Chai and Chat

The first thing you notice about Vijaya is her voice. It’s deep and musical and it takes me right back to college days when we’d listen, enthralled, to her sing. She still sings beautifully, plays several instruments and writes songs. But what we dwell on is her love of words, in poetry, in writing, in teaching. How did she navigate the duality of teaching English in the public school system and homeschooling her daughter in parallel? We round out 2021 with our last chai and chat of the year.

It isn’t often we get to traverse the globe during our little podcast chats. But that’s exactly what Natasha and I felt after our chat with Alexandra. She introduced us to her exciting life in diplomatic circles, her nomadic existence, her life experiences. As a diplomats wife and an author in her own right, Alexandra does her bit in bringing people together. Do listen to our chat with a bonafide world harmonizer!

Our chat with Nupur on her 16 year journey with “One Hot Stove”, a blog about home cooking and so much more. What got her started, what keeps her going, her fun, adventurous A-Z series (check out her X for eXploration:new vegetables, old ways) And what the future hold for her and her blog! Khayali Pulao for starters?!! Link to her blog http://onehotstove.blogspot.com/

To the world at large, she is Dr Mangala Khadilkar, a psychiatrist working in the state prison system. To me and other students of music, she is Mangal Mavashi (aunt), warm and welcoming. How did she adjust to life in this new country in the mid-70s? How did she balance the toughness of her job with the happy and culturally-rich family life she created with her late husband, Vivek? As for what’s in her tea, we got the most “perfect” reply ever to that question. Do listen to the very end. I hope it moves you as much as it did us!

Ever met a feisty firebrand who lives life on her own terms? You are about to. Rennu Dhillon is the life-force behind Genius Kids, the organization she founded to provide quality education to kids that focuses on character building and confidence. Running a business is what she does. But what she is is so much more. Natasha and I have a no holds barred chat with Rennu about her life growing up in Kenya to her life as a single mom in the US. What has she learnt about herself and others in the journey? How does she pay it forward and what does she hope for the Indian community? Most importantly - what’s in her Gurudwara Style cup of chai? Listen and discover! 

Earth calling Amma!!! There are times when carnatic singer Chitra Srikrisna is so deeply focused on her art that her family has to gently call her back to reality. Singer, writer, teacher, podcaster! Through all these facets of Chitra’s life run the swaras and ragas of her beloved music. Dedicated as she is in maintaining the purity of the art form, she knows that for classical music to survive and thrive, she must continue to innovate and adapt. We chat about how she does this and so much more, including how one so “steeped” in music makes her perfect cup of chai! I know this pun will get me in “hot water”!

Writing was always Anu’s first love and she went back to it after a short detour as an engineer. As the editor of Jaggery Lit online and Woman inc online and a published poet, Anu lives in the world of words. Words inspire, words are cathartic, words heal! In this podcast listen to Anu, as she talks about the beauty behind loss, writing as therapy and the poetry that feeds her soul!

Do you feel your life is good enough, comfortable enough, secure enough but still not enough? Our very first guest from across the pond, Rohini Rathour, a former fund manager turned leadership coach, chats with us about how she helps clients articulate and fulfill their dreams. And how she developed the Find Your Flow (with Ro) program to help them live the best version of themselves. Its our most introspective conversation to date. .. once we stop “oohing” over that gorgeous Brit accent!

The word “party” comes to mind when you meet Jaya! Everything about this spunky woman is a celebration of life in all its joys, complexities, and challenges. From joining the 100Saree Pact to blogging to creating a community for Indian moms with special needs kids, Jaya uses her outgoing, vivacious personality to raise awareness about autism and bring about social change. Natasha and I chai and chat with a true-blue, sari-wearing revolutionary! Check out her blogs (momlovesanand.blogspot.com and JayaPandey.blogspot.com) and do reach out to her if you or someone you know needs information about the community.

When there's a house you want, In that neighborhood Who you gonna call? Bela Vora! Bela isn’t just a realtor. She’s a dream-spinner! Passionate and dedicated, she holds her clients hands through one of the biggest and most stressful decisions of their lives. Along the way, she acts as marriage counselor, therapist, and reality check... all rolled in one! Her client stories could fill a book and they will! Remember you heard them here first! And about her chai? Don’t mess with it, she says!!