A Word Is More Than a Word

In this episode of the Hello Frequency podcast, I’m joined by Nimasha Fernando, a Kiwi Sri Lankan designer and researcher living in Aotearoa New Zealand, who explores identity, language, whakapapa, and belonging through typography. We talk about empathy as something bigger than simply understanding another person. It can also be about humility, care, body language, listening, making mistakes and being okay with not having the right words. Nimasha shares stories about being Sri Lankan and queer in Aotearoa, reconnecting with Sinhala, learning Tamil and Te Reo Māori, visiting Jaffna, and unlearning the pressure to be the “good immigrant”. This is a warm and honest conversation about language, community, migration, colonial thinking, the natural world and the many layers that shape who we are. And yes, in true Sri Lankan style, even the goodbye takes a while. This episode's cover image artwork credit goes to Nimasha.  Email: [email protected] Music: Free music for podcasts from Transistor FM Citation: Divakalala, C. & Fernando, N. (2026). A Word Is More Than a Word. The Hello Frequency Podcast. A Lifestyle Podcast. Aotearoa. Remember, in a world where discord echoes loudly, let empathy be our pluriversal language!