.girlsinquantum.com/
◼ LinkedIn - http://linkedin.com/in/elisa-torres-durney 

Connecting with Kenna:
◼Connecting with Kenna: https://www.linkedin.com/company/connecting-with-kenna
◼ Follow the host - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennaholiday

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My guest is Kamila Mejia Lay, a fourth-year undergraduate student at Duke Kunshan University, where she studies Political Economy with a focus on Public Policy.

Originally from San Pedro Sula, Honduras, Kamila is interested in politics, community service, corporate social responsibility, and nonprofit work. She is deeply motivated to improve the education sector in her home country and increase access to quality education across Honduras.

Among Central American countries, Honduras invests the highest percentage of its GDP in education. Despite this, it continues to have some of the region’s lowest literacy rates, largely due to misallocation of funds, lack of transparency, and corruption. Kamila believes meaningful change is necessary—and that education must be the foundation of that change.

Because of high dropout rates, many students in Honduras do not remain in school past the sixth grade. Teenagers often leave school to help support their families, whether by working or assisting with family businesses. This pattern frequently spans generations, reinforcing cycles in which children follow the same paths as their parents. Kamila believes that with increased resources, stronger institutions, and improved access to education, long-term change is possible.

Kamila lives by the motto: “You already have the no—you never know if you’re going to get the yes.”

The no is already there, why not search for the yes? 

“The key is to be happy with what you have while always hoping for more.”
—Kamila

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Today’s guest is Mohammad Shazil Imran from Lahore, Pakistan.

Shazil founded a nonprofit in 2022 and has been working every day to improve the lives of those around him. He grew up cooking with his mother and learning about the fashion industry from his father—experiences that shaped his perspective on service, resilience, and purpose.

In this episode, we talk about life, purpose, God’s plan, and the importance of truly understanding others.

"This time too shall pass." 

یے وقت بھی گزر جائے گا 

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My guest is Festus Akintayo Akinsola, a fourth-year undergraduate student at DKU from Southwestern Nigeria. Festus grew up in Ibadan, the capital of Oyo State and the largest city in West Africa by landmass. Festus belongs to the Yoruba ethnic group of Nigeria and speaks the Yoruba language. 

In this episode, we discuss the vibrant culture of the Yoruba ethnic group, its poetic language, rich music, traditional dishes, and beverages. 

Tune into today's episode to learn more about Nigeria and the Yoruba ethnic group through Festus' perspective and personal stories! 

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My guest is Yuchen Zou (Cici), a third-year student at Duke Kunshan University, from Beijing, China. In this episode, we discuss Beijing's rich culture, norms, and way of life. Cici comes from a town in Beijing known for its  rigorous academic achievements. During the fall in Beijing, leaves turn red, winter is filled with snow days and snowmen, and year-round, the people strive to succeed academically. Tune into today's episode to learn more about Beijing and Cici's perspective on the world around her!  

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