India with Jessica | Navigating Indian Culture With Love

Direct vs indirect communication has been a painful point for Indians working with Westerners and vice versa. Craig Storti, author of “Speaking of India” draws on his decades of international consulting experience to share about the common pain points between Western and Eastern professionals. Jessica and Craig dive in deeper to see how these differences in direct vs indirect communication impact...

In this bilingual episode, Jessica tells all the questions you may be wondering about what its like to be a foreigner in India, how she learned fluent Hindi and what it is like being married to an Indian while living in a conservative community in North India. do people treat her weird as a foreigner? how do people react to her speaking fluent Hindi? how did Abhishek's parents feel about their son...

At first glance, one may assume Aparna Mulberry is a Western woman who has merely visited India. But only a few moments after speaking to her, you realize the depth and knowledge of her experiences as growing up in the Amritapuri Ashram in Kerala, India.    Aparna is an American born, but India raised woman who spent her formative years in Kerala. Fluent in Malayalam, her story of findin...

This month we are focusing on Transnational Adoption and hearing the stories of 3 families who are perfectly blended, where at least one member of the family is South Asian.   What are the things adoptive parents need to be aware of before adopting from India? What is it like to be Indian parents of an adopted African-American child?  What is it like to be two Australian parents liv...

This month we are focusing on Transnational Adoption and hearing the stories of 3 families who are perfectly blended, where at least one member of the family is South Asian.   What is it like to be adopted as a South Asian into a totally different culture across the world?  What is it like to be Indian parents of an adopted African-American child? What is it like to be two Australia...

Indian weddings are generally a multi-day affair, including a number of rituals and family get togethers. And lets not forget the food! After 10 years of marriage, Jessica and Abhishek reflect on what they would change about their "Big Fat Indian Wedding." What are the important things to include and what doesn't matter years later? What do a bride and groom need to compromise? Is it better to hav...

From the outside, the Indian educational system is a confusing landscape that produces some of the world's top talent, CEOs and world leaders, yet is criticized for inequality and illiteracy.  What are the basic building blocks of Indian education? How did India move from the Guru/Shishya ancient system to a high tech, competitive enterprise? Does the Indian school system really start at age...

Indian weddings are knock-down, drag-out get togethers work remembering! What are 10 aspects that are unique to Indian weddings?

Karl Rock, popular YouTuber in India, tells Jessica more of his personal story of marrying his Indian wife, making India home and learning Hindi.

Robin Singh of Peepal Farm is going against the grain of consumerism in India. A practitioner of radical compassion, he and his colleagues started an organic farm, animal refuge and place for people to connect to nature.

What does it take to successfully learn Hindi? Jessica breaks down tips and tricks and answers the most common questions about how to learn Hindi. What is unique about learning Hindi and why you can't learn Hindi from a book.

What is it like to be a black woman married to an Indian man?

What is it like to be a black woman marrying a North Indian man? In Episode 35, Nikita Gupta, multicultural lifestyle blogger, shares her beautiful story of falling in love with Indian culture and finding acceptance through overcoming stereotypes as an African-American woman marrying into a North Indian family. Her story has lots of twists and turns, but ultimately there is a happy ending. Nikita...

One of the most common questions Jessica gets asked is "Why and How did you learn Hindi?" In Episode 34, she takes on part 1- what were the motivating factors to learn Hindi and how did she overcome cultural and mental barriers to become fluent in Hindi?

Jamie Alter is certainly a rare kind of person. 4 generations ago, his great grandfather moved to India from the United States, and their family has rooted here. His father, Tom Alter was a famous Bollywood actor, but what is it like to be a white person with an Indian passport. Jamie has a fascinating story. Sports commentator, YouTube personality and actor, Jamie is breaking stereotypes on what...

You asked? We told! Listeners wrote in to ask us anything! In Part 1, we answered real and off the cuff to your questions about cross cultural marriage, overcoming cultural barriers and managing family expectations as an Indian-American couple. In Part 2, we talked about life in India- overcoming difficulties of stereotypes and adjusting to life in India.

Listeners wrote in to ask us anything! We answer real and off the cuff to your questions about cross cultural marriage, overcoming cultural barriers and managing family expectations as an Indian-American couple.

This episode is a special salute to love. On Valentine's Day, Jessica went on air with RJ Visha with RED FM 93.5 in Patna to share her love story.

Meet the 2 Idiots, Abhishek and Natasha, who traveled 31 countries, comprising of 39 flights, 3 cruises, and almost a 100 destinations in 8.5 months. They left their corporate jobs and did it together, with a 2 year old.

Meet the 2 Idiots, Abhishek and Natasha, who traveled 31 countries, comprising of 39 flights, 3 cruises, and almost a 100 destinations in 8.5 months. They left their corporate jobs and did it together, with a 2 year old.

In 18 days, we covered 6 countries, 5 currencies, 8 hotels and we don’t know how many languages with our 2 young children. All on a relatively slim budget.

Dr. Ajay Verghese, Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of California Riverside joins us to dive into two urgent topics affecting the social landscape of India today- 1) the legacy of ethnic colonialism and 2) modernization’s affect on Hindu's religious practices.

Author Leslie Verner approaches how Western cultures can learn from other cultures posture of open hospitality. Author of “Invited- the Power of Hospitality in an Age of Loneliness”, Leslie sensitively approaches being a white American engaging in cross cultural friendships and what her research and learnings have led her to in her personal life. In this episode, Jessica and Leslie discuss how bei...

What are some the unique challenges that India faces in managing toilet waste, water and everything in between? Sanitation expert Chris Hyun, PhD Candidate, joins us to share about India’s unique sanitation challenges and what he has found through his research.

Even with the best of motives, short term volunteer trips can create chaos and unintended long term problems, especially in developing countries. What are the pitfalls and dangers of engaging in voluntourism?