Watch the Episode
When the World Gets You Wrong
A conversation with Larisa Vakulina and Andrea Putting
There are times in life when we know exactly who we are, yet discover that the world sees only a small part of us. An accent, our age, a disability or simply being unfamiliar with the world around us can become the thing people use to define who we are. They may never realise how much of our story they are missing.
In this conversation, I sit down with Larisa Vakulina to explore what happens when someone begins a new life in another country, carrying all the knowledge, experience and identity they’ve built over a lifetime, but suddenly struggling to communicate it.
Larisa’s experience opens a much wider conversation about the assumptions we make and how easily we can underestimate someone when we don’t understand their circumstances. It also raises a question worth considering in our own lives. How often do we mistake someone’s ability to express themselves for the extent of what they know?
Perhaps belonging begins when we become curious enough to discover the person beyond what we first see.
Meet Larisa Vakulina
Larisa Vakulina’s experience of migration to Australia offers a deeply human perspective on what it means to begin again in an unfamiliar place.
When we move between languages and cultures, we don’t leave behind the person we’ve always been. Our knowledge, experiences, relationships and understanding of the world come with us, even when finding the words to express them becomes difficult.
Through Larisa’s story, we explore the distance that can exist between how we understand ourselves and how others perceive us, and what it takes to find connection and belonging when so much of who we are remains unseen.
Brew the Change
The next time you meet someone whose first language is different from yours, take the opportunity to have a conversation that goes beyond the usual exchange.
Ask about something that interests them, their experiences or what they enjoy doing. Give them the time and space to share their story without rushing to fill the silence or making assumptions about what they understand.
You may discover a whole world of knowledge and experience that would otherwise have remained hidden.
Continue the Conversation
What does it take for us to truly see another person, beyond the assumptions we make when we first meet?
If this conversation has opened a new way of thinking for you, share it with someone who might enjoy exploring that question too.
Pour yourself a cuppa, grab your favourite chocolate and join the conversation.
Let Love Be the Loudest Voice.
