Two Suitcases Two Suitcases Media

In this episode, we talk with Sana Ginwalla. Sana is a Zambia-born Curator and Photographer. As a third culture kid herself, she explores the politics of identity, home and belonging. Her work, produced in and about Zambia, has consistently focused on showcasing the overlooked and relatable everyday moments from the past and present.



Some of her earlier works include Kunyumba (meaning at the house or at home) and Yaadasht (meaning memory), both are explorations into her sense of belonging, her split roots and her personal identities. Her current projects include Everyday Lusaka and Zambia Belonging – art platforms dedicated to exploring a more considered visual representation of Zambia in order to build a contemporary archive for future generations.



We are huge fans of Sana’s work, and in this conversation, we ask her about her personal story, her various projects, and how her sense of identity is intertwined with her work.



Listen to our conversation with Sana, and find her works on Instagram at @everydaylusaka and @zambiabelonging.


---

Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/twosuitcasespod/message

Our bodies do so much for us. They form the first impressions of who we are to the rest of the world, impressions that oftentimes elicit harsh responses. So much of what is around us dictates how we ought to look, and what it says about us if we do not match that image. In some immigrant communities, these messages on body image seem to be magnified.



Having both grown up as big kids in the Indian-Zambian diaspora, we explore how our childhoods in these communities have influenced our outlook on our bodies, the social stigma around big bodies, the trauma around our imperfect bodies that is passed on from one generation to the next, and our personal journeys in trying to achieve a healthy and sustainable lifestyle.



Listen to our conversation. Come unpack with us!


---

Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/twosuitcasespod/message

For our season premiere, we unpack a topic that is rarely acknowledged, let alone embraced, in many immigrant communities – Mental Health.



In this episode, we speak with Dr. Shanta Kanukollu, a psychologist practicing in Chicago who primarily focuses on the South Asian community. We ask her about her journey in becoming a therapist, providing mental health services in the South Asian context, intergenerational trauma in immigrant communities and some of the ways we can all better advocate for mental health awareness in our families and communities.



Listen to our conversation with Dr. K, and find her through her website at www.snktherapy.com and on Instagram at @snk_therapy.


---

Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/twosuitcasespod/message

Welcome back to Season 2 of Two Suitcases!

After last season, we felt like there were so many topics we wanted to dive into that we never quite got to. Although this started off as an exploration of our personal journeys, we also felt inspired by the guests who came on to share their stories. In the off-season, we set out to engage with more stories and perspectives beyond our own. So this season, we have some amazing guests that share their thoughts and expertise on various topics.

Whether it’s mental health in the immigrant context, exploring third culture identity through art, or dating and divorce as a third culture kid, we pursued conversations that further explore the various layers and nuances of the immigrant experience. Listen to snippets from some of the conversations coming up this season!

Join us for these conversations. Come unpack with us!


---

Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/twosuitcasespod/message

Bharat is almost rendered nationless by a pesky immigration officer. Raksha plans on storming off the podcast on a future episode. We both reminisce over the end of a significant chapter in our lives.

From moving to a new neighborhood to moving to a new country. From making the best of the foundations we’ve laid over years, to building new foundations altogether. In the final episode of Season 1, we take stock of the major changes in our lives as another COVID year winds down (01:45), and perhaps more importantly, we reflect on our experience putting together the first season of Two Suitcases (34:28).

Thank you for coming along on this journey over the past year. Stay tuned for Season 2 of Two Suitcases!!


---

Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/twosuitcasespod/message

It can be difficult to objectively reflect on our own immigrant communities–it entails being critical of the behaviors and characteristics of the people we love, the people who become like family, the people who lent a hand in raising us. But these communal traits tend to leave a lasting imprint on the rest of our lives, hence, are worthy of scrutiny.



In this last episode of the Balancing Identities miniseries, we reflect on how our immigrant communities are set up, and how we interact within them. There seems to be a running gag in the desi diaspora – Log Kya Kehenge or What Will People Think. We unpack this sentiment prominent in our own Indo-Zambian communities we grew up in. We reflect on the boundary issues in our immigrant communities, unlearning the toxic traits that we carry with us even after moving away, and balancing between our communal upbringing with our individualistic adulthood identities.



Join us for this conversation, probably the most vulnerable one yet.


---

Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/twosuitcasespod/message