Hey there!

My name is Maya and I am your host for budbadaK podcast.

I was born and raised in Tehran, Iran. I left my hometown when I was 17. Since then, I have had experience of living in Malaysia, Chicago, and most recently Seattle. I enjoy traveling, playing with my cats, and learning new things.

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budbadaK [ Farsi ] means kite! I chose this name because my early years as an immigrant reminded me of a kite with no string attached. I was beyond grateful for the freedom and opportunities that I began to experience in new countries, but as a young middle eastern women, I was presented with challenges many of which I never imagined facing.  Reflecting back to all those years makes me appreciate life and the wonderful communities that I have connected with around the world even more!

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The podcast is in two languages: 

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Episodes in English include interesting conversations with immigrants around the world. 

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Episodes in Persian include ideas, stories, and recent scientific studies that I found particularly interesting.

I collaborated with my sister, Lena Sajadifar, in season two to provide you with the summary of Carlo Rovelli's latest book, Helgoland, and so many other interesting topics around quantum physics. 

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  I hope that the contents of these episodes inspire you and ignite your curiosity in some way. Cheers!