Kissing Cheeks and Eating Ducks: Cultural Mixups That Made Me Wiser | Beneath The Accent with Dr. Mahboub Siddiqui

My Thick Accent

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What would you tell your 18-year-old self?

For Dr. Siddiqui, the answer comes without hesitation: "Believe in yourself, your intuition, and your passion." This wisdom forms just one thread of the rich tapestry woven throughout our conversation with a physician whose life journey spans three continents and countless cultural transitions.
The "Beneath the Accent" segment reveals Dr. Siddiqui's most vulnerable moments of cultural adaptation. With disarming honesty, he recounts an awkward encounter in a Canadian mall when his Middle Eastern greeting custom of cheek kisses met with unexpected resistance from a friend. Rather than dwelling on embarrassment, he shares how resilience helped him navigate this cultural disconnect, a skill essential for anyone crossing cultural boundaries.
Food and language create both connections and amusing misunderstandings in Dr. Siddiqui's experience. His description of Mandi (Kapsa) from Saudi Arabia evokes the comfort of familiar tastes in unfamiliar places, while his story about a Chinese colleague confusing "duck" with "dog" during a dinner conversation highlights the humorous side of language barriers. These human moments remind us that beneath our various accents lies a universal desire to connect and understand one another.
Perhaps most moving is Dr. Siddiqui's account of Eid celebrations in Canada becoming increasingly inclusive, welcoming neighbors from all backgrounds—Christians, Hindus, Jews, Sikhs—to break fast together. Through these gatherings, he discovered the beautiful commonality that fasting traditions exist across religions under different names, bringing "such big joy, such big fulfillment" through cross-cultural understanding.
As we conclude our journey through Dr. Siddiqui's experiences, his description of Canada as "a land of opportunity and the friendliest country" he's known offers hope for the power of welcoming communities. His philosophy of "reverse mentoring"—learning from everyone regardless of age or background—reminds us that cultural exchange enriches all participants. Listen now to discover how beneath our accents, we find the shared human experiences that connect us all.

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To contact Dr. Siddiqui:

• Dr. Siddiqui's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dr-mohammad-mahboob-siddiqui-mbbs-mba-fmchc-hca-rhc-87120b14?lipi=urn%3Ali%3Apage%3Ad_flagship3_profile_view_base_contact_details%3BYHDNC%2ByUSHeg3UQYCpFNCA%3D%3D

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Chapters

1. Kissing Cheeks and Eating Ducks: Cultural Mixups That Made Me Wiser | Beneath The Accent with Dr. Mahboub Siddiqui (00:00:00)

2. Advice to Younger Self (00:00:23)

3. Cultural Shock Moments (00:01:18)

4. Comfort Food and Language Mishaps (00:03:10)

5. Cultural Celebrations in Canada (00:04:57)

6. Travel Essentials and Final Thoughts (00:06:56)