Car Chit Chats
By Car Chit Chats
A podcast where we discuss ideas and different media that we have come across and our thoughts on them.
Car Chit ChatsJul 19, 2020
00:00
43:46
Race, peace, relationships and other ponderings
For our last episode of 2020 we decided to record a podcast answering a series of questions that were going to be podcast episodes however, did not have enough substance to make them so. We answer the following questions: Should we worry about the way we present ourselves to the public as it may influence views of our race? Is it okay to mention how well you are doing in your life when everyone may seem to be complaining about theirs? What is inner peace and how to get to it? How can we influence our relationships to be more like fusions? Why does it feel so nice to watch characters do normal things? Later we discuss how people are changing to wants things immediately and how this is problematic.
Jan 04, 202101:06:33
What 'La La La' by Naughty Boy is really about
'La La La', is a song by Naughty Boy and Sam Smith. It has many interpretations since the lyrics are a bit indistinct. Ayesha shares how she feels that the song is about bullying and what the lyrics mean in relation to that. Later, in our 'Sharing something from the week' segment, Aasima shares her conflict with how she feels about her beauty and how society views it, yet learning to accept that. We felt that this episode was a very interesting and insightful
Dec 28, 202048:05
How do we measure emotional maturity?
Inspired by the video by The School of Life called 'How to Test Your Emotional Maturity,' this week we discuss a question that can help us make this assessment and what the parameters of the question are. Then we dive into the immature and mature ways of dealing with these situations and evaluate where we stand on the spectrum. Later we discuss Aasima's confusion with her identity as she believes she does things that are not indicative of a nineteen year old yet she enjoys doing them. We discuss whether losing your childish self leads on to a life that is less colourful, and if one can still be silly and joyous without having a sense of childishness surrounding them.
Dec 21, 202050:23
What can we learn from Reply 1988?
We speak about whether moving away from our home countries is a good idea in light of the friends and family we leave behind. This conversation is inspired by the Korean TV show Reply 1988. Later, Ayesha dives into why she loves 'Rab Ne Banadi Jodi' which incites a conversation about toxic masculinity.
Dec 13, 202055:09
Why do we like to gossip?
This week we talk about the ways in which Ayesha and I have gossiped in our lives and why we liked doing it. It was interesting to see that both perspectives were very different from one another when it came to this topic and helped us unravel our thoughts in many instances where we gossiped. Although we understood that gossiping is not a great thing to do, we came to a conclusion involving times where it may be okay to do and times where it should not be done. Later, we shared how we felt about Abbu (our father) travelling to Pakistan, and why Aasima has been so happy lately.
Nov 22, 202048:46
What should it mean to work hard?
In this episode, we discuss themes like hard work and doing your best. We debate whether one should use the merit of doing their best as an indicator for whether they worked hard. At one point, Ayesha talks about a diagram she came across about facial acne and how to get rid of it. Whilst sharing something for the week, Ayesha shares her brilliant hack for making her daily oat breakfast taste better and Aasima delves into how strange insecurities are.
Nov 16, 202036:10
Why should adults listen to children?
We have a return of our younger brother Abdullah! In this episode we dive into a topic that is heavy on Abdullah's mind where he believes children are not taken very seriously and why they should be. We come up with some strategies on how to be better receptive to children and then have some very silly sibling banter. When asked about the week, Abdullah shares the new anime he is watching, Aasima insights us into her primary emotion these days whilst Ayesha expresses an epiphany she had.
Nov 08, 202049:00
Does having moral views prevent us from living our best lives?
Morals are a set of rules of what is right and wrong. Different people have different morals based on their life experiences and belief systems. In this episode, we discuss examples where our morals help us live better lives, and examples where they don't with the hopes that we come to a conclusion that we can apply to our lives. Ayesha uses her hjiab as an example. Aasima defines what her best life would look like and whether her morals align with that. Many trains passed us during this episode. It seemed they wanted to share their side of the story too. So it seems trains define their best lives as being of most help to people, thus they uphold the moral of always trying their best to get humans where they need to be. And I think that is beautiful :D
Nov 02, 202043:53
Why do we say that we have no friends?
Ayesha asked the question one day, 'why do people say that they have no friends so much?", and suddenly a new podcast episode idea formed. Aasima asked people on Instagram why they think people say that they don't have any friends and a range of responses came through (check it out in the social studies highlight on @aasima.aa). We delve deeper into some of the responses and address the main issues people face with their friendships. Through discussing these, we come up with three mechanisms that can significantly help people form better friendships and be more satisfied overall. We believe the three A's can be very helpful so check out the episode on Spotify and Apple Podcasts to find out what they mean! In this week's, 'Sharing something from the week' segment, Aasima shares her frustration of the toxicity involved in pursuing a competitive venture and Ayesha talks about a fact she recently learnt and what effect this had on her.
Oct 25, 202052:27
Discussing The Backwards Law by Alan Watts
This week we discuss a philosophical concept called, 'The Backwards Law', by Alan Watts using a passage Ayesha found on Pinterest. We had a little trouble figuring out the purpose of this theory and how it could help people in their self-improvement journeys and so we could not come to a reasonable conclusion about what we could learn from it. However, it fostered a good conversation where at one point Aasima questioned why Ayesha believes a person should not be striving to reach happiness in their life.
Oct 18, 202045:18
Is self pity a bad thing?
Self-pity feels good and can sometimes help us feel that our burdens are significant but a lot of it prevents growth and nourishment. Self-criticism on the other hand also doesn't help us and so there needs to be a balance and a strategy to deal with our emotions when things don't go well. This is what Aasima and I discuss during the podcast and come to the conclusion that self-evaluation is the way to go! We thoroughly explain in the episode how one can delve into self-evaluation and benefit from it during times of the blues. In our 'Something to Share From the Week' segment, I dive into my thoughts on modern romance/young love and Aasima continues from there talking about loneliness.
Oct 11, 202038:24
How would we like to be represented in mainstream media? w/ Tehreem
This week we are joined by a special guest, our cousin Tehreem! Tehreem, Ayesha and I have a casual banter at the start of the episode talking about random funny things and delve into the topic of this week's discussion at 3:42. Although the topic was how we would like to be represented in mainstream media, we transition the subject into how we can get more brown people to become part of the media. As we talk about examples where we have seen South Asians being represented in movies, TV shows, and social media, we come to a conclusion about how we can change that in the future. Listen to the episode to find out! We apologise about the audio quality not being great in this episode. We are working on making it better :)
Oct 04, 202041:51
How do we empower normal women?
The two movies we discuss in this episode are Little Women (2019) and In This Corner of the World (2016). We dive into the way these movies make us feel compared to other larger block-buster films as well as how they empower us, and can give strength to normal, everyday women. After the 30 minute mark, Ayesha dives into what it means to do your best and Aasima relates a social study she did on Instagram. We mention Black Panther (2018) and The 4 Agreements by Miguel Riz.
Sep 27, 202052:54
How should we choose the right career for ourselves?
This week we discuss to what extent we agree to an article by the 'School of Life' called, 'What should truly motivate us at work'. The article details on the main factors one should consider when choosing a career path but instead humans consider many more extraneous factors which makes the process of choosing a career much more complex than it otherwise would be. Ayesha and I delve into our own journeys of choosing our future occupations (which is still an ongoing process), the kind of factors we had to think about while choosing them and some ways that could've made the process easier. This episode will give you some ideas on how to choose the right career path for you and if you have already chosen one, then perhaps rethinking whether that is the best profession for you.
Sep 20, 202043:56
What does it mean to know yourself?
In this episode, Ayesha and Aasima continue a conversation inspired by the speech made by Alain de Botton called 'Emotional Education.' More specifically, we dive into what self knowledge is; how it can help us and our relationships, what is the difference between the true and false self (feat. going on a tangent about career choices), as well as how having some time in the day to think can help us come to peace.
Sep 05, 202057:45
How do we deal with the unfairness of society?
This week we delve into how ideal a meritocratic world be. A speech by Alain de Botton about emotional education sparked our conversation. We talk about how detrimental it is that the society we currently live in is one where people are judged and categorized based off of just their job titles. We discuss ways in which we can reduce this from happening. From this viewpoint, Ayesha explained a justifiable way our society has been built and how life is not totally unfair. This is where the concept of unfair advantages comes up and is detailed by Ash Ali and Hasan Kubba in their book, 'The Unfair Advantage'. We hope you gain a new perspective about how the modern world is run and how we can use this to our advantage. You can check out Alain's speech about emotional education here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9X7u-MeJz0&t=404s. Ali Abdaal's YouTube video about the book, 'The Unfair Advantage by Ash Ali and Hasan Kubba': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RGbCR_pq4_A. The School of Life YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7IcJI8PUf5Z3zKxnZvTBog. The Unfair Advantage by Ash Ali and Hasan Kubba: https://www.booktopia.com.au/the-unfair-advantage-hasan-kubba/book/9781788163316.html
Aug 30, 202052:10
Schindler's List
Schindler's List is a film about Oskar Schindler, a man part of the Nazi Union who helped save the lives of over 1,200 Jewish people during the Holocaust. The film's graphic illustration about what the situation was like during world war II compels us to question one's desire to be powerful, discuss ways in which blind hatred can emerge, relate themes and scenes to the present and examine what can be learnt from the movie. War veteran becomes muslim: www.youtube.com/watch?v=pQG-oIMSbco
Aug 23, 202001:05:27
Figuring out how to read the Qur'an
This was a messy episode, we were trying to figure stuff out. We started by talking about prayer then started discussing how the Qur'an should be read and whether we have the authority to interpret it. Then we made some attempts to explore the second Surah (chapter) of the Qur'an which is Surah Baqarah (The Heifer).
However, we consider reading and understanding the Qur'an a journey and this episode sort of marks our starting point. We hope to make something of the discussions in this episode and progress further in the journey.
Aug 16, 202001:03:30
'Gubbare' (Balloons) & Happiness
In this episode, we discussed and brainstormed ideas with which a person can reach happiness. Gubbare (which translates to balloons) is a song sung by Amit Trivedi and Shilpa Rao and fosters our conversation about internal and external happiness. We share what has worked for us in the past and how we have come to the stage we are now. We recommend listening to this episode if you are looking for ways in which happiness can be achieved or you could improve the contentment of your life.
Aug 09, 202053:40
Steven Universe
In episode 8, we dive into a show for children called Steven Universe! This episode is special because our wonderful brother is a part of it. We discuss characters such as Peridot, Garnet, Connie and how we'd like brown people to be represented in mainstream media. We also get into how an individual may form strong connections with their friend or partner to the point where they can tell what the other's thoughts will be and their reaction to events and how we should strive to develop our relationships in this sense.
Aug 01, 202051:11
Maula mere Maula - 'Lord, my Lord'
'Maula Mere Maula' (translates to Lord, my lord) by Roop Kumar Rathod fosters our discussion in episode 7 of our podcast. The song features in a bollywood film 'Anwar' and is about a man describing how he feels about a woman. We talk about the song's lyrical purity while also critiquing some of the lyrics being slightly immoral. We dive deep into how damaging the exaggeration of love can be in media and how Ayesha and I have learnt to not let them have a negative effect on us.
Jul 26, 202042:02
Fahrenheit 451 - Part 2
Episode 5 and 6 bring us to our first podcast episode which analyses a book. We discuss some of the wise words from Ray Bradbury in his novel Fahrenheit 451, which is Ayesha's favourite book. The episode begins with Aasima reflecting on her perfect school mornings from a couple of years ago and we discuss the pros and cons of reading a book annotated by someone else. Then Ayesha passionately reads out some of the quotes she has highlighted and annotated and we discuss the significance of these words in our lives and our world.
Jul 23, 202038:39
Fahrenheit 451 - Part 1
Episode 5 and 6 bring us to our first podcast episode which analyses a book. We discuss some of the wise words from Ray Bradbury in his novel Fahrenheit 451, which is Ayesha's favourite book. The episode begins with Aasima reflecting on her perfect school mornings from a couple of years ago and we discuss the pros and cons of reading a book annotated by someone else. Then Ayesha passionately reads out some of the quotes she has highlighted and annotated and we discuss the significance of these words in our lives and our world.
Anatomy of Peace, the book that Aasima mentioned: https://www.amazon.com.au/Anatomy-Peace-Resolve-Heart-Conflict/dp/0141983922/ref=asc_df_0141983922/?tag=googleshopdsk-22&linkCode=df0&hvadid=347623892579&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2154832247435972705&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9071276&hvtargid=pla-332952152774&psc=1&language=en_AU
Ali and Taimur's podcast episode that talks about the Art of Gathering: https://www.notoverthinking.com/episodes/margin-dinner-parties-and-the-art-of-gathering
13th, a documentary that provided insight about the structural racism that takes place in America: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krfcq5pF8u8&t=1128s
The quote Ayesha mentions from the book that isn't read out loud: "Cram them full of non-combustible data, chock them so damned full of 'facts' they feel stuffed, but absolutely 'brilliant' with information.”
What people regret most when they are dying: https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2012/feb/01/top-five-regrets-of-the-dying
Jul 23, 202052:33
Call It What You Want by Taylor Swift
In this episode we talk about a popular song by Taylor Swift from her album 'reputation'! We break down some of the lyrics and how they apply to real life and the examples in our lives they remind us of. We also go on a bit of a ramblee about self-love and whether we need people to love us in order to help us love ourselves and ultimately, whether we actually need people in our lives. You can listen to the song on Spotify: open.spotify.com/track/1GwMQaZz6Au3QLDbjbMdme?si=H4f1i9dxQsOYqPNUMEYQ-g
Jul 19, 202043:46
Jojo Rabbit - Part 2
This week we talk about Jojo Rabbit which is apparently Aasima's favorite movie. We discuss it's main characters, different quotes and symbols that make the movie so powerful and enjoyable to watch. We also dive into how we should behave if we live with the responsibility of being seen a specific way because of our race, as well as how much love and hate are depicted in the media.
Jul 11, 202031:16
Jojo Rabbit - Part 1
This week we talk about Jojo Rabbit which is apparently Aasima's favorite movie. We discuss it's main characters, different quotes and symbols that make the movie so powerful and enjoyable to watch. We also dive into how we should behave if we live with the responsibility of being seen a specific way because of our race, as well as how much love and hate are depicted in the media.
Jul 11, 202048:16
Yakeen Ka Safar - 'The Journey of Belief'
In the first episode of Car Chit Chats, we discuss a Pakistani TV show called 'Yakeen Ka Safar' which follows two narratives that combine together into one in the second half of the show. The second half of the show follows two main characters that are doctors working in a hospital together. The two characters experience many tragic events in their life and the show explores how they deal with it and find peace.
You'll find us discussing conventional mother and daughter-in-law relationships, the importance of support in one's life, the contrasting role between doctors in first and third world countries and much more!
Jul 09, 202059:11