Norkplim Mattah, a student from Ghana, takes us through her life journey that is fraught with so many incredible experiences. Mattah, a trilingual who speaks English, French, and Spanish, spent a year in Spain and worked British and Brazilian diplomatic missions in Ghana before embarking on a journey to pursue Grad school in the US.

 In this episode, Abdullah and Veronika talk about their vision for season 2 of Connecting the pack and have a deep conversation about a variety of subjects. some of the subjects are sensitive, some are amusing, and others are unconventional. This is a raw, humorous, and authentic conversation - but, most importantly, unfiltered. 

In this episode, Veronika and I talk about a variety of topics pertaining to male and female qualities that are desirable in addition to relationships and sexual selection. we also go over beauty standards, male and female gaze, fashion, and much more. We were very open about these topics in this round 2 of our conversation that started at 10 pm and finished at 12 am.

Here's a timestamp that roughly estimates each subject's duration:

General differences between men and women: 00:01:00 – 00:10:00
Relationships and expectations 00:11:00–00:16:00
Attachment through intercourse 00:17:00-00:23:00
Feminine energy 00:24:00–00:27:00
Attraction and Female/male energy 00:28:00–00:33:00
Female and male gaze 00:33:01–00:39:00
Attractiveness and beauty standards 00:40:00–00:44:00
Signaling through clothing 00:45:00–00:54:00
Attractive wear 00:55:00–00:59:00
How much to reveal? 00:60:00 – 1:05:00
Misconstruing signals 1:05:00 – 1:11:00
Female-female fashion competition 1:12:00 – 1:16:00
Clothing choices 1:16:00 – 1:26:00
What is attractive? 1:27:00 – 2:00:00

Veronika with a “K” takes us through some of her interesting stories and encounters as an international student with a mixed background. She is currently doing a 2-year exchange program at NC State University and had many travel experiences prior to her transition to the US. Her stories are funny, intriguing, and quite insightful. Fun fact: She encountered the first episode of “Connecting the pack” when it was released and loved the idea of highlighting international students’ stories. As faith would have it, Veronika and I find ourselves meeting at the end of the spring semester and recording the final episode for the academic year.

This episode explores the art and design world of Ava Haddad. She is a graduate from NC state University’s design program and is currently engaged in art design and pottery, in addition to working as a nurse assistant. Throughout our conversation, we touch on Ava’s design work, sewing, quilting, and her experience in painting in Florence, Italy. In addition to that, a fair bit of our conversation goes over her identity as someone with Lebanese roots and as a person that is constantly engaged in creative endeavors.

In this episode with Diego Reno, I explore industrial design, which is the field of study that he is currently pursuing at NC state. In this conversation, we tackle the idea of providing solutions to problems, where Diego shares with us some of the projects that he is currently working on. In addition to studying in the US, Diego spent most of his life in Spain and pursued a study abroad program in Prague, where one of his designs was showcased in a major exhibition.

This episode explores the story of Juan Lopez, who is an American citizen that spent most of his life in Honduras. The conversation revolves around the idea of identity and how it shaped by the environment one grows up in, cultural attachments, and what it truly means to be an “American”.

Uzma Miraj, a student from Pakistan, talks about her life in Pakistan and her first trip outside of her hometown to pursue climate change at NC State University. Uzma shares with us stories from her life in Pakistan, lifestyle in in her village and broader society, and her work in clean water and environmental sustainability.

This episode explores the story of Goga Katalandze, a young man from Georgia (the country). Goga takes us through his life in occupied territories and living through some interesting moments in a country that was established after the fall of the Soviet Union. We explore themes related to language, identity, cultural ambiguities, and more.

In this episode of connecting the pack, I speak to 2 French students who are currently pursuing an exchange year at NC State university. Romane Guibert and Lenah Simon have studied in France together and went on an exchange opportunity to South Africa and then decided to spend their senior year in Raleigh. We discuss some of the experiences they’ve had in south Africa, whether it be segregation, power cuts, or even Safari trips in addition to the some of the lessons they learned from their journeys abroad.

This episode explores the story of Anet Bucilova, a student from the Czech Republic who decided to pursue a 4-year degree in the US. Anet shares with us the story behind her decision to pursue a degree in the US and her story of being a cheerleader. Throughout the episode, we learn more about the education system in the Czech republic, the difference between life in the US and Prague, in addition to some lessons learned.

Miroslava Colan, a Venezuelan student at North Carolina State University, shares with us the gripping story of the risks she had taken in becoming an active political figure. She talks about how her opposition started, how she navigated a difficult environment, and how she ended up leaving Venezuela in pursuit of a different life. Be aware that some instances might be sensitive to some people.

Xin Yang talks to us about his first ever travel experience to study in France. We explore his journey to France, the lessons learned, and his later transition to the US. Yang shares with us some of the cultural shocks he experienced in addition in addition the growth that comes with spending many years abroad.

In this conversation, Ishan talks to us about his study trips to the UK, Jerusalem, Switzerland, France, Brazil, and the US. We talk about this constant transition and the lessons learned from this global journey. Ishan shares stories about these different countries, the cultural differences, and his Mexican roots.

The episode explores the story of a Ukrainian student who traveled to approximately 35 countries. Throughout the episode, Viktoriia shares with us her life journey, some of the repercussions of the Russia-Ukraine war, and stories from her life in France and the US.

This Episode explores the journey of an Austrian student who hosts a podcast with NC state’s Radio and writes for Technician, NC State’s flagship newspaper. We learn more about Beccy’s exchange journey, her passion for journalism and podcasting, in addition to lessons learned and experiences lived in the US.

This episode explores the journey of an Indian student who lived and studied in both France and the US. We try to understand what it is like to leave the Indian community and experience French society and American culture in the span of 3 years. We also highlight the key lessons that were learned from this adventure, in addition to some memorable moments that characterize each experience.

This episode revolves around the story of Bastian Hauser, an international student from Germany who currently studies at North Carolina state university. We talk about his life in the US, some cultural aspects that are of significance, in addition to his work at Technician, NC State’s student-led newspaper. Bastian shares with us some lessons learned from his experience, in addition to some funny moments that are memorable.

This episode explores Menna’s journey from Egypt to living and studying in 3 different countries. Menna’s journey abroad started at an early age when she first left her home at 15. She later jumped from one country to the next, pursuing her education and immersing herself in different cultures in the process. Menna has an interesting story that taught many lessons about life, independence, and pursuing one’s passion.

A conversation with an Afghan student who shares his story of escaping the Taliban Regime and going into hiding. The conversation delves into the details of the collapse of the Afghan government, the uncertain journey that Samir went through outside of the country, and his eventual arrival to the US.