In this deeply moving episode of Ducking Realitea, Siobhan sits down with her friend Thu, who shares the extraordinary story of her family’s escape from Vietnam to the United States. Through multiple attempts, encounters with pirates, and time spent in refugee camps across Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines, Thu’s early life was shaped by survival, strength, and sacrifice. Eventually settling in California, her family faced poverty, displacement, and the challenge of adapting to American life.
Thu reflects on her cultural identity, the complexities of assimilation, and the long-term impact of her upbringing on her relationships, values, and view of ambition. She opens up about her love of Burning Man, her evolving definition of home, and the healing power of hugs — yes, science says we need at least seven a day just to feel OK.
Together, Thu and Siobhan explore the highs and lows of building community, what it means to live authentically, and how immigration policies continue to shape lives like hers. As Thu prepares for a cross-country move to Virginia in search of better balance, she leaves us with wisdom on simplicity, connection, and the real meaning of resilience.
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For more than 30 years The River Cafe in London, has been the home-from-home of artists, architects, designers, actors, collectors, writers, activists, and politicians. Michael Caine, Glenn Close, JJ Abrams, Steve McQueen, Victoria and David Beckham, and Lily Allen, are just some of the people who love to call The River Cafe home. On River Cafe Table 4, Rogers sits down with her customers—who have become friends—to talk about food memories. Table 4 explores how food impacts every aspect of our lives. “Foods is politics, food is cultural, food is how you express love, food is about your heritage, it defines who you and who you want to be,” says Rogers. Each week, Rogers invites her guest to reminisce about family suppers and first dates, what they cook, how they eat when performing, the restaurants they choose, and what food they seek when they need comfort. And to punctuate each episode of Table 4, guests such as Ralph Fiennes, Emily Blunt, and Alfonso Cuarón, read their favourite recipe from one of the best-selling River Cafe cookbooks. Table 4 itself, is situated near The River Cafe’s open kitchen, close to the bright pink wood-fired oven and next to the glossy yellow pass, where Ruthie oversees the restaurant. You are invited to take a seat at this intimate table and join the conversation. For more information, recipes, and ingredients, go to https://shoptherivercafe.co.uk/ Web: https://rivercafe.co.uk/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/therivercafelondon/ Facebook: https://en-gb.facebook.com/therivercafelondon/ For more podcasts from iHeartRadio, visit the iheartradio app, apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.com
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Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com