Being Malayali on opposite sides of the world: UK and SA!

Being a new-gen Malayali comes with so many layers — balancing tradition with modern life, navigating family expectations, and building your own identity in a different country. In this episode of Modern Malayali, Sandra and I explore what it means to grow up as Malayali in places like the UK and South Africa, and how, despite living on opposite sides of the world, our experiences are unsurprisingly similar! We talk about the comfort of finding Malayali friends who understand your upbringing, to the challenges of talking about marriage pressures, nightlife, and independence with family. We get real about dating culture in the Malayali community, from secret relationships to navigating the drama that comes with dating outside of your culture or religion. Language and representation are also a big part of the conversation. We discuss why older siblings often speak Malayalam better than younger ones, and how watching Malayalam movies helps keep our culture alive.Sandra also shares her inspiring journey of starting a business, ⁠@elan_byrahael⁠⁠, selling traditional Kerala sarees in the UK, making them more accessible for the Malayali community, something we also need in SA! Stay tuned till the end for a quick little game of 'Have You Ever?' --------------------------------------------------------About the Modern Malayali podcast: Have you ever wondered how other Malayalis live their lives outside of Kerala? I have. I've always been curious about how other Malayalis navigate their culture while living very modern, Western lives. I’m talking about the influence our culture has had on the decisions and choices we've made — from choosing a career path to choosing a life partner, from how we talk about mental health to how we spend our free time. This is a podcast where Malayalis from all over the world can connect and share stories. We’re all in this together, and I’m sure many of us have had similar experiences. Hopefully, one of these episodes will inspire or reassure you that you're not alone in this.  -------------------------------------------------------- To stay up to date with new episodes and upcoming guests, find me on Instagram and TikTok! Instagram and TikTok are also a great way to connect with me, and to let me know if you’re interested in being on the show! -------------------------------------------------------- Music by Kalpesh Ajugia from Pixabay.