1 00:00:03,080 --> 00:00:06,439 Speaker 1: You're listening to Part Time Genius, the production of Kaleidoscope 2 00:00:06,640 --> 00:00:07,640 Speaker 1: and iHeartRadio. 3 00:00:11,760 --> 00:00:13,200 Speaker 2: Guess what Mango? What's that? 4 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:13,560 Speaker 1: Will? 5 00:00:13,920 --> 00:00:16,000 Speaker 3: So? I was thinking about Carol Burnett the other day, 6 00:00:16,079 --> 00:00:17,960 Speaker 3: and actually, you know, I think about her often. 7 00:00:18,120 --> 00:00:20,000 Speaker 2: I admitted before the episode. 8 00:00:20,520 --> 00:00:23,000 Speaker 3: She was one of my first crushes, which might come 9 00:00:23,040 --> 00:00:24,680 Speaker 3: as a surprise to many, but she was just so 10 00:00:24,840 --> 00:00:26,960 Speaker 3: fun and we used to love watching her show, The 11 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:29,760 Speaker 3: Carol Burnette Show in the evenings. But anyway, one of 12 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:31,840 Speaker 3: the things I was thinking about recently was how she 13 00:00:31,960 --> 00:00:34,639 Speaker 3: used to tug her ear to say hi to her 14 00:00:34,680 --> 00:00:37,080 Speaker 3: grandmother on air. Now, actually, did you watch the Carol 15 00:00:37,080 --> 00:00:37,720 Speaker 3: Burnette Show. 16 00:00:38,040 --> 00:00:40,520 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's it's actually one of my earliest memories of TV, 17 00:00:40,720 --> 00:00:43,280 Speaker 1: like watching that and also the Muppet Show because my 18 00:00:43,360 --> 00:00:46,800 Speaker 1: parents loved both of those. Also, have you watched Pamroll 19 00:00:47,080 --> 00:00:50,159 Speaker 1: I have not yet. No, it is so fun. It's 20 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:53,080 Speaker 1: like soaphi it but she's in a coma and somehow 21 00:00:53,120 --> 00:00:55,400 Speaker 1: she's still funny. Like she's funny even when she's in 22 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:58,840 Speaker 1: a coma, like do these minor little actions and stuff, 23 00:00:58,840 --> 00:00:59,720 Speaker 1: she can still get a laugh. 24 00:00:59,720 --> 00:01:01,520 Speaker 2: It's like he was the best of the best. 25 00:01:02,560 --> 00:01:05,240 Speaker 3: But I was thinking about this whole ear tugging story, 26 00:01:05,240 --> 00:01:07,640 Speaker 3: and I decided to look into it a little bit more. 27 00:01:07,680 --> 00:01:10,480 Speaker 3: And apparently the first time she was on TV in 28 00:01:10,480 --> 00:01:13,240 Speaker 3: New York, her grandmother says to her, why don't you 29 00:01:13,280 --> 00:01:15,120 Speaker 3: just turn to the camera and say hello to me 30 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:18,160 Speaker 3: when you're on TV? And Carol's response was, of course, 31 00:01:18,280 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 3: I had to explain to her that we're not allowed 32 00:01:20,200 --> 00:01:23,200 Speaker 3: to just say hi, nanny on television, And so they 33 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:26,000 Speaker 3: came up with this secret signal that's now famous, where 34 00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:28,959 Speaker 3: she would pull her ear lobe, and according to Carol Burnett, 35 00:01:29,040 --> 00:01:31,720 Speaker 3: it meant HI, I'm fine, your check is on the way. 36 00:01:32,120 --> 00:01:34,680 Speaker 1: That's ridiculous. I think I've heard they were close because 37 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:36,360 Speaker 1: Burnette was raised by her grandma. 38 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:38,039 Speaker 2: Right, That's exactly right, you know. 39 00:01:38,080 --> 00:01:39,920 Speaker 3: And part of the story that I thought was really 40 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:43,679 Speaker 3: funny is that this writer from Life magazine actually measured 41 00:01:43,720 --> 00:01:46,319 Speaker 3: her ear lobe and found that she'd stretched it from 42 00:01:46,400 --> 00:01:49,040 Speaker 3: pulling it so much over the years, and that her 43 00:01:49,080 --> 00:01:52,120 Speaker 3: ear lobe was noticeably longer because of all the time 44 00:01:52,200 --> 00:01:54,120 Speaker 3: she turned to the camera and let her grandma know 45 00:01:54,320 --> 00:01:55,640 Speaker 3: that she was thinking about her. 46 00:01:56,160 --> 00:01:58,440 Speaker 1: I mean, that is both really sweet and I feel 47 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:01,200 Speaker 1: like it's real love, like giving up your symmetrical face 48 00:02:01,280 --> 00:02:02,120 Speaker 1: for your grandma. 49 00:02:02,600 --> 00:02:04,320 Speaker 2: That's a real, real sacrifice. 50 00:02:04,320 --> 00:02:06,560 Speaker 3: But you know, in the interview, Carol Burnett did want 51 00:02:06,600 --> 00:02:08,880 Speaker 3: to clarify that she only pulled her ear when she 52 00:02:09,000 --> 00:02:09,520 Speaker 3: was on TV. 53 00:02:09,720 --> 00:02:11,680 Speaker 2: She didn't go around pulling her ear just for the 54 00:02:11,720 --> 00:02:12,280 Speaker 2: heck of it. 55 00:02:13,080 --> 00:02:16,160 Speaker 3: But with Thanksgiving holiday right around the corner, we thought 56 00:02:16,160 --> 00:02:18,120 Speaker 3: it might be the perfect time to do a little 57 00:02:18,160 --> 00:02:42,400 Speaker 3: tribute episode to Grandma's So let's dive in. Hey, their 58 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:45,320 Speaker 3: podcast listeners, welcome to Part Time Genius. I'm Will Pearson, 59 00:02:45,400 --> 00:02:47,600 Speaker 3: and as always I'm joined by my good friend Mangesh 60 00:02:47,639 --> 00:02:50,520 Speaker 3: Hot Ticket and sitting there behind the big booth glass 61 00:02:50,560 --> 00:02:55,400 Speaker 3: wearing a vintage Charlotte hornets Larry Johnson basketball jersey. 62 00:02:55,680 --> 00:02:58,079 Speaker 2: Probably a lot of our younger listeners are saying, who 63 00:02:58,120 --> 00:03:02,080 Speaker 2: the heck is Larry Johnson? Amazing basketball player. This is 64 00:03:02,120 --> 00:03:03,560 Speaker 2: a real deep cut here, Dylan. 65 00:03:03,600 --> 00:03:05,160 Speaker 3: I love it when he goes for the deep cuts, 66 00:03:05,680 --> 00:03:08,600 Speaker 3: making a throwback joke to those Grandmama commercials. 67 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 1: Yeah, he's nodding his head back there and just. 68 00:03:11,440 --> 00:03:14,600 Speaker 3: Smiling once again. That is our good friend and producer, 69 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:15,359 Speaker 3: Dylan Fagan. 70 00:03:16,120 --> 00:03:18,799 Speaker 1: You know, I watched this interview with Larry Johnson where 71 00:03:18,840 --> 00:03:21,320 Speaker 1: he was talking about why he signed with Converse and 72 00:03:21,440 --> 00:03:24,560 Speaker 1: did those Grandmama commercials. Yeah, and he said it was 73 00:03:24,600 --> 00:03:27,600 Speaker 1: a total bait and switch. Like he was fresh out 74 00:03:27,639 --> 00:03:29,760 Speaker 1: of college. He was the number one NBA draft pick, 75 00:03:29,880 --> 00:03:32,960 Speaker 1: and Converse was like, we've got the perfect ad for you. 76 00:03:33,080 --> 00:03:37,240 Speaker 1: It's Larry Bird and Magic Johnson wearing surgeons gear and 77 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:41,360 Speaker 1: they've created this perfect basketball player, right, and they're just 78 00:03:41,360 --> 00:03:43,280 Speaker 1: deciding what to name him, and Larry Bird's like, let's 79 00:03:43,280 --> 00:03:45,840 Speaker 1: call him Larry, and Magic is like, let's call him Johnson. 80 00:03:45,880 --> 00:03:49,880 Speaker 1: And they're fighting like Larry Johnson, Larry Johnson, and as 81 00:03:49,880 --> 00:03:54,200 Speaker 1: they're arguing, he just kind of rises up like Frankenstein's mom, right. 82 00:03:54,720 --> 00:03:57,880 Speaker 1: And so of course Larry Johnson is young, he's all in. 83 00:03:58,040 --> 00:04:00,240 Speaker 1: He's so sold by this idea. Also, I had a 84 00:04:00,240 --> 00:04:02,480 Speaker 1: million dollars to give him, so he was happy to 85 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:04,600 Speaker 1: take that. And he went off and bought his mom 86 00:04:04,680 --> 00:04:08,520 Speaker 1: a house with the money. Okay, and then Converce called 87 00:04:08,600 --> 00:04:10,520 Speaker 1: him up and was like, Magic and Larry don't want 88 00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:12,160 Speaker 1: to do the commercial, So we've got another idea. 89 00:04:13,240 --> 00:04:14,120 Speaker 2: You're gonna be a grandma. 90 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:16,560 Speaker 1: I feel like a grandma, and you're gonna dominate the 91 00:04:16,560 --> 00:04:19,640 Speaker 1: basketball court, and he was like, man, I wish I 92 00:04:19,720 --> 00:04:23,919 Speaker 1: hadn't fought that house. Yeah, but barely. You ended up 93 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:24,760 Speaker 1: having a lot of fun with it. 94 00:04:24,920 --> 00:04:26,800 Speaker 2: I mean, it was a it was a pretty great 95 00:04:26,880 --> 00:04:27,520 Speaker 2: series there. 96 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:30,120 Speaker 3: But Menguel, you're already getting a soft track. We are 97 00:04:30,160 --> 00:04:32,760 Speaker 3: doing a show that is a tribute to our grandma's 98 00:04:32,880 --> 00:04:35,760 Speaker 3: And I know you knew my mamma and really loved her, 99 00:04:35,800 --> 00:04:37,640 Speaker 3: and she loved you, and I think later in her 100 00:04:37,680 --> 00:04:39,919 Speaker 3: life she actually thought you were one of her grandkids. 101 00:04:39,960 --> 00:04:43,000 Speaker 3: And I remember meeting your grandma in college when she'd 102 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:45,359 Speaker 3: come to visit from India, and you know, it was 103 00:04:45,440 --> 00:04:47,919 Speaker 3: just always the sweetest visits to see how much she 104 00:04:48,040 --> 00:04:49,599 Speaker 3: meant to you, and it was it was just a 105 00:04:49,600 --> 00:04:51,880 Speaker 3: lot of fun that she actually came to college knocking 106 00:04:51,880 --> 00:04:53,920 Speaker 3: in your dorm room one time, and she was actually 107 00:04:53,920 --> 00:04:55,560 Speaker 3: just lying there on the bed like she was one 108 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:56,200 Speaker 3: of our friends. 109 00:04:56,240 --> 00:04:59,120 Speaker 1: It was she was small, she was lying on it horizon. 110 00:05:00,600 --> 00:05:02,440 Speaker 3: I wasn't going to say that, but actually I think 111 00:05:02,480 --> 00:05:05,000 Speaker 3: she was there one time with one of your aunts 112 00:05:05,040 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 3: and they were both lying there as far as that's 113 00:05:07,960 --> 00:05:09,160 Speaker 3: you know, these tiny women. 114 00:05:09,200 --> 00:05:10,240 Speaker 2: But it was fantastic. 115 00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:13,719 Speaker 3: But anyway, I know this holiday season, we're both missing 116 00:05:13,720 --> 00:05:15,760 Speaker 3: our grandmothers a lot, and I thought it might be 117 00:05:15,839 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 3: nice to do a nine things. 118 00:05:17,240 --> 00:05:20,159 Speaker 2: In honor of them. So this one is for Nadine 119 00:05:20,240 --> 00:05:20,920 Speaker 2: and Soushila. 120 00:05:21,120 --> 00:05:24,159 Speaker 1: Mm hmmm, that's so wonderful. So I'm going to start 121 00:05:24,200 --> 00:05:27,920 Speaker 1: with a story about a group of grandmas in Zimbabwe. 122 00:05:28,440 --> 00:05:31,400 Speaker 1: And this story actually begins with a young psychiatrist. His 123 00:05:31,520 --> 00:05:35,479 Speaker 1: name is Dixon Chibanda. So Zimbabwe apparently has been dealing 124 00:05:35,520 --> 00:05:38,240 Speaker 1: with an incredible shortage of mental health professionals over the 125 00:05:38,279 --> 00:05:41,000 Speaker 1: past few decades. And the story comes from the Boston 126 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:44,400 Speaker 1: Globe and they say that Chibanda was actually only one 127 00:05:44,440 --> 00:05:49,160 Speaker 1: of fifteen psychiatrists in the country of sixteen million people. 128 00:05:49,440 --> 00:05:51,960 Speaker 1: It isn't that stunning, But this starts with a really 129 00:05:52,000 --> 00:05:54,640 Speaker 1: sad story. So Chibanda had a patient who was unable 130 00:05:54,640 --> 00:05:57,000 Speaker 1: to visit him because she couldn't afford the fifteen dollars 131 00:05:57,000 --> 00:06:00,200 Speaker 1: bus fare to travel this insanely long distance to see him, 132 00:06:00,720 --> 00:06:03,400 Speaker 1: and she ends up taking her own life, and chibond 133 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:06,000 Speaker 1: is just devastated by this. He's like, we need to 134 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:08,839 Speaker 1: be giving people more care, making the access easier. So 135 00:06:08,880 --> 00:06:11,800 Speaker 1: he starts exploring all these different ways to recruit and 136 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:15,960 Speaker 1: train more mental health practitioners, but it is just really, 137 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:18,800 Speaker 1: really difficult. There are a lot of hurdles to jump 138 00:06:18,839 --> 00:06:21,719 Speaker 1: to make it happen. And what he realizes is that 139 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:25,600 Speaker 1: there's actually already this incredible core of whys and empathetic 140 00:06:25,640 --> 00:06:28,960 Speaker 1: caregivers who have a lot of life experience and a 141 00:06:28,960 --> 00:06:30,920 Speaker 1: lot of time on their hands. And so, of course 142 00:06:30,960 --> 00:06:34,440 Speaker 1: we're talking about grandmothers here. So he pilots this program 143 00:06:34,480 --> 00:06:37,560 Speaker 1: with fourteen grandmothers in her are and he gives them 144 00:06:37,600 --> 00:06:40,560 Speaker 1: the tools to better listen, right. He helps them make 145 00:06:40,600 --> 00:06:44,600 Speaker 1: people feel heard, He helps them give people a sense 146 00:06:44,600 --> 00:06:47,800 Speaker 1: of belonging and confidence, and he also teaches the grandmothers 147 00:06:47,800 --> 00:06:50,560 Speaker 1: to empower people to tackle their own problems. Right. It's 148 00:06:50,600 --> 00:06:53,800 Speaker 1: a little tutorial he does. But instead of putting these 149 00:06:53,800 --> 00:06:57,000 Speaker 1: grandmas in crowded clinics or hospitals, they come up with 150 00:06:57,040 --> 00:07:00,400 Speaker 1: this totally novel approach. They set up these benches that 151 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:03,880 Speaker 1: are in the open, that feel like you're just having conversations, 152 00:07:03,920 --> 00:07:09,000 Speaker 1: so there's no shame around the treatments and no negative perception. Initially, 153 00:07:09,040 --> 00:07:12,800 Speaker 1: Schibanda wanted to call these benches mental health benches, but 154 00:07:12,840 --> 00:07:15,440 Speaker 1: the Grandma's actually pushed back on that branding and suggested 155 00:07:15,440 --> 00:07:18,640 Speaker 1: calling them friendship benches instead. Nice and so then this 156 00:07:18,720 --> 00:07:21,400 Speaker 1: idea of the friendship bench was born, and honestly, the 157 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:25,360 Speaker 1: results have been incredible. The grandmas don't use psychiatric terms, 158 00:07:25,440 --> 00:07:28,520 Speaker 1: so instead of talking about depression or anxiety, they use 159 00:07:28,640 --> 00:07:33,400 Speaker 1: gentler Shona terms. There's actually one called Kufunga Sisa, which, 160 00:07:33,440 --> 00:07:37,120 Speaker 1: as The Globe points out, translates as thinking too much. Right, 161 00:07:37,160 --> 00:07:40,240 Speaker 1: You're just thinking too much. And they're just very warm. 162 00:07:40,320 --> 00:07:43,280 Speaker 1: They're really colloquial and today there have been over one 163 00:07:43,320 --> 00:07:47,320 Speaker 1: hundred peer reviewed studies about these benches. According to one study, 164 00:07:47,360 --> 00:07:51,040 Speaker 1: after six months, participants who interacted with these friendship benches 165 00:07:51,040 --> 00:07:53,680 Speaker 1: were better off in terms of all types of indicators, 166 00:07:53,760 --> 00:07:57,000 Speaker 1: including their fear head lessen, their anger head lessen, and 167 00:07:57,040 --> 00:08:00,680 Speaker 1: they actually had improved sleep patterns. And in fact, the 168 00:08:00,720 --> 00:08:04,280 Speaker 1: grandmas have helped over sixty thousand people in Zimbabwe to date. 169 00:08:04,800 --> 00:08:06,920 Speaker 1: But the best part is that it's also great for 170 00:08:06,960 --> 00:08:10,000 Speaker 1: the grandma's self esteem, like they feel like they're being 171 00:08:10,120 --> 00:08:14,040 Speaker 1: useful again and they're contributing to the health of this country, 172 00:08:14,080 --> 00:08:15,520 Speaker 1: which is just kind of amazing. 173 00:08:15,560 --> 00:08:16,720 Speaker 2: I was thinking the same thing. 174 00:08:16,800 --> 00:08:19,480 Speaker 3: This is definitely one of those perfect scenarios where I 175 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:22,720 Speaker 3: think everybody walks away from it feeling a little bit better. 176 00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:25,200 Speaker 2: Yeah, that is amazing. 177 00:08:25,240 --> 00:08:27,480 Speaker 3: I would totally go to something like that too, if 178 00:08:27,520 --> 00:08:28,960 Speaker 3: there was just a grandma, you know, it would be 179 00:08:28,960 --> 00:08:30,680 Speaker 3: sitting on a bench and you could go sit next 180 00:08:30,680 --> 00:08:33,680 Speaker 3: to or chat for a bit. But you know, I 181 00:08:33,800 --> 00:08:36,400 Speaker 3: was thinking about the image that we have of, you know, 182 00:08:36,440 --> 00:08:40,199 Speaker 3: the stereotypical grandmother. When you think of grandma's hanging out, 183 00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:43,920 Speaker 3: you're probably picturing them I don't know, playing bridge or majog. 184 00:08:43,640 --> 00:08:45,679 Speaker 1: Or something, tea party or something like that. 185 00:08:45,679 --> 00:08:48,720 Speaker 3: That's exactly right, But you're probably not picturing them with 186 00:08:48,840 --> 00:08:52,000 Speaker 3: cans of spray paint, right, Like tagging a wall with graffiti. 187 00:08:52,080 --> 00:08:52,640 Speaker 2: Is that something that. 188 00:08:52,600 --> 00:08:56,160 Speaker 3: Comes to mind for you. But that's exactly what's happening 189 00:08:56,160 --> 00:08:59,680 Speaker 3: in Lisbon, Portugal, where the world's most lovable graffiti gang. 190 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:01,839 Speaker 2: Has come together. I love this so much. 191 00:09:02,160 --> 00:09:06,280 Speaker 3: The group is called Lata sixty five and Lota refers 192 00:09:06,360 --> 00:09:09,560 Speaker 3: to an aerosol can and sixty five because it's open 193 00:09:09,600 --> 00:09:13,000 Speaker 3: to anyone who's sixty five or older. So, according to 194 00:09:13,040 --> 00:09:15,840 Speaker 3: one of the group's co founders, Lara Rodriguez. She was 195 00:09:15,920 --> 00:09:19,960 Speaker 3: watching Lisbon come alive through this incredible graffiti movement, and 196 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:23,599 Speaker 3: as she puts it, quote decaying cement walls were transformed 197 00:09:23,600 --> 00:09:27,800 Speaker 3: into a kaleidoscope of colors and shapes. Abandoned factories breathe 198 00:09:27,880 --> 00:09:31,400 Speaker 3: new life, and water cooler conversations moved to walls that 199 00:09:31,520 --> 00:09:34,800 Speaker 3: told stories. But while she was seeing this thriving art 200 00:09:34,840 --> 00:09:37,880 Speaker 3: scene all around her, she was noticing something else. She 201 00:09:37,960 --> 00:09:41,120 Speaker 3: was having conversations with older people in her community, and 202 00:09:41,200 --> 00:09:43,080 Speaker 3: she picked up on this sense that they felt like 203 00:09:43,120 --> 00:09:45,640 Speaker 3: a burden. There was this one seventy one year old 204 00:09:45,640 --> 00:09:48,520 Speaker 3: grandmother who told her art is for the care free, 205 00:09:48,679 --> 00:09:52,360 Speaker 3: the creative, and the sensitive. I'm just a grandmother. And 206 00:09:52,400 --> 00:09:54,960 Speaker 3: so Laura got this sense that these incredible women saw 207 00:09:55,040 --> 00:09:59,200 Speaker 3: themselves as simply caretakers, or even worse than that, like 208 00:09:59,320 --> 00:10:02,040 Speaker 3: nonexist from time to time. So she put this call 209 00:10:02,080 --> 00:10:04,520 Speaker 3: out to anyone who wanted to give graffiti a try, 210 00:10:04,920 --> 00:10:07,480 Speaker 3: and as she tells it, the youth were numb and 211 00:10:07,559 --> 00:10:10,880 Speaker 3: bored to my outreach, but elders actually wanted to jump 212 00:10:10,880 --> 00:10:14,640 Speaker 3: in and participate. The response was actually overwhelming from this 213 00:10:14,800 --> 00:10:18,760 Speaker 3: and ever since, the Grandma Graffiti Gang has totally taken off. 214 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:22,040 Speaker 3: So today these artsy grannies wander into the city's most 215 00:10:22,040 --> 00:10:25,640 Speaker 3: neglected neighborhoods and they brighten them up with these vibrant 216 00:10:25,679 --> 00:10:29,040 Speaker 3: and rebellious works. Actually, just talking about it doesn't do 217 00:10:29,080 --> 00:10:31,160 Speaker 3: it any justice. I want to share a few photos 218 00:10:31,200 --> 00:10:33,600 Speaker 3: with you right here, so you know it's like the 219 00:10:33,640 --> 00:10:38,000 Speaker 3: sweetest vandalism you'll ever see. Like their smiles are so big. 220 00:10:38,040 --> 00:10:40,480 Speaker 3: They're painting the town red and you know, lots of 221 00:10:40,480 --> 00:10:41,240 Speaker 3: other colors too. 222 00:10:41,280 --> 00:10:42,320 Speaker 2: But look at these pictures. 223 00:10:42,480 --> 00:10:44,360 Speaker 1: Oh, I love them so much. I kind of want 224 00:10:44,400 --> 00:10:47,160 Speaker 1: my mom to join a graffiti Grannis group. It looks 225 00:10:47,200 --> 00:10:51,480 Speaker 1: so fun. So here's kind of a quirky one. One 226 00:10:51,520 --> 00:10:53,120 Speaker 1: of the first things I looked up when we decided 227 00:10:53,120 --> 00:10:55,480 Speaker 1: to do this episode on Grandma's was if there was 228 00:10:55,520 --> 00:10:59,520 Speaker 1: any scientific research on grandmothers, and there's actually lots of it. 229 00:10:59,520 --> 00:11:02,200 Speaker 1: There's stuff fun how a grandmother's brain lights up when 230 00:11:02,240 --> 00:11:05,360 Speaker 1: they see a photo of their grandchildren. There's also research 231 00:11:05,480 --> 00:11:09,400 Speaker 1: on how grandmothers have actually helped us evolutionarily, and how 232 00:11:09,520 --> 00:11:12,680 Speaker 1: menopause may be linked to caring for younger kids because 233 00:11:12,840 --> 00:11:16,439 Speaker 1: it actually gives women more energy for that, which is interesting. 234 00:11:16,920 --> 00:11:19,520 Speaker 1: But the most fun paper that I encountered was one 235 00:11:19,600 --> 00:11:23,880 Speaker 1: about the dead grandmother exam syndrome, and this was recapped 236 00:11:23,880 --> 00:11:27,840 Speaker 1: in a special education issue of the Annals of Improbable Research. 237 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:31,720 Speaker 1: But in nineteen ninety nine, a professor named Mike Adams 238 00:11:31,760 --> 00:11:36,000 Speaker 1: of Eastern Connecticut State University noticed an interesting phenomena happening 239 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:38,920 Speaker 1: in his classes. So he wrote the Definitive Analysis on 240 00:11:38,960 --> 00:11:42,480 Speaker 1: what he calls the grandmother exam syndrome, in which he writes, quote, 241 00:11:42,720 --> 00:11:45,720 Speaker 1: the basic problem can be stated very simply. A student's 242 00:11:45,720 --> 00:11:48,360 Speaker 1: grandmother is far more likely to die suddenly just before 243 00:11:48,360 --> 00:11:50,600 Speaker 1: the student takes an exam than any other time. Of 244 00:11:51,200 --> 00:11:54,320 Speaker 1: what I guess, people were constantly giving this as an 245 00:11:54,360 --> 00:11:57,480 Speaker 1: excuse in his class, ye, And so he decided to 246 00:11:57,480 --> 00:11:59,240 Speaker 1: make a point by writing a paper. 247 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:00,599 Speaker 2: That is ridiculous. 248 00:12:01,320 --> 00:12:03,840 Speaker 3: All right, Well, here's a strange one about this awesome 249 00:12:03,880 --> 00:12:07,320 Speaker 3: grandma who refused to be scammed. So there's this seventy 250 00:12:07,320 --> 00:12:10,600 Speaker 3: three year old grandmother, Jean Ebert, and she's living in 251 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:12,840 Speaker 3: Long Island, and she gets this phone call where a 252 00:12:12,840 --> 00:12:16,160 Speaker 3: scammer is posing as her grandson who claims he's been 253 00:12:16,320 --> 00:12:18,880 Speaker 3: in an accident. And actually, I remember my grandmother getting 254 00:12:18,880 --> 00:12:22,400 Speaker 3: a similar kind of call, like it's a common scam 255 00:12:22,440 --> 00:12:24,640 Speaker 3: of types of people calling and claiming to be their 256 00:12:24,640 --> 00:12:27,600 Speaker 3: grandson or somebody also those lines, and I know this 257 00:12:27,640 --> 00:12:29,600 Speaker 3: shouldn't be funny, but she would say, like you talking 258 00:12:29,600 --> 00:12:32,240 Speaker 3: about will are you talking about and started naming her grandson. 259 00:12:32,240 --> 00:12:33,360 Speaker 2: She's like, yeah, yeah, of course. 260 00:12:33,640 --> 00:12:37,400 Speaker 3: So anyway, he says he's been charged with a dui 261 00:12:37,520 --> 00:12:40,120 Speaker 3: and he needs money urgently to get him out of bail. 262 00:12:40,240 --> 00:12:43,560 Speaker 3: But Jean's grandkids are in elementary school and they're not 263 00:12:43,720 --> 00:12:46,600 Speaker 3: driving and they're definitely not drinking, so she knows that 264 00:12:46,640 --> 00:12:49,400 Speaker 3: this is a scam. Also, she's a retired nine to 265 00:12:49,440 --> 00:12:52,200 Speaker 3: one one dispatcher, so she knows how to work a phone, 266 00:12:52,520 --> 00:12:55,840 Speaker 3: and she decides to play along. So the fake grandson 267 00:12:55,920 --> 00:12:58,680 Speaker 3: says he needs eight thousand dollars and he needs it 268 00:12:58,720 --> 00:13:00,800 Speaker 3: soon because he doesn't want to be stuck in jail and 269 00:13:00,840 --> 00:13:04,040 Speaker 3: he's really laying it on thick in this story, but 270 00:13:04,160 --> 00:13:07,000 Speaker 3: she keeps stringing him along. She offers to venmo him 271 00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:09,360 Speaker 3: the amount, but he says he really needs it in cash, 272 00:13:09,440 --> 00:13:12,200 Speaker 3: so she asked him to call back, and she obviously 273 00:13:12,240 --> 00:13:15,160 Speaker 3: needs the time to get the money, and in the meantime, 274 00:13:15,240 --> 00:13:16,200 Speaker 3: she calls the police. 275 00:13:16,360 --> 00:13:16,960 Speaker 2: They come over. 276 00:13:17,080 --> 00:13:19,640 Speaker 3: They actually listen in on the follow up calls, and 277 00:13:19,679 --> 00:13:22,720 Speaker 3: eventually the scammer says he's sending a bail bondsman over 278 00:13:22,760 --> 00:13:24,480 Speaker 3: to her front door in ten minutes. 279 00:13:24,880 --> 00:13:27,599 Speaker 2: So when this guy arrives, she opens the door. 280 00:13:27,679 --> 00:13:30,160 Speaker 3: Hands him an envelope stuffed with paper towels so it'll 281 00:13:30,160 --> 00:13:32,800 Speaker 3: look like it's this fat wad of cash. And then 282 00:13:32,840 --> 00:13:36,640 Speaker 3: as he pockets the money, the officers yell surprise, jump 283 00:13:36,679 --> 00:13:38,280 Speaker 3: out and arrest the guy. 284 00:13:38,360 --> 00:13:38,920 Speaker 2: I love him. 285 00:13:39,360 --> 00:13:41,280 Speaker 1: They actually yelled the prim Now they. 286 00:13:41,200 --> 00:13:44,960 Speaker 3: Totally were like, surprise, you're going to jail. But the 287 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:47,960 Speaker 3: whole incident was captured on Jean's ring cam and it 288 00:13:48,040 --> 00:13:51,079 Speaker 3: wasn't long before the conman were thrown in jail. And 289 00:13:51,160 --> 00:13:53,959 Speaker 3: as for Jeans, she's now Internet famous as the granny 290 00:13:54,000 --> 00:13:55,559 Speaker 3: who scammed the scammers. 291 00:13:55,679 --> 00:13:58,720 Speaker 1: Oh, I like that. I also love that a lifetime 292 00:13:58,720 --> 00:14:00,880 Speaker 1: of nine one one calls makes her super calm in 293 00:14:00,920 --> 00:14:04,239 Speaker 1: like any phone call situation. Yeah, you have so much practice, 294 00:14:04,960 --> 00:14:07,520 Speaker 1: so I know that I couldn't do an episode on 295 00:14:07,559 --> 00:14:10,319 Speaker 1: Grandma's without talking about my favorite group of old women, 296 00:14:10,600 --> 00:14:12,880 Speaker 1: the divers in South Korea known as. 297 00:14:12,760 --> 00:14:15,600 Speaker 2: Henyo, which I did not look into because I knew 298 00:14:15,800 --> 00:14:18,640 Speaker 2: you would be doing something here, so. 299 00:14:18,720 --> 00:14:20,680 Speaker 1: You might remember this from when I commission a photo 300 00:14:20,760 --> 00:14:23,560 Speaker 1: essay for mental phloss about those years ago. But the 301 00:14:23,600 --> 00:14:26,080 Speaker 1: hen you are famous because they dive off the coast 302 00:14:26,240 --> 00:14:31,360 Speaker 1: of the Jaju Island to harvest mollis, abalony, octopus, seaweed 303 00:14:31,400 --> 00:14:34,480 Speaker 1: and other tasty sea life. Right. But the society is 304 00:14:34,520 --> 00:14:38,360 Speaker 1: particularly special because, unlike the rest of South Korea, it's 305 00:14:38,400 --> 00:14:41,880 Speaker 1: a matriarchal community, and people don't exactly know how it 306 00:14:41,920 --> 00:14:44,080 Speaker 1: came to be this way and how the women took 307 00:14:44,080 --> 00:14:47,000 Speaker 1: over the diving, but it's been this way for centuries now, 308 00:14:47,520 --> 00:14:50,880 Speaker 1: and the work is really dangerous. They dive between thirty 309 00:14:50,880 --> 00:14:54,760 Speaker 1: to sixty feet. They free dive actually into icy waters. 310 00:14:54,800 --> 00:14:59,760 Speaker 1: They brave sharks and hypothermia, among other things. And you know, 311 00:15:00,000 --> 00:15:03,000 Speaker 1: it might be that this diving culture started because men 312 00:15:03,080 --> 00:15:05,880 Speaker 1: went off to war and the women took over. It's 313 00:15:05,920 --> 00:15:08,960 Speaker 1: also thought that the women have more body fat, so 314 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:10,800 Speaker 1: they're better at dealing with the. 315 00:15:10,880 --> 00:15:11,760 Speaker 2: Very cold water. 316 00:15:12,280 --> 00:15:15,560 Speaker 1: But whatever the reason, it's led to the society that 317 00:15:15,680 --> 00:15:20,440 Speaker 1: really values women and considers women more powerful than the men. Apparently, 318 00:15:20,480 --> 00:15:22,480 Speaker 1: husbands stay home to watch the kids and they do 319 00:15:22,560 --> 00:15:25,920 Speaker 1: the domestic chores. And unlike other parts of Asia, where 320 00:15:26,600 --> 00:15:29,120 Speaker 1: you know, having a son is really valued, having a 321 00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:32,760 Speaker 1: daughter here is really celebrated in the community because women 322 00:15:32,840 --> 00:15:35,880 Speaker 1: bring in money. And what's really interesting is that a 323 00:15:35,880 --> 00:15:38,960 Speaker 1: young woman often begins practicing these diving skills between the 324 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:41,800 Speaker 1: age of eight to ten. We're often trained by your mother, 325 00:15:42,240 --> 00:15:45,280 Speaker 1: but they're not considered experts until they reach their forties. 326 00:15:45,680 --> 00:15:48,320 Speaker 1: And then women will keep diving well into their eighties, 327 00:15:48,560 --> 00:15:51,840 Speaker 1: which is why you see these beautiful, mermad grandmothers still 328 00:15:52,000 --> 00:15:53,080 Speaker 1: keeping this traditional live. 329 00:15:53,160 --> 00:15:56,240 Speaker 3: It's amazing, like it's just wild that they're willing to 330 00:15:56,280 --> 00:15:59,640 Speaker 3: do that for me. If it's below seventy degrees and 331 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:02,640 Speaker 3: further than like five or six feet, I'm not trying 332 00:16:02,680 --> 00:16:03,400 Speaker 3: to do it like. 333 00:16:03,320 --> 00:16:04,560 Speaker 2: It's it's too much. 334 00:16:04,600 --> 00:16:08,360 Speaker 3: But I love these stories about these Korean grandmas, and 335 00:16:08,400 --> 00:16:09,920 Speaker 3: as I mentioned, at a feeling you were going to 336 00:16:09,920 --> 00:16:12,760 Speaker 3: do a fact on them. So I also looked up 337 00:16:13,080 --> 00:16:16,200 Speaker 3: a group of Austin diving grandmas, and I found a 338 00:16:16,200 --> 00:16:18,000 Speaker 3: group from a slightly different part of the world. It's 339 00:16:18,000 --> 00:16:20,920 Speaker 3: an island called New Caledonia, which is in the Pacific Ocean. 340 00:16:21,240 --> 00:16:23,040 Speaker 3: So if you're trying to get your bearings here. New 341 00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:27,040 Speaker 3: Caledonia is east of Australia and north of New Zealand. 342 00:16:27,480 --> 00:16:30,240 Speaker 3: So the story starts with these two researchers who are 343 00:16:30,240 --> 00:16:34,160 Speaker 3: in New Caledonia and they're studying sea snakes. Now, in particular, 344 00:16:34,200 --> 00:16:37,480 Speaker 3: they're looking at this harmless, small turtle headed snake that 345 00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:41,200 Speaker 3: primarily exists there. But while they're researching, they end up 346 00:16:41,200 --> 00:16:44,720 Speaker 3: seeing these much larger sea snakes that are super venomous. 347 00:16:44,960 --> 00:16:47,120 Speaker 3: And these things are scary, like they're five feet long 348 00:16:47,200 --> 00:16:49,920 Speaker 3: and lethal, but you know, it turns out they're also 349 00:16:50,160 --> 00:16:53,040 Speaker 3: really shy. So the scientists who are in this area 350 00:16:53,160 --> 00:16:55,960 Speaker 3: studying for about three years, only end up seeing a 351 00:16:56,000 --> 00:16:58,360 Speaker 3: couple dozen of these snakes and they can't get a 352 00:16:58,360 --> 00:17:01,360 Speaker 3: handle on their behavior. Ayway, there isn't much research on 353 00:17:01,400 --> 00:17:05,000 Speaker 3: these venomous snakes. But then in twenty seventeen, a group 354 00:17:05,040 --> 00:17:08,840 Speaker 3: of grandmas who by the way, call themselves the Fantastic Grandmothers, 355 00:17:09,320 --> 00:17:12,399 Speaker 3: hear about this, and they're in their sixties and seventies 356 00:17:12,400 --> 00:17:15,480 Speaker 3: and they decide they want to help out because it 357 00:17:15,560 --> 00:17:18,000 Speaker 3: turns out this area where the sea snakes have been 358 00:17:18,040 --> 00:17:22,800 Speaker 3: spotted happens to be the snorkeling turf of these grandmothers. 359 00:17:23,040 --> 00:17:25,280 Speaker 3: This is just where they've been swimming for a good time, 360 00:17:25,359 --> 00:17:27,640 Speaker 3: and they didn't know there was any danger lurking there. 361 00:17:27,720 --> 00:17:31,359 Speaker 3: So they asked the researchers, or rather tell the researchers 362 00:17:31,400 --> 00:17:34,200 Speaker 3: that they're going to lend a hand and photograph any 363 00:17:34,240 --> 00:17:37,560 Speaker 3: sea snakes when they see that they're out and about. Anyways, 364 00:17:37,600 --> 00:17:40,640 Speaker 3: one of the researchers told Mental Flaws quote, as soon 365 00:17:40,680 --> 00:17:43,280 Speaker 3: as the grandmothers set to work, we realized that we 366 00:17:43,400 --> 00:17:47,280 Speaker 3: had massively underestimated the abundance of greater sea snakes in 367 00:17:47,320 --> 00:17:50,480 Speaker 3: the bay. So apparently the work was this huge boon 368 00:17:50,520 --> 00:17:54,359 Speaker 3: to the researchers because over a short period, these grandmothers 369 00:17:54,359 --> 00:17:57,520 Speaker 3: identified over two hundred and forty nine of the venomous 370 00:17:57,520 --> 00:17:59,320 Speaker 3: sea snakes while managing. 371 00:17:59,080 --> 00:18:00,640 Speaker 2: Not to get didn't. 372 00:18:01,160 --> 00:18:04,120 Speaker 3: Also, they shed light on their breeding habits and offspring. 373 00:18:04,560 --> 00:18:08,320 Speaker 3: So today the Fantastic Grandmother's project is regularly cited as 374 00:18:08,359 --> 00:18:10,879 Speaker 3: a way that communities and scientists can work together to 375 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:13,080 Speaker 3: advance the understanding of animal life. 376 00:18:13,400 --> 00:18:15,760 Speaker 1: That's really cool. So I know we've got two more 377 00:18:15,800 --> 00:18:17,800 Speaker 1: facts to go, but before we do, why don't we 378 00:18:17,800 --> 00:18:34,439 Speaker 1: take a quick break. Welcome back to Part Time Genius, 379 00:18:34,440 --> 00:18:37,280 Speaker 1: where we're talking all about grandma's So will what do 380 00:18:37,359 --> 00:18:39,080 Speaker 1: you want to do for your last fact? 381 00:18:39,280 --> 00:18:41,000 Speaker 3: All right, Well, I know we kicked this off with 382 00:18:41,080 --> 00:18:43,679 Speaker 3: a Carol Burnett story, but I want to talk a 383 00:18:43,720 --> 00:18:47,040 Speaker 3: little bit about another luminary who was raised and influenced 384 00:18:47,080 --> 00:18:50,520 Speaker 3: by his grandmam, and that's Willie Nelson. And I guess 385 00:18:50,560 --> 00:18:53,080 Speaker 3: I didn't realize how hard his life has been. But 386 00:18:53,119 --> 00:18:55,800 Speaker 3: they rarely had money to buy food off and lived 387 00:18:55,800 --> 00:18:58,840 Speaker 3: off of soup bones. And well, his grandmam had a 388 00:18:58,920 --> 00:19:01,280 Speaker 3: job in a school lunch. She had a lot of 389 00:19:01,320 --> 00:19:04,000 Speaker 3: odd jobs to just feed the family, and she often 390 00:19:04,040 --> 00:19:06,680 Speaker 3: took him with her. And so, as he writes, quote, 391 00:19:06,920 --> 00:19:09,919 Speaker 3: I started picking cotton alongside my grandmother when I was 392 00:19:09,960 --> 00:19:12,159 Speaker 3: maybe five or six years old. Wow. I had a 393 00:19:12,200 --> 00:19:14,119 Speaker 3: little bit of cotton sacks she made for me, and 394 00:19:14,200 --> 00:19:16,520 Speaker 3: some knee pads so I could crawl along beside her. 395 00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:19,760 Speaker 3: I learned a lot about what hard work farming is. 396 00:19:20,600 --> 00:19:22,879 Speaker 3: So this is probably why he's devoted so much of 397 00:19:22,920 --> 00:19:25,000 Speaker 3: his effort to farm mate, if you think about it. 398 00:19:25,040 --> 00:19:28,359 Speaker 3: And apparently those days in the field really shaped him musically. 399 00:19:28,800 --> 00:19:31,080 Speaker 3: There were a lot of black farm workers, he says, 400 00:19:31,240 --> 00:19:34,320 Speaker 3: Mexican farm workers, a lot of guys like me, little 401 00:19:34,320 --> 00:19:36,439 Speaker 3: white guys going to school, trying to make a living. 402 00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:40,080 Speaker 3: We all came together out there working. You hear blues 403 00:19:40,080 --> 00:19:42,680 Speaker 3: coming from over here, You hear Mexican music coming from 404 00:19:42,680 --> 00:19:45,479 Speaker 3: over there, Bob Will's coming from over here. It was 405 00:19:45,600 --> 00:19:49,320 Speaker 3: like living in an opera. And so his grandmother is 406 00:19:49,359 --> 00:19:51,800 Speaker 3: also the one who taught him music. One of his 407 00:19:51,960 --> 00:19:54,639 Speaker 3: fondest memories that he had told Rolling Stone about was 408 00:19:54,640 --> 00:19:58,000 Speaker 3: that if he got a lesson right quote that day, 409 00:19:58,119 --> 00:20:00,840 Speaker 3: she'd take a gold star, a little star the size 410 00:20:00,840 --> 00:20:03,680 Speaker 3: of your finger, and glue on one side, and she'd 411 00:20:03,720 --> 00:20:05,640 Speaker 3: stick it on a sheet of music to let him 412 00:20:05,640 --> 00:20:07,480 Speaker 3: know that he'd done a great job. 413 00:20:08,000 --> 00:20:09,719 Speaker 2: And he kind of lived for those moments. You can 414 00:20:09,800 --> 00:20:10,280 Speaker 2: imagine it. 415 00:20:10,480 --> 00:20:13,359 Speaker 1: Yeah, it's amazing how much she shaped him. So I 416 00:20:13,400 --> 00:20:15,560 Speaker 1: think I've got the perfect fact to end on and 417 00:20:15,680 --> 00:20:18,600 Speaker 1: espartially because I miss my grandma or my almama's cooking. 418 00:20:18,760 --> 00:20:21,200 Speaker 1: But if you're like me and you're missing your granny's 419 00:20:21,200 --> 00:20:23,720 Speaker 1: comfort food, a good place to visit might be the 420 00:20:23,760 --> 00:20:27,840 Speaker 1: restaurant where Nona's ruled the kitchen, and that's Enoteca Maria 421 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:31,359 Speaker 1: in Staten Island. Now I've heard the buzz about this 422 00:20:31,400 --> 00:20:33,800 Speaker 1: restaurant for years, and I've been meaning to make a visit, 423 00:20:34,240 --> 00:20:36,560 Speaker 1: but I actually thought it was just a gimmick, like 424 00:20:36,720 --> 00:20:39,440 Speaker 1: the old Ninja cafe where they're just Ninja's jumping out 425 00:20:39,480 --> 00:20:41,960 Speaker 1: with your food or whatever. But the story behind the 426 00:20:41,960 --> 00:20:45,160 Speaker 1: restaurant is really sweet. So the restaurant was founded by 427 00:20:45,280 --> 00:20:48,720 Speaker 1: Jod Scaravella in two thousand and seven after he lost 428 00:20:48,760 --> 00:20:51,800 Speaker 1: his own grandmother, and as he put it, quote, I 429 00:20:51,800 --> 00:20:54,600 Speaker 1: think subconsciously, I was just trying to patch those holes 430 00:20:54,600 --> 00:20:56,840 Speaker 1: in my life, and seeing an Italian grandmother in the 431 00:20:56,920 --> 00:21:00,439 Speaker 1: kitchen cooking was my idea of comfort. It was his 432 00:21:00,480 --> 00:21:02,760 Speaker 1: way of dealing with the grief because his Nonah had 433 00:21:02,800 --> 00:21:05,919 Speaker 1: played a really big role in his childhood. Both his 434 00:21:06,160 --> 00:21:08,520 Speaker 1: parents had worked day jobs, and his Nonah kept the 435 00:21:08,560 --> 00:21:11,960 Speaker 1: house running in Brooklyn where he grew up, and as 436 00:21:11,960 --> 00:21:13,919 Speaker 1: he tells it, she was this really big personality, Like 437 00:21:13,960 --> 00:21:16,240 Speaker 1: one of the most fun things he did as a 438 00:21:16,320 --> 00:21:19,000 Speaker 1: kid was accompanying her to the market where she would 439 00:21:19,040 --> 00:21:21,719 Speaker 1: just sample all the wares before buying them. So like 440 00:21:22,040 --> 00:21:23,920 Speaker 1: if she'd bit into a peach and liked it, she'd 441 00:21:23,920 --> 00:21:26,399 Speaker 1: buy a dozen, But if she took a bite out 442 00:21:26,440 --> 00:21:29,280 Speaker 1: of a vegetable and was unimpressed. She just like angrily 443 00:21:29,320 --> 00:21:32,800 Speaker 1: spit on the floor. That's rough, but if friendly. Everyone 444 00:21:32,840 --> 00:21:35,439 Speaker 1: loved her and liked her, so he didn't really mind, 445 00:21:35,880 --> 00:21:39,040 Speaker 1: and her cooking was divine. And while Jodie's initial idea 446 00:21:39,160 --> 00:21:42,399 Speaker 1: was to serve Italian comfort food with nonahs from different 447 00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:45,240 Speaker 1: parts of Italy, before long he was bringing in nonahs 448 00:21:45,240 --> 00:21:48,080 Speaker 1: from around the world. So every day there's like one 449 00:21:48,119 --> 00:21:50,960 Speaker 1: Italian nona and one from various locations. So you might 450 00:21:51,040 --> 00:21:55,240 Speaker 1: have like a Jamaican nona serving doubles, or a Bangladeshi 451 00:21:55,240 --> 00:21:58,159 Speaker 1: won serving curries, or big bowls of oudon from the 452 00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:01,800 Speaker 1: Japanese nona. And just like your own grandmother or my 453 00:22:01,840 --> 00:22:04,560 Speaker 1: own grandmother, they are very particular about the recipes. So, 454 00:22:04,680 --> 00:22:07,760 Speaker 1: like one Greek nona was unimpressed with a feta that 455 00:22:07,840 --> 00:22:11,560 Speaker 1: he had on hand, so she bought her own from Greece, 456 00:22:12,240 --> 00:22:14,760 Speaker 1: Sri Lankan nona didn't think much of the curry powder, 457 00:22:14,840 --> 00:22:17,320 Speaker 1: so she made him drive her to New Jersey so 458 00:22:17,359 --> 00:22:19,760 Speaker 1: that she could buy all the spices to assemble a 459 00:22:19,840 --> 00:22:23,359 Speaker 1: proper spice mix it. But what's interesting is that while 460 00:22:23,359 --> 00:22:26,040 Speaker 1: the restaurant serves up comfort food, what's funny is that 461 00:22:26,119 --> 00:22:28,679 Speaker 1: Jody doesn't really think of it as a restaurant. He 462 00:22:28,760 --> 00:22:32,040 Speaker 1: sees it as more of a community project, and as 463 00:22:32,040 --> 00:22:34,480 Speaker 1: he told Travel and Leisure, what he loves most is 464 00:22:34,520 --> 00:22:37,520 Speaker 1: the power of food to bring people together. As he 465 00:22:37,560 --> 00:22:41,000 Speaker 1: put it quote, coming off a very divisive period in history, 466 00:22:41,080 --> 00:22:43,280 Speaker 1: it really helps to bring down those barriers in the 467 00:22:43,320 --> 00:22:46,080 Speaker 1: same way music and art does. It helps you engage 468 00:22:46,119 --> 00:22:49,240 Speaker 1: with another culture without even realizing it. And the fact 469 00:22:49,320 --> 00:22:51,640 Speaker 1: that the food is served with extra dollars of love 470 00:22:51,720 --> 00:22:54,320 Speaker 1: from a grandma who might remind you of your own 471 00:22:54,440 --> 00:22:55,919 Speaker 1: makes experience that much sweeter. 472 00:22:56,160 --> 00:22:57,959 Speaker 2: Aw, that's a perfect story. I love that. 473 00:22:58,240 --> 00:23:00,680 Speaker 3: Although I know we pre decided that we weren't going 474 00:23:00,720 --> 00:23:02,560 Speaker 3: to do a trophy, this episode took some of. 475 00:23:02,480 --> 00:23:05,320 Speaker 1: The pressure off and the spirit to Thanksgiving. 476 00:23:04,880 --> 00:23:05,600 Speaker 2: Right, that's right. 477 00:23:05,720 --> 00:23:08,480 Speaker 3: So instead, let's just end with a reminder to call 478 00:23:08,560 --> 00:23:12,000 Speaker 3: your grandmothers and basking their love this holiday season, and 479 00:23:12,040 --> 00:23:14,560 Speaker 3: if you have a second, share your best grandmam stories 480 00:23:14,560 --> 00:23:17,080 Speaker 3: with us on our end stuff we're at part time genius. 481 00:23:17,480 --> 00:23:20,000 Speaker 3: We sincerely want to hear about the wonderful grannies and 482 00:23:20,000 --> 00:23:21,439 Speaker 3: grandma figures in your life. 483 00:23:21,520 --> 00:23:25,120 Speaker 1: Yeah, So that's it for this week's episode from Gabe, Mary, Dylan, 484 00:23:25,200 --> 00:23:40,920 Speaker 1: Will and myself have a Wonderful Thanksgiving. Part Time Genius 485 00:23:40,960 --> 00:23:44,480 Speaker 1: is a production of Kaleidoscope and iHeartRadio. This show is 486 00:23:44,480 --> 00:23:49,120 Speaker 1: hosted by Will Pearson and me Mongschatikler and research by 487 00:23:49,160 --> 00:23:53,400 Speaker 1: our good pal Mary Philip Sandy. Today's episode was engineered 488 00:23:53,400 --> 00:23:56,360 Speaker 1: and produced by the wonderful Dylan Fagan with support from 489 00:23:56,440 --> 00:24:00,119 Speaker 1: Tyler Klang. The show is executive produced for iHeart by 490 00:24:00,200 --> 00:24:03,680 Speaker 1: Katrina Norbel and Ali Perry, with social media support from 491 00:24:03,720 --> 00:24:08,280 Speaker 1: Sasha Gay, Trustee Dara Potts and Viny Shorey. For more 492 00:24:08,320 --> 00:24:13,600 Speaker 1: podcasts from Kaleidoscope and iHeartRadio, visit the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, 493 00:24:13,760 --> 00:24:15,959 Speaker 1: or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.