Have you ever heard the story of a girl who grew up in the Middle East and who is also of Armenian origin, and whose grandparents had to flee the Armenian Genocide at the beginning of the 20th century?

If not, then meet Tamar, my dear guest of this episode who is Armenian-Canadian and with whom I share a very personal background as my grandparents were sent to Siberia during the second world war due to the oppression of the Kalmyk people in 1943, a genocide. My people were displaced for 13 years and rehabilitated only in 1956, but generational trauma does not just disappear after a one decade, not even after few decades. Tamar’s grandparents were children as well when they had to flee from the Armenian Genocide to Lebanon. In this episode, Tamar shares details about her grandparents' exile, what traces generational trauma left on her family, and how it influenced her life, her identity and work choices.

We also discuss how it felt like - growing up as a woman in the Middle East and Middle Eastern society when she was growing up and how it is different from living in the West.

Trigger warning: contains themes of genocide and sensitive content

* UAE - United Arab Emirates

* The book which Tamar mentioned about Armenian Genocide is Armenian Golgotha by Grigoris Balakian, an Armenian priest who eyewitnessed the genocide

Song used in this episode is by band qaynar & radif kashapov called Сәхибҗамал, Газиз һәм Фатыйх.

Tune in and enjoy.