Everyone Falls In Love Sometimes: The Origin Story

In our very first episode of Callaloo and Collard Greens, we sit down as two couples — Brandon & Alicia, Aliyah & Omar — to share our origin stories.

We talk about how we met, what drew us together, and the cultural surprises that popped up early in our relationships. From Caribbean traditions to Southern expectations, from unspoken norms to laugh-out-loud moments of misunderstanding — we’re unpacking what it means to fall in love across cultures.

Episode Transcript

SPEAKER_02 (00:00):
Our parents came here for like a better life.
And it's funny because I want toclarify that most do have a
great life, right?
In the West Indian, West Indies.
However, they come for what isperceived as better.

SPEAKER_01 (00:42):
Hey, family, and welcome to Callaloo and Collar
Greens, your cultural table forhumor, culture, celebration, and
real talk.
I'm here with our good friends,Brandon and Alicia.
My name is Aaliyah and this ismy husband, Omar.
And today in episode one, we aregoing to be breaking down the
origin story, our love story,and talking about how we met,

(01:06):
fell in love, and all of thecomplications that come along
with multiculturalrelationships.
So I wanna just kick it over toBrandon and Alicia to just get
started talking about how youboth met, what's your love
story, Tell

SPEAKER_00 (01:20):
it all.
We're starting with the oldermillennials.

SPEAKER_02 (01:25):
Funny story.
We always debate.
You can tell the story.

SPEAKER_03 (01:28):
Ladies first.

SPEAKER_02 (01:31):
How did I meet Brandon Ray?
He was definitely doing somestalker stuff.
I met Brandon Ray because wewere volunteering with the Urban
League of Long Island and he wasbusy doing all the things and I
was just like, oh, fancy.
And I remember being on a STEMpanel and he's like, hey.

(01:53):
I was just like, wow.

SPEAKER_04 (01:55):
Hey.

SPEAKER_02 (01:55):
Okay.
That's nice.
Don't want to be with you.
Not looking for nobody.
I'm actually going back toFlorida because I'm originally
from Miami, Florida.
But we met doing what we loved.

SPEAKER_03 (02:07):
Okay.
Community service.
All right.
So can I tell the truth now?
That is the truth.
Okay.
So-

SPEAKER_01 (02:11):
I mean, there's your version, her version, and then
the truth.
But we'll hear yours.
It's pretty close to the truth.
Okay.
We'll see.

SPEAKER_03 (02:16):
So Alicia is- from Miami, from Jamaica.
and then lived in Miami, raisedin Miami.
Like Omar even,

SPEAKER_00 (02:26):
all right.
So, you know.
We lived 10 minutes apart,didn't know.
That's true.
It's crazy.
So

SPEAKER_03 (02:31):
that's crazy.
Crazy how life works.
And she moved to Long Island tofind a better life and she
actually did.
Big mind talk, yeah.
And so, you know, when I sawher, I said, oh, she's cute.
And I learned, she introducedherself and I said, I said,
listen, they're going to try tomake you into this

(02:53):
communications person.
Don't do it.
Just learn.
And then what you do, shebecomes communication coach
there, not listening.
So that's a common theme.
Yeah, I don't listen.
And then I wanted to help her.
You looking for a job?
Meanwhile, I didn't have a job,but I'm still helping people
look for a job.
You didn't have a job.
And she said, no, I'm movingback to Florida.

(03:14):
Leave me alone.
And I said, okay.
She said, don't talk to me.
So I didn't talk to her.
And then a few months later, shewas on the STEM panel, like she
said, and she looked beautifuland gorgeous.
And I said, okay, enough'senough.
I have to pursue her.
And I did.
And we are celebrating.
We celebrated nine years goingon 10 years of marriage.

SPEAKER_01 (03:35):
I love that.
That's awesome.
It's amazing.
And this is all about reallycelebrating like the cultural
dynamics betweenAfrican-American and
Caribbean-American relationshipsand all of the beautiful
complications and culture shocksthat occur throughout all of our
relationship journeys.
And so I'm so curious to hear alittle bit more about kind of

(03:56):
overcoming some of that.
But I know you probably want tojump in and share a little bit
about...
Why are you going to put it on

SPEAKER_00 (04:03):
me?

SPEAKER_01 (04:04):
Well, I'm just saying you probably want to
share a little bit about...

SPEAKER_00 (04:06):
Well, my version is better.
So it was a warm day.

SPEAKER_01 (04:13):
I knew this

SPEAKER_00 (04:14):
was...
At Power University.
Yeah, there we go.
Set the stage.
In 2013.
And well, let me say, let mestep a bit back, actually,
because Aaliyah and I, ourfriendship started the end of
kind of really last part offreshman year.
We were both in this team leadertraining program.
And, you know, we both had theseWho Am I presentations.

(04:38):
And I heard Aaliyah's namebefore.
You know, she was in the honorsprogram in our school of
business.
And she was winning casecompetitions.
And I just was like, AaliyahRolak, Aaliyah Rolak.
I was like, who is this Aaliyahgirl, you know?
And then I'll never forget.
I walked into the room,presentation room, and somebody

(04:59):
pointed out, you know, I kind ofwas asking around, like, who's
Aaliyah?
Just out of curiosity.
I never saw how she looked,nothing like that.
And somebody pointed her out,and I was like, oh, that's
Aaliyah.
You know, so me plotting.
I was like, you know, I figuredout a strategic way to go sit
next to her, you know.
And, you know, we were talking,and I was like, you know, just

(05:21):
having some small talk.
You know, she did her Who Am Ipresentation.
She did performance signlanguage.
You know how to sign?
I did

SPEAKER_01 (05:29):
a...
Yeah, actually I used to dopageants and like sign language
was my talent.
I would sign to music.
You didn't know that?
No, I did not.
I'm learning.
Fun fact of the day.
There you

SPEAKER_00 (05:37):
go.
It was always very, veryentertaining.
But I did a poem talking aboutour, a tie to cell phones,
right?
No one got it.
I

SPEAKER_01 (05:49):
mean, I got it.
Wait, I didn't get it a whileago.
I was like.
So basically he does this poem.
We are all doing these humanmind presentations.
There was a variety of them andhe does his poem.
Very well written.
I got it.
I did get it.
I'm a writer.
But when he finished, okay, whenhe finished, it was dead
silence.
No snaps, nothing.

(06:10):
And he looks around

SPEAKER_00 (06:11):
the room.
They was feeling it.
They was processing it.

SPEAKER_04 (06:13):
They

SPEAKER_00 (06:13):
didn't know what he

SPEAKER_01 (06:14):
was talking

SPEAKER_00 (06:17):
about.

SPEAKER_01 (06:18):
So he looks around the room and he's like, and
someone said, and people startedto clap like, oh, he's done.
And then someone says, Wait,what was that even

SPEAKER_00 (06:30):
about?
And I looked at them as crazy asthey was looking at me.
And I was like, the phone.
The phone.
Everybody was like, oh.
I did get it.
I did get it.
And

SPEAKER_01 (06:38):
afterwards, he came back to his seat.
And I was like, you did a reallygood job.
And that was the first time weever actually spoke, I think.

SPEAKER_00 (06:45):
Yeah, that was the first time.
And then friendship keptbuddying and stuff.
But we ended up, end of thetraining, we do our exit
interviews.
And...
they basically decide to pair ustogether.
We, all of, in our exitinterviews, all of my strengths
or her weaknesses and viceversa.
So it was a really kind of cutemoment between us.

(07:08):
Then started, got into sophomoreyear.

SPEAKER_01 (07:10):
Yeah.
And I think, I think it reallykind of turned out into a
situation of just us being verycomplimentary.
And so we ended up naturallyfalling into this like
partnership role together and,you know, Things grew from
there.
But I think like anything, andeven with hearing y'all's story,

(07:31):
like there's always the sparksand that's beautiful.
And there's the beginnings andthe, oh, wow, this is so
wonderful.
But if y'all are anything likeus, there's also some very rocky
and very patchy and very...
Some mountains.

(07:52):
So what was, I guess, what waskind of the initial, I guess,
shocker there?
What happened where, you know,you're getting to know each
other.
You're like, this is wonderful.
I'm seeing all these coolthings.
And then you're like, hold on,wait.
Y'all do what?
Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 (08:11):
I don't know, but I want to get my credit.
Who advised you to go to HowardUniversity?

SPEAKER_01 (08:14):
Oh, my goodness.
Wow.
All

SPEAKER_03 (08:18):
right, all right, all right.
Who advised Aliyah to go toHoward University?

SPEAKER_01 (08:21):
Brandon paid for my application.

SPEAKER_03 (08:23):
And then Omar would have, like you just said.
There we go.
So, Omar, thank you.
Oh.
Oh, that's what

SPEAKER_01 (08:29):
we're coming with today.
Okay, so I guess Brandon is thereason why he Synergy Me'd
everything, and here we

SPEAKER_02 (08:35):
are.
I low-key, though, feel like heSynergy Me'd his way into my
life.
Okay.
You know, he's got a book thathe wrote, took him 10 years.
Yeah, Synergy Me'd.
And it's not shade, but.
Out on

SPEAKER_03 (08:45):
Master Guide to Becoming a Practical Network.
Practical Guide to Becoming aMaster Networker on Amazon.
I'm over here fumbling my book.
You can get it on Amazon,camera.
I'm pointing to you people.
Okay.

SPEAKER_01 (08:56):
Okay, but all that Synergy Me, all those skills.
all that let's network let'sknow everybody because Brandon
knows everybody all that let'sknow everybody let's get to know
everybody how that doesn'talways play out in love though
like that works professionallybut then when you're trying to
land in Alicia I know and I likethat and Alicia

SPEAKER_02 (09:13):
but you know what's so interesting like the The
interesting moment for me washow much of a Mr.
Hempstead he was.
Shout out to the

SPEAKER_03 (09:25):
516.
Shout out to

SPEAKER_02 (09:27):
Hempstead.

SPEAKER_03 (09:28):
Shout out to Hempstead.
Strong Islands in the house.
I represented at Howard.
Everywhere I represent, 516.
Exit 19 North.

SPEAKER_02 (09:37):
it wasn't cultural in the sense where like oh he's
african-american and they dothis thing that was uncommon to
me right you know i've neverseen that i went to an hbcu so
you know the african-americanculture i went well like started
at it oh okay all right let's beclear um you know We're not

(09:58):
going to talk about that.
Another episode.
Another episode.
Another season.
But I was familiar withAfrican-American culture
generally, but like Hempsteadculture is different.
Watch your mouth.
And not in a bad way.
It's just that Brandon likerepped Hempstead.
He like, no, I mean, Iunderstand that.
And I didn't get it right whereI'm from.

(10:19):
I grew up in Miami Gardens, youknow, formerly known as Carroll
City.

SPEAKER_04 (10:23):
305.
You

SPEAKER_02 (10:23):
know, everybody...
305, you know.
Everybody just kind of...
well, at least in the WestIndian community, you kind of
just kept your head down.
You went to school, you went tochurch, supermarket.
That was it.
There was nothing, I mean, atleast within my circle of family
and like, you know, people wegrew up with, we weren't doing

(10:44):
community work.
So to see Brandon, he was on theschool board when I met him.
He's like, oh, school board.
And I coach little leaguebaseball.
I'm like, so you got kids.
He's like, oh no, I just coachand I'm on the school board.
Like, why are you so invested inthis community?
Now it all makes sense.
Like Brandon does love, youknow, Hempstead and where he
grew up and the people love himback, which is amazing, but I

(11:07):
didn't get it.
I was like, this is a lot like,you know, normal people just go
about their lives.
They go in, they close theirdoors, they close their blinds
and they live.
He's like, nah, we outside liketigers.
And like, even when Brandonproposed to me, like on our way
to what I now know is myproposal, he had on a Hempstead
hoodie and, Like, I despise thathoodie, by the way.

(11:30):
I'm like, bro, you did have on ahamster hoodie.
I was like, why are you wearingthat?

SPEAKER_00 (11:35):
And he was like, oh, it's my hoodie from my school.
He said, hey, I got to make thiscore memory.

SPEAKER_02 (11:40):
So for me, that was where a little bit of a culture
clash because I'm more of ahomebody and community was not
like...
I think like I had my churchcommunity, but I wasn't outside
in the streets with like mylocal community and government,
which was different.
And that's his whole life.

SPEAKER_01 (11:56):
Yeah.
Yeah.
I mean, I think that'sinteresting though when you
think about it because thedynamic, the community and the
definition of community isdefinitely different from like
an African-American perspectivecompared to like an immigrant
perspective in general and howyou build community, how you
find community.
And so I think it is interestingthat, to come from a space where

(12:17):
that community is built off ofvery real tangible things like,
you know, church or even in somecases, like, you know,
coworkers, things like that, tomoving in a space where
community is, you know, whereyou're at, where you grew up,
you know, what that looks like,right?

SPEAKER_02 (12:33):
I agree.
And it's not a black thing.
It's a Brandon thing, which iswhat makes it so unique, but...

SPEAKER_03 (12:39):
I love my communities.
I take pride in them.
Hempstead to me is like NewOrleans-ish, where it's mostly
it's generations, but thereality was it's just me and my
mother.
But she was very active, veryservice-oriented.
So since when I met Aliciathrough Urban League, which is a
service-oriented organization,you know, I was hoping, you
know, and she does, we share thesame love for service.

(13:01):
And again, I just take, youknow, just take pride in, you
know, what helps make me andthat 19 North or the Southern
state helped make me.

SPEAKER_02 (13:11):
We are thankful for him.

SPEAKER_03 (13:12):
Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 (13:13):
Yeah.
I think that's definitelysomething that we share in
common.
Like we mentioned, we were, youknow, a part of a leadership
development program.
You all were involved in localleadership in your community.
And like, I think when you meetpeople and build a relationship
that's built on a foundation ofservice, it's a very unique
thing and it's definitelysomething to be celebrated.
Um, but also very interestingwhen you're coming from
different perspective anddifferent lenses on, um, what

(13:36):
service means and what types ofthings should be supported and
given and grown from a place ofcommunity, as opposed to what
types of things should be earnedand what types of things should
be done on your own.
Um, and so, you know, I thinkthat's definitely something with
us that turned into a little bitof a tiny bit of a culture

(14:00):
clash, just with how weapproached, approached work and
approached, um, But yeah, Idon't know what your thoughts
are on that actually and how youfelt kind of early on.

SPEAKER_00 (14:16):
Yeah.
I mean, I think it was, I relatea lot to Alicia with this, you
know, I mean, like we didn't,obviously I didn't meet Alicia
till big, big in my, mytwenties, you know, but, but,
you know, it was very similarsort of dynamic, right.
Where it was like, You went toschool, and I probably could say

(14:39):
that my first African-Americanfriend group was when I went to
Howard.
Really?
Yeah.
And immediate, because everyfriend, if they weren't
Jamaican, it was Haitian, it wasPuerto Rican.
Growing

SPEAKER_04 (14:55):
up

SPEAKER_00 (14:55):
in Miami.
Growing up in Miami, right?
Who's in Oz?

SPEAKER_01 (14:59):
Yeah, I took Omar to his first soul food experience.
All

SPEAKER_02 (15:03):
right.

SPEAKER_00 (15:03):
First time.
It

SPEAKER_02 (15:04):
was an Ozza

SPEAKER_00 (15:04):
restaurant?
Yeah, on U Street.
It's still on U Street?
It's still on U Street, yeah.
But on U Street, man.
Oh, man.
She took me to that.
His first time having collardgreens.
I had turkey wings.
I remember my first meal wasturkey wings.
The smoked turkey wings, thecollard greens, the sweet
potato.
You have no idea.
You have no idea.
We don't have insurance on themicrophones.

(15:27):
No, but that was, I'll neverforget that day because I was
like, wow.
And I'll be honest that therewas sometimes even assumptions,
right, that was made about food,right, and other cultures, you
know.
And, you know, but...
Just, yeah, not to get too muchinto that, but, you know, I

(15:48):
remember that being a big of amoment for me, like just
thinking, okay, I'm at thisblack school, right?
Thinking like, oh, we, you know,we all black, right?
But just even those little smalldynamics where it was like so
much, there was so much learningthat Aaliyah had to do towards
me, you know?
Which, and I, you know, lookingback at that, I appreciate that
so much in a sense, because, youknow, I mean, especially here in

(16:11):
college, like you don't reallygot, time like you in a
relationship and we i'll say wehad a pretty serious
relationship i would say duringour time in college yeah we was
we was taking what peoplethought were engagement photo
shoots our junior year you

SPEAKER_04 (16:24):
know

SPEAKER_00 (16:26):
but um but i think that was you know i was very i
look back at that and i'm soappreciative because i'm like
you know just being able tospend that time to invest to
share and be like hey there'ssome core differences here and
having that I honestly, both ofus having that maturity to walk
through that, you know, but, youknow, then there was the darker
side, right?
When, um, like the moment thatcomes to me, you know, when I

(16:50):
think that was 2016 junior yearagain, um, uh, I'm sorry, not
2016, but, um, again, my yearsmixed up, but, you know, uh, the
acquittal, um, with GeorgeZimmerman, um, and me and
Aaliyah had very shapeddifferent, um, received those

(17:10):
experiences very differently.
You know, I felt a bit ofdisappointment, a bit of like
shock, right?
And I think Aaliyah experiencedwhat for her was a continual
experience, right?
She sighed at the moment.
I was grieving a moment.
She was grieving a time, right?
She was grieving- And

SPEAKER_01 (17:29):
I'll even add to that.
I think part of what he wasgrieving was a perception.
Yeah.
You know, coming from differentbackgrounds and this was
probably our first big cultureclash, our first big, really
argument that we got into aroundlike our backgrounds and where
we were coming from reallysurrounded this idea that he
was, he was, he had this fondappreciation for the country.

SPEAKER_02 (17:51):
Yeah.
I mean, that's the West Indianthing,

SPEAKER_01 (17:52):
though.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 (17:53):
Like our parents came here for like a better
life.
And it's funny because I want toclarify that most do have a
great life.
Right.
In the West Indian West Indies.
However, they come for what isperceived as better.
Right.
And so, like, unfortunately, alot of West Indians look at.

(18:14):
the black experience verydifferent from
African-Americans.
And so I could see how thatreaction would have been
different.
Cause I would say a lot ofpeople in the West Indian
community are just like, Oh myGod, like the, you know, it was
just like, this is crazy, butthen follow the justice system.

SPEAKER_04 (18:33):
Right.

SPEAKER_01 (18:34):
And that was his reaction.
It was very much like, you know,I was saying how disappointed I
was, um, about the decision, butthat I also wasn't surprised.
And I was angry and I was hurtby it.
And there was a lot of effort oncampus to try to keep people
from running out and destroyingthings.
And from his lens, he had astandpoint on it of, well, I

(18:59):
can't just chalk this up tothat's just the way that this
country is because if that's thecase, then everything that my
parents did was for nothing.
And so it was a very differentexperience for him than it was
for me.
And it was a moment where I feltthat he had privilege in that
moment to be able to evendisassociate from the issue.

SPEAKER_00 (19:20):
And the privilege you were feeling and how with
obviously where we are in lifenow, like that moment was one of
those first moments where itfelt like this is happening to
me instead of happening to them,you know?
And growing up, you know, there,there was, there was so much
pride in, Jamaican-ness.
And being different.

(19:40):
And being Jamaican.
And this kind of like, I want tosay obsession, but kind of this
thing of being more, um, lookedat as more exotic, right?
You're, you're from Caribbeandescent, all this stuff.
Yeah.
But in that, but in that moment,and I think maybe part of it
being at Howard now being inthis shared space with other

(20:03):
black folks, being in arelationship with the African
American woman, I was like, wow,like I, I was, that was a shock
to my system.
Cause now I'm like, I'm part ofthis, you know, um, which I've
always been, but you know, so,but,

SPEAKER_02 (20:16):
but it's interesting though, because I think, kind of
having gone through a similarexperience where it was just
like, oh, you know, this is theway the justice system is and we
have to obey the law and obeypolice and you don't question
authority.
The world looks at black folksas a monolith, but we're not.
And so it's interesting thatthere were these different

(20:38):
dynamics even in that moment.
So that, but that is, I can see,I can see how that, that
happened.

SPEAKER_01 (20:43):
Yeah.
A hundred percent.

SPEAKER_03 (20:46):
I don't know.
I don't know if we're doing itbecause, um, But that was an
interesting take.
And it's wild that it tookcollege to get you there with
the fusion at the Mecca.
That's a great experience.

SPEAKER_04 (20:58):
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (20:59):
So I want to ask one more question.
And then we have a fun game.
Love a game.
I'm really excited.
But...
You know, this is a lot of heavyconversation.
There was a lot of reallychallenging things that
happened.
I know for us, for you all aswell.
But for anyone who's listening,who's kind of going through
this, you know, little couple incollege at Howard, who's like,

(21:21):
we're from different culturesand we're trying

SPEAKER_00 (21:22):
to figure it out.
Shout out to Howard Love.
It's a

SPEAKER_01 (21:26):
thing.
Go ahead.
What's kind of the overcomingpart of this?
Like what, you know, I think...
when we think about thechallenges that we had in our
relationship and even thatparticular situation, I think
the big thing for us was justreally committing radically to
open conversation and likehaving a very, very open mind
and going into it, being ashonest and nonjudgmental as

(21:47):
possible in order to not onlyaccept where the other person
was coming from, but to learn,to appreciate their culture and
their background and theirperspective in a way that I was
able to look at Omar'sexperience and say, wow, like
that's really beautiful that.
you're coming from this place ofhaving this type of an
appreciation and perspective.
Um, but he could also look at myexperience and say, you know

(22:10):
what?
Like I admire your courage tostill be invested in the way
that you are in the way that,you know, you described Brandon,
despite, um, the type ofperspective that you have and
what you've grown up with.
So I guess for you all, likewhat's your story with that?

SPEAKER_02 (22:24):
I mean, look, it is not always a bed of roses.
It doesn't always smell good,look good.
Cause you know, I I'm difficultfor no reason.
I'm like, I'm just, I'm gonnajust put that out there.
I can be difficult for noreason.
I'm being honest.
But to your point, it is abouthaving wide open conversations
and showing up.
Like, I think for me, like I,I'm also the person that needs

(22:47):
to see it to believe it.
So if you say, don't touch thestove, I'm a touch it.
I'm like, Ooh, that burn.
But you know, I, I, I think Ilearned by being and by doing.
And so.
There are moments where you justshow up for the person and
somehow, for me at least, myears start to open up and I'm
like, oh, I get it now.
Oh, let me have some empathy.
I didn't really know whatempathy was.

SPEAKER_03 (23:08):
The empathy word.

SPEAKER_02 (23:09):
The best.
The best.
Bad stereotype, but it's true.
I think over the years, Brandonhas actually helped me to be a
more empathetic person Becausethat was just not a thing.
This

SPEAKER_03 (23:22):
is recorded on the record,

SPEAKER_02 (23:24):
correct?
It is.
I'm being honest.
Why do you act like I'm never

SPEAKER_03 (23:26):
honest?
Love you, honey.

SPEAKER_02 (23:28):
But I don't know.
What are your

SPEAKER_03 (23:29):
thoughts?
Plus one to everything you said.
Yes.
And just give grace.
I think you just need to justgive grace, y'all.
Amazing grace.
You just need to just beunderstanding.
But no one's perfect.
So just give the grace.
I have a follow-up question.
Where'd you learn plus one from?
You know, a previous employer.

(23:55):
Plus one.

SPEAKER_01 (23:56):
All right, let's play a little game.
It's going to be a lot of fun.
So we all have these littleboards.
You also have little erasers.
And some markers.
I

SPEAKER_03 (24:07):
hope my handwriting.

SPEAKER_01 (24:09):
And we're going to write large and legibly.

SPEAKER_03 (24:12):
Okay.

SPEAKER_01 (24:13):
Okay.
But the goal of the game is, isfor you to respond to the answer
the same way that your spouseresponds to the answer.
So I'm sure everyone's seen aversion of this game somewhere.
For our game, though, we aregoing to answer some fun
questions about how well we knoweach other.

(24:36):
The first question is, what'syour husband's favorite saying?
Oh, Jesus.
Okay.

SPEAKER_03 (24:43):
So I'm writing what it is.

SPEAKER_01 (24:44):
Yeah, you write what it is, and she's going to try to
match your answer.
When

SPEAKER_02 (24:49):
do I flip this around?

SPEAKER_01 (24:50):
Hide your board, too.
I

SPEAKER_00 (24:51):
don't know which one you're going to pick, because
there's actually two that cameto my mind, but I'm going

SPEAKER_02 (24:57):
to

SPEAKER_03 (24:58):
go with this one.
I don't think you're going tosay it.

SPEAKER_02 (25:00):
If I've heard it enough, I'll probably say it.

SPEAKER_01 (25:04):
Okay, this is not neat handwriting, so I did my
best.
But everybody ready?
Yep.

SPEAKER_00 (25:09):
Okay.
I'm not ready, but hold on.
Hurry

SPEAKER_01 (25:12):
up.
Let's just flip it around.
Oh, I'm going to add that we arein competition today.
So if I won.
Every time you match, you get apoint.
Brandon, you're responsible forkeeping Tally.

SPEAKER_03 (25:24):
Oh, that's weird trouble.

SPEAKER_01 (25:25):
If we win...
If we win...
you owe us a prize or something.
And if you win, you get braggingrights.
I love gifts, Brandon.
I said we get

SPEAKER_04 (25:36):
bragging rights.
We love gifts.
That's so crazy.

SPEAKER_01 (25:38):
Okay.
One, two, three.

SPEAKER_04 (25:44):
Oh,

SPEAKER_00 (25:46):
look at that.
Oh, no.
I wasn't sure if he was going toput.
I put two.
I put two possibly.

SPEAKER_03 (25:52):
Why you put two?
It's the same.
It's the same.
I mean.

SPEAKER_00 (25:54):
Be two possibly.

SPEAKER_03 (25:56):
It counts.
All right, fine.
It's the same thing.

SPEAKER_00 (25:57):
That's valid.
I would have put

SPEAKER_01 (25:59):
that.
Even though ours was like exact.

SPEAKER_00 (26:01):
Yeah.
Clearly, I don't listen.
Don't even do that.

SPEAKER_01 (26:03):
Don't

SPEAKER_00 (26:03):
even do that.
That's his favorite thing.
Yeah, she hate when I say that.

SPEAKER_01 (26:06):
Clearly, I don't listen.
It's my least favorite saying,and he says it all the time.
Ding, ding, ding.
He says be.
Nothing's gone bad already.
Nothing can not be right.
Like Omar says that?
Omar says that all the time.
All the time.
It's the worst.
Okay, question two.
What is your wife's childhoodcomfort food?
Oh, yeah.
Childhood comfort food.

(26:28):
I

SPEAKER_02 (26:30):
can't even remember

SPEAKER_01 (26:31):
my

SPEAKER_00 (26:31):
own comfort food.
Yeah, y'all, that's what Istarted with.
Oh, Jesus.
Okay.
Your wife's childhood...

SPEAKER_01 (26:39):
Are we ready?
I

SPEAKER_00 (26:40):
don't remember Leah as a child.

SPEAKER_01 (26:41):
You know, I didn't have a childhood.

SPEAKER_00 (26:43):
That's not what

SPEAKER_01 (26:44):
I said.
Okay.
One, two, three.
What did you put?
Oh, you got it.

SPEAKER_00 (26:51):
Dang.

SPEAKER_01 (26:51):
They got it.
And what did you put?
Everything?
With a

SPEAKER_00 (26:55):
tomato.
I put crab legs.
I put sweet potato casserole.
Then I said cornbread.

SPEAKER_01 (26:59):
Pasta?
Pasta?
Yeah, like pasta.
I'm from Long

SPEAKER_00 (27:04):
Island.

UNKNOWN (27:05):
But childhood?

SPEAKER_00 (27:05):
I don't remember.
You ain't said.
Y'all wasn't cooking it likethat to be like, oh, that's my

SPEAKER_02 (27:09):
childhood.
I am a very good pasta.
It's always al dente.
Good job.
Get the tomato

SPEAKER_03 (27:14):
in there.
The Bertie

SPEAKER_02 (27:16):
family.
That's wild.
I doubt you to fry me an egg

SPEAKER_01 (27:19):
sandwich with a slice of

SPEAKER_02 (27:20):
tomato.

SPEAKER_01 (27:20):
Okay.
Next question.
Who said I love you first?
This one needs to be fastbecause y'all know.
It

SPEAKER_02 (27:27):
wasn't me.

SPEAKER_01 (27:29):
Bro.
I should deduct a point.

SPEAKER_00 (27:32):
Make it honest.
Brandon, deduct a point fromyourself.
I'm

SPEAKER_01 (27:34):
sorry.
I'm sorry.
Okay.
One, two, three.
What?
Uh-oh.

SPEAKER_02 (27:41):
It was me.

SPEAKER_01 (27:41):
It wasn't me.

SPEAKER_02 (27:43):
I might have been singing a song.

SPEAKER_01 (27:46):
I think so far we're tied at this point.
All right.
Anyways.
Wow.
That's above the rating of this.
Okay.
Who's more dramatic during anargument?

(28:07):
One, two, three.
we

SPEAKER_03 (28:12):
all we're all winners

SPEAKER_01 (28:14):
all right well you know what omar and omar is me
literally all right lastquestion for the win who has the
louder family

SPEAKER_02 (28:24):
hold

SPEAKER_00 (28:27):
on

SPEAKER_01 (28:29):
who's

SPEAKER_02 (28:30):
keeping score We're

SPEAKER_01 (28:34):
tied.
No,

SPEAKER_00 (28:35):
we're not tied.

SPEAKER_01 (28:35):
The last one we just won.
Yeah, we're tied.
So this is a tiebreaker.
Or we're going to have

SPEAKER_03 (28:42):
a

SPEAKER_00 (28:42):
tie.
We're about to tie again.

SPEAKER_01 (28:46):
Ready?

SPEAKER_02 (28:49):
I can see yours.
Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 (28:51):
Well, game over.
It is a tie.
It looks like we all know eachother just pretty well.
Except Omar don't know what Ilike to eat.
Well, he listed some

SPEAKER_00 (29:00):
good stuff.
As a child.
You tripping.

SPEAKER_01 (29:03):
I'm just second.
These are things you shouldknow.
Pasta?
I

SPEAKER_00 (29:07):
love pasta.
You know that.
But as a child?

SPEAKER_01 (29:09):
Yeah, I did.
I love pasta as

SPEAKER_00 (29:10):
a child.
So you was cooking it?
Mm-hmm.
Oh.

SPEAKER_01 (29:13):
What?
Always could cook.
There you go.
All

SPEAKER_00 (29:16):
right.
All

SPEAKER_01 (29:20):
right.
Final, final thoughts.
We're going to wrap up.
It's been a fantasticconversation.
I think the game is super fun.
My final thought is love.

SPEAKER_00 (29:28):
All right,

SPEAKER_04 (29:31):
go

SPEAKER_01 (29:31):
ahead.
All right.
So final thought, one word todescribe your relationship.
Fast, go fun.

SPEAKER_03 (29:41):
Grace.
Grace.
Evolving.

SPEAKER_01 (29:44):
Ooh, openness.
There we go.
I love that for us.
I think it's important that, youknow, we start and lead and end
with curiosity.
I think that that's what keepseverything interesting and keeps
us growing and learning andevolving and fun.
Yeah, and fun, right?
So, you know, like I said, we'repretty much up on our time.

(30:06):
It's been real.
It's been real.
I just want to thank everybodyfor listening.
You know, this is...
Wait, how did

SPEAKER_02 (30:14):
they do that?

SPEAKER_01 (30:15):
Well...
Trying to be relevant.

SPEAKER_02 (30:18):
Oh, is that not...
Oh, no.
Okay.
Let me know.
Whoa.

SPEAKER_01 (30:25):
Okay.
Well, anyway, to our, to ourfamily out there, whether you're
in a multicultural relationshipor you just love, love, we
appreciate you being here withus at your cultural table.
Callaloo and collard greens,really our heart in our soul and
bridging the gap betweenCaribbean and African-American
relationships and learning tolove, grow and build family and

(30:48):
community together.
So yeah, There's always a seatfor you here at our table.
And so we'd love for everybodyout there, right, to like,
subscribe, share.
And we'll catch you next time onCallaloo and Collar Greens.
Thanks for joining us as wecelebrate love, family, and
legacy across cultures.

SPEAKER_00 (31:10):
There's always a seat for you at our table.
So remember to like, share,subscribe, and give us your
thoughts as we want to hear yourstories.

SPEAKER_01 (31:17):
Spreading joy, sending love.
Thanks for joining us on theCallaloo and Collar Greens
podcast.