Episode Transcript
Speaker 1 00:00:16 I mean, I met AKA D and I'm Annie Harvey, uh, any N D S here. Um, we're gonna talk about cultural shock that we experience, um, growing up in 20 series and yeah, yeah,
Speaker 2 00:00:33 Yeah, yeah. We're, we're Minnesota. We're here to talk about culture shock. We're here to hopefully shake up your idea of what it is to be Minnesota, but probably also confirm it. Yep. Um, yeah. And we want to talk about nationality, but we also want to talk about mental health, gender, all kinds of things.
Speaker 1 00:00:53 Yeah. And you can let us know guys, if any Tabby, UK staff that we need to talk about. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:01:02 Yeah. So to kind of just get started by talking about ourselves, um, D do you want to start by telling us about yourself, how you found yourself in Minnesota?
Speaker 1 00:01:13 Yeah. Um, oh, how did I find myself in Minnesota? To be honest, no one asked me any, like, no one asked me permission, like my permission to come here. So my parents decided, I guess, so that's how I ended up coming here. But I remember when, um, we were coming here, we were in Kenya and, um, but you're not originally from Kenya. I'm not, but after the civil war Prague in Somalia money, Somalis moved to camp. So I remember my mom saying that, oh, we're going to go to America next week, next week. Yeah. I mean, we went through the process and everything and you know, it was like a year long, I think. Yeah. Or more, but I'm not, I mean, I was kid, so I didn't know what was going on, but I remember my mom saying that we're going to go to America. So I went back to my friends and I'm like, for me flying, like I told anybody who flies will go to Australia. Why? I don't know.
Speaker 2 00:02:25 Was it something you saw on TV or something as
Speaker 1 00:02:27 A little kid? I have no idea where I get that idea from. Remind me how old were you? I was 12, I think, or 11. Okay.
Speaker 2 00:02:34 Yeah. So you're still young enough to have some ideas about,
Speaker 1 00:02:38 I was bragging about it. Oh yeah. I'm going to Australia. That's, that's the only kind of like, I mean, I didn't know any other country, even the country I was in. I didn't know if it was skiing, but I knew that like, I just don't lose you flying. You will go to Australia. I don't know why. So that's what I was bragging. But, um, I remember when we get to the airport, that's when the reality hit me. Uh, I was like, oh my God, I am really living like everything. Yeah. And, um, that's, that's when my shock started. Like, I can say cultural shock, but my heart time. Yeah. It started like, so yeah. That's how I ended up in Minnesota. Did. I'm glad I did. Oh, actually, actually, no. Um, when we came to U S came to Virginia, so there for a while and, um, and then we moved to Minnesota. So there's like, like a lot of Bethel Somali population here. Yeah. And, um, so my mom was like, it's easier access for, you know, the culture, religion and everything, and raise kids. So on this, that's the reason a lot of Somalis move here. It's easier to raise your family here with other someone else, I guess. Yes.
Speaker 2 00:04:02 Do you know why your parents did Virginia first? If Minnesota has more Somali parents?
Speaker 1 00:04:09 I am not sure, but I think it has something to do with, um, whoever responses you.
Speaker 3 00:04:18 Oh yeah. So
Speaker 1 00:04:20 Whoever responds to this, you like my uncle and his family, like responses us. Um, he lived in Virginia. Okay. That makes sense. Um, so if they lived in Alaska, I'm sure they would've gone there. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:04:35 And did your parents just need that sponsorship to get here? Or were they also like going for a work visa or like,
Speaker 1 00:04:41 No. Um, I think it was more like free food G oh, I don't really know what it's called, but I think like it was a refugee, if that makes sense. Yeah. Yeah. So, um, the lemon, after the civil war Prague, someone's speaking refugees. So they flew not only here us, but they flew all over the wall. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:05:06 Well, I'm glad you got the United States because I had some friends in college who were coming as refugees from another place. And like, couldn't get the United States first. So they had to go to Canada and then they were like trying to angle into the, like, I don't think the United States is the greatest country in the world, but like, there are people who wanted to go to the United States, but had to like de route
Speaker 1 00:05:26 Themselves. A lot of people do that actually. Yeah. Um, um, I don't know. I just want to say, um, it might not be the greatest country in the world, but I'm glad I'm here because I don't know. I mean, people are somehow coming hipster. Yeah. So you must not be that bad. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:05:53 So tell me more about little, little baby D arriving in the U 11 or 12 years old. How did it feel to be like in this new place where like everyone's talking English all the time and it's probably geographically really different.
Speaker 1 00:06:07 Oh, it is tatted. Like the airplane. I remember, um, me and my younger cousin, I think she was like eight. Yeah. Or, yeah. So, um, it, it started with the food. Yeah. At the airplane. Um, I got used to eating, um, Somali food or African food. Yeah. But here is out of play. Like that's where the American food started on. Oh my God. It was just smelling really bad.
Speaker 2 00:06:37 Airplane. Airplane food is such a bad place to start. I feel like because Americans don't like American airplane food. So it's like, you get the saddest American
Speaker 1 00:06:44 Food first, but this is the thing my sister and my mom would eating it fine. But me and my younger sister, like we were having a hard time so much. My mom and my older sister was sitting together. Yeah. And, um, my drone power sit in the other side and then like me and my other sister, the younger, yeah. We were sitting together. Yeah. So both of us, we do not eat the food, but my mom and everybody else was enjoying it. So I think it takes like two days, three days to get here. Cause there's a lot of transit. I think I'm not sure, but I know that we did not eat two days. Me and Fatima. I'm sure they did not bring a little banana out for you. Yeah, no, we not eat two to three days. Yeah. That's how it started.
Speaker 1 00:07:40 And then we get, we get two free genie. Yeah. And then, um, culture really like when people are coming, um, whether it's dribbling yeah. Or coming over from, you know, featuring, um, like we cook like a lot of food. Yeah. And then, uh, my aunt, my uncle's wife booked a lot of food we ate and you know, and like, my cats were there like two years before us. So they already knew what was going on. So luckily we had them. Oh, good. So, um, in a week or two, like we started going to the movies, um, having fun. And um, I remember my cousin, um, he was, he's like, I think a year older than me. Yeah. And me and him, we didn't like each other. Uh, but we ended up being best friends now. Oh yeah. So we didn't like each other and I didn't.
Speaker 1 00:08:38 So every time me and him we'd go to the gas station to get some Candice and stuff. Yeah. He was telling me to stand the bus stop. Oh. And then we wouldn't have to go to the store with, you know, like when we coming back or like going to the gas station, he will say like, oh, let's, you know, stop here. Let's stop. When the bus is coming, the bus will stop there. Cause he has to stop. Like if you see like the bus, if they see someone they have to stop. Yeah. Because might be a customer. I didn't know he was doing that to me. So I first say I was just then the bus stop and then the bus was, or he will tell me to pull the, you know, the strength. Oh yeah. And then I was bullied and I remember one night the bus driver just get mad and then he kicked us out. No, all of us. And we had to walk like almost one hour. So yeah, it was, I hope
Speaker 2 00:09:27 He regretted his life choices after he made her do that, because then he would have to walk because of your
Speaker 1 00:09:35 One time. I used to give him a halftime to steal his bike a lot. So I mean, yeah. I used to, I used to get him back somehow. Yeah. Yeah. Did your cousins
Speaker 2 00:09:46 Do a lot of, uh, did you come knowing a lot of English words or did your cousins do a lot of the English words when you were like at a store at a movie theater or something? Oh
Speaker 1 00:09:54 No. Um, they did the, they did the talking. Yeah. Like, I mean, I knew like phew was, but I don't think I knew a lot, but they did the whole talk, um, talking and everything. Yeah. But, um, but what I like the most only food that we liked that we used to go every time was McDonald's. Oh yeah, yeah. McDonald's or a classic. Yeah. So I remember when we came into Minnesota, um, my, like we were at the green home pass, I think. Yeah. And then every time I see the McDonald's sign. Yeah. The big yellow, my sister is up. Hey, wait, can wait up to see the big game. They will do the vice versa and they wouldn't wake me up. So yeah. It was fun and shocking at the same time.
Speaker 2 00:10:49 Yeah. Did you start going to school in the U S in Virginia? Or did you wait until you got here?
Speaker 1 00:10:55 Um, no, I think, I don't know. I think we started over there and then moved to here. Gotcha. Yeah, because we were there for two years I think. Oh yeah. That's enough time. Yeah. I think we did status. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:11:10 And how did it feel to start school in a different country? Like what I'm, I'm assuming like, besides the English, like what things felt really different or including the English? Honestly,
Speaker 1 00:11:25 I think everybody had a different experience, but if I talk about myself, yeah, I am. I was one of those kids who can adapt an environment easily. Yeah. Um, I didn't had a problem with is cold. I mean, I, I had it like some kind of, you know, little problems, but not big issues. But one thing that I can really remember is, um, messed it up. The, I used to study, I guess. Oh no. Um, I was one of those students who had the, um, for a graphic memory. Yeah. Yeah. And, um, I never studied, but somehow I used to ended up getting a plus or, or, you know, becoming the first in class. Um, always been the, um, the, the favorite student class. But when we came here, it's like, it's new language. Yeah. You can just look at it, memorize it stuff like somehow, like you have to know. Yeah. And, um, even if you like, you know, memorize it. Cause that's, that's what I used to do in school. I just like memorize and then do the tests. Yeah. Sometimes it is hard to understand the question. Yeah. Cause you have to know the language. So, um, you might know the answer. Yeah. But you don't know the question, like, like you don't know what they're asking because you don't know the language
Speaker 2 00:12:54 Needs to be in the building, but you don't have a key because the key is like a word you haven't learned yet. So
Speaker 1 00:13:00 I was that smart kid, but my grade was suffering a lot. And then when I asked the teacher be like, oh, this is what I asked. I knew that answer. It was one of those things. So I can say like, what's the language? Did you do that a lot? Yeah. Cause I wasn't getting the grades. I want it. Yeah. Um, and I'm sure the grades that you were using it and um, I never spend time studying, so that means I have to study and that takes time from my playing time. Yeah. And you were a little kid, so I think that was one of the hard thing that I faced during school.
Speaker 2 00:13:41 Yeah. When you were learning English and I'm assuming this time period where it was, what you were learning, just like kind of osmosis, like hearing people talking or like being in an environment or did you like get books or tapes or something like that that helped you learn the words?
Speaker 1 00:13:57 Um, no. And, um, luckily when we were in Virginia, like this like less Somalis, so if a best speaks English and um, yeah, and we, we had my cast and it's where teenagers and preteens teachers, they were speaking English. Nice. So that helped the first year or two. Yeah. But I never get a books or, or study more. Yeah. Um, I like, and if there, and I remember that, um, I liked math. Yeah. That didn't required a lot of language. So those two were, my favorite is just have to memorize the numbers and yeah. But yeah, when it comes to writing, you know, the English classes was another level.
Speaker 2 00:14:43 Oh yeah. I bet. I bet. Coming to the us. Was there a difference in how culturally, how you interact with teachers or like the role that teachers play for students?
Speaker 1 00:14:58 Oh, I think any culture teachers play a big role in Somali culture on Somali culture is a Muslim culture. Yeah. A hundred percent. So like teachers play a significant role. Yeah. So one of the problems I was having was calling it like, like addressing teachers by their name. I grew up the ideology of teachers being your second parents. And um, so you can call your parents by their name. So it was really hard. I remember I had it and this English teacher, her name was Ms. Fuller. And I'd be like, I mean, I couldn't say her name because I felt like that was the most disrespectful thing to do most district. And
Speaker 2 00:15:49 You supposed to be like from how you're raised or is supposed to be saying like, like
Speaker 1 00:15:53 Teacher, teacher. Okay. Yeah. So I'd be like, um, hi miss. I was
Speaker 2 00:16:02 Like, you're saying a bad word. You're like, hi, miss.
Speaker 1 00:16:11 I never said like till, till now, like it's really hard. Yeah. Um, so I think that's one thing. Yeah. Um, that really shocked me. I can say it's a cultural shock. Yeah. And, and it's not only, um, in Somali culture, I think it's in all Africa, middle east and Asia. Oh, interesting. Cause at like before, when I was young, it was like something that on the Muslims too, but it's not like Indians or um, like, you know, China, Japan, or anywhere in Asia, middle east, they do the same thing. Like they don't, they don't call their teachers by their first name. Uh, yeah. There's like that's disrespectful. Yeah. Yeah. And um, because teachers, like sometimes they just make like decisions, you know, in life with all the parents know in it, I
Speaker 2 00:17:06 Feel like that would freak, uh, 2010s and 2020s parents out a little bit because like I went to school at the time when parents were just starting to be like, oh, I don't like this teacher very much. I'm going to move my kid into this other class. And my parents were kind of like, why are they doing that? You're not getting valuable life experience of having to work with someone who takes a little negotiating, but that's, so tell me more about that. Um, kind of in your experience of, um, teachers making decisions that are not like the parents' decision.
Speaker 1 00:17:40 I it's like, this is what they like, this is how they see like the main ideologists, like your, your teacher, um, like your teacher, like in, I think in, um, in Asian time, like the teachers were teaching the way of life and it wasn't only one subject. Okay. Yeah. Yeah. Like it wasn't like, you know, in math teacher, um, you know, science teacher, English teacher, it was like, you know, teacher to teacher, like yeah. Like we'll teach you everything. Yeah. Teacher of life. Exactly. And, um, that gave them more respect. And I think that, so, you know, people will still feel it and it is a good thing, but that's where they stand in my culture. Yeah. So, um, like the teachers might give you advice in school or, you know, tell you to change your career. Like if you're going to know or, um, like here it's like, you can just go to the teacher and say like, you know, I don't like this career or what are you feeling?
Speaker 1 00:18:52 You can't, you can't talk, you can't share, um, your personal style with the teacher. Where is, um, it's more intimate. I think that's what it is. Um, where the teacher becomes the fat, my family member. Okay. And, and I think it's one of the things that the Somali parents face because they expect a lot from the teachers. Oh, okay. They, they think, you know, it's the same mentality of the teacher's teacher and, you know, to take care of the pet, you know, the kids, but it's not like that. Yeah. Yeah. And I think that's where a lot of problems like, and there's,
Speaker 2 00:19:28 And there's such a culture in north America, especially the United States of like underpaying teachers and teachers being too burdened. And like, I know that that's a problem in Minneapolis public schools. So that would probably be hard if you were used to like a teacher making decisions for your child and stuff like that to have this kind of like burned out teacher who like, yeah, I think so. Yeah. Poor teachers like shout out to any teachers in Minneapolis, public schools, because I know people who've worked there and it's really, really hard. Thank you for what you do.
Speaker 1 00:19:55 I would expect for teachers. I mean, we wouldn't be here if it wasn't for them. It's as a pro teacher, as podcasts.
Speaker 2 00:20:03 So with, with other students, was there anything that felt like surprising about dynamics with other students when you started in America schools?
Speaker 1 00:20:13 Oh, um, you know, like, like when you, you to any country, um, you will encounter a lot of things. Yeah. You know, that will either check your surprise, you, but any school, I mean, I was to that teenage, like mostly I was oblivious to a lot of things, but like one thing that really shocked me was, um, P D a
Speaker 2 00:20:44 Like between couples or friends or both. Oh yeah. Define the acronym in case anyone doesn't know it.
Speaker 1 00:20:48 Yeah. Public display of affection. That is like, well, something that really shocked me seeing, especially I'm seeing teenagers in school, like, you know, kissing, holding hands. Um, it's not, um, I don't think it's forbidden in my culture. It's I think it's something that people from upper. Yeah. And it's something that, to be expected between husband and wife. Yeah. So like, if they see two opposite sex holding hands yeah. Like people will expect or they married and it should be private. Okay. So also like something that you will never see. And the other thing is it's normal. Like you might see if you go to like any Muslim or any like, country, like if like same sex to holding hands or, um, like getting really close. Yeah. That that's an, a meal. Like, you know, they love, it's just like trends is something to be expected between friends. Like you will see if you go to a Muslim country, like two guys holding hands and they're just friends. Oh, that's cute. Yeah. Or
Speaker 2 00:22:08 Maybe they're not just friends. Yeah. Ooh, spicy.
Speaker 1 00:22:15 Cool. So, yeah. Um, that, that was one thing that really shocked me. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:22:21 So going from a culture where you were born there and you had a lot more context there to moving into a more like multicultural multilingual environment, do you feel like there are pros and cons or do you feel like there was something you just kind of had
Speaker 1 00:22:36 To get over? I think if a better experience differently. Yeah. Um, I didn't, I didn't have a lot of problems and, um, you know, and I can't talk for a lot of people, but talking about me, um, adding had a lot of problems because I'm one of those people, um, I will just go, yeah. Whoever I feel comfortable with, I can easily adapt anywhere. And, um, like I want feel comfortable in such a place because, you know, they dress up like me or they speak my language. Um, I feel more comfortable like someone who has nothing that we have nothing in common. Yeah. So, um, I didn't, I mean, I didn't have a lot of problem in that side. Yeah. And it's nice that you were decently young. I bet you had a little more flexibility. Exactly. And, um, but like things, I, I think at that time I had a more complaining than shocking and I'm like, uh, like getting mad at my mom and say like, what did you bring us here? And, um, I hated when we came to Minnesota, I had to lift my <inaudible> three. And then, you know, we were in Virginia for a while and then I have my cousin Ben, and then we moved here. So I think I w I was more mad and shot and, and complaining and giving her a hard time. And mom, yeah. The noticing was going on.
Speaker 2 00:24:17 What were some things where it surprised you either that it was very different or very similar from where you, where you had lived before, like here in the United States?
Speaker 1 00:24:28 Like the human behavior? I think, I mean, I don't remember a lot, but like no one knew where I came from. Um, people like grew up with, um, here. Yeah. Um, I, luckily I had the chance that, you know, um, the opportunity to meet other people, you know, who had that different cultural, either walk with them or, or when it's cool with them. Yeah. I think any, like, if it doesn't matter what language someone speaks or where they came from, one thing I realized growing up here, you know, um, having this, the chance of, you know, growing up in mint 20 series, which has a lot of diversity community, they give us the chance to go to school with a lot of kids. We speak different language differently. Um, but one thing, like I realized, like human behavior is the same. Um, if you respect and, you know, you are aware of any culture, um, you don't have to adapt to it. I mean, you just, if you just, um, respect, you know, someone is point a few or their background or their culture, that's more than enough.
Speaker 2 00:25:44 I absolutely agree. Like sometimes I feel worried like, oh, there's something I don't know. But then if I'm talking to someone and interacting with them, I feel like just reading social cues goes such a long way. Like just the person look comfortable, nervous, like, and you can ask people, things politely, like, is there something you can do? Yes.
Speaker 1 00:26:03 Um, I mean, at the end of the day, um, this, this individual, my heart might speak different language or have a different, you know, background or different faith. But at the end of the day, it's another human being. Um, like they expect the same thing that you expect from anybody else. Yeah. So that's, that's, that's one thing I like learned from growing up in Minneapolis. Yeah. Different cultures. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:26:32 Are there American customs? You either like, love or hate? Oh,
Speaker 1 00:26:38 Um, how can I put this one in a good way? Um, one thing I really like is the personality space that, um, in Somali culture is like families have really close and, um, they can, and know your piece in is I think your business. Uh, yeah. And, um, it's more intimate environment. Yeah. So if you sad or happy or what ever emotion you're going on, um, like sometimes there's no space for Americans. Like they will understand, like, if you said, like, I need a space, but you can say that to Somali person because that's offensive. Oh, interesting. Yeah. So this one, I like, yeah, it's the personal space that whole, um, you know, people who grew up here understand that, um, I don't know other cultures, but, and I'm sure like a lot of cultures are similar to mine. Yeah. But that's, that's one thing. Yeah. Yeah. And, um, and I hate since I hate the same time. Cause I feel like in American families and not really close. And when I say family in American families like mom and dad and siblings, but to us family is extended if in families. Yeah. And, um, we don't, we don't call cats and it's like testing, it's recalled brothers and sisters, so it can be better than go to. So I think that's one thing I will change and live with the way it is, I think.
Speaker 2 00:28:28 Yeah. Um, so going back to the way you grew up kind of, uh, more immersed in Somali culture, um, what do you think that most people wouldn't guess about the culture you were raised in? If they were just looking from like a white American lens?
Speaker 1 00:28:47 I think people will jump to charging me. Um, it's not only me. That's, that's, that's a human thing, I think. Yeah. Like if you see like someone who's different than you, like, you would just jump to, you know, to, um, to judge. And I think that's how the society race test, like, like you will see, you will see the clothing and the skin color and everything else before you see, you know, the person. So a lot of people like misjudge me. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:29:24 And you said just the other day someone was like, oh, aren't you hot wearing all that, things like that, that I'm sure might sometimes feel alienating depending on how they're said, but sometimes could feel neutral.
Speaker 1 00:29:34 Yeah. When my friend, um, not my friend, I'm sorry. Um, my neighbor, um, they're not friends, my we're not friends and this is another, um, educational thing. I think it's one of the reasons why we met and started the podcast, um, to educate and, um, lately, uh, let me put her in a quotation lately. Like we become more sensitive about everything and that will make it hard to interact and like lamp from each other. So to go back to this, I was in the parking lot trying to go to my car and then my neighbor, um, she was wearing shorts and Tinto and it was super hot. And then I came out like dress up, like, you know, regular Muslim race. And I'm sure a lot of questions was going on in her mind. Like, how is she doing this kind of question? But she was like, oh my God, I'm just feeling hot.
Speaker 1 00:30:38 So I didn't take it in an offensive way, but I was like, no, I, I grew up with it. Um, we started in a young age and I think our body can get used to it. But, um, and this is what I mean, like Erin, <inaudible> offensive out of say like, you know, what is she talking about? I will look at it in a, in, in a, in a wrong way, but no, I just tell her how it is. And I was an make her love at the same time. And also like, you see, like, you think my clothes are too much. And I think when I see like, you know, like people who like dress to the extreme, like slump to the extremes. Yeah. Those, I think like going through a lot of heat.
Speaker 2 00:31:24 Yeah. Everything's a spectrum. Everything's a spectrum.
Speaker 1 00:31:28 So yeah. That's like, I guess some weird questions or, um, I remember like, you know, when I started like going to the UFM, I have to wear the headscarf and one of my, um, we're not close friends, but we're class mates for like, I think like a whole year with two, three classes. So we became close. So at the puny, at the beginning, she used to think that I had a cancer off. Oh, yes. Yeah. And, um, she's from, um, in a small city, I mean, she never seen any bad wearing headscarf. So she used to think that I have some kind of like disease or cancer or like suffering some kind of hair loss. But, um, she didn't ask me right away. She used to feel sorry.
Speaker 2 00:32:24 Nope. Full head of healthy hair under that guy.
Speaker 1 00:32:28 Um, after I think after, um, few months we became closer and I dunno how the, you know, the conversation started, but, um, yeah. I told her, no, this is something we were, and um, and this is what I mean, um, you don't, when someone asks you a weird question or don't take it offensive, like, yeah.
Speaker 2 00:32:52 Sometimes it's just asked innocently
Speaker 1 00:32:55 Theater, kids, Christian. I mean, the more you ask, the more you learn. So like don't feel offensive, educate the person. Um, yeah. Like look at it in a positive way. We all need each other. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:33:10 And I feel like approach and tone makes such a difference. Like you can ask someone respectfully why they do something that they do versus like, like why would you wear that? You could be like, oh, Hey, that's interesting. Tell me about that or whatever. Also, I love a web comic. I'm going to talk about web comics too much on those podcasts, but there's a way there's a web comic by a Muslim American woman called yes. I'm hot in this.
Speaker 1 00:33:36 Oh, that's very funny.
Speaker 2 00:33:39 I'll have to send it to you to me. Yeah. I'm just here to shoehorn web comics into this podcast whenever I can. What is a conversation? Speaking of like being afraid to ask or having reductive conversations or having conversations get shut down because someone's rude, what's a conversation that you think society at large kind of like mainstream American society, oversimplified,
Speaker 1 00:34:03 Not, not only American culture or any culture. Yeah. But I think, um, any society, like I think that overly simplified anything that they don't wanna deal with it. Yeah. Yeah. I think so. And I'm always take the easy way out. Yeah. And, um, one thing that in American society or, or, or any other in, in my community, like in Somali community, and I'm sure it's the same for, you know, other communities is the mental health. No one talks about oh yeah. And it's not something that we should ignore it. Yeah. Um, people, several different things. Um, like they, the way they stigmatize, you know, like mental health is, is it's next level. And it shouldn't be that way, especially this time and age. And I should like it think society should make it more awareness. Yeah. I agree. And you know, making more like, you know, normalize it. Yeah. Um, make it like any other like disease that someone is suffering. Oh yeah. So, you know, any better when they have mental problems, they can just, you know, seek help without thinking that someone is gonna judge them. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:35:31 I stayed with a doctor that I currently have for a long time because she treated my asthma and my depression the same, like she would ask very similar questions about how they both were doing. And it was so nice to not have it feel really like loaded and personal, because it can be both true that you're grateful for things in your life or that you love people in your life and that you're having a mental health issue, whatever that is. And I think people get fast to get judgy about mental illness being someone's behavior, versus like, there are times when it is either environmentally brought on or is genetic or both.
Speaker 1 00:36:02 Yeah. And I, and I cannot blame the media too. Yeah. They, they like bought on us, take, like, you'll see shows that like, when it Acosta kind of like to see a psychologist or a doctor, they'd be like, I don't want to see a shrink. And
Speaker 2 00:36:22 I was a kid that was like the sickest burn, like, oh, I'm going to need therapy about this. It's like, some people just need therapy and that's fine
Speaker 1 00:36:30 Sometimes. Like, like I never, I never got, like, I never went to therapists, but I am sure like, it's easiest to talk to a stranger. Oh yeah. Then someone, you know. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:36:45 I'm fine. Being on the record about having a therapist. And it is a lot easier to just explain from the ground up versus telling someone who already has a stake in the situation. Like I'm very truthful to my parents and I'm very truthful to my therapist, but there are different problems that I bring to the different sites because there are places where my parents aren't responsible for like fixing certain things about my mental health. There are also some things that I want to talk to my parents about because they raised me. Yeah. Yeah. Oh, I have another question that I wanted to ask kind of about growing up stuff. Um, when you moved to Minnesota and there were presumably more Somali families, how did that feel compared to living in literal Somalia? Like, I'm assuming it felt very different, but that there might've also been something that felt homelike about it. And I'm just interested in how that actually was for you.
Speaker 1 00:37:39 Like, luckily I'm shooting my mom on, um, like the older generation had more problems. Um, it was hard, but like, like I'm here, like in really young age. Yeah. And, um, was easier. Yeah. Um, to adapt. Yeah. So just to talk about my experience, like when I came here, all I was worrying about was friends. Yeah. And, um, school and playing and, um, like nothing that, you know, when you're young, you're not worrying about life or why this, so I was, like I said, say earlier, like I had a lot of cultural shock, but as long as had, uh, friends at school and, um, I used to go, like, we used to go to Islamic school on weekends too. So that's when I was asked, I had a friends like everywhere and like doing what I wanted. Yeah. Um, not, I don't even bother me that way.
Speaker 1 00:38:54 But one thing that I kept was, um, I remember my, my, my, all the siblings I used to watch it. Baldwin movies, like Indian movies. Yeah. Um, that is one thing that I looked for. What, every weekend? Oh yeah. There was, um, like a small Indian store that used to rent like CDs. Oh, fun. And luckily it was closest to my school. Oh, nice. So I used to got there Fridays, my prep time. Yeah. And, um, like go, go with my friends. And, um, I remember the first time, like they, they could really have an ID. Oh yeah. Like young and, um, they, they couldn't give us anything. Oh, next weekend. I had to bring, um, my, my friend's sister, her older sister. And that's how we get the account. Yeah. Oh. So if a Friday I used to look forward to like getting like two, three CDs and just watch it movies. And I think that that's one thing, um, like kept, I kept, you know, back home and coming here, like watching those movies. Oh yeah.
Speaker 2 00:40:20 Do you still watch Bollywood movies at all?
Speaker 1 00:40:22 I do sometimes. Yeah. And especially since the pandemic, um, I finished all my Amazon movies and Netflix shows and everything, so, and then that's when I went to follow it. Like, I th I watched a lot of Bollywood movies in 2020.
Speaker 2 00:40:41 We're all like scraping the bottom of the barrel as the pandemic's ending. Like I've watched everything that I was thinking about watching when I'm bored. What do I do now?
Speaker 1 00:40:48 Oh my God. I remember like, I was like, it never have, you know, how in Netflix, like when you're wide, I think seven episodes, like three, four episodes. He will ask you, like, do you still want to watch that? Used to make me feel bad? Do you want to know, want to know, like, I've been sitting here for a while. I don't even the TV. No, like, please don't ask me that this app is judging me. Just keep going,
Speaker 2 00:41:19 Shut up and play the movie. Um, is there anything you feel like you got out of experiencing the newness of moving to another country that you wouldn't have got? Otherwise?
Speaker 1 00:41:33 I, I, um, you know how you don't appreciate things still, like you don't have it anymore. Yeah, yeah. Or, um, till you experience something different than what you have. Yes, absolutely. Yeah. So like, I, like, I think it was my freshman year in university that I went, I went to visit my family in London. Oh, cool. Yeah. So when I went there, um, you know, w we also am honest, like, we all speak same language and the same religion, but I never took the environment will have like, effect on, you know, people who live there. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Like eight, like I never like, think about it that way. Yeah. So when I, when I get to, um, to Europe, um, especially in London. Yeah. Like everything was different than here. I mean, even though, I mean, the, the language is seen, um, a lot of culture is same, but it's still, um, does like, so mice will live there.
Speaker 1 00:42:46 They just behave like any other British person. Yeah. And we'll live here as they build, they behave. Like their behavior is the same as in Afro-American. Yeah. So I was like, this is how the rules started. I was like this, like different, like siblings moving different countries and just, you're not adapting the culture and, you know, making it on your own and then seeing the other culture different. Yes. I think that's how this whole wall was started. So when I get there, that's when I started like, appreciating more like in, in your S I mean, nothing's wrong, you know, in the other country. Yeah. But home is always home. Yeah. Like I'm, I'm disrespecting and like, I don't wanna, I don't want to disrespect any country, but home is the best. Yeah. Yeah. And so when I get there, um, a lot of things for different, um, Def like we used to fight, I remember we used to fight over the food portions. Like you would go to McDonald's small. I want a small drink. Small size, large, oh, classic
Speaker 2 00:43:57 American series. Exactly.
Speaker 1 00:43:59 So he used to fight, oh, I remember we used to fight over every night. You Americans need a lot and be like you <inaudible>. So, and I get there. I mean, I appreciate more like when I, so other Somalis live in other countries. Yeah. And I'm sure they feel the same way. I mean, they wouldn't trade for the world. Yeah. But I mean, I appreciate what we have that like how American system works, um, education, health system, the, the freedom, the opportunities that, um, you can do anything you want, you can become anything you want in life. So those guys, like I started appreciating more. So that's what I mean, like, you don't know what you have, so, you know, and so when I got there, that was when I sat out, oh, shit. I wouldn't never say bad things about my home. We have this good things that you guys don't have it. Yeah. Yeah. I don't know if you, um, I'm sure, like you never left out of country, but I remember you went to post like Boston.
Speaker 2 00:45:12 Yeah. Yeah. I've well, I've, I've been to Canada, but comically, I feel more at home in Canada than I do in the Southern United States.
Speaker 1 00:45:21 Um, um,
Speaker 2 00:45:23 For a couple of reasons, I think partially it's because culturally, Ontario is pretty similar to Minnesota. Like not much is that different. Like you go and the signs are in kilometers. And, um, the cereal boxes are in two languages, English and French, but it's like, not that different otherwise. Um, it's kind of funny because people in Canada can pronounce my last name better than most people in the U S can cause my last name is a French spelling. It's H a R V I E U X. And it's pronounced Harvey. And, uh, that's not intuitive to a lot of people in the U S and it probably wouldn't be intuitive to me if it wasn't my own name, but yeah. But it's just funny because I feel more comfortable in Southern Canada than I do in Southern the United States, or even sometimes on coast of the United States.
Speaker 2 00:46:17 And I come from a family where my parents both lived in Minnesota before I was born. In some ways I'm a very classic, like what you would think of as a Minnesota. And I know that there are billions of disruptions of this, first of all, like, um, Lakota and Ojibwe people were here first. And, um, additionally there are thriving communities of Somali, mung, Ethiopian, uh, lots of other nationalities, Latin American here in Minnesota. But like often when someone thinks of a Minnesota, they will think of a white person who was raised here, who grew up speaking English. Who's always lived here. Um, and that's me. I grew up in Duluth. Um, I lived in Duluth until I was 18. And then I went to college in Massachusetts and then I moved back pretty much the second I graduated, but to Minneapolis, not Duluth.
Speaker 1 00:47:08 So, you know how like, people usually when they finish like school, um, they like, they, most times they ended up staying there, like finding a job or, or moving to another place. Yeah. So why, why did you come back? Did you just back because your family were here or you came back as you're like, this is where you feel comfortable or this one is starting your career.
Speaker 2 00:47:37 Yeah, it was kind of a confluence of all three, but mostly that I feel comfortable here. Um, like when I lived in Massachusetts, I live very far from my family. I didn't really have adults. I could ask questions of like, there were some older people in the building I lived in and then I was on a ski team at the time. So I had my ski coach. Who's actually really instrumental in helping me like, stay on track and get various mental and physical health help that I needed. And, um, things like that. But I did really miss being near my family. Um, and then additionally, I just culturally feel better here. Like, I feel like in Massachusetts, um, it was weird cause I like, I went to public school for my whole childhood and I wasn't really sure what I was going to do for college, but I kind of thought I was going to go to the U of M cause that's what everyone in my family did.
Speaker 2 00:48:29 Um, and then I like applied to a few reach schools. Um, and I got in and got partial financial aid to Harvard, which was like very, very surprising. So I was like, well, I guess like when in Rome, like you gotta, you gotta do this. If you get it. And in some ways it was absolutely incredible. Cause like I made friends from all over the planet. Um, I got to meet a bunch of, I was an English major, so I got to meet a bunch of authors that I really, really liked and stuff like that. There are just all these like weird traditions and things. And it was really nice for me to live somewhere where like there was good public transit and art and history and stuff. And like, I know there's, there are those things in Duluth, but it was just on such a larger scale in Boston.
Speaker 2 00:49:07 And I, um, I, like, I had a lot of imposter syndrome in college and I had a lot of unresolved mental health issues. So it was very hard. I would often feel like I was doing things wrong or like I was an outsider or if people actually knew me, well, they wouldn't like me. Um, but interestingly I had, I had relatively healthy coping mechanisms for that. I would usually like get on the subway. I like cruise out into a different neighborhood. I'd like, I'd like go to all these beautiful libraries and walking all these different neighborhoods. It's like, I feel like an imposter loser when I studying in the Harvard library. So I'm just going to go study in the public library and I found all these really cool, beautiful places where then someone happened to be in town that I knew, or if I wanted to hang out with someone outside school, I like actually had places to go.
Speaker 2 00:49:53 And I knew a lot of people in college who were like, oh yeah, I don't really, I don't really know very much about the city. And like, I feel like I got my money's worth on the city. I feel like I really, obviously there's so much more that I could know if I was there for more than four years, but I do feel like I had really fun experiences of the city. Um, I did ultimately feel more comfortable moving back to Minnesota though. Cause I, I did, obviously, if you are not aware of already it's expensive to live anywhere, but it's really expensive to live in Boston. So it was much easier for me to get internships or summer jobs, things like that in Minnesota where not only is the median housing costs lower or, but additionally I have family here that I could stay with.
Speaker 2 00:50:36 I stayed with my cousin one summer. I stayed with my grandma for basically a year after I graduated, um, which was really, really generous of them. And it helped me live affordably, but also as I was doing summer internships in college, I discovered that, um, I really liked the pace of life in Minnesota, a lot better where people care about what they're doing and they are working hard, but it's not like kind of a go, go, go achiever culture that it felt like when I was in college with a bunch of kids who went to like prep high school, um, it was really nice to be able to like be at a staff meeting at an internship and then have the boss boss be asking people like, oh, what are you going to do this weekend? Or like, um, how are your kids or things like that.
Speaker 2 00:51:19 That was just not something I saw at, uh, jobs or classes that I had in Massachusetts. And there's, it feels like it's more communally focused and more hobby friendly here. So I was closer to my family and I also was making professional connections. Like I did a publishing internship. I did some summer gigs in Minnesota. So it just like, it made sense network wise, but also logistically to come back to Minnesota. And I just, yeah, I've had a, I've genuinely had a good time making friends here, um, finding places to live that I like here. Um, yeah. Yeah. I feel good about the decision. Oh,
Speaker 1 00:51:58 I know that you moved like, you know, you grew up in Duluth. Yeah. And then when it's called in post and then came back to twin cities, right? Yes. Yes. So I'm sure 20 cities are small diversity then dilute. Yes. Um, so how did that make you feel? Like, what are you, is there like anything that culturally shocked you or you were like, you know, stand.
Speaker 2 00:52:26 Yeah. So I kind of got my initial feelings of, um, experiencing, I guess like cultural, like socio-cultural otherness in college because my high school in Duluth was like pretty socioeconomically diverse, but not racially diverse at all. It was like over 90% white. So then I went to college and the people I knew in college, like with some exceptions, but mostly it was very, uh, racially and culturally, well, not very, it was like still a majority white institution, but like there was more diversity than at my high school by a lot. Um, but a lot less socioeconomic diversity, like a lot of people, um, had parents who went to Ivy league schools and a lot of people went to like very fancy private high schools. So it was interesting because like, yeah, I just hadn't really thought about that as a factor when I was going to college, I was like, oh, that's probably just like a stereotype, but then it actually turned out to be true.
Speaker 2 00:53:27 Um, rich people do donate their way into getting their kids into schools. And that is why conversations about affirmative action drive me bonkers because the real cheating to get your kids into schools is donating hundreds of thousands of dollars to the school. Um, but anyway, so when I went to college, I had immediately, I had roommates who were from other countries. And even though like they would be speaking a language that I didn't understand when they were calling their mom or something like that, it was very much kind of what you were saying where I kind of realized like, oh, people are just people and like maybe they eat things that, aren't what I eat. Maybe they talk to their mom in a language that I don't talk to my mom. And, um, but people are just people. And so like, obviously there were some times when I was confused by something or like asked a dumb question, but like, I think that college really normalized for me that like, um, people are just people and it really made me feel comfortable upon my move back to Minneapolis to be like, I want to try all of these things that are around.
Speaker 2 00:54:27 Like I want to go to multi-racial restaurants. I want to go to multiracial readings. I feel comfortable in an environment like, and like obviously there, like there are places where I like have blind spots and try to learn, but I always try to be coming from a place of remembering that everyone is from a background and then they are where they are right now doing their best. And if I take people as people first and as was like, I don't know, ambassadors of their culture less. So just by treating people as people and trying to find out what makes them comfortable, what makes them feel like home? What makes them excited or motivated? That really feels like the best way to go for me.
Speaker 1 00:55:08 I just remember that you worked with, be here for awhile. Yes. Yeah. And, um, was there like, like whether it's food or how particularly like someone is there is up or how we do it, the internet, they do the, you know, he does the interview or, you know, was there something that you were like, ah, this is something new. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:55:37 So, um, a lot of things. So for people who don't know, um, B he is a, um, community organizer and community radio host in Minneapolis. And I've been doing engineering and tech support stuff for his show for over a year. Um, and I think that, so I came to be his show through a friend of mine who was a longtime cafe volunteer, moved out to New York and was like, Hey, I think this show would be good for you. So like, I immediately felt made comfortable by beehive because if you talk to him, like, you know, he just feels like such a dad, like be, he has multiple children. He's like kinda, he's like older than me and amino, but he's not like old. He's not like elderly. Um, I think that it always impresses me how, how fluidly he can switch between situations. Like he'll be running from like a political event to coming to the studio and, um, and then switching back to being a father.
Speaker 2 00:56:39 Yeah. And then he'll be running his show. And then while we're on a commercial break, he'll be taking a call from his daughter. And, um, it just really involved. Yeah. And it's kind of like, I don't really know. I usually interpret things about be he as about the heat. And I don't try to think like, like, it doesn't really feel right for me to assume that that would be something about all Somali dads. Like I usually just think this is bee stuff. Cause like you can correct me if I'm wrong, but I kind of just take it as B he stuff that like, he is really booked with a lot of things. He dresses really nicely. Like I've always felt underdressed for my entire life because my parents are pretty casual and home buddy people. So like, I always felt underdressed in college, but like I do, I do feel underdressed and I engineer for BA cause I'll be there in like leggings and a sweatshirt and he's wearing like a button down shirt tucked in with a tie.
Speaker 1 00:57:31 Cause it's possible. It just came out a meeting. Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 2 00:57:36 Yeah. And like I do when I'm in a neighborhood that's predominantly Somali. Like for example, if I'm in Cedar, Riverside, often people are dressed a little nicer than like, I don't know. I like if I'm going to the grocery store in my own neighborhood, like I'm not going to dress horribly, but I'm probably going to wear like, uh, just like basketball shorts and a v-neck t-shirt like I'm. And then I see people here who are like, um, in a button-down with some like really clean shoes on. And it's like, that's not really like in Duluth that wasn't
Speaker 1 00:58:02 Really the vibe. I think it's like, if you, if you look at it in website. Yeah. Um, it's not like, like they dressing up, but that's their casual clothing. Yeah, yeah. Yeah. Like it's more like colorful. Yeah. Um, more like for all our, yeah. So I think that's the reason
Speaker 2 00:58:28 When you and I went to the Somali mall, but like Carmel,
Speaker 1 00:58:33 Um,
Speaker 2 00:58:35 I was honestly jealous because the clothing they're like the kind of default closing was so lively and colorful. And I feel like there's so much like muted tones right now kind of in like mainstream clothing in the United States. And like, I appreciate I'm someone who gets really, really warm. So like I grew up wearing shorts kind of per the conversation earlier to like, it's nice to have that, but I think that the clothing is just so beautiful, but like from a cultural stance, it's like not really my clothing. Um, yeah. I'm not, I'm not a practicing Muslim. I'm not any of those things. So like it's interesting finding out that the fashion is really cool to me. And then additionally, like the music working with and be here and hearing like contemporary Somali music has been really fun because I didn't know that the music was like kind of bang in, like, there's all this, like, there's all this like kind of, uh, groove, like flirty music.
Speaker 2 00:59:37 They're really good beats. And then now when I'm in my own neighborhood, I live in Whittier. I'll hear someone they'll be driving by with their windows, downloads, tamale music on. And I'm like, that's the vibe like this? Person's just going to go five somewhere with this like Somali music. Cause like, I feel like so many people in the United States see Muslim culture as, so straight-laced and like obviously cultures have different ethical standards about different things, but like there's a lot of Somali music. That's about all of the same things that mainstream American music is flirting and dating and breakups and stuff
Speaker 1 01:00:10 Like that. Oh, it is. And um, like having the opportunity, seeing like my culture and um, other cultures as well and having a close friends who, um, who are, you know, like different culture or practice, different religion. Yeah. Um, one thing I realized, like we all enjoy the same thing. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So, um, I know a lot of people think, um, Muslims are like very strict when Kim is like, intertainment, you know, whether it's, um, movies or music or, or, or anything more like orthotics. Yeah, yeah. I'm Muslim, but it's not like that. Yeah. Like, I mean, you can, you can practice and it's not only Muslims, but I'm sure. Um, Christianity says the same thing. You're not supposed to listen to music or spend your time in a good thing by making God have, you know, things like that. That's how we grew up.
Speaker 1 01:01:20 But society like people like what they like. Yeah. Um, so, and especially in Somas, even though they like mostly means a hundred percent Muslims, but luckily they got influenced by, you know, the other African countries where middle east, like there's not a lot of music or dance going on where Somali culture, like you will see like different regions. They have their own style of dancing and music. And so they get best of the bowl, both worlds. Like they are, they share the religion with middle Eastern, but um, they share culture African well, yeah. They have the port cultures. So that's why like songs of the <inaudible>. Yeah.
Speaker 2 01:02:14 I remember we went to that event with bihi and there was like a Somali museum dance troupe where they were wearing traditional Somali clothes, but they also had like these dances to these schools songs, and they were like teaching people, the dances and deep volunteered me, but then, then it was actually quite fun. I had a child teach me to dance in front of 40 to 50 strangers.
Speaker 1 01:02:36 Yeah. I still get those photos and photos and hope. Hopefully we will have, um, our own Instagram for the backcast and then I'm going to post it.
Speaker 2 01:02:47 Yeah. So if you want to blackmail me, you just go to then Instagram you screen. No, I'm just kidding. They're actually funny. So
Speaker 1 01:02:52 It's like funny. I mean, you can still flag. I mean,
Speaker 2 01:03:00 Don't give up on that. Don't give up on your dreams of ruining my life. Yes. Yeah. It's been fun. Yeah. It's absolutely been fun. Cause like with you, I can just, um, all the, all the things that we people do. Like we just go get food, we go get, we go hang out at the studio and talk. We went to those Somali museum. Yeah. It's normal. Yeah.
Speaker 1 01:03:23 I wish, um, me and you, we have similar personality, I think. Yeah. It's like we, we add more like curious people, like, um, where people love in home homebodies. Yeah. And um, yeah, I mean, I do judge people sometimes. I just, you know, I'm just curious. I mean, I do sometimes as well, friends, I mean, I don't, I don't see any asset, like a Walker and I see him more friends than anything else, but one thing we have in common and I, I wish a lot of people may not have done it is go explore other cultures, know other religions. Um, don't be scared. Um, go ask questions or, you know, yeah. I am sure, like at work, at least you have two, three people who have different backgrounds than you. Um, go as questions, be more curious, don't be disrespectful, but be like curious.
Speaker 1 01:04:30 And, and that one makes like our friendship in this together, more fun. We don't judge each other, but we judge each other and we, we do whatever we want and I wish people were more open-minded, you know, then, you know, staying like with your own people, you know, like if I will have say like, you know, I'm going to stay with so much is like, or I'll do, you know, podcast with so MAs or this, you know, you'll lose a lot of opportunities then, you know, then everybody else, he goes, my beautiful voice. Just kidding. This is what I really want to ask you. Yeah, we do in this podcast and we're not trying to, um, offend anyone or disrespect them, speak for
Speaker 2 01:05:22 Yourself. Just kidding. Just kidding. No,
Speaker 1 01:05:25 You don't want to offend anyone, but was that like any, any situation or anything that like ma made you laugh or, or you did it out of ignorance? You know, oh,
Speaker 2 01:05:42 I've done a lot of things out of ignorance in my life. And it's hard to think of. Let me try to think of just one. Um, oh, here's something embarrassing. Having grown up in a really culturally homogenous environment, everyone kind of like speaks the same and communicates the same ways. So something I feel really bad about is sometimes it's really challenged. Like it's genuinely challenging for me to understand accents sometimes, and I'm not trying to like bag on someone's accent. It's just my sad, white little brain is like, and especially growing up in the upper Midwest where people speak pretty like quote unquote clearly and slowly, like, it can be really hard for me to understand accent sometimes. And sometimes I feel like lost in the decision between like, do I want to ask this person to repeat this? Or will they think that I'm making fun of their accent?
Speaker 2 01:06:37 Like, I can understand if you're new to a place or if you didn't grow up somewhere and you would feel judged if someone was always like, can you say that again slower? But like, there are times when I'm like, I, I genuinely did not catch that. I'm just gonna guess. And I feel, I feel like that does a disservice because it's my own communication gap where I don't really know, like what would the best way to handle this be? And I think usually kind of my go-to is just to like listen to people and let other people pick. Especially if there's anyone listening to this podcast and you're not used to cultural difference or wherever you are, if you're part of the dominant culture, like I would really recommend just letting your friends who are different than you pick, like let them pick a restaurant or let them pick an activity or something like that, because then you'll see something different, but guided by someone who knows that already. Um, yeah, but I just feel bad when I, um, when I like make a mistake because I genuinely don't understand, but I don't know the correct way to ask. Yeah. Things, things like that.
Speaker 1 01:07:43 Oh, that's fun. Um, that the reason I asked, yes, um, it happened to me and my friends one time, this funny story. And, um, we, I think, you know, when you started college, like that's when you start having your freedom on, you know, um, you don't have to order, like, I mean, being on time at home and everything. So, um, culturally, like where did you? 18 or 50 doesn't matter. Um, like parents make like most decisions and it's not it's, it's out of respect. So me and my friends, well, we decided to go, um, vacation. Yeah. Like we wanted it to go to vacation. So we each tall our parents that we're going to school conference, what we liked. We liked them. You like it because it's real, you can't, you can't just walk into your like Somali mom or Somali parents and say like, I'm going for vacation.
Speaker 1 01:08:54 I can't do that. Yeah. And, um, one thing they failed you is education. And like a lot of kids use that. So you're like, I am going to learn in, I can teach. Yeah. So we, each Tolo Brenda, we're going to school conference. So we went into, um, Florida, Miami, and, um, we're just having fun in south beach. So me and my other two friends, like one of the friends went back to the hotel. Yeah. So it was me and my friend, the one that I was really close to it. So we are in a salt Paige, um, just enjoying life and having fun on, um, and it was the, like the first time that like we went and vacation. Yeah. Like, you know, like you're far away from the parents and, you know, family. Yeah. So we we'll just have fun. And then we sewed this like ball <inaudible> full of guys. And when I say like full of guys, like full of hot guys, like very hot, like very handsome guys. Yeah. And whenever we were like, oh my God, those guys are really hot. So, and then like, I am more like, like curious than her. So I was like, oh, let's go there vacation. See what's going on. Yeah. Um, we went there. Yeah. And obviously we just want to have fun and watch the, you know, the handsome guys. Um, you can attach it, but you can look at it. Right.
Speaker 2 01:10:33 You're at the museum of guys exec.
Speaker 1 01:10:36 So, um, we were just like, so the bar had a, like, I think it was a bar and restaurant, something like that. So we just sit there eating food. So we just ordered the food just to watch the guys. Yeah. And, you know, admission
Speaker 2 01:10:51 Price, one salad. So
Speaker 1 01:10:53 We are like this college kids that eating in a salt beach restaurant restaurant, which is like real expensive. And we're just doing that to watch these guys. But after I think 20 minutes, like I think two or three, like two guys, or I think like two couples start kissing, he realized it was a gay par.
Speaker 2 01:11:18 Yeah. Those guys were off the market for you. Those guys were doing their own thing.
Speaker 1 01:11:22 And I guess so mad. I was like, are you like, I get, I get mad because I'm like, I spend my money. I'm a college kid. I don't, I can't afford it like $200 a meal just sitting there. And, um, there, there were all ha so I get mad. I was like, all these guys are taking another guy to the FEMA, so I get mad, but I get, I get really jealous of guys that was happening. It was handsome guy. So that was one thing. Oh,
Speaker 2 01:12:02 There was a great time recently. This is just a little silly thing. But, um, Dan, uh, Dan is my significant other, Dan and I were at a bakery. We were at like a bakery where we get churros a lot. And Dan speaks amazing Spanish. Dan works in Spanish for his job. So we'll often go places that are Latin American focused or the staff mostly speaks Spanish. And I, um, I have more Spanish that like, I practice Spanish every day, but I don't have, and I, uh, was trying to tell the cashier that, uh, Dan and I were paying separately, but I accidentally said like we aren't. I said, no. So most windows like, we're not together. Oh. She looked at me like, I do not care. She like looked at me like she did not say it outright. But with her eyes said, I do not care if you're on a date or not too much information. And then we walked out and Dan was like, is this not a date? Oh my God. So it's like, sometimes I feel like I like, uh, I'm trying to, I'm trying to branch out, but then I'm just like a silly
Speaker 1 01:13:14 Boss by accident. Luckily my employee was a female, right? Yeah. The employee was a female. Imagine if it was a male, like she's given me some hand like together. Yeah.
Speaker 2 01:13:26 No, I've luckily never been asked out by a restaurant. So that's, that's something I have going for me. Um, yeah, this has been a great conversation. Thanks so much for talking.
Speaker 1 01:13:38 Oh, thank you. Yeah,
Speaker 2 01:13:40 We'll be back soon. We'll bring more, more folks onto the show. Um, of all different, um, interests, nationalities, talent. We'll
Speaker 1 01:13:48 Have a more guests. Um, and it, it wouldn't be only something that someone is, you know, their experience, but it will be like all Minnesotans. Yeah. Like anything you experienced, whether it is like, you know, new people coming, you know, to the state or, you know, going to school, other people, like we just want to know your experiences. Yeah. Yeah. And that's what this podcast <inaudible>.
