The Carolina Desi

Everyone's lives have been affected, but what does the rapid spread of COVID-19 look like from the eyes of a healthcare professional on the front lines of the fight? Kunal Joshi is a hospital based board certified physician from the Seattle, Washington area, one of the first places hit hard in the US by the current pandemic. Join us today as he sits down to share his first-hand experiences and insights on the stress COVID-19 puts on the US healthcare system - its workers, its patients, and the community at large. For more information on this evolving situation, visit https://coronavirus.jhu.edu/.

Happy End-of-the-Decade, Carolina Desi listeners! This decade of our lives has been a whirlwind, to say the least. Reflecting on this decade gave us an insight to the evolution (or de-evolution?) of our optimism for the past as well as the upcoming decades of our lives and future generations in this new bizarro world. What do you hope is in store for you? Stay tuned for a special surprise at the end!

Sometimes, Free Speech requires a price to be paid. As a result, in today's polarizing world climate we see violence against political activists, government censorship, self-censorship, "Cancel Culture", etc. Join the Carolina Desis this week as they discuss their observations on these costs, their effects on social media, and why it can still be worth saying what's on your mind in the present day. As always, thank you Yash Mistry for editing this month's episode!

The Carolina Desis were joined this month by Transformational Coach, Varsha Mathur (@coachingbyvarsha). Varsha is a third generation Desi-American, accomplished master of many career industries so we wanted to get candid advice from someone who's seen and coaches it all . From the stigma of dating to the taboos of divorce in the South Asian culture, Varsha drops some truth-bombs. We discuss why relationships are the way they are as well as how experiencing a "third culture" affects your understanding and awareness of self-worth. Get your personal coach on with Varsha Mathur at www.coachingbyvarsha.com. And as always, thank you Yash Mistry for editing this month's episode!

By definition, Brain Drain is the emigration of highly trained or intelligent people from a particular country. India and other surrounding countries experience the Brain Drain epidemic with their society's top talent seeking prosperous opportunities abroad in countries such as USA or Canada. Why does this happen? What do countries "abroad" offer that makes the move across the globe worth it? What is the impact? Join the Carolina Desis as they pretend to be geo-politicians. Thank you, Nick Joseph for this month's episode topic! And as always, thank you Yash Mistry for editing this month's episode!

The Carolina Desis were invited back to their alma mater to speak to a class about the Religion & Politics in India from 1800s to the Present, taught by Dr. Mou Banerjee. Thank you to the students: Lucas, Amy, Ethan, Darian, Liam, and Aaron (special thanks to Aaron for bringing us this opportunity) for the fantastic conversation! This episode is a highlight reel of the various topics we discussed. Shout out to Yash Mistry for editing this month's episode! Disclaimer: all of the opinions expressed during the discussions are very much our personal opinions as the Carolina Desis and do not represent Clemson University, in any way.

The episode you have all been waiting for (or at least one of them) is finally here: WEDDINGS! From the planning to the week-long wedding events, the Carolina Desis break it all down with guest Kiran Mohan of Sonaa Wedding & Events (@sonaaevents). Kiran, a Toronto native and recent Charlotte resident, shares her experiences as an accomplished planner and what she wants to bring to the Desi wedding industry in the Southeast US. We discuss the variety and significance of wedding events and traditions that differ among religions, ethnicities, and families in the South Asian Diaspora. Staying true to the core ideals of the podcast, we get Kiran's take on the evident generation gap and impact of millennial minimalism on wedding planning as a first generation Desi-American. Tune in to learn why there are elephants at Desi weddings and how you can get your hands on a Gulab Jamun cupcake! Book your next event with Sonaa Wedding & Events: www.sonaaevents.com

CD31 Stay Green by Gurtej Singh & Rashmili Vemula

The Carolina Desis have RETURNED. To top it off, they've returned with a GUEST. Please join the Carolina Desis this week in their conversation with self-made fitness and nutrition coach, Dee Gautham (@squats_and_samosas). Dee shares her career transition from medicine to tech to full-time fitness and nutrition coach. We discuss the stigmas revolving around fitness, particularly the effect that the South Asian community has on our body image. As a high-achieving, natural-born leader, Dee is the perfect example of a Girl Boss. Tune in to listen to Rashmili fangirl for the entirety of the episode. https://www.deegauthamfitness.com/ IG: @dee_gautham