¡Hola Masala! This week, we're diving into the cultural surprises I experienced as an Indian visiting Colombia. ✨
With our big move to Colombia coming up soon, it felt like the perfect time to reflect on the delightful (and sometimes bewildering!) moments from my first two trips.
From unexpected greetings to surprising culinary traditions, Colombia never failed to keep me on my toes.
Which cultural differences surprise you the most? Share your thoughts in the comments below! 👇
📱 Want more? We've created 10 Instagram Reels exploring these same cultural shocks.
Check them out here: https://www.instagram.com/masalaofcultures/
Join us as we explore relationships, cultures, and life experiences—one spicy story at a time.
Nandri, Vanakkam! 😄
Hola Masala! This week, we're highlighting three Tamil movies that explore various aspects of love within the Indian context.
Vinnaithaandi Varuvaya, Alai Paayuthey, and OK Kanmani! ❤️
In this series, we compare how movies and TV series from Colombia and India shape our expectations of love, gender roles, and emotional expression.
💬 We tackle questions like:
– Why is love such a taboo topic in India?
– Life before and after marriage.
– Is it a sin to live together before marriage?
🎁 PLUS: A few laughs, cultural clashes, and surprising realizations.
📚 And don’t forget to check our favorite relationship book picks here:
https://www.masalaofcultures.com/guides/4-best-relationship-books?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=s4e7
Join us as we explore Relationships, Cultures & Life Experiences—one spicy story at a time.
Nandri, Vanakkam! 😄
Hola Masala! Check our latest guide on the 20 Best Games for Couples, covering online, console, board, and card games: https://www.masalaofcultures.com/guides/best-games-for-couples?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=s4e6 🎮
This week, we're going full novela mode as we dive into Pasión de Gavilanes—a legendary Colombian telenovela that redefined how Latin America saw men, desire, and romantic love. ❤️
In this episode, we compare how media from Colombia and India shape our expectations of love, gender roles, and emotional expression.
💬 We ask questions like:
– Why do some cultures sexualize men while others don’t?
– How does drama on screen change how we see love in real life?
– Would an Indian version of Pasión de Gavilanes even be allowed?
🎁 PLUS: A few laughs, cultural clashes, and surprising realizations.
📚 And don’t forget to check our favorite relationship book picks here: https://www.masalaofcultures.com/guides/4-best-relationship-books?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=s4e6
Join us as we explore Relationships, Cultures & Life Experiences—one spicy story at a time.
Nandri, Vanakkam! 😄
Hola Masala! We're glad to meet you again on a new video.
In this episode, we discuss why self-work is indispensable in relationships, the importance of adapting and sacrificing, the role our habits and preferences play in our daily lives, and more.
We also share three tips to overcome these difficulties in intercultural relationships.
00:00 Introduction and Episode Overview
00:52 Realizations and Cultural Differences
03:23 Adapting and Evolving in Relationships
06:40 Challenges and Communication
14:12 Tips for a Healthy Intercultural Relationship
20:18 Conclusion and Recommendations
We hope you find value and join us for more episodes on Relationships, Cultures, and Life Experiences.
Check out our 4 most favorite books on relationships, love, and marriage in this guide:
https://www.masalaofcultures.com/guides/4-best-relationship-books?utm_source=spotify&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=s4e5
Nandri, Vanakkam 😄
Hola Masala! Here's the fourth episode of season 4. In this episode, we discuss the mindsets we had to shed to be together as an intercultural couple.
We discuss three central mindset shifts that helped us navigate the complexities of an interracial relationship.
00:00 Intro
00:45 About Us
02:07 Mindset 1: Let Go of Stereotypes
05:08 Stereotypes of Colombia
09:05 Stereotypes of India
13:20 Mindset 2: Love Alone is Enough
16:50 Having the Hard Conversations
21:10 Mindset 3: Building a Third Culture
23:45 "Fitting In a Culture"
26:50 Sharing Our Vulnerability
30:00 Our New Website
30:38 Outro
We hope you find value and join us for more episodes on Relationships, Cultures, and Life Experiences.
Learn the differences between Intercultural, Multicultural, Cross-cultural, and Interracial Relationships in our blog post: Intercultural, Multicultural, Cross-cultural, and Interracial Relationships Explained
Nandri, Vanakkam 😄
Hola Masala! We are back with the third episode of season 4.
International travel is difficult, especially when you have only a couple of weeks to plan it. That's what happened when we tried to plan our honeymoon trip to the Philippines. We almost missed it!
In this episode, we discuss what went wrong and how you can avoid the same mistakes when planning an international trip. We also did a few things right that ultimately made our travel perfect, and we will share about that as well.
We hope you find value and join us for more episodes on Relationships, Cultures, and Life Experiences.
Also, remember to check out our website, which contains informational blog posts, guides, and podcasts on intercultural relationships -https://masalaofcultures.com!
Nandri, Vanakkam 😄
Hola Masala, in this episode, we talk about Luisa's parents' experience in India.
A few months ago, they came to attend our Hindu wedding. Before the wedding, we traveled across the country, visiting historical and architectural marvels like the Taj Mahal and the Brihadisvara Temple.
We also discuss the challenges they faced even before landing here and provide a few tips on how to avoid similar problems while traveling to a different country.
We hope you find value and join us for more such episodes on Relationships, Cultures, and Life Experiences.
Also, remember to check out our new website, which contains informational blog posts, guides, and podcasts on intercultural relationships -https://masalaofcultures.com!
Head over to our YouTube channel for Spanish subtitles and Instagram for cool social content, and email us with your comments or to say Hi! through this link: https://linktr.ee/masalaofcultures
Nandri, Vanakkam! :)
Hola Masala, in this episode, we share everything about the planning of our Indian wedding.
In November 2023, Luisa visited India for the first time, and we got married exactly a year later in November 2024.
We discuss the positives, challenges, and more on planning a Hindu wedding in India.
We hope you find value and join us for more such episodes on Relationships, Cultures, and Life Experiences.
Also, remember to check out our new website, which contains informational blog posts, guides, and podcasts on intercultural relationships - https://masalaofcultures.com!
Head over to our YouTube channel for Spanish subtitles and Instagram for cool social content, and email us with your comments or to say Hi! through this link: https://linktr.ee/masalaofcultures
Nandri, Vanakkam! :)
Hola Masala, in this episode, we talk about all the emotions, challenges, and positives from when met each other again in Colombia after being away from each other for almost 2 years.
We hope you find value and tag along with us for more such episodes on Relationships, Cultures, and our experiences in Life!
Head over to our YouTube channel for Spanish subtitles; Instagram & TikTok for cool social content; and email us with your comments or just to say Hi! through this link: https://linktr.ee/masalaofcultures
Nandri, Vanakkam! :)
Hola Masala, in this episode, we discuss how we spent one and a half years in a long-distance relationship- in India and Colombia. We talk about the positive feelings and experiences we lived during this phase of our relationship. Long-distance relationships don't have to be hard.
We hope you find value and tag along with us for more such episodes on Relationships, Cultures, and our experiences in Life!
Head over to our YouTube channel for Spanish subtitles; Instagram & TikTok for cool social content; and email us with your comments or just to say Hi! through this link: https://linktr.ee/masalaofcultures
Nandri, Vanakkam! :)
Hola Masala, in this episode, we discuss how social hosts and local communities helped us a lot during our stay in the US. At times when we felt a bit homesick or lost, these people were always there to help us.
We hope you find value and tag along with us for more such episodes on Relationships, Cultures, and our experiences in Life!
Head over to our YouTube channel for Spanish subtitles; Instagram & TikTok for cool social content; and email us with your comments or just to say Hi! through this link: https://linktr.ee/masalaofcultures
Nandri, Vanakkam! :)
Hola Masala, in this episode, we discuss the different aspects that go into living with housemates or roommates from different cultures and backgrounds. In this season, we will share our experiences of being in the US, the CCI Program, and more.
We hope you find value and tag along with us for more such episodes on Relationships, Cultures, and our experiences in Life!
Head over to our YouTube channel for Spanish subtitles; Instagram & TikTok for cool social content; and email us with your comments or just to say Hi! through this link: https://linktr.ee/masalaofcultures
Nandri, Vanakkam! :)
Hola Masala, in this episode, we discuss the culture shocks (U-curve model) we faced in our time in the US. We talk about the feelings we had in the different phases of being in a foreign country. In this season, we will share our experiences of being in the US, the CCI Program, and more.
We hope you find value and tag along with us for more such episodes on Relationships, Cultures, and our experiences in Life!
Head over to our YouTube channel for Spanish subtitles; Instagram & TikTok for cool social content; and email us with your comments or just to say Hi! through this link: https://linktr.ee/masalaofcultures
Nandri, Vanakkam! :)
Hola Masala, we're back with our second episode of the new season! In this episode, we talk about our mindset before leaving for the United States for the Community College Initiative Program (CCI Program). We talk about the different thoughts, fears, and inhibitions we had before leaving our countries. In this season, we will share our experiences of being in the US, the CCI Program, and more.
We hope you find value and tag along with us for more such episodes on Relationships, Cultures, and our experiences in Life!
Head over to our YouTube channel for Spanish subtitles; Instagram & TikTok for cool social content; and email us with your comments or just to say Hi! through this link: https://linktr.ee/masalaofcultures
Nandri, Vanakkam! :)
Hola Masala, here's the 1st episode of our second season! In this episode, we talk about the Community College Initiative Program (CCI Program). We (Luisa and Aswin) met each other in the United States as fellow participants of this program. This season, we will share our experiences of being in the US, the CCI Program, and more.
We hope you find value and tag along with us for more such episodes on Relationships, Cultures, and our experiences in Life!
Head over to our YouTube channel for Spanish subtitles; Instagram & TikTok for cool social content; and email us with your comments or just to say Hi! through this link: https://linktr.ee/masalaofcultures
Nandri, Vanakkam! :)
Hola Masala! Here's the 10th and the final episode of our first season! In this episode, we talk about our very beautiful and diverse cities, Pereira and Chennai. We discuss various facts and things that we love from the cities that shaped most of our life, including famous attractions, food, culture, art, architecture, and many more.
We hope you find value and tag along with us for more such episodes on Relationships, Cultures, and our experiences in Life!
Head over to our YouTube channel for Spanish subtitles; Instagram & TikTok for cool social content; and email us with your comments or just to say Hi! through this link: https://linktr.ee/masalaofcultures
Nandri, Vanakkam! :)
Hola Masala! We present to you the 9th episode of our podcast! In this episode, we talk about the various festivals, parties, and also some crazy & weird traditions from Colombia and India. Tune in to know more about how and when we celebrate in our cultures!
We hope you find value and tag along with us for more such episodes on Relationships, Cultures, and our experiences in Life!
Head over to our YouTube channel for Spanish subtitles; Instagram & TikTok for cool social content; and email us with your comments or just to say Hi! through this link: https://linktr.ee/masalaofcultures
Nandri, Vanakkam! :)
Hola Masala! Here is the 8th episode of our podcast! In this episode, we talk about the different etiquette and courtesy principles from India and Colombia. We also discuss our experience of living cultural shocks in the United States. Practices of our extremely different cultures have intrigued us a lot; here, we try to relive some of our interesting and funny moments together.
We hope you find value and tag along with us for more such episodes on Relationships, Cultures, and our experiences in Life!
Head over to our YouTube channel for Spanish subtitles; Instagram & TikTok for cool social content; and email us with your comments or just to say Hi! through this link: https://linktr.ee/masalaofcultures
Nandri, Vanakkam! :)
Hola Masala! We present to you the seventh episode of our podcast! In this episode, we talk about the different kinds of clothing worn by both men and women from Colombia and India. We also discuss the concept of cultural colonialism and whether 'Westernization' is affecting our native cultures.
We hope you find value and tag along with us for more such episodes on Relationships, Cultures, and our experiences in Life!
Head over to our YouTube channel for Spanish subtitles; Instagram & TikTok for cool social content; and email us with your comments or just to say Hi! through this link: https://linktr.ee/masalaofcultures
Nandri, Vanakkam! :)
Hola Masala! Here's the sixth episode of our podcast! In this episode, we talk about Movies, Telenovelas, and TV Series from India and Colombia. Listen to know more about interesting facts on this art form from our cultures!
We hope you find value and tag along with us for more such episodes on Relationships, Cultures, and our experiences in Life!
Head over to our YouTube channel for Spanish subtitles; Instagram & TikTok for cool social content; and email us with your comments or just to say Hi! through this link: https://linktr.ee/masalaofcultures
Nandri, Vanakkam! :)