Ep 9: Merry Xmas, YA WELCOME

Ep 9: Merry Xmas, YA WELCOME

What if I told you the reason Mariah Carey is blastin' in ya ear is because of my ancestors? That's right, ancient winter solstice celebrations in the LAND OF MY PEOPLE eventually influenced what we now celebrate as Christmas! Join me in today's episode as I tell Kyna the story of Shab-e Yalda, which marks the winter solstice - the longest night of the year. Yalda reminds us that darkness is real but never permanent. In the words of the late great 2pac Shakur, "If you can make it through the night, there's a brighter day". CURSE YOU SEAN DIDDY COMBS!! Also - EVERYONE GO SAY CONGRATS TO OUR GIRL KYNA - she is officially a FEYONCE!!!! Thanks to everyone who supported the pod in our baby year - SEE YA IN 2026!

Ep 8: More Like ThanksTAKING

Trump’s bizarre meeting with Zohran Mamdani at the White House, the death of Dick Cheney - a man whose policies reshaped and destroyed entire regions, including our homeland - and what it means to watch history loop on itself. Madina opens up about the revelations she’s been having about her own upbringing, how that childhood shaped her adult relationships, and why the holidays can crack open old grief in ways we don’t always expect. This episode sits at the intersection of politics, memory, and healing - and how we carry the weight of all three. Mentions, listed in order: Passion Planner: ⁠https://passionplanner.com/ [⁠https://passionplanner.com/] Charlize Theron Get Some Young D: https://open.spotify.com/track/2oCh2r7qubt8PJVb7lIzKK?si=70b7dcbcfcf54b33 [https://open.spotify.com/track/2oCh2r7qubt8PJVb7lIzKK?si=70b7dcbcfcf54b33] Kardashian Kolloquium: https://www.tiktok.com/discover/kardashian-kolloquium [https://www.tiktok.com/discover/kardashian-kolloquium] Havasole: https://havasole.com/ [https://havasole.com/]

Ep 7: Pakistan’s Frankenstein: The Taliban

How did Pakistan create the monster it now battles, and what happens when a proxy terrorist group bites the hand that feeds it? In this episode, we break down the uncomfortable truth behind Afghanistan–Pakistan relations: the Taliban didn’t appear out of nowhere. They were engineered, trained, sheltered, and strategically deployed by the Pakistani state for decades - and today that same monster is clawing back. This is the story of borders drawn by colonizers, movements crushed by states, and proxies that grew too powerful to control. If you want to understand the current Afghanistan–Pakistan crisis - the airstrikes, border clashes, deportations, and rising insurgencies - you have to understand the monster’s origin story. (Originally recorded on October 11, 2025)

Ep 6: Far From Home with Ankita Kumar

In this episode, we spoke with filmmaker Ankita Kumar about her documentary Far From Home, which follows the lives of Afghan refugees in India. For Afghans in India, “refuge” often means being trapped in limbo - denied basic rights, barred from citizenship, and facing daily hostility. Because they are Muslim, Afghan refugees are excluded from the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA), leaving them with virtually no pathway to safety, stability, or belonging. This film is not just about displacement - it’s about the cruelty of borders, religion-based exclusion, and what it means to be permanently kept at the margins. Read more about Ankita’s experience shooting the film:https://www.outlookindia.com/national/the-endless-wait-of-afghan-refugees-weekender_story-305690 [https://www.outlookindia.com/national/the-endless-wait-of-afghan-refugees-weekender_story-305690] Read about Ankita's grandmothers story:https://thewire.in/south-asia/seeking-refuge-the-story-of-two-women-i-know [https://thewire.in/south-asia/seeking-refuge-the-story-of-two-women-i-know] Ankita Mukhopadhyay Kumar is an award-winning Indian journalist and documentary filmmaker based in the US. Ankita’s directorial debut, Far from Home, was selected to over eight film festivals, including the Academy award-qualifying Tasveer Film Festival and the American Documentary and Animation Film Festival. Far from Home, which is the story of Afghan refugees in India, was funded by the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting and the American Institute of Afghanistan Studies (AIAS). The film was a finalist for NHK’s prestigious Japan Prize and runner up in the Best Short Documentary category at the Chicago South Asian Film Festival (CSAFF). It’s the first documentary on Afghan refugees in India. The film stemmed from Ankita’s work as a graduate student at Northwestern University and was inspired by Ankita’s own grandmother, who was a refugee to India in 1947 after the country’s partition.

Ep 5: Mexico MAJICO

In this episode, Madina & Kyna discussed the weird feelings that came up as the Charlie Kirk assassination happened one day before 9/11. As always, Madina cries at some point. Anyone going to CDMX soon? Check out Madina's travel suggestions for beautiful Mexico City. But don't be a gentrifying gringo! Orale.