Mo' Sibyl

Posts tagged Austin

섬의 삶| The One with Selena: The Girl from Mauritius – On Island Living: Episode 17 (2019)

The More Sibyl Podcast Presents: The One with Selena: The Girl from Mauritius – On Island Living

Let’s explore an African country together in this episode. And no, it’s not Nigeria, haha.

Welcome to the Island, peeps! This African island boasts of enviable beaches for destination weddings. It is a religiously diverse nation, with freedom of religion given as a constitutional right and the only African country with a Hindu majority. As Hawaii is seen drifting away from the continental US, so is this country relative to Africa when viewed on a map. It’s also a country close to Madagascar and the only known habitat of the now-extinct bird – dodo.

Mark Twain once quipped that Heaven was copied after this country and Lewis Carroll was inspired by the dodo to write his famous book “Alice in Wonderland” in 1865. Life expectancy here is well higher than the world average and is well above the average for African countries.

Welcome to Mauritius – one of only four countries in the world with no involvement in ongoing international or domestic conflicts and no tensions with neighboring countries. The others being Botswana, Chile, and Uruguay.. As a result, Mauritius does not maintain a standing army.

I invited Selena – who I describe as a spunky, ethnically-ambiguous, culturally-rich, cosmopolitan, Mauritian gal - to talk about her country’s history, its unique aspects, and what her identity and nationality mean to her.

We also talked about her overcoming body image issues, experiences as a US immigrant, and how she responds to questions about her origin.

Mo SibylJuly 11, 2019Femalefriendships, womensupportingwomen, bullying, womeninSTEM, trauma, overcomingobstacles, Denver, Colorado, Patreon, podcast, monologue, failure, podcastshownotes, culture, themoresibylpodcast, podcaster, podcastsofinstagram, podcastshows, process, gratitude, Nigerianpodcasters, naijapodcast, podcastsincolor, season2, LUTH, Idiaraba, Muslim, Islam, author, glossophobia, Egyptian, AmericanMuslim, Egypt, MuslimAmerican, culturaldifference, Arab, MiddleEastern, woman, Quran, Plano, writer, Illinois, Hijab, ESL, Alexandria, pluralism, Ramadan, AlexandriaUniversity, Nigerianyouth, entrepreneur, forensicaccounting, EFCC, internationalstudents, BlackandGold, seamstress, UCO, Edmond, ZetaSigma, AlphaPhiAlpha, GreekFraternities, Nigeriantailors, garmentory, MissBlackandGold, Dilationandcurettage, HSG, hydrosalpinx, brassovaries, fertility, AMH, Momsinthemaking, IVF, ovariancysts, fibroids, surrogacy, happymothersday, therapy, miscarriage, pregnancyloss, miscarriageawareness, angelmom, ttc, ttccommunity, lifeafterloss, grievingmother, Schizophrenia, catatonic, schizoaffective, auditory, visual, cult, sexualabuse, mentalhealth, spirituality, hallucinations, mentalhealthstigma, depression, schizophreniaawareness, mentalhealthawareness, voices, paranoia, lovetriangle, mania, tribe, nigerianyouth, jobseeking, religion, Here, Ovariancyst, endometriosis, womenshealth, advocacy, obgyn, adenomyosis, pregnancyoutcomes, casepresentation, askthegynecologist, reddegeneration, Hispanicparadox, menstruation, heavyperiods, Lupron, Nicaragua, Istanbul, Ankara, Turkey, Populism Chicago, Polsci, UIC, Argentina, History, socialsciences, Austin, Texas, ottomanempire, Byzantine, internationalrelations, Israel, Hagia Sophia, Peru, Argentine, BuenosAire, MercedesSosa, teaching, mentors, impostersyndrome, Citizenscience, DermatofibrosarcomaProtuberans, canceradvocacy, CaPTC, PEPFAR, cancer, cancersurvivor, epidemiology, clinicaltrials, Nigeria, publichealth, HIV, Nigeriangovernment, cancerfree, religiosity, cancerresearch, cancerscreening, Lagosstate, LASG, cancerawareness, sarcoma, Lupus, STEM, sarcoidosis, lupus, phyno, africanprincess, africanroyalty, womenwithPhD, NigerianPhDs, minoritytax, TAPApodcast, raredisease, BernieMac, healthoutcomes, Hindu, Mauritius, FrenchCreole, UniversityofCentralOklahoma, French, internationalpeople, Malaysia, Madagascar, dodobird, FlicenFlacBeach, MarkTwain, LewisCarroll, AliceinWonderland, Africanhistory, Africans, IndianOceans, Bhojpuri, Seggae, LifeComment

아프리카 공주| The One with Dr. Ozi: An African Princess in America – On Imposter Syndrome at Work and in Marriage: Episode 16 (2019)

The More Sibyl Podcast Presents: The One with Dr. Ozi: Tales of an African Princess in America – On Imposter Syndrome at Work and in Marriage

What do you call it when two podcasters come together to talk about podcasting (and so much more) on a podcast? A meta-fricking moment! Today, you guys get not one, but two African royalties, both with PhDs, dripping in finesse and sauce. In this episode with Dr. Ozi of the Tales of an African Princess in America Podcast, we unpacked a lot on imposter syndrome, its root causes, impact on our work and marriages, and how we have tried tackling it. We also talked about the importance of having mentors, not only in the workplace. If anything, you also get to hear two nerds gush about their research. Special shout-out to Mr. Kenny (from Episode 30, 2018) who made this connection happen!

Ozi is a fashion guru who lives in the music city of Nashville, Tennessee where she does research on sarcoidosis. #Peng

Mo SibylJuly 4, 2019Femalefriendships, womensupportingwomen, bullying, womeninSTEM, trauma, overcomingobstacles, Denver, Colorado, Patreon, podcast, monologue, failure, podcastshownotes, culture, themoresibylpodcast, podcaster, podcastsofinstagram, podcastshows, process, gratitude, Nigerianpodcasters, naijapodcast, podcastsincolor, season2, LUTH, Idiaraba, Muslim, Islam, author, glossophobia, Egyptian, AmericanMuslim, Egypt, MuslimAmerican, culturaldifference, Arab, MiddleEastern, woman, Quran, Plano, writer, Illinois, Hijab, ESL, Alexandria, pluralism, Ramadan, AlexandriaUniversity, Nigerianyouth, entrepreneur, forensicaccounting, EFCC, internationalstudents, BlackandGold, seamstress, UCO, Edmond, ZetaSigma, AlphaPhiAlpha, GreekFraternities, Nigeriantailors, garmentory, MissBlackandGold, Dilationandcurettage, HSG, hydrosalpinx, brassovaries, fertility, AMH, Momsinthemaking, IVF, ovariancysts, fibroids, surrogacy, happymothersday, therapy, miscarriage, pregnancyloss, miscarriageawareness, angelmom, ttc, ttccommunity, lifeafterloss, grievingmother, Schizophrenia, catatonic, schizoaffective, auditory, visual, cult, sexualabuse, mentalhealth, spirituality, hallucinations, mentalhealthstigma, depression, schizophreniaawareness, mentalhealthawareness, voices, paranoia, lovetriangle, mania, tribe, nigerianyouth, jobseeking, religion, Here, Ovariancyst, endometriosis, womenshealth, advocacy, obgyn, adenomyosis, pregnancyoutcomes, casepresentation, askthegynecologist, reddegeneration, Hispanicparadox, menstruation, heavyperiods, Lupron, Nicaragua, Istanbul, Ankara, Turkey, Populism Chicago, Polsci, UIC, Argentina, History, socialsciences, Austin, Texas, ottomanempire, Byzantine, internationalrelations, Israel, Hagia Sophia, Peru, Argentine, BuenosAire, MercedesSosa, teaching, mentors, impostersyndrome, Citizenscience, DermatofibrosarcomaProtuberans, canceradvocacy, CaPTC, PEPFAR, cancer, cancersurvivor, epidemiology, clinicaltrials, Nigeria, publichealth, HIV, Nigeriangovernment, cancerfree, religiosity, cancerresearch, cancerscreening, Lagosstate, LASG, cancerawareness, sarcoma, Lupus, STEM, sarcoidosis, lupus, phyno, africanprincess, africanroyalty, womenwithPhD, NigerianPhDs, minoritytax, TAPApodcast, raredisease, BernieMac, healthoutcomesComment

암 생존자| The One with Mr. Lanre Jacob - The Two-time Nigerian Cancer Survivor: Episode 15 (2019)

The More Sibyl Podcast Presents: The One with Mr. Lanre Jacob – The Two-time Nigerian Cancer Survivor

Cancer has become a major source of mortality and morbidity in Nigeria, and with the growing population, impact of westernization, sedentary lifestyle coupled with genetic factors, cancer is on the rise. Today’s guest – Mr. Lanre Jacob of the Lanre Jacob Sarcoma Foundation - has survived cancer not once but twice IN NIGERIA. His cancer experience spans three decades with multiple surgeries that have taken a considerable chunk of his head. As a cancer survivor, he went beyond the last stop of the cancer control continuum (survivorship) to become a cancer advocate.

In this episode, we began with his life before diagnosis, the diagnosis odyssey he went through, delayed treatment due to ignorance, and why he is passionate about using his voice to reduce cancer incidence and mortality in Nigeria. We also explored potential opportunities for religious leaders and cancer survivors to lead the campaign in cancer education, reducing stigma, and advocacy. Finally, drawing parallels from our fight against HIV, we talked about why cancer is a war Nigeria is not ready to win given its weak healthcare infrastructure, low budgetary allocation for health, and poor engagement in cancer research.

All in all, I hope this episode serves as a cue for you to go visit your doctor to get a run-down of your numbers and explore potential risk factors, especially for cancer.

Mo SibylJune 27, 2019Femalefriendships, womensupportingwomen, bullying, womeninSTEM, trauma, overcomingobstacles, Denver, Colorado, Patreon, podcast, monologue, failure, podcastshownotes, culture, themoresibylpodcast, podcaster, podcastsofinstagram, podcastshows, process, gratitude, Nigerianpodcasters, naijapodcast, podcastsincolor, season2, LUTH, Idiaraba, Muslim, Islam, author, glossophobia, Egyptian, AmericanMuslim, Egypt, MuslimAmerican, culturaldifference, Arab, MiddleEastern, woman, Quran, Plano, writer, Illinois, Hijab, ESL, Alexandria, pluralism, Ramadan, AlexandriaUniversity, Nigerianyouth, entrepreneur, forensicaccounting, EFCC, internationalstudents, BlackandGold, seamstress, UCO, Edmond, ZetaSigma, AlphaPhiAlpha, GreekFraternities, Nigeriantailors, garmentory, MissBlackandGold, Dilationandcurettage, HSG, hydrosalpinx, brassovaries, fertility, AMH, Momsinthemaking, IVF, ovariancysts, fibroids, surrogacy, happymothersday, therapy, miscarriage, pregnancyloss, miscarriageawareness, angelmom, ttc, ttccommunity, lifeafterloss, grievingmother, Schizophrenia, catatonic, schizoaffective, auditory, visual, cult, sexualabuse, mentalhealth, spirituality, hallucinations, mentalhealthstigma, depression, schizophreniaawareness, mentalhealthawareness, voices, paranoia, lovetriangle, mania, tribe, nigerianyouth, jobseeking, religion, Here, Ovariancyst, endometriosis, womenshealth, advocacy, obgyn, adenomyosis, pregnancyoutcomes, casepresentation, askthegynecologist, reddegeneration, Hispanicparadox, menstruation, heavyperiods, Lupron, Nicaragua, Istanbul, Ankara, Turkey, Populism Chicago, Polsci, UIC, Argentina, History, socialsciences, Austin, Texas, ottomanempire, Byzantine, internationalrelations, Israel, Hagia Sophia, Peru, Argentine, BuenosAire, MercedesSosa, teaching, mentors, impostersyndrome, Citizenscience, DermatofibrosarcomaProtuberans, canceradvocacy, CaPTC, PEPFAR, cancer, cancersurvivor, epidemiology, clinicaltrials, Nigeria, publichealth, HIV, Nigeriangovernment, cancerfree, religiosity, cancerresearch, cancerscreening, Lagosstate, LASG, cancerawareness, sarcomaComment

친구의 이야기|The One with Princess Angela – Nigerian-Born, US-Educated, Canadian-Living, Introversive Friend: Episode 14 (2019)

친구의 이야기|The One with Princess Angela – Nigerian-Born, US-Educated, Canadian-Living, Introversive Friend: Episode 14

The awkward conversations replete in today’s episode is made possible by my guest and friend - Angela; a real-life princess (things I do for you guys, honestly), one of my privileged, certified haters (because I don’t even acknowledge the rest), and a dear friend who is totally in awe of my awesomeness.

Angela is the last of 10 kids, which explains why she is really spoilt. She is a geology scientist and one of the many victims of the oil market collapse, which caused her to seek greener pastures in the oil-abundant area of Calgary, Canada. But as all that glitters isn’t always oil and in need of a job, she did a two-minute elevator speech of her resume. So prospective employers, if you are need of skills like hers, kindly email her on angieluwa@gmail.com

Angela has overcome a lot to be where she is today, especially a delicate, high-risk surgery to treat her chronic back pain from sciatica. And I could not be more proud of her, especially her resolve to find meaningfulness in suffering. That said, I will wish for her to quit her chronic staple diet of Yoruba Demons (and I speak freely on this issue as a Yoruba person) as they have brought nothing but indigestion to her. So, I conducted an intervention for that, and she also used the opportunity to talk about what she wants in a mate. So if you are single and NOT YORUBA, kindly inquire within.

Most importantly, Angela is kind, caring, very thoughtful, and genuine. She will always be unforgettable for a lot of reasons – chief among is how she worked in cahoots with my husband to throw me a surprise party for my 30th birthday that had over 60 people in attendance. I am yet to forgive this transgression.

Love you, Angie. 2,999 times!

Mo SibylJune 20, 2019Femalefriendships, womensupportingwomen, bullying, womeninSTEM, trauma, overcomingobstacles, Denver, Colorado, Patreon, podcast, monologue, failure, podcastshownotes, culture, themoresibylpodcast, podcaster, podcastsofinstagram, podcastshows, process, gratitude, Nigerianpodcasters, naijapodcast, podcastsincolor, season2, LUTH, Idiaraba, Muslim, Islam, author, glossophobia, Egyptian, AmericanMuslim, Egypt, MuslimAmerican, culturaldifference, Arab, MiddleEastern, woman, Quran, Plano, writer, Illinois, Hijab, ESL, Alexandria, pluralism, Ramadan, AlexandriaUniversity, Nigerianyouth, entrepreneur, forensicaccounting, EFCC, internationalstudents, BlackandGold, seamstress, UCO, Edmond, ZetaSigma, AlphaPhiAlpha, GreekFraternities, Nigeriantailors, garmentory, MissBlackandGold, Dilationandcurettage, HSG, hydrosalpinx, brassovaries, fertility, AMH, Momsinthemaking, IVF, ovariancysts, fibroids, surrogacy, happymothersday, therapy, miscarriage, pregnancyloss, miscarriageawareness, angelmom, ttc, ttccommunity, lifeafterloss, grievingmother, Schizophrenia, catatonic, schizoaffective, auditory, visual, cult, sexualabuse, mentalhealth, spirituality, hallucinations, mentalhealthstigma, depression, schizophreniaawareness, mentalhealthawareness, voices, paranoia, lovetriangle, mania, tribe, nigerianyouth, jobseeking, religion, Here, Ovariancyst, endometriosis, womenshealth, advocacy, obgyn, adenomyosis, pregnancyoutcomes, casepresentation, askthegynecologist, reddegeneration, Hispanicparadox, menstruation, heavyperiods, Lupron, Nicaragua, Istanbul, Ankara, Turkey, Populism Chicago, Polsci, UIC, Argentina, History, socialsciences, Austin, Texas, ottomanempire, Byzantine, internationalrelations, Israel, Hagia Sophia, Peru, Argentine, BuenosAire, MercedesSosa, teaching, mentors, impostersyndromeComment

교회와 사회| The One with COZA - When Church Goes Wrong: Lessons from Pain: Episode 13 (2019)

교회와 사회| The One with COZA - When Church Goes Wrong: Lessons from Pain: Episode 13

In light of the COZA events, a guest and I explored societal influences on the churches' reactions to such happenings. Also, a take on cultural influence on religion and reverence for men of God, and so much more.

Best,

Mo SibylJune 18, 2019Femalefriendships, womensupportingwomen, bullying, womeninSTEM, trauma, overcomingobstacles, Denver, Colorado, Patreon, podcast, monologue, failure, podcastshownotes, culture, themoresibylpodcast, podcaster, podcastsofinstagram, podcastshows, process, gratitude, Nigerianpodcasters, naijapodcast, podcastsincolor, season2, LUTH, Idiaraba, Muslim, Islam, author, glossophobia, Egyptian, AmericanMuslim, Egypt, MuslimAmerican, culturaldifference, Arab, MiddleEastern, woman, Quran, Plano, writer, Illinois, Hijab, ESL, Alexandria, pluralism, Ramadan, AlexandriaUniversity, Nigerianyouth, entrepreneur, forensicaccounting, EFCC, internationalstudents, BlackandGold, seamstress, UCO, Edmond, ZetaSigma, AlphaPhiAlpha, GreekFraternities, Nigeriantailors, garmentory, MissBlackandGold, Dilationandcurettage, HSG, hydrosalpinx, brassovaries, fertility, AMH, Momsinthemaking, IVF, ovariancysts, fibroids, surrogacy, happymothersday, therapy, miscarriage, pregnancyloss, miscarriageawareness, angelmom, ttc, ttccommunity, lifeafterloss, grievingmother, Schizophrenia, catatonic, schizoaffective, auditory, visual, cult, sexualabuse, mentalhealth, spirituality, hallucinations, mentalhealthstigma, depression, schizophreniaawareness, mentalhealthawareness, voices, paranoia, lovetriangle, mania, tribe, nigerianyouth, jobseeking, religion, Here, Ovariancyst, endometriosis, womenshealth, advocacy, obgyn, adenomyosis, pregnancyoutcomes, casepresentation, askthegynecologist, reddegeneration, Hispanicparadox, menstruation, heavyperiods, Lupron, Nicaragua, Istanbul, Ankara, Turkey, Populism Chicago, Polsci, UIC, Argentina, History, socialsciences, Austin, Texas, ottomanempire, Byzantine, internationalrelations, Israel, Hagia Sophia, Peru, Argentine, BuenosAire, MercedesSosa, teaching, mentors, impostersyndromeComment

터키 모험가| The One with Mine Tafolar – The Turkish Adventurer: Episode 12 (2019)

Meet Mine Tafolar – Latin American-loving Byzantine lady. I met Mine through a mutual friend of ours – Gio from Nicaragua (hello, Gio! We love you). Mine was born and raised in Istanbul, Turkey, where she studied political science and international relations and history at Bogazici University. She has also worked as a journalist for Hurriyet Daily News and prepared internal and international news stories. She holds an MA degree from the Government Department from the University of Texas at Austin with a thesis titled: Buying Support without Brokers: Conditional Cash Transfers in Turkey and Argentina. Right now, she is a Ph.D. candidate at the Political Science Department at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She’s lived in Istanbul, Ankara, Austin, Buenos Aires, and Chicago.

In this episode, we talked about her life, Turkish pride, starting a Ph.D. program, transitioning from being a teaching assistant (TA) to a teaching role, teaching tips, how she deals with imposter syndrome, and her strategies for balancing being a newlywed grad student.

Mine is pronounced – Me Nay.

Mo SibylJune 6, 2019Femalefriendships, womensupportingwomen, bullying, womeninSTEM, trauma, overcomingobstacles, Denver, Colorado, Patreon, podcast, monologue, failure, podcastshownotes, culture, themoresibylpodcast, podcaster, podcastsofinstagram, podcastshows, process, gratitude, Nigerianpodcasters, naijapodcast, podcastsincolor, season2, LUTH, Idiaraba, Muslim, Islam, author, glossophobia, Egyptian, AmericanMuslim, Egypt, MuslimAmerican, culturaldifference, Arab, MiddleEastern, woman, Quran, Plano, writer, Illinois, Hijab, ESL, Alexandria, pluralism, Ramadan, AlexandriaUniversity, Nigerianyouth, entrepreneur, forensicaccounting, EFCC, internationalstudents, BlackandGold, seamstress, UCO, Edmond, ZetaSigma, AlphaPhiAlpha, GreekFraternities, Nigeriantailors, garmentory, MissBlackandGold, Dilationandcurettage, HSG, hydrosalpinx, brassovaries, fertility, AMH, Momsinthemaking, IVF, ovariancysts, fibroids, surrogacy, happymothersday, therapy, miscarriage, pregnancyloss, miscarriageawareness, angelmom, ttc, ttccommunity, lifeafterloss, grievingmother, Schizophrenia, catatonic, schizoaffective, auditory, visual, cult, sexualabuse, mentalhealth, spirituality, hallucinations, mentalhealthstigma, depression, schizophreniaawareness, mentalhealthawareness, voices, paranoia, lovetriangle, mania, tribe, nigerianyouth, jobseeking, religion, Here, Ovariancyst, endometriosis, womenshealth, advocacy, obgyn, adenomyosis, pregnancyoutcomes, casepresentation, askthegynecologist, reddegeneration, Hispanicparadox, menstruation, heavyperiods, Lupron, Nicaragua, Istanbul, Ankara, Turkey, Populism Chicago, Polsci, UIC, Argentina, History, socialsciences, Austin, Texas, ottomanempire, Byzantine, internationalrelations, Israel, Hagia Sophia, Peru, Argentine, BuenosAire, MercedesSosa, teaching, mentors, impostersyndromeComment

희망과 사랑| The One with Poojee - On Cross-Cultural Friendships & Resilience: Episode 35 (2018)

The More Sibyl Podcast Presents: The One with Poojee

This is one episode you should not miss as it features my very own Poojee!

In this episode, Poojee aka Omonike (my mother gave her this name, and it means ‘a child to be cherished’ in Yoruba – A Nigerian language) and I gush shamelessly about the love we have for each other. Pu, as I love to call her, and I went to grad school together in Austin, and she now lives in London. If you’re my friend on Facebook, you would have seen posts of me her and together. In this episode, we explored Poo’s story: growing up (female) in India; dropping out of grad school; how she coped with managing those expectations and from others too; our friendship and its oddities; and why we will not be breaking up anytime soon.

Poo is about one of the very few friends I chased (I am usually the one being chased), and I explain why this was so and why I would shamelessly do it over and over again. Poo is as geeky and nerdy as I am and loves Korean drama too. We also both share a mutual disdain for Apple® products. Suffice to say, our friendship will irretrievably break if either one of us cheats on the other by taking a bite from any of the already-bitten Apple products that are Mac and all of its i-Friends.

TL; DR: It’s a story of an odd love, friendship, and sisterhood between two most unlikely people who share different beliefs on religion (she is Hindu, I am Christian) and food (she eats rabbit food (aka vegetarian), and I eat rabbits (aka non-vegetarian), and even personalities (she’s introvertish, and I am hella extravertish, yup it’s a word!). How we make it work and how a little understanding and radical acceptance is needed in cross-cultural friendships. It’s also a story of resilience, dealing with the fear of failure, and keeping things moving.

Mo SibylOctober 18, 2018India, USA, York, London, Austin, Friendship, TheLondonEye, Rajastan, Graduateschool, mentalhealth, renaissancewoman, Montare, Girlfriends, resilience, jobmarket, HEOR, Gradschool, Paneer, Therapy, therapist, radicalacceptance, fearofailureComment

내 일본 섬에서| The One with Mai - On Multiculturalism and Being Okinawan-American: Episode 26 (2018)

The More Sibyl Podcast Presents: The One with Mai

Born to an Okinawan mom and an American dad, thus growing up bi-racial in a multi-cultural home meant Mai had to ask tough questions from the start about identity, equality, community, friendships and the like. An aspiring graphic designer and a secretive poet, she uses the arts to continue the journey of those questions, through her multi-cultural marriage, and the community around her. A fighter for love to be in action in all places; who loves hearing the stories of those around her in hopes to build better bridges in all places and with all people. Mai also enjoys the simple pleasures of puppies, coffee, food of all kinds, and summer activities.

In this episode, we talked about her cultural heritage and tips on how to navigate multiculturalism in language, marriage, and expressions.

PS: Okinawan-Japanese is the equivalent of Hawaiian-American; thus, Mai is ethnically Okinawan. Also, it would mean a lot to Mai if you went to see 'Crazy Rich Asians;' according to her "your ticket purchase helps affirm the industry that people want to see diverse leads."

Fun facts about Mai:

Her parents met in Japan when dad was in the US Airforce.
If she speaks too much in one language, her brain gets tired. So, she needs a fine balance of people with whom she can speak English and Japanese.
She spent a lot of time in Japan when growing up. So much so that when she moved back to the US, she was classified as an international student and had to take ESL (English as a second language) classes.

Takeaway Points:

Mai had two very good questions for me as a Nigerian about Nigerians.
Your insight as a multicultural person is always needed and valuable.
Be proud of your heritage.

Notable Quotes from Mai:

“I find the Japanese culture at times fascinating because even though it is a communal society, there is so much pressure on the individual to succeed which sometimes creates a painful tension.”

"In America, it is harder to build quality friendships because it is an individualistic society. Thus, self-love here, ironically, is to schedule spontaneous activities to make sure I spend quality time with my friends."

“Being married to a Chinese-American, we both have to learn how to navigate this space of multiculturalness we share. We both have parallel lives of being able to relate on how it feels to navigate multiple cultures and not really feeling like we belong to anyone in particular.”

Recommended song:

"Say Anything" - X-Japan (1991) [Mo says: "The arrangement of the musical instruments reminds me of Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody"]

Jya-ne,

モ /Mo!/

Mo SibylAugust 23, 2018XJapan, Japan, Okinawa, Japanese, BohemianRhapsody, Chinese, ESL, American, Airforce, Multiculturalism, friendship, Language, Okinawans, Nigeria, Nigerians, selflove, seppuku, shame, puppies, coffee, Austin, Texas, themoresibylpodcast, podcast, podcaster, podcastsofinstagram, podcastshows, culture, culturalnomads, podcasting, podcasts, nigerianpodcast Comments

건강을 위해서| The One with Aayah - Let Food be Thy Medicine: Episode 19 (2018)

The More Sibyl Podcast Presents: The One with Aayah

Get ready to kiss dieting goodbye in this episode (Joshua Harris, anyone?). Aayah, an Egyptian-American who is now based in Seattle, is a holistic health coach, detox specialist, YouTube content creator, wife, and mother of two kids. Her journey into healthy eating was inspired by her health issues such as chronic fatigue, joint pain, mood and digestive issues.

In this episode, Aayah drew from both her personal and professional experiences on ways to eat clean and well on a budget, recipe substitution (this is important especially for immigrants), and maintaining an overall balanced lifestyle. We also talked about the elephant in the room (literally, me!) and my constant love-hate relationship with dieting and ways people like me can be more successful at mindful eating and maintaining a healthy weight.

Aayah’s parents are currently held political prisoners in Egypt. Her mom is the longest held female political prisoner in Egypt and in solitary confinement. See link below on how you can support and help them raise awareness on this.

PS: Aayah is currently running a promo for a mid-summer detox session and health coaching. To get a discount on her services, contact her directly letting her know you are one of the listeners of the show.