Two Worlds, One Me

My amazing guest today is Soumaya Khalifa. Her two worlds are Egypt and the US.
Soumaya specializes in intercultural communication, leadership development, religion in the workplace, corporate diversity, equality, inclusion and belonging.

In our conversation,  she tells us the story of her family's  journey from Egypt to the States  and how it all started. Along the way we talk about  what it has been like living as an American Muslim and  how she decided to start wearing a headscarf. We talk about islamophobia in the States and in the world in general.  We discuss Soumaya's love of both of her worlds, her love of food, particularly Egyptian food, which has a special place in her heart.

Soumaya is a very powerful business woman, a lovely and kind person,  a loving wife and a mother. This is such a wonderful, open-hearted conversation and I am very grateful to Soumaya for sharing her beautiful life story with me.
I am sure that you will enjoy listening to this story.

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You can find Soumaya on LinkedIn.


If you would like to talk to me about your two worlds, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to contact me.  My address is [email protected]

Music thanks to John Bartmann

Thanks for listening!


Music thanks to John Bartmann

In this episode, I bring you Leah Merete Robb - a strong, resilient woman, painter and activist.  Leah grew up in Scotland. Her father is Scottish and her mother is Danish.  She studied art in Dundee in Scotland from 1996 to 2000, graduating with an honors degree in drawing and painting. Leah moved to the country of her mother's origin first in 2000.

Along the way we talk about her childhood, her paintings. Leah's paintings speak volumes. They are very revolutionary, always inspiring the observer to change the world.  We talk about Leah's in depth understanding of human nature and understanding of addiction. We discuss dumpster diving, the life in Freetown Christiania and much more.

Leah admires strength and is always testing her limits - you will love hearing her story, just as much I enjoyed speaking to her. Enjoy it!

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Leah's website
http://leahrobb.com/

If you would like to talk to me about your two worlds, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to contact me.  My address is [email protected]

Music thanks to John Bartmann

Thanks for listening!


Music thanks to John Bartmann

My guest today is Mieko Zukerman.
She was born and grew up in a very traditional family in Tokyo, Japan, in the fifties. She did a degree in music at a music college in Tokyo, followed by a diploma in Japanese as a foreign language.

Mieko's career started as a teacher of Japanese language, piano and swimming, in Tokyo. After some years, she met the love of her life, an Englishman, she got married, had two children, a daughter, and a son and when the children were 13 and nine years old, they moved to England in 1996. 

Mieko joins me to talk about her childhood, about her family's traditional ways, about her move to the UK and how she and the family adjusted to the British culture, about what Japan means to her and her children.
Finally we discuss lessons that she has learnt and that she would like to pass on to people who move away from the country of their birth to settle and live in another country.

Mieko is such a lovely, kind person. It is such a privilege  to have her as their Japanese teacher.
Enjoy listening!

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If you would like to talk to me about your two worlds, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to contact me.  My address is [email protected]

Music thanks to John Bartmann

Thanks for listening!


Music thanks to John Bartmann

My very special guest today is Norma Beatriz Perez Gonzalez Brisbois, or she likes to call herself Norma Carpediem, which means "seize the day".
With an MA in sociology, Norma has worked in cultural integration in humanitarian aid for over 14 years and she is always finding ways to empower the vulnerable and marginalized groups and minorities.

Norma joins me to talk about her worlds which are so diverse and amazingly interesting.
We talk about her childhood in the Dominican Republic, about the move to Spain then Belgium and finally Norway.

Norma shares her insights and tells us about the ways she balances the  multiple cultures she has in her life. Along the way we talk about cold water bathing in Oslo, and how she mindfully enjoys and treasures the nature. 

Norma is a wonderfully positive and inspiring person who trusts people around her,  She is curious by nature and finds curiosity as one of the most important human characteristics which opens doors to new encounters and new worlds.

I invite you to listen to this brilliant conversation. I am sure that you will enjoy it as much as I did.
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For more insights into Norma's great Blog writing, here is the link
My crazy Carpediem Life

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If you would like to talk to me about your two worlds, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to contact me.  My address is [email protected]

Music thanks to John Bartmann

Thanks for listening!


Music thanks to John Bartmann

It is my absolute great pleasure to introduce you to my new amazingly talented guest, Dafne Kritharas.

Dafne is a passionate singer with a  divine voice, and I am so excited to tell you that you will be able to hear some of her beautiful songs, as we talk about her new album, Varka. Along the way we discuss what singing means to her and what inspires her to sing, write and compose.

Dafne's cultural worlds are France and Greece. She talks about her childhood, about her father, her mother and her partner Paul, who is her soulmate wh0 brings meaning and another dimension to her life.
We also talk about food and cooking, as Dafne loves cooking and sharing it with people.

Dafne has a wonderfully joyful manner about her. She speaks with passion and joie de vivre! 

With Dafne’s songs of exile and uprooting, you will be transported to the most beautiful Greek islands, the Mediterranean, to the old times of 1920s, 1930s, and to modern France at the same time.

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Dafne's Official YouTube channel
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBE0ljU5IqGMT0BaZAzd7YQ

You can also follow Dafne's work on her Instagram
@dafnekritharas

Dafne's songs used in this episode:

Amygdalaki
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nmNg3nlERCo

Ο Περιστερώνας /O Peristeronas
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KaaECwXSshI

Ανάθεμα τον αίτιο - Anathema ton aitio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvajgOnEkVo

U Stambolu na Bosforu
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=amnryfGsFj0

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If you would like to talk to me about your two worlds, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to contact me.  My address is [email protected]

Music thanks to John Bartmann

Thanks for listening!


Music thanks to John Bartmann

You are in for a treat in this episode. My guest today is Iva Bicanic.
Iva is a Dutch Croatian clinical psychologist. She's a researcher,  post-traumatic stress disorder therapist and she specializes in the treatment of victims of sexual abuse. Iva has spent over 20 years researching and changing the global conversation around this very difficult topic.

Recently,  Iva took an active part in making  a 7 part series in which she and the crew revisited all the countries that used to be part of the former Yugoslavia, 30 years since the war and the break-up.

Iva joins me to talk about her two worlds - Croatia and the Netherlands. We talk about her parents, her childhood and lovely hot summers which she spent with her family on the Croatian coast. We then talk about the 7 part TV series, which was called "De Tranen van Tito" or "Tito's Tears" in English. The series sounds extremely interesting and powerful as it  plays an important role in the trauma healing in that region as well as any region that has had to go through war.

We then talk about what home means to Iva and share some lovely recipes that illustrate what home tastes and smells like for Iva.

I loved this conversation - Iva speaks with such positivity and excitement for life.

Even if this wasn't my own podcast, I'd tell you that this episode is a must-listen.

To contact Iva on LinkedIn
linkedin.com/in/iva-bicanic-8656474

Websites

• Psychotraumacentrum.nl  (Company Website)
• centrumseksueelgeweld.nl  (Company Website

To watch De Tranen van Tito in Dutch

Iva's favourite Croatian recipe https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n61vcvhH5co

And this one is the same recipe, but in English  https://www.chasingthedonkey.com/croatian-cooking-plum-dumplings-recipe-knedle-sa-sljivama/
Great website with lots of interesting recipes from the Balkans.

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If you would like to talk to me about your two worlds, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to contact me.  My address is [email protected]

Music thanks to John Bartmann

Thanks for listening!


Music thanks to John Bartmann

My guest today is a very inspiring young entrepreneur Jake Xu. Jake  joins me to talk about his two worlds - China and England, or more precisely Beijing and Bath.

Jake and his twin brother Shane came to Bath some 22 years ago to study and experience life in Europe.  In our conversation Jake takes us on this journey from his childhood in China to his current life in the UK. We talk about challenges with settling in and how he and his brother overcame them. Along the way we discuss his positive mindset, what home means to him, and we share some important lessons. 

I loved this conversation so much because Jake speaks with such honesty, clarity and humour about what it is like to be an entrepreneur with the positive mindset, a business person  who is driven and always looks for ways to  better himself. Enjoy listening!

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If you would like to talk to me about your two worlds, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to contact me.  My address is [email protected]

Music thanks to John Bartmann

Thanks for listening!


Music thanks to John Bartmann

Very excited about today's guest Michel Benedict. Michel was born in Switzerland and his other worlds are France, England and Brazil.

He is a truly international businessman who has founded a great number of businesses. He's passionate about resilience,  entrepreneurship and sustainability. He speaks five languages and is fascinated by foreign cultures. He loves good food, wine, travel, reading and the arts.

Michel joins me to talk about the challenges of moving a whole family to settle abroad. Along the way we talk about languages and how they brought up their children tri-lingually. We explore what home means to Michel. He  remembers things that his mum, who recently passed away,  instilled in him such as the love of learning and expressing one's own view.  Michel loves cooking - some food, such as souffle and fondue, take him back to his childhood and evoke pleasant memories of his mum.

I am so grateful for Michel's curiosity and honesty. This was such a stimulating conversation, which I am sure you will enjoy listening to.

Follow my Instagram @twoworldsonemepodcast for photos and a delicious Swiss fish souffle recipe.

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If you would like to talk to me about your two worlds, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to contact me.  My address is [email protected]

Music thanks to John Bartmann

Thanks for listening!


Music thanks to John Bartmann

Today,  I invite you to listen to Lachmi Bose.  Lachmi's two worlds are India where she was born and grew up, and England, where has now lived for over 50 years.
 
Lachmi joins me to talk about her childhood and how she still remembers the best lesson that her grandfather ever taught her. We talk about the move to England, how the family settled and how she felt proud wearing saris.

Along the way we also talk about the sense of calm and safety that Lachmi felt on her visits to India, about the meaning of home and how her native culture and language were passed on to her two daughters.
 
Lachmi is such an inspiration to us all.  Our conversation is a charming meditation on how to live a fulfilled life. Lachmi is 83,  still works part time at Bath University and absolutely loves it.

This is truly an uplifting conversation. I enjoyed every minute of it, and I hope that you will too.


Follow my Instagram @twoworldsonemepodcast for photos and a delicious family Onion Bhaji recipe.


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If you would like to talk to me about your two worlds, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to contact me.  My address is [email protected]

Music thanks to John Bartmann

Thanks for listening!


Music thanks to John Bartmann

What a truly lovely episode I have for you today! So delighted to welcome my first guest from the second generation, Sandrine Japhet-Sibboni. Sandrine was born in France and it is her grandparents, on her father's side, who immigrated from Egypt, bringing her father and his brother with them as young children. Sandrine's mother is French and has always lived in France.

Sandrine works in the beauty industry at L'Oreal, working with emerging markets. She loves her job, especially when it takes her around the world, where she visits customers' homes, the best part.

Sandrine joins me to talk about how her father settled in, how she felt it was her duty to learn everything about Egypt, the people, their traditions and is still learning the Arabic language. Along the way we talk about her children and how she is passing the two world knowledge and traditions onto them. We also talk about Paris and the meaning of home.

Sandrine is a very charismatic person and you will absolutely love listening to this conversation.

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If you would like to talk to me about your two worlds, I would love to hear from you. Please feel free to contact me.  My address is [email protected]

Music thanks to John Bartmann

Thanks for listening!


Music thanks to John Bartmann