My Thick Accent

From Chole Bhature(Chickpeas & Fried Flatbreads) to Maple Whiskey: A Cultural Exploration by Vrinda Srikant | Beneath The Accent

Gurasis Singh Season 2

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What happens when cultural surprises blend with cherished traditions?

Meet Vrinda, our guest on the "Beneath the Accent" segment, who shares her heartfelt journey of transitioning to life in Canada. From the unexpected allure of ice fishing to the comforting embrace of Indian dishes like Chole Bhature and Golgappas, Vrinda's story is a fascinating testament to the beauty of cultural fusion. Her narrative unfolds with moments of gratitude during Canadian Thanksgiving and the warmth of newfound friendships, highlighting the power of shared cultural roots.
Listen as Vrinda explores Canadian delicacies, including the intriguing maple syrup whiskey from Quebec, and shares her hopes for a world filled with peace.

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Gurasis:

So it's my turn now. Now we are in the final segment of the podcast. I call it beneath the accent because we are knowing each other

Gurasis:

The idea is just to know more about vrinda, so ready

Vrinda:

ready!

Gurasis:

first the classic question what advice would you give to vrinda, who is in the initial months of landing in canada? What advice um? Stay positive. Describe a moment when you experienced a significant cultural difference that surprised you significant cultural difference.

Vrinda:

I think I'll go back to time in webern. I think it's so rural that it's very hard to relate to a lot of things that people do differently. If I had to name one, it's just the I don't know ice fishing.

Gurasis:

Okay, I never heard about that.

Vrinda:

Who does ice fishing? That was a shocker to me. A lot of people do ice fishing, apparently.

Gurasis:

Okay.

Vrinda:

It's a different. Different, you know, feeling comfortable in the cold, the minus 45, sitting outside fishing. I still can't relate to that. So that would that could be me. I appreciate it. I would enjoy doing it if someone teaches me how to do it. Don't get me wrong but that's something that was completely I was blown away. I was like, wow, you do that okay okay, good for you.

Gurasis:

What's this one dish from your home country that always brings you comfort and nostalgia?

Vrinda:

Chole Bhature.

Gurasis:

Anytime.

Vrinda:

Or Golgappa.

Gurasis:

Okay, what's your favorite cultural festival or celebration in Canada, and how do you usually celebrate it?

Vrinda:

In Canada. I think Thanksgiving it, if it has to be Canadian, yeah, thanksgiving, because I feel like it, anybody can relate to Thanksgiving. I don't think you need to be from a certain culture to be able to give thanks for what you have, and I think we don't express gratitude enough for what we have. And I think taking that moment, that day off, to be with your family, to be thankful for your family, I think I would definitely. We do that year over year. We make an attempt to, you know, do what we can to say thanks and get together and I think that would be one thing. Canadian, and if it is Indian, I think, diwali definitely we like to enjoy.

Gurasis:

We, you know, get together with friends, play cards, do what we, you know, used to do in Delhi, I guess okay, and is there something from your home country or your tradition that you managed to preserve up until today in Canada? Any object, my mother's ring.

Vrinda:

I got that when I got married and I still have it. I still wear it, so it's very near and dear to me and that would be one thing that comes to my mind that I've carried Tell us about your first friend that you made in Canada.

Vrinda:

First friend that I made in Canada, oh, wow, yes, you know what, when I first came to Saskatchewan, bc not that many friends, but when we first came to Weyburn, saskatchewan, my husband was, you know, he was there already for three months and was craving Indian food. So he took me to a real Canadian superstore there and I didn't know where to look for these things. Right, they don't have a lot of Indian stuff there, but they did. Right, it's uh, they don't have a lot of Indian stuff there, but they did. So. He wanted to have, I don't know, chole or something. I don't know what he wanted to have at that time, but I saw an Indian person walking in superstore. I followed them okay.

Vrinda:

I um, you know, I made an attempt to introduce myself and say hello and I started speaking uh, you know. And I asked him do you speak Hindi? And he said yes, and then he got very excited because he was. They also didn't have too many people and he said you know what? You should meet my wife. She works for Walmart, and it was such a small. I said, yeah, sure, we're going to Walmart now. So he told me her name. I went to Walmart. I asked for Rimi. Her name is Ramandeep Kaur. They're also from Punjab and, believe me, we became the thick of friends. We still are friends.

Vrinda:

We went to Vegas earlier this year we went to Vegas. My husband and I, rimi, posted on Facebook that she's on her way. We met in Vegas after so many years. So we were in Weyburn. They moved to Vancouver, we moved to Toronto, but we have some fond memories of you. Know, if you want to, when that question comes to me, who's your first friend in Canada? I would say it was Rimi and Sindran. You know they were our best friends and they continue to be very you know in touch.

Vrinda:

That's an incredible best friends and they continue to be very, you know, in touch.

Gurasis:

That's incredible story. I love that. I know I do things like this. Yeah, amazing. And have you uh tried maple syrup on anything surprising?

Vrinda:

I'm not a big fan of maple syrup, so not uh, oh, I am lying. So we were in Quebec two weeks ago and we had a maple syrup whiskey.

Gurasis:

Okay, how was it? Did you like?

Vrinda:

it. It was not bad. It was too sweet for whiskey, but it was a different flavor. It was a smoky maple syrup flavor. So that's something different. That combination of maple syrup and whiskey I would have never thought of it, but we had that on a cruise in in quebec, which is pretty neat okay, if you could create this one law that everybody has to follow, what would it be? Really thoughtful questions, thought provoking.

Gurasis:

One law that everybody should follow in canada or generally in general, if you want to separate, that would be even better.

Vrinda:

But whatever you say, I would just say stop the fight that's happening in the world right now. If I can introduce a law that can just have peace in the world. I think it's important and I'm not just saying it to sound really good. It's really hurtful to see. I've been following the Hamas-.

Vrinda:

I agree with you you know Israel war so closely and it's just so hurtful to hear and see people who have nothing to do with this war but they're getting hurt and this is just going to add to the agony of war as we move forward. You know, people who are being hurt for no reason are going to stand up and start fighting for no reason because they were hurt, and that's kind of the history that we've been seeing and I think if I had the ability to create a law and that would be it right. No, fighting like stop it. What is this? Same thing in Ukraine and it's just been going on for almost two years now. What is this? It's impacting everybody across the globe and if this is going to lead to world war, can you imagine like what is the lives of our future going to look like?

Vrinda:

yeah, absolutely so, yeah, that would be me. I know it's, it's sad, but that just comes to my mind and you know, following it so closely. I think all of us are impacted in some way or the other yeah, I mean absolutely.

Gurasis:

I think, seeing me as me as well, you know, coming across all those posts and stories, I think definitely I would have created the same law to please have peace, so stop yeah, stop it okay if you could swap lives with somebody for a day. Who would it be, and why nobody?

Vrinda:

I love my life, I'm very thankful. I don't want to go become somebody else. No, I think I'm grateful, very humble, for everything that I have and I think, uh, you know, gratitude is important. I'm very grateful. I I'm not looking to become somebody else love that.

Gurasis:

Do you have any quirky habits or rituals that you follow in your daily routine?

Vrinda:

oh, I don't know if you want to say that or share that. I love my coffee in the morning. Okay, it's non-negotiable, and that coffee, you know I love to have it as soon as I wake up and, you know, relax watching tv first thing in the morning news basically, if you could be a contestant at any reality tv show, which one would you choose?

Vrinda:

it would be um a musical show because, um, I have learned, uh, carnatic classical music for 14 years of my life and I do believe that, you know, I've sung in the radio and stuff like that. So if I want, to revise that. I would do that. Okay.

Gurasis:

But this is also sort of like a radio platform. Can you sing something for us? I would love that.

Vrinda:

I'm not ready.

Gurasis:

Nobody's judging.

Vrinda:

No, no judgment here. Safe zone Okay.

Gurasis:

There's no, nobody is judging no judgment here. Safe zone Okay, there's no music. Okay. That's it. Love that beautiful applause, love that thank you.

Vrinda:

Thank you for making me sing.

Gurasis:

I wasn't ready for that you're never ready for these conversations, so it's absolutely so. Describe Canada in one word or a sentence.

Vrinda:

Land of possibilities safe. I can say that for now.

Gurasis:

If you could leave me with one piece of advice, what would it be?

Vrinda:

You're killing it. One piece of advice I would say, not for you per se, just generally. This is one thing I do believe in and it is. You know, it's not the smartest person who always gets that promotion or moves forward, it's the person who's the hungriest.

Vrinda:

Yeah who moves forward, and you know how I came about this after I watched your podcast. It's also very relatable to you know, from what I shared in the beginning of my in school not being academically inclined, being in sports and stuff. It's not always the people who are smartest, who have the best grades, who go forward or who are really good at what they do. It's how hungry you are to go to the next level or what have you in life, just generally in life, whether it could be career or whatever, I feel that. So that would be my piece to be hungry, to really want to do better at what you really think you want to do in life. Be hungry for it. I think people succeed.

Gurasis:

I love that. You know, I think a few years ago I came across this quote that says I think it was from the alchemist, from the book alchemist. It says it's not the fastest or the smartest person who wins. It's the person who thinks he can who wins wow, I love that.

Vrinda:

Yeah, this is so true. It is actually. Yes, put your mind and heart to it. You, you can do it.

Gurasis:

Yep and finally, how would you describe your experience of being on the podcast?

Vrinda:

Oh, my God, I don't have words. I think I will be selling this show short if I didn't use the proper adjectives to actually describe this hour and a half that I spent with you, grossi. To describe this hour and a half that I spent with you, grosie, I think it was absolutely humbling. What comes to my mind, really, because you put me at that pedestal with your fantastic words to describe or open this whole season. I'm really honoured. I think you bring out the best in people, if I can put it that way.

Vrinda:

Your questions are very thought-provoking. Uh, I wouldn't have thought about. Uh, you know, people don't think about these things about themselves, unless questions are asked. And yeah, that's why I say I feel very honored to be here, because this opportunity has actually made me think about things, about my life, about me, that I wouldn't have otherwise thought. And same thing with your podcast, with everybody else that I've heard so far. I think you kind of indulge in a conversation which is so meaningful, not just for your show but for the person who's actually on your show and also for your listeners. So kudos to you for doing that, taking that time out, and I think it's becoming just popular and more popular. So, thank you.

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