I was invited to be a guest on the Confronting Culture podcast, hosted by Elsa John. You can watch the conversation here on YouTube, or listen on Spotify here:
In this conversation, I share about my experience moving to Hungary and dealing with cultural challenges – both as a young person and a foreigner. We also talk about family expectations and the process of overcoming language barriers.
I first met Elsa when she was a medical student in Debrecen, Hungary. She is from New York, and is a first-generation American born to parents from South India. With her family background and her experience studying cross-culturally in Europe, she has a unique experience on culture.
My favorite definition of what culture is, is that “Culture is ‘the way things are done around here,'” – wherever here is. Cultures can reflect deeply held values, or contradict them. Cultures can be healthy or toxic. And culture is created both through intentional actions, and through passive inaction: both in what is said and what is left unsaid – both in what is done and in what is allowed.
Elsa is a medical doctor. Her husband Tenny, also a good friend of mine, is also a doctor and is a leader in their church in Oklahoma City, and Else recently won an award for her writing.
Check out this episode, and I hope the conversation will encourage you!
