Karthika explores the beautiful city of Dubai with a local Sharon Cassidy. Sharon has lived in Dubai for the past 15 years, and she shares her love for this city – unique experiences in and around the city. She shares some off-the-beaten path adventures around UAE that can help us explore this amazing city in the desert that is known for its ultra modern architecture and shopping excursions. From restaurants to outdoor spaces – right from the comfort of our homes.

Karthika explores the beautiful country of Slovenia with a local Petra Jan. Petra lives lives in Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia and also known as the city of dragons, and she shares her love for this city. She shares some off-the-beaten path adventures around Slovenia that can help us explore this amazing country from its dramatic landscapes, diverse terrain, rich culture and stunning views of the Adriatic sea – right from the comfort of our homes.

In this episode, we explore Scotland with a local Abigail King. Abbi lives in East Lothian just outside of Edinburg. She shares her love for her city with us – unique experiences in and around the city and some off-the-beaten path adventures that can help you explore this amazing country known for its dramatic landscapes, diverse terrain and stunning views. Abbi takes us on a beautiful adventure – right from the comfort of our homes.

Explore the beautiful country of New Zealand with a local Kiwi Megan Lawrence. Megan lives in Auckland and shares her love for unique experiences in the city and offers a few off-the-beaten path adventures that this amazing country is known for: dramatic landscapes, diverse terrain and stunning views. From restaurants to outdoor spaces, Megan takes us on a beautiful adventure - right from the comfort of our homes. She also shares some beautiful images of all the places she talks about via our...

Karthika introduces Season 05 which is all about traveling the world - right from where we are - through conversations with locals as they share their life and lifestyle. Exploring the world through the eyes of a local is a great way to get the inside scoop on how life unfolds in various parts of the world away from the proverbial top 10 lists and travel click bait headlines. Come explore the world with us through a local's point of view and educate yourselves on the diverse beauty all around...

Karthika celebrates two years of CulturallyOurs. Two years of podcasting, content creation and entrepreneurship. She shares successes as well as the lessons she has learnt along the way. She also discusses why it is important to make mistakes early on so that we can learn and move forward. We all have something to give to the world and own it to ourselves to take chances and do the best we can, in everything that we do.

Karthika explores the culture and traditions around midsummer’s eve and the summer solstice. People all over the world have been celebrate these first few days of summer for generations with fires, feasting and celebrations. From Ancient Egypt, Aztecs of Mexico, Chinese, Native American and Western civilizations have celebrated this first day of summer often called Midsummer or St. John’s Day. It has been known as one of the most powerful days of the year for spiritual growth and healing.

Karthika shares practices and strategies on how navigate the waters of cultural diversity - because it is very much required for the betterment of all aspects of life and lifestyle, especially in today’s environment. She explores how we all can come from a place of understanding and empathy the next time we meet someone who doesn’t look like us or talk like us or dress like us or even behave like us. How can we understand their life and life story? How can we make them feel like they...

Karthika explores the Japanese concept of Shinrin-Yoku which is also known as forest bathing. Forest bathing is the practice of spending time in nature and the outdoors at a pace that allows for connection, sense of being one with nature and internal wellbeing. Therapy is not an extractive process, where we treat forests as a resource from which we extract well being for humans. Instead, it is a deeply relational practice, characterized by a sense of loving and tender connection.

Karthika explore the culture of coffee and a coffee ceremony from Ethiopia, a country where drinking coffee is much more than just a beverage in a to-go-cup. There is a ceremonial process to drinking coffee in Ethiopia that revolves around friends, family, conversation and bonding. In a traditional buna drinking no less than three cups is deemed impolite and Ethiopians believe that your spirit transforms when you complete all three rounds.

Karthika walks us through the great Indian spice box and talks about all the spices that are typically used in most Indian cooking. Spices have certain uses, flavors and add different kinds of taste to most Indian foods. The great Indian Spice box is the perfect way to store and access these commonly used spices in most Indian kitchens.

Karthika chats with Sana Javeri Kadri, founder of Diaspora Co, a spices company looking to decolonize the spice trade in India by partner with and support local farms, encourage fair trade and fair compensation for the Indian farmers, and provide the best quality of spices to her customers. Sana's vision is to focus more in quality, heirloom varieties and farms that are looking to bring the best of the best directly in the hands of the consumers.

In this episode, Karthika shares fun, educational and creative ideas for managing a staycation at home. People all over the world are experiencing a complete lockdown and social distancing as a way to control the spread of the pandemic. Luckily there are many ways to stay engaged, creatively challenged and mentally stimulated for the whole family.

In this episode, Karthika explores the traditions of Holi which is an Indian festival of Spring. Known around the world as the festival of colors, Holi is played with water, gull (pink color) and even flowers. A tradition that is deep rooted in Indian mythology, Holi has a lot of cultural significance in India and is celebrated in several unique ways around the country. The vibrancy of colors is something that brings in a lot of positivity in our lives.

In this episode, Karthika explore the dance tradition of Native American tribes. In Native American cultures, dance is a way of expression, a language in itself. Dancing promotes community interaction and meditation. Dances celebrate events such as harvest or seasonal changes, marriages, and representatives from other tribes or nations. Dances tell stories, they are used as a medium for prayer and each dance has its own significant meaning.

Anabela Silva, a musician and singer from Portugal shares her experience on the culture and tradition of Portuguese Fado music. Fado music is often about longing, jealousy, anger, sadness, but also about the daily lives of the people. Born at a time during the Portuguese explorations and revolution, the songs really speak to the innermost feelings of the singer. It often resembles the blues because of its soulful nature and you get to hear Anabela sing a beautiful Fado song about two long...

In this episode, Karthika explores the music and dance culture of the Djabugay - Australian Aboriginal people who are the original inhabitants of mountains, gorges, lands and waters of the wet tropics of Queensland. Australia's aboriginal culture is so beautiful and so very rich in its narratives. There is an inherent connection among all living things and nature. It is considered one of the oldest living cultures because these practices are still in place.

Karthika explores Taiko music from Japan which is the ancient Japanese form of percussion music using large drums that are played in an intense, rhythmic format. Taiko is part music part dance where drummers follow choreographed routines using their whole bodies. Taiko is believed to be the heartbeat of Japan that has visualized through its long deep cultural roots. And now thanks to its modern-day revival it is becoming a more universal musical language bridging cultural gaps around the world.

Karthika interviews Vignesh Ishwar, an award winning musician from Chennai, India. Vignesh is an IT professional turned musician who performs Classical Carnatic music all over India and around the world. Vignesh shares his passion for the arts and how his analytical background actually helps him with his music career. He also talks about Margazhi, the month long music festival in the city of Chennai that pretty much turns the whole city into a music arena with several hundred concerts all...

Karthika introduces Season 04 of CulturallyOurs which is all about cultures and traditions from around the world - some well know and some not so much - as a way to get further insight into the lifestyles of people around the world. This season looks at how cultures and traditions affect the way people live and how they interact with each other and society as a whole.

In this episode Karthika shares what it means to be a culturally sensitive traveler and how we can all be more culturally aware and culturally respectful as we travel to places very different from what we are used to. She also shares details on the 2019 travel retreat to India that kicks off this week. Travel is an incredible opportunity and a privilege that not many of us have so let’s make the best of it for everyone involved – us and the people who we engage with on our travels.

In this bonus episode, Karthika shares opinions and thoughts around some of the most dangerous migration journeys in the world and the people who risk life and limb to undertake such an ordeal in the hopes that what awaits them on the other side is a life more worth living. There are no right or wrong sides when it comes to understanding the dangers of migration and what it means to the communities that take in immigrants. But understanding the human side of this is perhaps a step in the...

Karthika celebrates one year of CulturallyOurs - a year of podcasting, content creation and entrepreneurship. She shares successes as well as the lessons she has learnt along the way. She also discusses why it is important to make mistakes early on so that we can learn and move forward. We all have something to give to the world and own it to ourselves to take chances and do the best we can, in everything that we do.

Explore Travel and Lifestyle as Karthika chats with Kirsty Lamour and her daughters. Kirsty, Saffy and Indy are avid travelers having lived all over the world since they were babies. The girls shared how important culture and diversity is to them - a way to learn about how all of us around the world are actually quite similar instead of focusing on our differences. Kirsty, Saffy and Indy are currently on a year long overland adventure as they take an epic road trip in a van they lovingly call...

Karthika interviews Shane Mitchell, a food, culture and travel writer who had worked with some of the biggest names out like Travel and Leisure, Bon Appetite, and Saveur. She has won three James Beard awards – one of the highest honors given to people in books, journalism, broadcast media, food, and lifetime achievements. Shane talked about her 30+ years in journalism, her decade long journey with her book, Far Afield Food Encounters From Around The World and her connections with people and...