Chai Across Generations
Chai Across Generations is a podcast featuring two friends a generation apart, Nikil and Shankar, as they explore a new topic each episode to better understand - and maybe even bridge - the gap between generations of South Asians.
Episodes
51 episodes
Episode 50: All Five Elements Live in You
We talk about the five great elements: earth, water, fire, air, and space, and how Nikil has come to see them not just as forces in nature, but as elements that live within all of us, forming an Elemental Leadership Framework for understanding ...
Episode 49: Avatar: The Last Airbender - The Zuko & Iroh Dynamic
We return to the world of Avatar: The Last Airbender to explore one of the most beloved dynamics in all of animated storytelling: the relationship between Prince Zuko and his Uncle Iroh.We trace Zuko's arc from a prince desperately seeki...
Episode 48: Avatar: The Last Airbender And Its Enduring Genius
We talk about one of our favorite TV shows of all time, Avatar: The Last Airbender. A Nickelodeon series from almost 20 years ago, Avatar has captivated and inspired both of us with its brilliant world-building, structural plot, and deep charac...
Episode 47: Shankar's Book "The Seven Steps to Bliss" Can Help Readers In Many Ways
Join us as we celebrate the official release of Shankar's new book, "The Seven Steps To Bliss: A Modern Upanishad!" We delve into Shankar's experience of getting this book out into the world and how this book can help readers in seven different...
Episode 46: Unlocking Your Personal Excellence And The Hidden Power Of Community
We explore the essence of excellence and how to unlock it in our lives, guided by Shankar's transformative course, "Unlocking Excellence." We delve into the unexpected but pivotal role of levity and how it enhances personal growth. Nikil shares...
Episode 45: Why Saying "We're Family" At Work Limits South Asians And Reveals Two Views On Work
We delve into the world of work, focusing on South Asian and minority professionals. We explore the often misleading corporate messaging of being a family and how it reinforces deference rather than decisiveness, mirroring cultural or familial ...
Episode 44: Discover "The Seven Steps to Bliss" (Shankar's New Book) in Advance Review
Join us as we dive into Shankar's new book, "The Seven Steps to Bliss: A Modern Upanishad," (https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/252311323-the-seven-steps-to...
Episode 43: We're Back! Why?
We are back after having been away from the podcast for more than two years! This episode marks the start of a new generation of conversations, building on the first. Find out why we're back, what has changed since the last episode, and how we'...
Episode 42: The Legacy Of MLK, Equality, And Colorism
In honor of MLK Day, we chat about our personal experiences of the holiday and discuss similarities and differences between the histories of African-Americans and South Asians in the US. We also talk about discrimination - especially in the for...
Episode 41: How Different Cultures And Generations See The New Year
Happy New Year! We chat about our personal impressions of New Year, how we think about New Year’s Resolutions and goal-setting, and questions to ask other generations to better understand their hopes and goals for the year.🍿 WHERE TO WA...
Episode 40: Our Funniest Moments In 2023
We recap our funniest moments from the first 39 episodes in this year-end special! From Shankar sharing hilarious stories with his daughter to Nikil playing a South Asian-inspired version of "Would You Rather?" with Mukhunth, this year had seve...
Episode 39: 2023 Recap - 4 Lessons To Improve Your Mental Health And Your Chats With Your Parents And Kids
We recap the four biggest lessons we learned in 2023 from our conversations on the podcast. From mental health to communicating with other generations and raising multicultural kids, this year has taught us a lot that continues to be relevant i...
Episode 38: 3 Things We Love And Hate About The Holidays
We’re back! We share some life updates that have kept us from the podcast in recent weeks. With the holidays right around the corner, we also talk about the top 3 things we love and hate about the holidays including music, expectations, and the...
Episode 37: Raising Multicultural Kids And Diwali
Raising kids in a foreign land can be challenging, especially around times of celebration back home. On today's episode, we talk to Ajanta Chakraborty and Vivek Kumar about tips for raising multicultural children, the power of stories, and the ...
Episode 36: Chills, Thrills, And Immigration: A Halloween Special
Many young South Asians leave their home countries to pursue their dreams in other countries like America. As they build their lives, they face an interesting question about whether to stay or to return to their home countries to be closer to f...
Episode 35: Mental Health Stories That Inspire Hope And Healing
We all have things that affects our mental health, and it can feel very vulnerable to share them with others. In this episode, Abhjith Ravinutala joins the show for an inspiring, vulnerable, and courageous conversation about mental health. He s...
Episode 34: Healing From Grief Of Loss
Healing from grief after losing a loved one can be incredibly challenging. How do we move forward, and how do we make peace with their absence? How do we heal when our communities aren't as supportive or understanding about grief as we would li...
Episode 33: Indian Cricket And A World Cup Preview
The ICC 2023 Cricket World Cup starts later this week, the biggest event in the cricketing calendar. India is hosting the tournament and hopes to win its third World Cup title. We bring on special guest Balaji Narasimhan to chat about the histo...
Episode 32: Education and Career Choices
If you've ever been to a South Asian dinner party, you've probably gotten these questions from all of the aunties and uncles: "What are you studying? What are you doing?" Education and and career are highly valued in the South Asian community. ...
Episode 31: Talking About Jaahnavi Kandula - The American Dream Unfulfilled
We reflect on the life and story of Jaahnavi Kandula, a 23-year-old graduate student who tragically lost her life when a police officer in Seattle accidentally hit her with his car. Her story became a big news story this week after body camera ...
Episode 30: A Passage To India (Nikil's Version)
Nikil just got back from a trip to India and we chat about all of the things on his trip, including the beauty of a blended Hindu/Sikh wedding, the joys and challenges of visiting relatives back home, and all of the food he ate along the way. P...
Episode 29: Me Or We - Traditions We Love And The Beauty of Rebellion
We finish our Me Or We series by exploring how individualism or collectivism show up for individual people as and how South Asia and Western societies differ on these dimensions. We also chat about the longstanding South Asian tradition of morn...
Episode 28: Me Or We - How Do We Balance Family And Friends?
We continue our Me or We series this week and explore the topic of family vs. friends. We chat about a number of themes including the challenges of navigating emotional space with parents, the generational differences in how we think abou...
Episode 27: Me Or We - Navigating Privacy ("My Room And My Phone")
We continue our Me or We series exploring how individualism and collectivism show up in South Asian and Western countries. On this episode, we dive into the idea of private space and how to navigate privacy between generations, especially betwe...
Episode 26: Me Or We - My Space Or Our Space
We kick off a new series called Me or We: examining individualism vs. collectivism in the South Asian community. The research and our experience shows that South Asian countries tend to be more collectivist while America and other Western count...