An Alien in Japan, A Local in Romania?

About this episode

Miyu and Valentin share their cross-cultural love story and experiences as immigrants navigating different worlds.

In this episode, I had the immense pleasure of sitting down with Miyu and Valentin, a truly captivating couple whose journey spans continents and cultures. Their honesty and openness instantly drew me in, setting the stage for one of the most refreshing conversations I’ve had. Miyu's upbringing alone is fascinating, born in the UK, moving to traditional Japan at 11, and navigating two vastly different worlds. She shared her unique perspective on growing up bilingual and the cultural nuances, like differing senses of humor, that made her feel like an "alien" in her own homeland [4:25]. Her adventurous spirit then led her to Egypt and ultimately to Spain, where fate and Flamenco, would intertwine her path with Valentin's. Valentin, a Romanian who, by his own admission, "never really liked" Bucharest but always finds himself back here, shared his incredible story of discovering Flamenco through a mysterious blank CD [12:08]. His natural ability to pick up Spanish from telenovelas is truly remarkable! It was in the vibrant heart of Sevilla, where their shared passion for Flamenco blossomed, that their love story truly began [15:20]. I loved hearing how Miyu had…

People in this episode

Host: Paul Puscas

Guests: Miyu, Valentin

Topics covered

• immigrant experiences
• cultural exploration
• personal stories
• bilingual upbringing
• love stories
• Flamenco

Keywords

• immigrant
• Japan
• Romania
• Flamenco
• bilingual
• cultural nuances
• love story
• personal journey

Mentioned in this episode

Places: UK, Japan, Egypt, Spain, Bucharest, Sevilla, Romania

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