인도의 사랑 이야기| The One with Emily - On Being Jewish-American-Indian: Episode 31 (2018)

A little-known fact about me is that I grew up on a staple diet of Indian movies, and this continued shortly until after Bollywood became a global phenomenon. India, for me, will always be my first entry point into Asia and its cultural diversity, as a young child growing up in Nigeria. And still on India, this week’s guest has a unique story, especially how her love for India was forged at a young age (hint: it began in a classroom). In this episode, you will hear how her dream spurned into something glorious that has now shaped her life-course and those of the generations coming after her.

Meet, Emily: she describes herself as Jewish-ish and a lover of Jesus. She is also a wife to Jose and mother to two delightful, energetic kids. In this episode, you will learn what it means to follow your calling even when you are not sure where it might lead you. You will also hear tips on multicultural marriage and how to raise kids in such a dynamic environment, as well as its beauty and challenges.

PS: This episode was shot in my house when Emily came visiting with her kids; you may hear her daughter’s voice in the background. Shout-out and a Namaste to Daphne Raj for introducing me to this wonderful lady.

Fun facts about Emily:

• She convinced her mother to let her go to India when she was 15 (Please do not try this at home with your African parents, thank you. And if you must, approach them with caution).
• She loves tea.
• From the ages of 15, till she turned 22, she visited India up to nine times.
• Her interest in India was initially piqued by her need to fix Christopher Columbus’ error #DiscoverAmerica.
  

Takeaway Points:

Similarities between the Jewish and Indian cultures

• They are both family and community oriented.
• People from both cultures have driven personalities.

Differences between the Jewish and Indian cultures

• Women have a lot of say-so in the Jewish culture, in general, and can be headstrong.
• The approaches towards money differ.

On thriving:

• Find the beauty in both cultures and highlight those but bear in mind that there is going to be a more dominant culture. You kinda have to accept this otherwise you are just gonna fight all the time.
• Let your kids take part in the different cultural activities that are part of their background.
  

Notable Quotes: “The Whole 30 diet is like Paleo on steroids.” PPS: After our talk, I got this text from Emily later at night. “I think I should have said on intercultural marriage... Jesus! Without Him, we would fight like cats and dogs! He puts it all into perspective...culture and His perspective on it all really helps us to keep our particular preferences in check!” Nama’stay here, with y’all for a bit, 모 /Mo!/ --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/mosibyl/support