My Thick Accent

Unveiling Truths, Embracing Futures: A Story of Courage, Compassion, and Canadian Dreams | Ft. Karla Medina Ep. 049

• Gurasis Singh • Season 1 • Episode 49

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Imagine the courage it takes to uproot your life, leave your homeland, and establish yourself anew in a foreign country. This is the journey of Karla Madina, a fearless Venezuelan journalist turned Canadian professional, who didn't hesitate to risk her life in the pursuit of truth. Today, Karla shares her riveting tale—a gripping narrative that paints her resilience, determination, and her relentless pursuit of her dreams despite the challenges she faced.

As we traverse her life's journey, Karla takes us through the gritty realities of being a crime news reporter in a country grappling with corruption and crime. Her story is a testament to standing up for what's right—even when it means facing threats from powerful individuals. What's more, Karla shares her experiences in her quest for a safer life, navigating through the complex immigration process and adapting to the Canadian culture, climate, and even the job market.

As the conversation unfolds, you'll also get a glimpse into Karla's life today as a mother, a thriving professional, and a beacon of support for women through her role as the Development and Community Outreach Manager at the Prosperity Project. Through her story, Karla offers a unique perspective and valuable insights on immigration, resilience, and chasing your dreams. As she dishes out snippets from her personal life and shares her dreams, Karla serves as a powerful reminder that no obstacle is too big when you're driven by passion. So tune in, listen to her story, and get ready to be inspired.

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Gurasis Singh:

Hi, this is Gurasis Singh and you're listening to My Thick Accent podcast. So imagine living comfortably in your homeland where every corner holds cherished memories and the warmth of familiarity envelopes you. But then life takes an unexpected turn. A decision made with the hope of a better life becomes life-threatening, forcing you to leave behind everything you have ever known, your family, your home, your country, in pursuit of safety. And today is the story of my guest today. Born and raised in Venezuela, she experienced a childhood filled with love and dreams, and she was poised for her fulfilling career. However, circumstances beyond her control pushed her to make a life-altering decision immigrating to Canada. Join us as we explore her courageous move to Canada, her initial struggles in a foreign land and the relentless job search. Discover the beauty of her resilience, which guided her through the darkest times, including escaping an abusive relationship, prepared to be inspired by her unwavering spirit and her commitment to helping others rebuild their lives, this episode promises a powerful story of triumph, resilience and enduring human spirit. Please welcome Karla Madina.

Karla Medina:

Hi, thank you.

Gurasis Singh:

Welcome to the podcast, Karla. Very happy, very excited to have you on the podcast.

Karla Medina:

Oh, thank you for the invitation. I'm very happy to be here too.

Gurasis Singh:

Okay, awesome. So I, karla, want to start by asking you about the quote which is on your LinkedIn banner, which says be the light that helps others see. I wanted to tell us why this quote and why this relates to you.

Karla Medina:

Well, I have always been very passionate about helping others, but after immigrating to Canada, experiencing my own skin, not having family, not having friends not having like a group of support, the one that you are used to when you are in your country and I saw all these people coming together to support me when I needed it the most is what you know gave me the courage to like pursue that as in my day to day life.

Gurasis Singh:

Okay, that's nice. So you were saying that when you came here just lack of that familiarity and lack of that your own people. You saw that how kind and nice the other communities and other people were welcoming towards you and the thought of being that person for other people.

Karla Medina:

Correct. Yeah, Canada is is full of opportunities and full of people to bring those services and supports you needed, so for me it was life changing.

Gurasis Singh:

We'll definitely talk more about it, dive deeper into it, of course, but tell us also about this one habit that you have adopted that has changed your life, or something that has become your second nature.

Karla Medina:

Well, when I came to Canada, I started having more me time and that's something that I pursue a lot now, okay, and it's a habit of myself like having that two hours doing my nails, two hours reading a book, two hours doing something. I think it's something that everyone needs and Canada has brought me that, because before I didn't have that, because I was always full with friends, with family, with, you know, surrounded by people. So I think Canada has has taught me to to enjoy that a long time.

Gurasis Singh:

I think also because you don't have that friends to call to or your parents to go sit with, you end up talking to yourself a little more, right. You start introspecting, would you agree?

Karla Medina:

That's true. That's true, yeah.

Gurasis Singh:

So let me take you back to the time you spend in Venezuela. Tell us a little bit about your affirmative years and how was it like just growing up there?

Karla Medina:

Well, venezuela is a very warm country. What I like about it is the people. The warmth of the people you feel like you are at home in every corner and, of course, the warmth of the of the weather as well, that you can go to the beach either in January and in July and is the same weather all the time. So I was raised very happy, traveling all around my country with a lot of family all around and, and you know, enjoying my my foot, which I miss a lot.

Gurasis Singh:

Yeah, and what and what the focus was on growing up. What are your parents into? Business or what they like, working class? How was it like?

Karla Medina:

Both my parents are engineers. Okay, so they are. They were both working and they really wanted me to go into engineering as well.

Gurasis Singh:

Okay.

Karla Medina:

But I I did not agree with that and I went my own path.

Gurasis Singh:

So how? So how did you get into becoming a crime news reporter? You know before that, tell us about that.

Karla Medina:

Since I was a child, I was always with a microphone in my hands, either talking either singing, whatever it was, and I knew I knew it was my passion and my mom really tried to help me going into you know even architecture or something, because both of them were in that field. They could help me build a career right, but I just refused. And then I was like I need to follow my passion, and that was journalism.

Gurasis Singh:

Okay, and how are your siblings that? How many siblings do you have? Or how was it like just growing up with them? You know, because I think we all grew up in that warmth and love and I'm sure it's here as well, but I'm sure the things are very different in our countries compared to North America. Tell us about that.

Karla Medina:

Yeah, totally so. Yeah, my parents divorced when I was three years old, so they both remarried, and then I have two siblings, one for for each one of them. We're all girls.

Gurasis Singh:

And I am the oldest.

Karla Medina:

So it was really nice growing up going back and forth between my mother's and my father's house because they live like from one extreme to the other in the country. So I was always traveling, enjoying Christmas here and there and then new years and vacation, so it was really really good. My, my siblings one of them is in Peru at the moment, okay, smaller and the middle one is actually here in Toronto. She just moved here recently.

Gurasis Singh:

Okay, okay, and what they also like a rebel because they saw that their eldest sister has chosen the career path of their own choice. But they also rebel in following a path and doing whatever they wanted.

Karla Medina:

Yeah, so the smallest she's also an engineer, so she followed my parents' instructions. But the middle one she's a lawyer, so yeah, same as the sister.

Gurasis Singh:

Okay, and what is something that people might not know about Venezuela that you would like to share?

Karla Medina:

Venezuela has the most amazing landscapes. You can find snow in the mountains. Sometimes you can find beaches. You can find, like deserts, everything in the same country. It's a very small land but it's like it has very amazing places to go and travel and explore.

Gurasis Singh:

Okay, and what about the languages that I mean? The Spanish is, I believe, the primary language. Right Apart from that, any other languages you speak there?

Karla Medina:

No, we all speak Spanish. And then there are the Indian languages, so the people that are are original. They speak other dialects, but the rest of the country we only speak Spanish.

Gurasis Singh:

Okay, okay. And if not a crime news reporter. Or you said you want to go into engineering also but if not either of these careers, what other career you would have chosen?

Karla Medina:

I think arts that's my back dream. Anything related to crafts, painting arts is just something I also love and enjoy doing in my free time.

Gurasis Singh:

Okay, and do you do that even up until today?

Karla Medina:

Yeah, I do some sort of crap, okay, okay.

Gurasis Singh:

And what is something that, from your home country, or from your you know Tradition, that's something that you have managed to preserve up until today in Canada? What is that?

Karla Medina:

So what I'm trying to preserve is the food. I have two children and I'm trying to teach them and raise them with our Culture and our food. So I'm trying those traditions not to die. I also brought from Venezuela, asked my father to bring me, like the special Pants to cook the food. So I do a rep us for breakfast every day and I'm trying for them to be raised like that.

Gurasis Singh:

Well, what, what, what kind of utensils? The last mode about that. What do you mean?

Karla Medina:

So there is a, there is a pan that is Is like a big circle where you do the rep us, so you please like a flat bread of corn, and then you put that then to cook. It's almost I think you do the nan there, something like that very similar.

Gurasis Singh:

Okay, okay, I asked that because I have brought five six years ago Like a cooker, like a special sort of a cooker, you know, with a pistol on top. I mean, of course, you can buy them here as well. I brought that from India and whenever I cook my roommates are like I have never seen this. So it's kind of vessels before, what is this? And then sometimes when they stand next to it and it whistles, they all get scared when they see it for the first time. Oh my god, what kind of you know vessel is this? So that's why I asked.

Karla Medina:

Oh, I also have that. One is the pressure cooker, exactly. Oh, yeah, yeah we use that a lot.

Gurasis Singh:

Yeah, okay. So, like I mentioned in my intro, that you were, you know, living a comfortable life in Venezuela and was having a flat as Sinkari or as a crime news reporter, but then you decided to take an action that led you to run for your safety. So to say so, I want to tell us all about our, about that dualistness.

Karla Medina:

Yeah, I Joined the TV station of my my state called or in a cold television. I was at the beginning working in education in the field of education news, but then my boss saw that I had like too much Courage maybe and she's like I think you will be good for crime news reporter. So then I switched to the the font that is crimes, and I really liked it and enjoyed it. But I didn't really realize how dangerous it was until one day there was a crime where five people were killed. Three of them were innocent, two of other one. The other ones were involved in a crime earlier where somebody's Child was was killed, killed, and then it was a Retaliation. But my concern and my problem there is that three people that were in in the scene and were innocent were killed. So I was really upset about that. And then when we had the press conference with the director of the police, all the journalists were there and the director of the police is like please do not Show. We have the CCTV Showing who did it and everything, but don't say it because you know it's gonna be bad because it's somebody involved in the government. And I said I am not gonna like lie about this to like society. I am very upset and, I'm gonna say it, bad decision, of course, but I went ahead and I said it on TV.

Karla Medina:

This is a person that did this and then that brought us a consequence that apparently the wife of the person who did it, who is also the mother of the person that was killed previously, she, was hospitalized because, like, her nerves Got into her, because she knew that that was going to be bad for them and people would come after them.

Karla Medina:

So that person decided to go after me and go to the TV station with like 300 people, like with Sign, saying my name, like Carla, you're done stuff like that, like they had stones in their hands. I'm like, okay, um. So he said I need you to give me the right of appeal to Respond to the, to the news that you did yesterday. I did gave him the chance and I spoke to all my colleagues and I called them to see if they, you know, wanted to support me and go with me. None of them. They're like, no, that's too dangerous. So I went with the cameraman in front of the police, but it was so scary that I called my father. I didn't know if I was going to get out of there alive.

Gurasis Singh:

Yeah, honestly yeah.

Karla Medina:

I called my father and I said this is happening. I didn't want him to know, but I was like this is happening, I'm right here in front of the police. If something happens, you know what was done, who was it? So my father is like I'm going there, I'm gonna pick you up. I'm like do not do that Never because it's worse. So thank, thankfully they were there. They threatened me a lot. They said I'm gonna do anything, my power to remove their license as a journalist, like if someday your body appears, nobody's gonna know who did it, stuff like that.

Gurasis Singh:

And that was all in front of the police.

Karla Medina:

Yeah, but the police in front of the building. But the police was not there, they didn't want to get involved.

Gurasis Singh:

Oh, okay.

Karla Medina:

Yeah, they are like we are not in. We told you not to do it and you did it, so it's like you're on your own. They also told me, the police told me, even if you come here and put a Complain against him, yeah.

Karla Medina:

I'm not proceeded, you know, because he's in the government. So I was on my own, basically, and After that I was starting having panic attacks, and one day I saw him and two of his gunmen's were walking down in a chopping mall. I was alone with my father. I had a panic attack. I was shaking and then my father is like that's it, you're leaving, you need to leave the country that that's too unsafe.

Gurasis Singh:

Yeah, but walk us through that timeline. That okay, when you actually did the news, after how long they retaliated or they try to tally it. And then this incident where you were With your father in the mall.

Karla Medina:

So the incident when I did the news was in October when I saw him that he asked me for like Giving the right of appeal was the next day, okay. And then they change the deciding in my channel to change me the the phone. So I was not doing Crime anymore, I was doing like politics or something Mm-hmm to protect me. So I didn't have to deal with him anymore. But then I saw him like a month after in the shopping and that's when my father decided that's it, you're leaving.

Gurasis Singh:

Okay, okay. I wanted to tell us that the day when you were Preparing to go live and talk about you know this incident, when you had the footage, you had everything and you were filled with that angst. You know that why they killed innocent people. If you remember, you know about that moment, tell us, like what was going on in that in your mind at that time, because you knew that what kind of repercussion it might come towards you, right? So tell us about that moment when you were preparing and when you actually delivered the news story.

Karla Medina:

So when I was in that situation, what I thought was I made a commitment that I was going to be the voice for all the people. I was going to be the only resource that they have to know the truth. And if I have the new, the truth, on my hands, why would I lie to protect somebody? Of course that was a risk that I decided to take and I guess I didn't Really thought about how big the repercussions to myself would be, but I was really Obsessed that all the other people that were killed and their families will never know what happened to them Because I needed to protect a criminal, right? Yeah, so I?

Gurasis Singh:

I guess that was it and Adam, and people are also telling me that I think that person's Mother, or our wife, I believe, was in the hospital and and he was saying that she was really affected by the news and she ended up us, you know getting to the hospital because she knew that people might retaliate. Is that true?

Karla Medina:

That's true. That's true. Yeah, when I gave him the right of appeal the next day, she was there. Hmm, she was with that, like the Bible in the hands and all of that and but he had a really bad trajectory of doing this Like he is very well known to like act as a like the head of a criminal group there. So for me, everything was manipulation. And of course, he said that his son was involved in something like that, but at the same time, as I said, I don't think that was the best solution and that's why I decided to report on that.

Gurasis Singh:

Yeah, but well, kudos to you and I think, hats off to you for taking that courage because, like you said I love what you said that you wanted to be the voice of people and you knew that you won't be able to sleep at night by knowing the truth, that I knew who was the person behind me or who's the actual culprit, so to say, you knew about that person and you didn't want to keep it with you and want to share it with the world to see. But, yeah, kudos to you. You know, hats off for taking that action. So that's commendable.

Karla Medina:

Thank you.

Gurasis Singh:

Obviously, that was one of the situations which for the lady to search about North America, US and Canada, and you wanted to decide it. You decided to come to Canada. So tell us about that preparation phase and how was the process for you like.

Karla Medina:

Yeah, of course, in a normal situation, in a normal country, you will just buy a plane ticket by the studies that you want to make in the other country and just leave. In the moment, in my country, we were having this transition period of like I don't want to go into political discussion, but like my country was in the hands of like Chavez, which was the president at the moment, and he changed all the rules for that, like immigration and all of that. So it was really difficult for me to get the funds because he made illegal to buy dollars in Venezuela. Oh, like any currency, international currency was illegal. So the only person you could buy dollars from was the government and you had to do the application and all of that and like make sure you had the right explanation of why you're buying dollars. So I was.

Karla Medina:

I did the application three times and it was denied two times. At the third time was approved. That's why it delayed a little bit more the actual trip, because for me it will be ideal to like come right away. So it happened in October and I was able to come. Finally, what it was approved. The funds were approved in February. We bought the money from the government on February, and then I came in March.

Gurasis Singh:

Okay. So when you decided to move here, carla, what about your family? Were they like under supervision, or what they like safe, I believe?

Karla Medina:

they in that moment. I had to move. My mother and my father wanted me. I had like. Of course, I stopped working at the at the TV station, and then I was just at home, basically waiting for the approval from the government so I could leave, and you know, hiding myself, trying to not be too exposed.

Gurasis Singh:

Okay, and there was no sort of like like lack of safety towards the family.

Karla Medina:

I didn't feel like it, but we were also like very cautious, scared, like to see yeah, it's scared Okay.

Gurasis Singh:

So then you landed in Canada. Tell us about your first day and what were the initial thoughts and emotions.

Karla Medina:

And finally I came. I came as an international student. I came here to study English for like a year and it was. It was. It was great. I made a lot of friends in school. It was very amazing. But you know, at the back of my head is not like majority of people might come here. Oh, I'm just going to study English and then I'm going to go back. At the back of my head was always the thought I need to find a way to stay in this country. So, yes, I wasn't joining the English and the friends and going out, but at the same time I was like I need to see what the resources are for me to stay. I can't go back to Venezuela.

Gurasis Singh:

Right, so so what? What was the next step after that?

Karla Medina:

The next step is I started researching, speaking with other Venezuelan people, and I found out that, because of my circumstances, of what I came here and I had a lot of proof to demonstrate it I was able to ask for a refugee claim. And then that's how where I found an amazing lawyer. God bless him. He was like very amazing. As part of my process, I spoke to him, I show him what I had. He asked me for more proofs and right away he took my case.

Gurasis Singh:

You know also, since when somebody, somebody decides to immigrate, you know they come with some sort of preparation Okay, this is the culture there, this is the weather there, this is the places there. But in your case you just wanted to leave. Right, you did not prepare yourself for all that culture exchange or that exposure or the culture shock you might come across. So tell us about that phase. You know something that completely shocked you about the culture in Canada, or something that you were completely unprepared for?

Karla Medina:

Something that surprised me like positively is the multiculturalism.

Karla Medina:

I loved how you know you can find Japanese, you can find Indian, you can find Latino, you know everywhere, and that was something that was very enriching of my experience here. I was like this is amazing and I was really happy to be part of the culture. And something that I also saw as Like shocking, maybe, was the weather. Of course, winters were so hard at the beginning. I could see why, like you know, when it's dark at 4 pm and it's dark until like the next day at 9 am you're like oh my God, this is always night.

Karla Medina:

But again I got to enjoy summers and springs and that I got to love. I grow to love the country, even with the weather.

Gurasis Singh:

Okay, and even like with the job search, I believe it might have taken you longer to get the job. Walk us through that job search journey a little bit.

Karla Medina:

Yeah, I feel like the resume building and like all the stuff that we have experience in our countries is very different, very different than in Canada. So I really feel like you, to be able to be successful, to secure a job here, you need to basically do a course on, like, how to apply, how to do a cover letter. So, yes, it was a lot. It was a lot to really understand what are the requirements and how to like really shape your resume to each position that you're applying to. But again, it's part of the culture and it was a little bit difficult to learn.

Gurasis Singh:

So after how long? When you? I think you landed in 2013, I believe right. So after how many months, or after how long, did you end up getting your, like, the first desired job?

Karla Medina:

The one that I really like. That is the one that I'm currently working in. I got it in 2020. Okay, because at the beginning, I was working here and there and then, after that, I decided to go back to college.

Gurasis Singh:

So now let's just pivot towards you know, to the time where it was a really tough time, a dark time for you, where you were in a certain relationship and you were pregnant with the, with your second child, with a second daughter, but and you decided, you got that courage to leave that and because of various reasons. Right, tell us about that time and what was something that was instilled in you that made you that, okay, I have to pack my bags and leave this time, because usually people might not have the courage to do that. I wanted to share with us that moment.

Karla Medina:

Yeah, he didn't kind of that. When I came, I met somebody which I thought was going to be with that person forever. We got together, started living together and we had two children. The first pregnancy was amazing and then after a while the relationship became really deteriorating because of, like having a baby, no, having help. I was totally like relying all my resources and my like attention to the baby, of course, and then I think that talk at all into the relationship. And then I got pregnant with my second baby and that's when everything really went downhill. I started to experience domestic violence and I think it took me since the beginning of when it started. It took me three or four months before I left and really the courage and the motivation to leave I got it when my first baby was one year old. I was four months pregnant with the second and when I really saw that I was going to be probably killed with my baby on my belly.

Karla Medina:

That's what I was like. Okay, I need to live, so not knowing where to go in. And also, that is not also the physical abuse, but also the mental one where they say if you leave, you're going to lose the baby because you have no means to support the baby and the government is going to take it from you.

Karla Medina:

That's the only reason why I stayed. So I decided to go on Facebook. I had joined a group of Toronto moms or something like that in some months before that and I posted that. I was like I have nowhere, like nothing else to do. So I posted there I'm sorry, like I'm pregnant, I have another baby and if I don't leave, I think I'm going to like get killed. I really need help.

Karla Medina:

So they somebody, as an angel, she said give me your address, I'm going to go get you. Then, god, at that time he had left the house. So I had time. I packed two or three things, that's it. I got my baby, got into the car and left. This was a complete stranger, but I had no other option to other to trust. So she decided to bring me like to. She bought food for me and my kids which he took hers to McDonald's, as I told you, like people here. Just so wonderful. She talked me to McDonald's, she bought some stuff for us and in that time we were calling to see if there was a shelter available and we got a place and she drove me there and she drove me. After that, I received 264 messages of women trying to support me.

Gurasis Singh:

Wow, that's incredible 264.

Karla Medina:

And then in that time I was like thank you everyone, we are safe, we made it. The only thing is that I left my house with like nothing and my baby's like bored and you know she's like. She was like having tantrum, she was sad, she didn't understand what was going on. We were like in a place that was really new for her. So this, as I said, this group of amazing women, they were like where are you? They brought toys, diapers, like everything. Everything. I was like, so surprised of their support.

Gurasis Singh:

And is it the same place where you end up going? Do you were telling me about the Wood Green Community Services? Was that also like the part of it?

Karla Medina:

In the shelter where I, when I was living there, when I was speaking with the social workers, they knew I really had a passion to like get out of poverty. I really wanted to like there are people that decide to just stay at home, but I really wanted to do something with my life and they knew it, so they spoke to me about that program is called Homeward Bound and is by Good Green Community Services.

Gurasis Singh:

Okay.

Karla Medina:

And as soon as I knew about it I called. They interview me. I pass on the interviews the English test, the math test, everything. But then I was pregnant yet and they were like Carla, we don't really know. If, you like, after you have your baby you're going to be able to commit to two years in a college, right?

Gurasis Singh:

Absolutely.

Karla Medina:

So it's better you have the baby and then you come back. You are not going to believe me. I had a C-section and as soon as I woke up I saw that the baby was perfect. Everything was perfect. I called back to the program from the clinic. I'm like I'm ready.

Karla Medina:

My baby is ready. We're perfect. Just give me the chance, and they did. Two weeks later after that, my baby was like two weeks old and we moved to an amazing apartment three bedrooms and I started the preparation for college. It was not easy. I had a newborn and I want almost two years old. I was breastfeeding. It was. It was a lot, but I was. My motivation here is they are babies. They are not going to remember these struggling times.

Gurasis Singh:

Yeah.

Karla Medina:

By the time I finish all my program. I have a job, I have a house, I have everything and a car.

Gurasis Singh:

Yeah.

Karla Medina:

They are not going to remember all this time. They're going to remember me as a empowered woman, and that's what I want from them.

Gurasis Singh:

Yeah, wow, that's, that's phenomenal. I mean you just sitting in your hospital after your delivery calling that you want to go and join the program, this is incredible, you know. I this clearly shows. I mean, if listeners can really get inspired from you, that just having that passion and courage to help people, you know, help people come out of those toxic situations, for example. You know, building, instilling that courage in you, like this, is the time you should not accept that as your faith or something wrong is going on in your life. You can't really fight it, you can't really come out of it. Sometimes you do need a little bit of support, a little bit of nudge, like in your case, that angel, the lady who just showed up to your house and asked to get in the car with their children and going in. I think you wanted to be that person and you saw that there are some amazing kind of people and I think you saw that you can really do that for other people. So that's, that's amazing, carla. That's so inspiring to hear that. That's awesome.

Karla Medina:

Thank you, thank you and then, yeah, that's my motivation now to help other women to like spread the message that it doesn't matter the situation that you're in, it doesn't matter you don't speak English, it doesn't matter if you don't have a job, it doesn't matter how many children you have. You can survive living the abusive situation and you can find the resources in this country and the people to support.

Gurasis Singh:

Yeah, but tell me also, carla, if any of our listeners I hope not, you know if any of the acquaintances are in a similar situation. You know as you were in, and you know having that courage to from the point A to point B of getting up and calling somebody or texting somebody is also really hard. That journey from A to B is also hard. What advice or what suggestion would you give? What advice would you give to them? Or if any of their friends are in this situation, what would you tell them?

Karla Medina:

I will tell them that there is also always an option that there is nothing to be about. The worst is to stay where you are. That's the worst that you can do If you really want to live and you have so many fears like where are you going to live, what are you going to do? Where are you going to get money from? I'm telling you, I have gone through all of those and Ontario, toronto and Canada as a country has everything in place for you to succeed the way you want, as a mother and as a single mother as any you want.

Gurasis Singh:

Yeah, awesome, great, and I will also put the link to all these communities that you end up joining in the show notes so that listeners can also check out them. So all the links to that can be found in the show notes. Karla, also, tell us about your current role now and what are your daily day to day looks like.

Karla Medina:

Yeah, I recently got promoted and I'm now working as a development and community outreach manager in the Prosperity Project. The Prosperity Project is an organization that is a Canadian organization that supports women and self-identifying women in all areas of life and what we do is we are a group of also women just looking for resources, looking for that career leadership and career advancement for women in different traits, in different professions, for women to really find a place where they can be heard, they can be accepted, they can be understood and we can provide for them all kind of services for them to succeed.

Gurasis Singh:

And Karla, didn't you think of going back into your journalist career ever?

Karla Medina:

I thought of it, but after everything that has happened, I really want to try to work in a space where I can support others by providing them with services other than being a journalist. That's something that I think it was a dream and I really had the time to fulfill it.

Gurasis Singh:

Okay, and you would also, I believe, a content creator for some time. Tell us about that. What kind of content was it and where was it?

Karla Medina:

Yeah, in 2020, I started to go to like because COVID had happened and I was at home with the kids. I started to post a lot of content on a platform called TikTok and I became like very viral at the moment, and then I found a place where I could work as creating content, as advertisement in Spanish, for all the different social media platforms. So I'm still working on that. I do videos on daily basis where I offer different services. They hire me to do the ads and they posted either in Facebook, instagram or TikTok.

Gurasis Singh:

Okay, and what's your handle on a TikTok that people can follow and check out your content?

Karla Medina:

I believe you said it's in Spanish. I have things in English to. The handle is at Karla0487.

Gurasis Singh:

Okay, and the links to check out her social media profile, then to contact Karla, can be found at the show notes. Okay, karla. So now we're in the final segment of the podcast. I call it Beneath the Accent because we are knowing each other beneath the accent. I'm going to ask a couple of questions. You can answer them in one word or a sentence, or how several you feel like. The idea is just to know more about Karla, so ready.

Karla Medina:

Ready.

Gurasis Singh:

So first is the classic question what advice would you give to Karla, who is in the initial months of learning in Canada?

Karla Medina:

I will say do not listen to your fears and just let your dreams drive you to whatever you want to get.

Gurasis Singh:

Okay, I think that's a great advice, and is there any best advice that someone ever gave you?

Karla Medina:

Yes, as a mother, I will share this for anyone that is a parent. There was a person that marked my life and she said to me remember, your kids are never going to remember how you were dressing them when they were small, all the toys that you bought for them. They are not going to remember that. They are going to remember you, how you view and how you present yourself and how you are, at the time, present with them, like enjoying with them, and that changed my life. Wow, I started focusing only on them and I started focusing also on me and being okay with me, so they can Later try to become a better version of myself.

Gurasis Singh:

Absolutely love this great advice. Is this something you recently bought, carla, that you now regret?

Karla Medina:

Yeah, I bought some tickets for a festival and the festival was suspended and they haven't sent me the money back.

Gurasis Singh:

So what's next on your bucket list?

Karla Medina:

Travel, travel a lot.

Gurasis Singh:

Where do you want to travel?

Karla Medina:

So next year I'm planning to go to Colombia to do the wedding of my dreams.

Gurasis Singh:

Mm-hmm.

Karla Medina:

And after that I just want to travel Europe, asia, thailand like a lot. I want to travel a lot, that's my, my goal.

Gurasis Singh:

Have you thought about going to India? I do want to go to India, yes okay, if you had to describe yourself as any creature, what would it be and why?

Karla Medina:

I like monkeys.

Gurasis Singh:

So you did. We describe yourself as a monkey. Why is that?

Karla Medina:

Yes, because they are funny and for me, like, like, laughter is is the best medicine. So I think Monkeys are really funny and I love how they are very similar to humans, like, but they have more Freedom than us because they can go on, you know, climbing everywhere.

Gurasis Singh:

So I really like love monkeys. Okay, what's the most expensive thing you own?

Karla Medina:

my happiness.

Gurasis Singh:

Okay, so now tell us the real answer what is the most expensive thing you own?

Karla Medina:

My car, my car, yeah.

Gurasis Singh:

So what's the most expensive thing? You would like to own a house, okay, so who's your go-to person when you feel stuck?

Karla Medina:

my sister.

Gurasis Singh:

Mm-hmm. So what's the most unusual or unique food that you have ever tried, and did you like it?

Karla Medina:

I try ants really from. Thailand and I tried Warms from Mexico and did you like them? I wouldn't say so.

Gurasis Singh:

Okay, so I'm assuming you would not try them again.

Karla Medina:

I don't think so Okay.

Gurasis Singh:

What other cuisines have you tried other than you know your own after coming to Canada?

Karla Medina:

Oh my god, here I have tried a lot. I love Vietnamese for all Asian food. I love Vietnamese, thai, chinese, japanese, indian all Asian is my favorite food.

Gurasis Singh:

Okay, if you could swap lives with someone for a day, who would it be and why?

Karla Medina:

I will swap lives with Lady D, maybe.

Gurasis Singh:

Lady D, I'm not sure what, who?

Karla Medina:

Lady Lady Diana, the the.

Gurasis Singh:

Okay, why is that? What would you like to do?

Karla Medina:

first she had a lot of money. She has, she has it. She's amazing with the glamour but Best of all, she has the best Heart ever, always supporting great causes. Okay and she traveled a lot too.

Gurasis Singh:

So great answer, and Are there any certain Spanish movies or series that would like to recommend our listeners to must watch?

Karla Medina:

Yeah, there are several. There is a movie recently that came out with the situation of Venezuela. It's called Simon Simon. Okay, I haven't watched it because it was released last week, but it's basically everything that the government is trying to hide of what happened in my country. So I think it's very interesting and I really want to watch it.

Gurasis Singh:

Yeah, that would be a great recommendation to know more about Venezuela, for sure. Yeah, so, karla, if you could be a contestant or any reality TV show, which one would you choose?

Karla Medina:

Any cooking. I'm a terror Okay.

Gurasis Singh:

And you think you'll you. How far do you think you can go? Finals I.

Karla Medina:

Will be yeah, maybe finalist. Yeah, I think I love my cooking.

Gurasis Singh:

So describe Canada in one word or a sentence. Inclusive and resourceful and finally, if you could leave me, karla, with one piece of advice, what would it be?

Karla Medina:

chase after your dreams. That is nothing impossible and Whatever you want to be, you are, you are gonna be able to do it great, great words, and how would you describe your experience of being on the podcast? Very fun and Really it was a really nice experience.

Gurasis Singh:

Okay, so thank you. Thank you, karla, for being on the podcast and adding value to my listeners. Thank you.

Karla Medina:

Thank you.

Gurasis Singh:

Hey listener, thank you for making it to the end. I highly highly appreciate you listening the podcast. Subscribe to the podcast if you haven't as yet, and please share with your friends or anybody you think would like it. And like I always say, we encourage you to follow your heart, but also on Instagram the handle is @MyThickAccent. You can also leave us a review, or write to us at Hello@mythickaccent. com. So stay tuned and let's continue knowing each other beneath the accent.

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Gurasis Singh

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