Roots to Routes with Anand Dattani

|E37| Sejal relives: Discovering My Birthplace & My Passion For Writing Poetry

Sejal Majithia-Jaswal knows she was born in Uganda, and lived for a short while in India before moving to the UK. But what she didn't know for 50 years is where exactly she was born.. but here she shares how a combination of faith and serendipity helped her find it. Sejal also shares how self-belief helped her: become the first ever female in her age bracket to win a chess championship, work on award-winning advertising campaigns for well-known brands (Cadbury's, Just Eat, and iPhone), and change careers at the age of 50 to discover & align her passion for writing and poetry. We discuss: Comparing the Uganda of 50 years ago to what it's like now The lost strong sense of community of Ugandan Asians after leaving Uganda Growing up in a competitive household Learning to play chess with cut up paper pieces and becoming the first female chess champion of her age (Queen's Gambit!) Discovering a love for poetry & writing during lockdown How faith, perseverance & serendipity helped her find her place of birthMeeting her partner at a warehouse party Creating Dancefloor Recall - https://www.dancefloor-recall.com/ (follow the link; share your dancefloor love story!) Working on a project & travel exhibition for the 50th Anniversary of Ugandan Asian expulsion (for 2022)- Get in touch to find out more: https://www.instagram.com/ugandanasians/ Is globalisation good or bad for the appreciation of different societies and cultures? Quotes from the episode "I always say that travel is very much in my DNA" "At 40 I said I wanted to do something different, and I never did.. so when I was about to turn 50, I was like 'Right, I've got to change now'". "My mum always said that if you ever wanted to find me, you'd find me with my head stuck in a book somewhere" "I think it's important that not only do we tell our stories, but we shape our stories too" "I don't think there's anything worse than going through life and doing things because that's what's expected of you" "I'm still hoping to write that best novel, being the next J.K. Rowling, or Elizabeth Gilbert" Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

|E36| Doq talks (pt. 2): Marrying Outside My Ethnicity & Social Media’s Impact On The Younger Generation

Apart from this unorthodox but highly entertaining quote by my guest, in the final part of our conversation, Doq discusses one of the most important chapters of his life, introducing his partner (and now wife), Nandi, to his family for the first time. We discuss breaking through the traditional belief system of marrying within your same culture, as well as the role of social media in racism, impacting people's judgements and how they are affecting the younger generation. In the final part of our conversation, we discuss: Dealing with the repercussions of ’THAT’ story from Omed’s wedding (see Part 1 for full story) Introducing a non-Bengali partner to his parents Cross-cultural similarities in our family's background and mindset Traditional belief systems of marrying within the same ethnicity The role of social media in creating echo chambers of racism Are young generations exposed to too much too early in life? Quotes from this episode You don’t necessarily have to be with a Muslim to be a better Muslim I'm not here to jiggle my titties, I'm here to tell you some stories Encourage people to be open about how they feel, and try to limit judgment; judgment should be reserved for actual crime. The more open you are with your vulnerabilities, the more likely you are to find ways to overcome them DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT PART ONE IF YOU HAVEN'T YET Listen to Doq's YouTube show here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClXNWf8lQWXIJrllQL_FnqA Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

|E35| Doq talks (pt. 1): Dealing with Social Anxiety, Beating Cancer & Finding Creativity in Humour

If you don't already know who Doq is, check out the bonus episode before this, where I spend 30mins with him talking about all the weird and wonderful so that we could ease him of his initial nerves. In this episode, we talk: Deal with anxiety of meeting new people. Accepting my insecurities in social settings. What does it mean to be ‘well read’? Appreciating video games as a form of art. Growing up in a household (and family culture) that lacked a focus on art & creativity. Issue with Asian parenthood culture and the future careers of their children. The limitations of the English language in poetry. Dropping out of university in 3rd year. Lack of mental health awareness and education in our parent’s generation. Being driven to humour in an attempt at pleasing his devout Muslim dad and wanted to make him laugh. Dealing with cancer - physically, mentally and socially - and realising his fortune in surviving, where others didn’t. The stereotypes of different cliques in school. Learning how to deal with embarrassment, including THAT story from Omed’s wedding. [laugh emoji] Follow Doq at: www.instagram.com/doqcastListen/watch Doqcast on YouTube Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Who Is The Host of Doqcast?

FUNNIEST EPISODE YET. An unorthodox introduction to a very special guest - an entertainer, a storyteller, a cancer-survivor and, above all else, a loyal friend, son and husband who has endless value to offer whether you want to laugh or be inspired by his special story. Ladies & gentlemen, I present this prelude to a fascinating, meaningful and inspiration conversation. Watch Doq on Doqcast: For Me, Not You: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UClXNWf8lQWXIJrllQL_FnqA Follow us on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thejourneyonwardspodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

|E34| Rhea talks: South Africa’s Racial Story & What Ayahuasca Did For My Purpose and Healing

South Africa-born, Rhea Naidoo, gives an incredible open and honest account of her memories of life in South Africa; as well as, her views of the racial discrimination (apartheid) that dominated the country for much of the 20th Century from the first-hand perspective of her and her family having grown up there. We explore how, as the first one of her family to leave South Africa, she was able to build up a new life in the United States, and the role that her first Ayahuasca experience played in bringing her towards her true calling of accelerating the return of female leadership in the world - which was present across multiple cultures and religions, but lost over the centuries. In this episode, we discuss: Impacts of apartheid still being felt today in South Africa The rising 'brain drain' in South Africa and future impact on the nation Her grandmother's significant history with Nelson Mandela Comparing South African culture to American culture Adapting to the immense loving nature of Pisac, Peru Realising a calling for Coaching after her first Ayahuasca experience The long and forgotten history of the role and dominance of women in leadership The differences in the role of older women in Western vs Eastern traditions and society The gender of the soul - and personification as a female energy What is the difference between a leader and a manager? Would the world be a happier place if it operated under one belief system or one way of thinking? Follow Rhea Naidoo to keep updated on the release of HeartSong - the podcast that relives her 30 day experience through the jungles, wilderness and journey of self-discovery and Ayahuasca. www.instagram.com/rhea_naidoo_ Follow The Journey Onwards podcast:on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thejourneyonwardspodcaston Facebook: www.facebook.com/thejourneyonwardspodcast Find out more about the Third Culture Tribe:podcast.thejourneyonwards.com/tribe Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

|E33| Shuwel talks: Leveraging My Biggest Failure & Family Story To Fuel My Curiosity To Grow

British-born Bangladeshi, Shuwel Ahmed, opens up about the biggest failure in his life, which came when he moved to London for University, and how the disappointment felt worse given the backstory of his grandparents and parents that gave him the fortune of the opportunities he had. In this episode, he talks about how this sparked his determination to always give his full effort and know that whenever he has failed since then, it hasn't been because of his own complacency. Since then, he has gone to work at a global pharmaceutical company, speak at a TEDx, create the Pupils2Professionals initiative and currently has multi-million pound property portfolio. We discuss: The story of how his father was given the opportunity to move from Bangladesh to the UK at the age of 13, where he began schooling while working 2 jobs. Planting the seed through Pupils2Professionals through growing up in an underprivileged part of the UK The key character traits he sees in his parents that he now sees in himself and his 2 brothers Experiencing a significant failure in his life that completely changed his mindset and determination How can the younger generation reach their potential without having to go through a significant, humbling failure first? Dealing with light-hearted racial prejudice during schooling years Learning from his father's regret following a life-threatening medical problem Realising the importance of investing time and money in meeting and connecting with people who know more than you do Understanding the difference self awareness vs. self belief to help you achieve your goals Will we be happier as a population 100 years from now? Books recommended in this episode Peak Performance: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/31450959-peak-performance Factfulness: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/34890015-factfulness?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=aMzNsGbcNs&rank=1 Quotes when you're at a period when you're new in a country, and there's not so many of you around, you're much more inclined to help [those] others when I go to back, there's almost a village of people who are willing to do anything for me, and these are people who don't have a lot.. i see that as now a sense of responsibility to help. in my school, qualifying for free school meals meant your household income had to be £10,000 or below... my Dad wouldn't allow me to take the free school meals even thought we qualified for it I think there's ways that you can learn from your parents about the good things, but also some of the traits that you don't necessarily agree with- there's also a lesson in all of that that year was the most humbling year of my life.. at the end of it i said I am never ever going to put myself in a position where a lack of my effort has put me in this once you recognise the power of your family, and realise how much luck there is in all of it, you just want to make the most of it Shuwel's previous podcast appearance (as mentioned in this episode): listen here Get in contact: With the guest: www.instagram.com/shuwel1 With the host: www.instagram.com/thejourneyonwardspodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

|E32| Saba talks (pt.2): Falling In Love, Embracing My Heritage & Making An Impact In Iran

Don't forget to check out Part 1 if you haven't already. In part 2, we discuss: Dealing with the culture shock of moving to Iran, and not 'fitting in' How can someone better connect with their culture and heritage? Social life in Iran vs the UK The importance of community in Iran Her desire to make substantial and impactful change in Iran Learning to set your expectations by finding your own purpose and not based on what society expects of you. Leave a comment or get in touch on Instagram: www.instagram.com/thejourneyonwardspodcast Find out more: podcast.thejourneyonwards.com/about Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

|E31| Saba talks (pt.1): Falling In Love, Embracing My Heritage & Making An Impact In Iran

In Part 1, we cover: How facing the challenges of a third culture kid while growing up helped her embrace and fit in Learning to embrace her Iranian side and overcoming the 'terrorist' propaganda with the help of a close friend How her dad ended up moving from Iran to the UK The crazy story of her mum being stranded in Germany on the way to the UK How did the Iranian revolution come 1979 come about? The very strong influence of British and American culture in Iran, from the perspective of an Iranian family the misunderstood history of Iran, dating back to the days of Zoroastrianism Appreciating Cyrus the Great and his multicultural approach Instagram: www.instagram.com/thejourneyonwardspodcast Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.