The Mixed Coconut Podcast: Recent Episodes
winter's bloom
~Challenging to 'coconut' one sip at a time~ Hosted by Sophia Staffiero and Natasha Lowery, this podcast aims to disrupt the dominant narratives of what it means to be X (insert identifying feature here). Through our (mostly) informal chats, we explore a variety of topics from our experience as mixed-heritage women, self proclaimed grandmothers, overthinkers and good friends.
Hey all! For this conversation, we are joined by Lilia Kapsali, an amazing human, dear friend and the creative behind Venus de Louisiane Over the past 6-ish months, the three of us have been collaborating and co-writing along the themes of Belonging and Heritage (among others). In this episode we talk about these concepts and share a bit about the release of our project, rooted in soil, shifting waters: writing the sea that holds a thousand colors. Listen along as we share stories, laugh and co-create meaning through conversation.
A note from Lilia: "I neglected to attribute the concept of context in my definition of belonging and heritage to Nora Bateson and her father Gregory Bateson, whose writing has inspired a lot of my thinking around these issues."
Thank you as always to Emiko, the talented artist behind our intro and outro music.
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If you like what you hear, and/or want to hear more, please get in touch with us through one of our platforms. You can also email us at wintersblooming@gmail.com . We would love to start a conversation with you and/or feature your stories and perspectives. Equally, please leave us a review through whatever podcast streaming app you use.
Show Notes:
- Lilia Kapsali and Venus de Louisiane
- where you can pre-order / order our booklet
Hey all! We are back with the same old chat, same old (at heart at least) ladies, but new name. We are excited to introduce the Mixed Coconut Podcast :) Listen in to learn more about what our new name means, and why we chose it. Let us know what you think!
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If you like what you hear, and/or want to hear more, please get in touch with us through one of our platforms. You can also email us at wintersblooming@gmail.com . We would love to start a conversation with you and/or feature your stories and perspectives. Equally, please leave us a review through whatever podcast streaming app you use.
Hey all! We are back with another episode :) In this one, we share a disagreement we have over some of the content in one of our posts on winter's bloom. One of the core values of winter's bloom is the commitment to honoring an-other's humanity, and that includes the tough moments when we might not hold the same opinions. Join us in this episode as we share our different points of view and talk about language, dictionaries and definitions.
Thank you as always to Emiko, the talented artist behind our intro and outro music.
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If you like what you hear, and/or want to hear more, please get in touch with us through one of our platforms. You can also email us at wintersblooming@gmail.com . We would love to start a conversation with you and/or feature your stories and perspectives. Equally, please leave us a review through whatever podcast streaming app you use.
Show Notes:
- The post that started it all: Disrupting Identity
- Interview on Filipino Identity with Virginia Benitez Licunuan
- The article on re-defining Racism
- dictionary of obscure sorrows
Hey all! Happy Valentines Day to you :) We at winter's bloom are celebrating by doing one of our favorite things: chatting. In this episode we revisit the topic of dating. Our conversation reveals what has changed (and what hasn't) in our perspectives on dating since our last conversation. We talk about dating apps, people we've met, and whether race does (or should) impact our romantic preferences.
Thank you as always to Emiko, the talented artist behind our intro and outro music.
Follow us:
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If you like what you hear, and/or want to hear more, please get in touch with us through one of our platforms. You can also email us at wintersblooming@gmail.com . We would love to start a conversation with you and/or feature your stories and perspectives. Equally, please leave us a review through whatever podcast streaming app you use.
Show Notes:
- the defining decade by Meg Jay
- five personality traits and how they relate with love
In this episode we reflect on the themes of January 2021 which are REFLECTIONS and COMMEMORATIONS. We talk about how we define these concepts / ways-of-being, the forces that shaped these understandings, reflection practices and what we want to leave behind / bring with us from our experiences in 2020. We also dip briefly into discussions on fashion and dating ;)
Thank you as always to Emiko, the talented artist behind our intro and outro music.
Follow us:
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If you like what you hear, and/or want to hear more, please get in touch with us through one of our platforms. You can also email us at wintersblooming@gmail.com . We would love to start a conversation with you and/or feature your stories and perspectives. Equally, please leave us a review through whatever podcast streaming app you use.
Show Notes:
- who's land do you occupy?
- characteristics of white supremacy culture
- steps of colonization and decolonization
- decolonization is not a metaphor by Tuck and Yang
In this episode, we talk about the concepts / movements / ways of being that are womanism and pinayism. In many ways we feel these concepts more accurately represent our experiences as women of color in this world, but there are also gaps / blind spots that we still hold. Listen along as we explore these ideas.
Thank you as always to Emiko, the talented artist behind our intro and outro music.
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If you like what you hear, and/or want to hear more, please get in touch with us through one of our platforms. We would love to start a conversation with you and/or feature your stories and perspectives. Equally, please leave us a review through whatever podcast streaming app you use, and tag us on instagram @wintersbloom_
Show Notes:
articles on womanism:
- https://www.thoughtco.com/womanist-feminism-definition-3528993
- https://www.theodysseyonline.com/what-is-womanism
articles on pinayism
- https://www.pinayista.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/pinayism-pinaypower.pdf
- http://filameducation.com/wp-content/uploads/pinayism.pdf
Colonize This! on Goodreads
In this episode, Sophia and Natasha talk about the Netflix documentary: The Social Dilemma. Using the movie as an anchor, we discuss our personal relationships with social media, and winter's blooms' position as an online platform.
Thank you as always to Emiko, the talented artist behind our intro and outro music.
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If you like what you hear, and/or want to hear more, please get in touch with us through one of our platforms. We would love to start a conversation with you and/or feature your stories and perspectives. Equally, please leave us a review through whatever podcast streaming app you use, and tag us on instagram @wintersbloom_
Show notes:
- Sophia's article on the Social Dilemma
- Home Fire by Kamilah Shamsie
- Algorithms of Oppression by Safiya Noble
- The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People
- Thinking Fast, Thinking Slow
In this episode, Sophia and Natasha talk about Racial Impostor Syndrome, what it is, how (and when) we've felt it, and ways we deal with it.
Thank you as always to Emiko, the talented artist behind our intro and outro music.
Follow us:
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- Youtube
If you like what you hear, and/or want to hear more, please get in touch with us through one of our platforms. We would love to start a conversation with you and/or feature your stories and perspectives. Equally, please leave us a review through whatever podcast streaming app you use, and tag us on instagram @wintersbloom_
Show Notes:
- biracial unicorns IG page
- gabriela.pdx IG page
- W.E.B Du Bois double consciousness
- further reading on racial impostor syndrome: here and here
- Brit-ish by Afua Hirsch
- mixed race faces IG page
- Filipina-American Woman Project IG page
The journey we take to where we are is rarely ever linear. In this episode, we reflect on our journeys so far, where we thought we would be when we were younger, and the lessons we have learned from the obstacles along the way.
Thank you as always to Emiko, the talented artist behind our intro and outro music.
Follow us:
- Wordpress
- Youtube
If you like what you hear, and/or want to hear more, please get in touch with us through one of our platforms. We would love to start a conversation with you and/or feature your stories and perspectives. Equally, please leave us a review through whatever podcast streaming app you use, and tag us on instagram @wintersbloom_
In this episode Sophia and Natasha talk about rejection. We start off our discussion around an article Sophia found called Rejection and Physical Pain are the Same to Your Brain. We talk about social media and the low-stakes rejection that sometimes hurts just the same, and then we share some of our stories of rejection. Do you have your own thoughts and stories about rejection that you would like to share? If so please reach out :)
Thank you as always to Emiko, the talented artist behind our intro and outro music.
Show Notes:
- Why rejection hurts so much and what to do about it
- Basics of Epigenetics
- time limit apps for Iphone addiction
- Basics of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy
- Basics of Narrative Therapy
Follow us:
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If you like what you hear, and/or want to hear more, please get in touch with us through one of our platforms. We would love to start a conversation with you and/or feature your stories and perspectives. Equally, please leave us a review through whatever podcast streaming app you use, and tag us on instagram @wintersbloom_
In this episode Natasha has a conversation with Dr. Heidi Smith, who is... many things! She is programme directer for the Outdoor Environmental Education master's programme at the University of Edinburgh, lecturer, mentor, leadership researcher and practitioner. In this episode, we talk about her research on Leadership, and how her insights might be applied beyond Outdoor Environmental Education.
Thank you as always to Emiko, the talented artist behind our intro and outro music.
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In this episode, Natasha and Sophia talk about ... SEX!! We realized this was one of the first times, through the course of our whole friendship, that we've really sat down to talk about this topic. Though are experiences with sex (learning about it, talking about it, having it) differ, we both want to normalize these conversations as we feel sex can sometimes be stigmatized. Listen along as we do just that!
Thank you as always to Emiko, the talented artist behind our intro and outro music.
Show Notes:
- turn on triggers quiz from Shan Boodram's book The Game of Desire
- Article on Libido types
- Amaliah Podcast
- Kunyaza: The Secret to Female Pleasure by Habeeb Akande
- A Taste of Honey by Habeeb Akande
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This is the audio version of Lilia Kapsali-Grant's submission for the July themes of Independence and Growth. The written format of her post can be found here.
In this episode, Sophia and Natasha center their reflections on getting to know themselves better through the imagery of the four legged stool. Each leg of the stool represents a different aspect of your-self and how that person acts in relation with another. Join us as we unpack some of our reflections.
Thank you to Emiko, the talented RnB and Soul artist behind our intro and outro music.
Show Notes:
- Shan Boodram on Youtube
- July Full Moon reflections prompt
- Our reflections
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In this episode, Natasha sits down with Alyssa Mohammed to talk about what being Mixed-Race means to her. Alyssa was born and raised in New Orleans, Louisiana and is currently studying nursing with the eventual goal to be a midwife. Confidence is a theme that plays out in Alyssa's story as a mixed woman in the south.
Thank you to Emiko, the talented RnB and Soul artist behind our intro and outro music.
Show Notes:
- More information on Loving Day here
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In this Episode, Natasha sits down with Coach Jose Rodriguez, a retired fighter, jiu-jitsu coach, father of two and mixed-heritage American. Coach Jose shares his story, the experiences he faced as a mixed individual. The conversation turns to racism, the black lives matter movement and how wisdom from fighting might contribute to the ways we proceed as a society. Though Natasha and Jose disagree about some points of discussion, they reach a point of respectful disagreement.
Thank you as always to Emiko, the talented RnB and Soul artist behind our intro and outro music.
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This week, we're talking about privilege! One of the goals of this conversation is to normalize conversations about owning and acknowledging ones' privileges. Too often (we feel), the traditional discourse surrounding this topic is calling out another's privilege, and speaking of the privileges we don't have. In this episode, we approach the topic from an different angle. Listen along to find out more about the privileges we hold, how they manifest, and how we use them in our everyday lives.
Thank you as always to Emiko, the talented Soul and RnB artist behind our intro and outro music. Check him out here.
Support our efforts to change the dominant paradigm, and enjoy some poetry! If you buy any of our books during the months of June and July, 100% of the profits will be donated to Unicorn Riot:
- The Snake and the Cuttlefish
- the tender places of worn out fibres
Show notes:
- The video of Botany Bae/Justin Robinson, a black botanist, speaking of his experience in the field.
- the Filipino American Woman Project podcast
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- Website
- Youtube
In this episode, we have a conversation about beauty: how we define it, how we see it, the ways we learned to find it and how it shows up in our lives. Trigger warning: in this episode we briefly touch upon the topic of eating disorders.
Thank you to the talented Emiko, the artist behind our intro and outro music.
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In this bonus episode, Natasha sits down with her older sister Marieta Easley to talk about life, kids, travel, and growing up through the lens of mixed race/heritage. Listen along as we talk the mixed race experience within one family.
Links from the episode
- Slice of Heaven Farm - Marieta and her husband's small family farm
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This full moon, we have a chat about a disagreement we both had. We talk about how it arose, how we handled it, and how we pushed past the shame and defensive instincts that came up. Sophia shares an activity aimed at getting open and honest feedback from relationships as well as some other game-like alternatives that can be used to break the ice. We also want to make sure that you (our listeners) are aware that for the months of June and July, we will be donating 100% of the profits from our book sales (links to the books in the show notes) to Unicorn Riot, an organization that supports artists and journalists to uncover the underlying truths in social justice and environmental issues.
Thank you as always to Emiko, the talented Soul/RnB artist behind our intro and outro music.
Show Notes:
Purchase our books here:
- The Snake and the Cuttlefish
- the tender places of worn out fibres
Some game-like alternatives to Sophia's activity
- skin deep card game
- school of life card game
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- Youtube
In this episode we talk about Intersectionality: the origins of the term, what it has come to mean, and the ways it shows up in our lives. Join us as the conversation strays to personal experiences, disability, Islam, book recommendations and the gifts that emerge from the intersections of our identities.
Thank you to Emiko, the talented artist behind our intro and outro music.
Links from the episode:
- article about Kimberlé Crenshaw
- LGMD1D Foundation
- Steve Garner's Whiteness on Goodreads
- Angela Davis' Women, Race and Class on Goodreads
- Our post about the feeling of within and without
- The realities of an ethical lifestyle
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In this episode, we unpack our new moon reflections. We speak about the rhythms of our lives, when words are difficult, and knowing when to maintain, and knock down boundaries.
Thank you to the talented Emiko, the artist behind our intro and outro music.
Links from the episode:
- new moon reflections post on our website
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- Youtube
In this episode, Sophia and Natasha have an open discussion based on a (first!) winter's bloom survey, Is coronavirus bringing out the worst or best in us? Their conversation touches on the themes of capitalism, technology and human connection.
Thank you to Emiko, the talented artist behind our intro and outro music.
Links from the show notes:
Prepare for the Ultimate Gaslighting.
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Content Warning: sexual assault is briefly mentioned.
In this episode, Sophia and Natasha unpack their Full Moon Reflections for the month of May. Their conversation touches on the topics of physical space, roots, time, and briefly on beauty.
Thank you to Emiko, the talented artist behind our intro and outro music.
Links from the show notes:
- The Novalia Collective and this is my body
- this is my body 2020 performance
- digital zine for this is my body 2020
- Zabdi Maynez IG
Books mentioned in the episode
- Queer Phenomenology by Sarah Ahmed
- Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
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In this episode, Sophia and Natasha talk about the sometimes sticky subject of dating as a mixed being. We talk about the ups and downs of their experiences in the dating game.
Recording note: Natasha's audio is not ideal. We considered re-recording the episode, but did not want to sacrifice the authenticity of our conversation. Natasha is trouble shooting her recording equipment and future episodes will have better audio quality. We appreciate your patience, and hope that you can enjoy the content!
Thank you as always to Emiko, the artist behind our intro and outro music.
Links referenced in the episode:
- article on scents and relationships
- Sophia's article: Tired of Playing the Dating Game
- hapa.me artist kip fulbeck
- Youtuber Breeny Lee
- The Snake and The Cuttlefish (our first joint book of poems)
- the tender places of worn out fibres (our second joint book of poems)
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This episode is an audio recording of Sophia Staffiero's post, Why did my Facebook become a political platform? In finding her voice over the last 6 years, Sophia has realised the importance of accepting and owing the responsibility that comes with having the privilege of a platform (no matter how small or big) Here’s why she let her voice be heard.
This is an audio version of Sophia Staffiero's article 'The modesty of being needed and needful.' ‘Modesty’ is a characteristic which is often connected solely to the practice of accepting our limitations, but how can we embody a more modest attitude in the acknowledgement of being ‘needful’?
This episode is an audio-recording of Sophia Staffiero's book review for Six Memos for the Next Millennium by Italo Calvino.
This episode is an audio version of Sophia Staffiero's post, Impostor Syndrome: What is it and what does it do? In this post Sophia share her experience of imposter syndrome – what it is (and has been) for her, especially during her undergraduate university experience and how she has learnt to arrive more fully into the spaces which she inhabits.
This episode is an audio version of Sophia Staffiero's post, The Inconsistencies of People. In this post Sophia delves into her (inconsistent) reflections on how to reconcile the inconsistencies of people (including herself).
It's the new moon again so Sophia and Natasha took a moment to reflect, and share the outcomes of their journaling session. Listen along to our musings on the theme of origins.
Thank you as always to Emiko, the artist behind our intro and outro music.
Links from the show:
- April New Moon Reflections
- Coronavirus Diaries #7
- The Tender Places of Worn out Fibres
- The Snake and the Cuttlefish
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This is an audio version of Natasha Lowery's review of Sandy Day's book Head on Backwards Chest Full of Sand. The review was originally published on Reedsy Discovery.
This episode is an audio recording of Sophia's post, Does Individualism Breed Identity Crisis? In this post, Sophia shares her reflections on individualism as one (of the very many) root cause of identity crisis. How does individualism teach us to construct identity in isolation from others?
In this episode, Sophia and Natasha talk about being mixed race. The discussion encompasses childhood memories, family influences, and if mixed race or mixed heritage is the correct term. Let us know what you think in the comments and please leave us a review!
Technical difficulties: We apologize for the sound quality of Natasha's recording. At some points in the episode her audio sounds more muffled, we are working to perfect our recordings. Thank you for your patience and we hope you enjoy the content.
Thank you as always to Emiko, the talented artist behind our intro and outro music. Listen to him here.
Links from the episode:
Sophia's blog post on the infamous question: Where are you from?
Natasha's review of Zadie Smith's Feel Free (The essay referenced in the episode is Brother from Another Mother)
The article about mixed race vs. mixed heritage.
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This is an audio recording of the blog post Accessibility for Winter's Bloom which can be found on our website here.
In this episode, Sophia and Natasha chat about their full moon reflections. The conversation covers the senses, active listening, books, resilience, letting go and living in the moment.
Thank you to Emiko, the West London based artist who created our intro and outro music.
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In this episode Sophia and Natasha talk about love: how to define it (can it be defined?), how it manifests in our lives, the way we learn to love, and the place for letting go in love. Join our candid conversation as we ramble and explore the concept of love!
Thank you to Emiko, a talented West London based artist who created our theme music.
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Episode Links:
- 8 types of love according to the Ancient Greek
- Alain de Botton on Romanticism
- Esther Perel
In this episode, Natasha talks to her nieces about coronavirus, nifflers, friends, online learning apps, and fun activities to do together. A quick note, a few times, some of the audio cuts out, and that was to remove some names and preserve their privacy. Enjoy!
A huge shoutout and thank you to Emiko, the talented artist behind our intro, transition and outro music. Listen to him on Spotify.
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In this episode, Sophia and Natasha bring their journal reflections for the March New Moon to life. Inevitably the conversation turns to the Coronavirus, as the recent lockdowns in the UK and Oregon require us to re-adjust our lives. Join our conversation as we discuss the challenges and hope that accompanies the uncertainty of the present moment.
Huge thank you to Emiko who is the talented artist behind our intro and outro music (Pride). Check him out on Spotify!
Note: Natasha has a bit of confusion about whether South, or North Korea was covered in the news. After some research (links below) the article she refers to talks about South Korea.
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Links discussed in the episode:
South Korea's response to coronavirus
https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2020/03/coronavirus-cases-have-dropped-sharply-south-korea-whats-secret-its-success
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2020/03/17/south-koreas-coronavirus-success-story-underscores-how-us-initially-failed/
In this episode, Sophia and Natasha talk about the results of their Meyers Briggs Personality Tests. We discuss the similarities, differences, strengths, weaknesses and overall impressions of our respective personality types. If you know yours, we'd love for you to share through comments, an article submission for our website, or an email. Follow the links below to find our website and social media platforms, and please don't forget to rate our content and leave us a review!
Huge thank you and shout out to Emiko, who created Pride, our intro and outro music. Find him on Spotify.
Links mentioned in the episode:
- 16 Personalities Test
- Sophia's article The Inconsistencies of People
- Our joint article Within and Without
- Sophia's article Life as an Act of Service
- Sophia's article Self Care of Self Jeopardy?
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In this Episode, we share, and unpack, our full moon reflections for the month of March. We also speak about the Islamic and Gregorian calendars, dreams, the meanings behind different months in the Islamic calendar, and finish with a powerful poem (Do not ask your children to strive by William Martin) shared with us by Sophia Staffiero. Listen along, we hope it inspires you to join us in reflection exercises. If you like our content, please don't forget to rate us on your favorite listening platform.
Where to find us:
Wordpress
A special thank you to Emiko for his song, Pride, which is the theme song for our podcast. Check him out on Spotify.
Join us for the second episode of Winter's Bloom Talks to celebrate International Women's Day 2020 with a conversation on Motherhood. In this episode we introduce you to our mammas, sharing a part of their stories of how they migrated to the UK and the...
On this episode, our very first, we discuss Winter’s Bloom (how it started, what we do and why), and the coronavirus. In this podcast, Winter’s Bloom Talks, we take Yifan Xia’s article We Need to Fight Racist Virus Along With Coronavirus to life. Join...