Podcast highlights for June - Diverse stories from Laos, Manx and Yemen

You couldn't ask for a more eclectic and diverse group of countries than Laos, Yemen and the Isle of Man, both geographically and culturally. Perhaps what they all have is a strong sense of tradition that dates back centuries and in each the tightness of the community and family unit are features.

Other than that, the three episodes that I've posted recently have been quite different, with all three coming to Tasmania for entirely different reasons - for safety, for love, and for lifestyle.

KHALED - YEMEN

For me, Khaled's story, more than any other interview I've done recently, illustrates how a personal story can truly illuminate the impact of a conflict on the other side of the world, that we really only know through news reports. But it's also very much a story of resourcefulness, initiative and taking opportunities when they arrived. Khaled's family background and their strong passion for literature and poetry and how that has been passed down to him, was also fascinating and unexpected. This love of literature and words is clearly evident in the extremely eloquent way that Khaled expresses himself in this episode and I think really helps paints a picture of his homeland and its people.

ELLIE - ISLE OF MAN

Ellie's story is totally different, but interesting its own way and full of adventure on the seas and tall ships, which are what brought her to Tasmania. The Isle of Man is also quite a unique and quirky place, with some similarities to Tasmania, but with some of its own unique traditions and language that date back many centuries. It sent me down a rabbit hole of listening to Manx language videos on YouTube, that's for sure.

OUTHAI - LAOS

Food was an important through-line running through much of Outhai's story. Not surprising perhaps, considering that she works as a chef. Yet it was more than that, from emotional memories of the special food she got when sick as a child, to getting known in her local community in Tasmania because of her spring rolls, food has played a key part. Outhai also had the additional challenge of settling in a small Tasmanian country town, when her husband would frequently spend extended periods overseas for work, leaving her on the farm with young kids. But Outhai has learnt to really appreciate the independence she has learnt from living in Tasmania.

All in all, a really interesting mix over the last month, and hopefully a bit of something for everyone - from the darkness of war and existential fear for family to quirky traditions involving talking to fairies in Manx when crossing a bridge !