Two Worlds, One Me

Today’s conversation is powerful, moving, and deeply human. My guest is Councillor Professor Bharat Pankhania — the 798th Mayor of Bath — and a leading expert in communicable disease control. Many of you will recognise him as one of the calm, trusted medical voices who helped the public make sense of the COVID-19 pandemic. But this episode goes far beyond titles. Bharat shares his journey from a c...

In this moving and memorable episode of Two Worlds, One Me , I sit down with British-Ghanaian artist Joshua Donkor , whose award-winning portraits explore diasporic identity, ancestral memory and the stories that shape who we are. Joshua's work is deeply personal, filled with image transfers, textures and fragments of family photographs, but it speaks to all of us who have ever wondered where...

In this deeply moving and deliciously evocative episode, I talk to Irina Janakievska – a North-Macedonian-British writer, recipe developer and author of the acclaimed The Balkan Kitchen . Born in Skopje, raised in Kuwait, and now based in London, Irina shares her remarkable journey across continents, cultures and careers – from corporate law to culinary storytelling. We talk about her vibrant mult...

In this episode, I speak with the incredible Noya Paulin – Vietnamese-born chef, entrepreneur, and the heart behind Noya’s Kitchen, one of Bath’s most celebrated restaurants. Noya shares her powerful journey, beginning in a coastal village in Vietnam, escaping the aftermath of war as a child refugee, and eventually building a new life in the UK. We talk about the resilience of her family, the chal...

In this captivating episode of Two Worlds, One Me , I welcome the remarkable Biljana Lipic, affectionately known as Bee. Born in Sarajevo, in the former Yugoslavia—a country that no longer exists—Biljana’s journey is a poignant exploration of identity, belonging, and resilience. Now living on a houseboat in Cornwall, Biljana is a dance artist, Argentine tango teacher, and choreographer. Her story...

Welcome back to "Two Worlds, One Me"   I’m thrilled to introduce you to a truly inspiring guest - Silvia Leal. Silvia, originally from vibrant Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, now calls Copenhagen, Denmark, her home. For the past six and half years, with many challenges on the way, Silvia has been building a remarkable life in this Nordic city, balancing her career, family, and passions. With a b...

Today, we're diving into the extraordinary journey of Susan Fang, a leading figure in East Asia's education sector.  With over two decades of expertise, Susan has been pivotal in linking East Asian students with UK higher education and independent schools. But Susan's story is more than just professional success. She's a passionate advocate for British education, bridging the g...

In this new episode of our podcast, we are thrilled to introduce the incredibly talented Laura Marin, a 19-year-old Galician-Portuguese Philology student from the University of Coruña in Spain. Laura has garnered widespread attention on social media, charming audiences with her acoustic covers of Balkan songs—a passion that ignited when she was just a nine-year-old. Her self-taught mastery of Serb...

Welcome to the latest episode of Two Worlds One Me! In this episode, I  have the pleasure of hosting Cody McClain Brown, an Oklahoma native whose journey led him to Croatia after falling in love with a Croatian girl. Cody's captivating story unfolds in his bestselling book, "Chasing a Croatian Girl." Join us as we delve into Cody's roots in Oklahoma, his early passion for drawi...

I am thrilled to introduce a guest whose life story is as diverse and captivating as the many places she's called home - Ramayana Mabita.  Ramayana's life is a tapestry of experiences -she's been a refugee, an immigrant, and now, a serial expat, having lived in seven countries across three continents. Our journey with Ramayana starts with a fascinating revelation. I first came acros...

Join us in this episode as we delve into the intriguing journey of Hafiz Abdul Manan, a seasoned engineer, passionate YouTuber, and a man whose life's canvas spans across continents. Originally from Pakistan, he moved to Estonia when he was 27 years old, and it's been eight years since his big move. He'll tell us about how he feels he's learned more in these eight years than in...

Hold onto your headphones because our latest episode is here, and it was well worth the wait!  This time, we're sitting down with a true adventurer, Ivan Djogic, who seamlessly bridges the worlds of Croatia and Iran. While most people dream of exploring the West, Ivan chose a different path—a road less traveled to the East. He embarked on a remarkable journey to Iran, a destination many would...

Join me in this episode of "Two Worlds, One Me",  as I sit down with the fascinating David Bailey, or as he likes to call himself, Pejcinovic-Bailey. David has had an extraordinary life, starting with his career as a soldier, serving in Germany and the UK from mid to late 90s. But that was just the beginning. After leaving the military, David embarked on a new adventure as a broadcaster,...

Welcome to today's podcast episode featuring an incredible guest, Arlyn Kostelac. Arlyn has lived in three different worlds throughout her life - the Philippines where she was born, Japan where she spent seven years, and the US where she currently resides. In this episode, we have a delightful chat with Arlyn about her experiences navigating these diverse cultures and how they've influen...

In this podcast episode, you'll meet Margo D'Heygere. Margo's two worlds are Belgium and Denmark, and she loves to explore new cultures. In Denmark, Margo runs a buddy program that helps newcomers settle in easily. When she's not working, Margo likes to hang out with friends, try different food, and exercise.  Margo is a very brave and curious person who enjoys learning and exp...

Today I have the pleasure of featuring an amazing and inspirational businesswoman, Moonie Zhu. Moonie comes from two cultural worlds, China and Germany, and in this episode, she takes us on a journey through her childhood in Nanjing and shares with us her experiences and insights from her life. Moonie also talks about her decision to study in Germany and her first impressions of the country. She s...

My guest today is Ian Foster. His two worlds are England and Austria. Ian started his career with a degree in Southeast Asian studies from the University of Hull. Being very linguistically able, he studied quite a few different languages,  with German being one of them.   In 2015, he did an MBA in sustainable management and runs two companies.  He has been married to a wonderful Austrian wife for...

Today,  I would like to introduce you to my wonderful guest - Shoko Doherty.  Her two worlds are Japan and Wales. Shoko is a CEO of Celtic English Academy, a British council accredited English language school in Cardiff. She is originally from Omuta, Fukuoka coal mining region of Japan. Shoko is educated in both Japan and Wales and has a music degree from the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama...

My amazing guest today is Soumaya Khalifa. Her two worlds are Egypt and the US. Soumaya specializes in intercultural communication, leadership development, religion in the workplace, corporate diversity, equality, inclusion and belonging. In our conversation,  she tells us the story of her family's  journey from Egypt to the States  and how it all started. Along the way we talk about  what it...

In this episode, I bring you Leah Merete Robb - a strong, resilient woman, painter and activist.  Leah grew up in Scotland. Her father is Scottish and her mother is Danish.  She studied art in Dundee in Scotland from 1996 to 2000, graduating with an honors degree in drawing and painting. Leah moved to the country of her mother's origin first in 2000. Along the way we talk about her childhood,...

My guest today is Mieko Zukerman. She was born and grew up in a very traditional family in Tokyo, Japan, in the fifties. She did a degree in music at a music college in Tokyo, followed by a diploma in Japanese as a foreign language. Mieko's career started as a teacher of Japanese language, piano and swimming, in Tokyo. After some years, she met the love of her life, an Englishman, she got mar...

My very special guest today is Norma Beatriz Perez Gonzalez Brisbois , or she likes to call herself Norma Carpediem, which means "seize the day". With an MA in sociology, Norma has worked in cultural integration in humanitarian aid for over 14 years and she is always finding ways to empower the vulnerable and marginalized groups and minorities. Norma joins me to talk about her worlds whi...

It is my absolute great pleasure to introduce you to my new amazingly talented guest, Dafne Kritharas. Dafne is a passionate singer with a  divine voice, and I am so excited to tell you that you will be able to hear some of her beautiful songs, as we talk about her new album, Varka. Along the way we discuss what singing means to her and what inspires her to sing, write and compose. Dafne's cu...

You are in for a treat in this episode. My guest today is Iva Bicanic. Iva is a Dutch Croatian clinical psychologist. She's a researcher,  post-traumatic stress disorder therapist and she specializes in the treatment of victims of sexual abuse. Iva has spent over 20 years researching and changing the global conversation around this very difficult topic. Recently,  Iva took an active part in m...

My guest today is a very inspiring young entrepreneur Jake Xu. Jake  joins me to talk about his two worlds - China and England, or more precisely Beijing and Bath. Jake and his twin brother Shane came to Bath some 22 years ago to study and experience life in Europe.  In our conversation Jake takes us on this journey from his childhood in China to his current life in the UK. We talk about challenge...