Hyphenation: A Diaspora Life

In part two of our interview with Chef Elias, we hear about his exciting Ethio-fusion concepts and his vision for the future of Ethiopian cuisine. Show notes: Find Chef Elias on IG at @eliastad, @melange_dc and @moya_et_cuisine. Find us at @diasporalifepod. Music attribution: French Waltz by Sam Bikov and Dream Big by Audiobinger (freemusicarchive.org) CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

Continuing our series on one of our favorite subjects (food, of course), we interview Chef Elias Tadesse. In part one of our interview, we follow him on his journey from his love for injera growing up in Ethiopia, to culinary art school in France, to an early career in New York, where he would earn the coveted Michelin star. Show notes: Find Chef Elias on IG at @eliastad, @melange_dc and @moya_et_cuisine. Find us at @diasporalifepod. Music attribution: French Waltz by Sam Bikov and Dream Big by Audiobinger (freemusicarchive.org) CC BY-NC-ND 3.0

We LOVE food, who doesn't? For habesha diaspora in particular, food makes up a major part of our culture and identity. Hence, we could not be happier to kick off our series of episodes on food with an interview with Chef Gueli. Gueli is a passionate vegan chef who's made a big splash in the DC area and Atlanta. Her story is one about passion, hard work and determination. She left our mouths watering and our hearts inspired.

It's been a little over a year since we started this podcast. In this interlude episode of sorts, we talk about our podcasting experience thus far, read some reviews, comments and thoughts people have sent us this past year, and talk a little about ourselves.

In the third installment of our interview series featuring intercultural and/or interracial couples, "Kidist" & "Dudley" take us through their fifteen year journey of love and friendship, and share their thoughts on the cultural similarities and differences between Jamaicans and Ethiopians.

In our second of a series of episodes on intercultural coupledom, we interview Elsa and Tom, an Ethiopian-Chinese married couple living in Canada.

In our first of a series of episodes exploring intercultural relationships, we interview an Ethiopian and Lebanese/Palestinian couple. High school sweethearts who are now on their 11th year of marriage with two children, the couple tell us about the beauty of their intercultural marriage and the challenges they faced along the way.

It's a fine line between culture shock and "FOB" moments. What was confusing and painful in the moment– whether that's mishaps of language, cuisine, hygiene, or social etiquette–becomes, in retrospect, a hilariously cringe-worthy anecdote. We have collected some of these for you in our fifth episode. Our own stories and those of contributors who, understandably, prefer to remain anonymous!

Follow "Senait" and "Kifle" on their journey from a small town in Ethiopia to America. They may not speak perfect English but they have a beautiful story to tell – one of love, sacrifice, pride in their hard work, gratitude for the little things, and dreaming big, despite having to start anew from almost nothing.

So you find yourself the Eve in the Garden of Vegan during tsom (lent). What if that juicy burger and cheesy pizza in the office lunchroom, forever tempting you, could speak? Here's our dramatic reading of the conversation.