Everyone Falls In Love Sometimes: The Origin Story

In our very first episode of Callaloo and Collard Greens, we sit down as two couples — Brandon & Alicia, Aliyah & Omar — to share our origin stories.

We talk about how we met, what drew us together, and the cultural surprises that popped up early in our relationships. From Caribbean traditions to Southern expectations, from unspoken norms to laugh-out-loud moments of misunderstanding — we’re unpacking what it means to fall in love across cultures.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Our parents came here for like a better life. And it's funny because I want to clarify that most do have a great life, right? In the West Indian, West Indies. However, they come for what is perceived as better.

SPEAKER_01 0:42

Hey, family, and welcome to Callaloo and Collar Greens, your cultural table for humor, culture, celebration, and real talk. I'm here with our good friends, Brandon and Alicia. My name is Aaliyah and this is my husband, Omar. And today in episode one, we are going to be breaking down the origin story, our love story, and talking about how we met, fell in love, and all of the complications that come along with multicultural relationships. So I wanna just kick it over to Brandon and Alicia to just get started talking about how you both met, what's your love story, Tell

SPEAKER_00 1:20

it all. We're starting with the older millennials.

SPEAKER_02 1:25

Funny story. We always debate. You can tell the story.

SPEAKER_03 1:28

Ladies first.

SPEAKER_02 1:31

How did I meet Brandon Ray? He was definitely doing some stalker stuff. I met Brandon Ray because we were volunteering with the Urban League of Long Island and he was busy doing all the things and I was just like, oh, fancy. And I remember being on a STEM panel and he's like, hey. I was just like, wow.

SPEAKER_04 1:55

Hey.

SPEAKER_02 1:55

Okay. That's nice. Don't want to be with you. Not looking for nobody. I'm actually going back to Florida because I'm originally from Miami, Florida. But we met doing what we loved.

SPEAKER_03 2:07

Okay. Community service. All right. So can I tell the truth now? That is the truth. Okay. So-

SPEAKER_01 2:11

I mean, there's your version, her version, and then the truth. But we'll hear yours. It's pretty close to the truth. Okay. We'll see.

SPEAKER_03 2:16

So Alicia is- from Miami, from Jamaica. and then lived in Miami, raised in Miami. Like Omar even,

SPEAKER_00 2:26

all right. So, you know. We lived 10 minutes apart, didn't know. That's true. It's crazy. So

SPEAKER_03 2:31

that's crazy. Crazy how life works. And she moved to Long Island to find a better life and she actually did. Big mind talk, yeah. And so, you know, when I saw her, I said, oh, she's cute. And I learned, she introduced herself and I said, I said, listen, they're going to try to make you into this communications person. Don't do it. Just learn. And then what you do, she becomes communication coach there, not listening. So that's a common theme. Yeah, I don't listen. And then I wanted to help her. You looking for a job? Meanwhile, I didn't have a job, but I'm still helping people look for a job. You didn't have a job. And she said, no, I'm moving back to Florida. Leave me alone. And I said, okay. She said, don't talk to me. So I didn't talk to her. And then a few months later, she was on the STEM panel, like she said, and she looked beautiful and gorgeous. And I said, okay, enough's enough. I have to pursue her. And I did. And we are celebrating. We celebrated nine years going on 10 years of marriage.

SPEAKER_01 3:35

I love that. That's awesome. It's amazing. And this is all about really celebrating like the cultural dynamics between African-American and Caribbean-American relationships and all of the beautiful complications and culture shocks that occur throughout all of our relationship journeys. And so I'm so curious to hear a little bit more about kind of overcoming some of that. But I know you probably want to jump in and share a little bit about... Why are you going to put it on

SPEAKER_00 4:03

me?

SPEAKER_01 4:04

Well, I'm just saying you probably want to share a little bit about...

SPEAKER_00 4:06

Well, my version is better. So it was a warm day.

SPEAKER_01 4:13

I knew this

SPEAKER_00 4:14

was... At Power University. Yeah, there we go. Set the stage. In 2013. And well, let me say, let me step a bit back, actually, because Aaliyah and I, our friendship started the end of kind of really last part of freshman year. We were both in this team leader training program. And, you know, we both had these Who Am I presentations. And I heard Aaliyah's name before. You know, she was in the honors program in our school of business. And she was winning case competitions. And I just was like, Aaliyah Rolak, Aaliyah Rolak. I was like, who is this Aaliyah girl, you know? And then I'll never forget. I walked into the room, presentation room, and somebody pointed out, you know, I kind of was asking around, like, who's Aaliyah? Just out of curiosity. I never saw how she looked, nothing like that. And somebody pointed her out, and I was like, oh, that's Aaliyah. You know, so me plotting. I was like, you know, I figured out a strategic way to go sit next to her, you know. And, you know, we were talking, and I was like, you know, just having some small talk. You know, she did her Who Am I presentation. She did performance sign language. You know how to sign? I did

SPEAKER_01 5:29

a... Yeah, actually I used to do pageants and like sign language was my talent. I would sign to music. You didn't know that? No, I did not. I'm learning. Fun fact of the day. There you

SPEAKER_00 5:37

go. It was always very, very entertaining. But I did a poem talking about our, a tie to cell phones, right? No one got it. I

SPEAKER_01 5:49

mean, I got it. Wait, I didn't get it a while ago. I was like. So basically he does this poem. We are all doing these human mind presentations. There was a variety of them and he does his poem. Very well written. I got it. I did get it. I'm a writer. But when he finished, okay, when he finished, it was dead silence. No snaps, nothing. And he looks around

SPEAKER_00 6:11

the room. They was feeling it. They was processing it.

SPEAKER_04 6:13

They

SPEAKER_00 6:13

didn't know what he

SPEAKER_01 6:14

was talking

SPEAKER_00 6:17

about.

SPEAKER_01 6:18

So he looks around the room and he's like, and someone said, and people started to clap like, oh, he's done. And then someone says, Wait, what was that even

SPEAKER_00 6:30

about? And I looked at them as crazy as they was looking at me. And I was like, the phone. The phone. Everybody was like, oh. I did get it. I did get it. And

SPEAKER_01 6:38

afterwards, he came back to his seat. And I was like, you did a really good job. And that was the first time we ever actually spoke, I think.

SPEAKER_00 6:45

Yeah, that was the first time. And then friendship kept buddying and stuff. But we ended up, end of the training, we do our exit interviews. And... they basically decide to pair us together. We, all of, in our exit interviews, all of my strengths or her weaknesses and vice versa. So it was a really kind of cute moment between us. Then started, got into sophomore year.

SPEAKER_01 7:10

Yeah. And I think, I think it really kind of turned out into a situation of just us being very complimentary. And so we ended up naturally falling into this like partnership role together and, you know, Things grew from there. But I think like anything, and even with hearing y'all's story, like there's always the sparks and that's beautiful. And there's the beginnings and the, oh, wow, this is so wonderful. But if y'all are anything like us, there's also some very rocky and very patchy and very... Some mountains. So what was, I guess, what was kind of the initial, I guess, shocker there? What happened where, you know, you're getting to know each other. You're like, this is wonderful. I'm seeing all these cool things. And then you're like, hold on, wait. Y'all do what? Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 8:11

I don't know, but I want to get my credit. Who advised you to go to Howard University?

SPEAKER_01 8:14

Oh, my goodness. Wow. All

SPEAKER_03 8:18

right, all right, all right. Who advised Aliyah to go to Howard University?

SPEAKER_01 8:21

Brandon paid for my application.

SPEAKER_03 8:23

And then Omar would have, like you just said. There we go. So, Omar, thank you. Oh. Oh, that's what

SPEAKER_01 8:29

we're coming with today. Okay, so I guess Brandon is the reason why he Synergy Me'd everything, and here we

SPEAKER_02 8:35

are. I low-key, though, feel like he Synergy Me'd his way into my life. Okay. You know, he's got a book that he wrote, took him 10 years. Yeah, Synergy Me'd. And it's not shade, but. Out on

SPEAKER_03 8:45

Master Guide to Becoming a Practical Network. Practical Guide to Becoming a Master Networker on Amazon. I'm over here fumbling my book. You can get it on Amazon, camera. I'm pointing to you people. Okay.

SPEAKER_01 8:56

Okay, but all that Synergy Me, all those skills. all that let's network let's know everybody because Brandon knows everybody all that let's know everybody let's get to know everybody how that doesn't always play out in love though like that works professionally but then when you're trying to land in Alicia I know and I like that and Alicia

SPEAKER_02 9:13

but you know what's so interesting like the The interesting moment for me was how much of a Mr. Hempstead he was. Shout out to the

SPEAKER_03 9:25

516. Shout out to

SPEAKER_02 9:27

Hempstead.

SPEAKER_03 9:28

Shout out to Hempstead. Strong Islands in the house. I represented at Howard. Everywhere I represent, 516. Exit 19 North.

SPEAKER_02 9:37

it wasn't cultural in the sense where like oh he's african-american and they do this thing that was uncommon to me right you know i've never seen that i went to an hbcu so you know the african-american culture i went well like started at it oh okay all right let's be clear um you know We're not going to talk about that. Another episode. Another episode. Another season. But I was familiar with African-American culture generally, but like Hempstead culture is different. Watch your mouth. And not in a bad way. It's just that Brandon like repped Hempstead. He like, no, I mean, I understand that. And I didn't get it right where I'm from. I grew up in Miami Gardens, you know, formerly known as Carroll City.

SPEAKER_04 10:23

305. You

SPEAKER_02 10:23

know, everybody... 305, you know. Everybody just kind of... well, at least in the West Indian community, you kind of just kept your head down. You went to school, you went to church, supermarket. That was it. There was nothing, I mean, at least within my circle of family and like, you know, people we grew up with, we weren't doing community work. So to see Brandon, he was on the school board when I met him. He's like, oh, school board. And I coach little league baseball. I'm like, so you got kids. He's like, oh no, I just coach and I'm on the school board. Like, why are you so invested in this community? Now it all makes sense. Like Brandon does love, you know, Hempstead and where he grew up and the people love him back, which is amazing, but I didn't get it. I was like, this is a lot like, you know, normal people just go about their lives. They go in, they close their doors, they close their blinds and they live. He's like, nah, we outside like tigers. And like, even when Brandon proposed to me, like on our way to what I now know is my proposal, he had on a Hempstead hoodie and, Like, I despise that hoodie, by the way. I'm like, bro, you did have on a hamster hoodie. I was like, why are you wearing that?

SPEAKER_00 11:35

And he was like, oh, it's my hoodie from my school. He said, hey, I got to make this core memory.

SPEAKER_02 11:40

So for me, that was where a little bit of a culture clash because I'm more of a homebody and community was not like... I think like I had my church community, but I wasn't outside in the streets with like my local community and government, which was different. And that's his whole life.

SPEAKER_01 11:56

Yeah. Yeah. I mean, I think that's interesting though when you think about it because the dynamic, the community and the definition of community is definitely different from like an African-American perspective compared to like an immigrant perspective in general and how you build community, how you find community. And so I think it is interesting that, to come from a space where that community is built off of very real tangible things like, you know, church or even in some cases, like, you know, coworkers, things like that, to moving in a space where community is, you know, where you're at, where you grew up, you know, what that looks like, right?

SPEAKER_02 12:33

I agree. And it's not a black thing. It's a Brandon thing, which is what makes it so unique, but...

SPEAKER_03 12:39

I love my communities. I take pride in them. Hempstead to me is like New Orleans-ish, where it's mostly it's generations, but the reality was it's just me and my mother. But she was very active, very service-oriented. So since when I met Alicia through Urban League, which is a service-oriented organization, you know, I was hoping, you know, and she does, we share the same love for service. And again, I just take, you know, just take pride in, you know, what helps make me and that 19 North or the Southern state helped make me.

SPEAKER_02 13:11

We are thankful for him.

SPEAKER_03 13:12

Thank you.

SPEAKER_01 13:13

Yeah. I think that's definitely something that we share in common. Like we mentioned, we were, you know, a part of a leadership development program. You all were involved in local leadership in your community. And like, I think when you meet people and build a relationship that's built on a foundation of service, it's a very unique thing and it's definitely something to be celebrated. Um, but also very interesting when you're coming from different perspective and different lenses on, um, what service means and what types of things should be supported and given and grown from a place of community, as opposed to what types of things should be earned and what types of things should be done on your own. Um, and so, you know, I think that's definitely something with us that turned into a little bit of a tiny bit of a culture clash, just with how we approached, approached work and approached, um, But yeah, I don't know what your thoughts are on that actually and how you felt kind of early on.

SPEAKER_00 14:16

Yeah. I mean, I think it was, I relate a lot to Alicia with this, you know, I mean, like we didn't, obviously I didn't meet Alicia till big, big in my, my twenties, you know, but, but, you know, it was very similar sort of dynamic, right. Where it was like, You went to school, and I probably could say that my first African-American friend group was when I went to Howard. Really? Yeah. And immediate, because every friend, if they weren't Jamaican, it was Haitian, it was Puerto Rican. Growing

SPEAKER_04 14:55

up

SPEAKER_00 14:55

in Miami. Growing up in Miami, right? Who's in Oz?

SPEAKER_01 14:59

Yeah, I took Omar to his first soul food experience. All

SPEAKER_02 15:03

right.

SPEAKER_00 15:03

First time. It

SPEAKER_02 15:04

was an Ozza

SPEAKER_00 15:04

restaurant? Yeah, on U Street. It's still on U Street? It's still on U Street, yeah. But on U Street, man. Oh, man. She took me to that. His first time having collard greens. I had turkey wings. I remember my first meal was turkey wings. The smoked turkey wings, the collard greens, the sweet potato. You have no idea. You have no idea. We don't have insurance on the microphones. No, but that was, I'll never forget that day because I was like, wow. And I'll be honest that there was sometimes even assumptions, right, that was made about food, right, and other cultures, you know. And, you know, but... Just, yeah, not to get too much into that, but, you know, I remember that being a big of a moment for me, like just thinking, okay, I'm at this black school, right? Thinking like, oh, we, you know, we all black, right? But just even those little small dynamics where it was like so much, there was so much learning that Aaliyah had to do towards me, you know? Which, and I, you know, looking back at that, I appreciate that so much in a sense, because, you know, I mean, especially here in college, like you don't really got, time like you in a relationship and we i'll say we had a pretty serious relationship i would say during our time in college yeah we was we was taking what people thought were engagement photo shoots our junior year you

SPEAKER_04 16:24

know

SPEAKER_00 16:26

but um but i think that was you know i was very i look back at that and i'm so appreciative because i'm like you know just being able to spend that time to invest to share and be like hey there's some core differences here and having that I honestly, both of us having that maturity to walk through that, you know, but, you know, then there was the darker side, right? When, um, like the moment that comes to me, you know, when I think that was 2016 junior year again, um, uh, I'm sorry, not 2016, but, um, again, my years mixed up, but, you know, uh, the acquittal, um, with George Zimmerman, um, and me and Aaliyah had very shaped different, um, received those experiences very differently. You know, I felt a bit of disappointment, a bit of like shock, right? And I think Aaliyah experienced what for her was a continual experience, right? She sighed at the moment. I was grieving a moment. She was grieving a time, right? She was grieving- And

SPEAKER_01 17:29

I'll even add to that. I think part of what he was grieving was a perception. Yeah. You know, coming from different backgrounds and this was probably our first big culture clash, our first big, really argument that we got into around like our backgrounds and where we were coming from really surrounded this idea that he was, he was, he had this fond appreciation for the country.

SPEAKER_02 17:51

Yeah. I mean, that's the West Indian thing,

SPEAKER_01 17:52

though. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 17:53

Like our parents came here for like a better life. And it's funny because I want to clarify that most do have a great life. Right. In the West Indian West Indies. However, they come for what is perceived as better. Right. And so, like, unfortunately, a lot of West Indians look at. the black experience very different from African-Americans. And so I could see how that reaction would have been different. Cause I would say a lot of people in the West Indian community are just like, Oh my God, like the, you know, it was just like, this is crazy, but then follow the justice system.

SPEAKER_04 18:33

Right.

SPEAKER_01 18:34

And that was his reaction. It was very much like, you know, I was saying how disappointed I was, um, about the decision, but that I also wasn't surprised. And I was angry and I was hurt by it. And there was a lot of effort on campus to try to keep people from running out and destroying things. And from his lens, he had a standpoint on it of, well, I can't just chalk this up to that's just the way that this country is because if that's the case, then everything that my parents did was for nothing. And so it was a very different experience for him than it was for me. And it was a moment where I felt that he had privilege in that moment to be able to even disassociate from the issue.

SPEAKER_00 19:20

And the privilege you were feeling and how with obviously where we are in life now, like that moment was one of those first moments where it felt like this is happening to me instead of happening to them, you know? And growing up, you know, there, there was, there was so much pride in, Jamaican-ness. And being different. And being Jamaican. And this kind of like, I want to say obsession, but kind of this thing of being more, um, looked at as more exotic, right? You're, you're from Caribbean descent, all this stuff. Yeah. But in that, but in that moment, and I think maybe part of it being at Howard now being in this shared space with other black folks, being in a relationship with the African American woman, I was like, wow, like I, I was, that was a shock to my system. Cause now I'm like, I'm part of this, you know, um, which I've always been, but you know, so, but,

SPEAKER_02 20:16

but it's interesting though, because I think, kind of having gone through a similar experience where it was just like, oh, you know, this is the way the justice system is and we have to obey the law and obey police and you don't question authority. The world looks at black folks as a monolith, but we're not. And so it's interesting that there were these different dynamics even in that moment. So that, but that is, I can see, I can see how that, that happened.

SPEAKER_01 20:43

Yeah. A hundred percent.

SPEAKER_03 20:46

I don't know. I don't know if we're doing it because, um, But that was an interesting take. And it's wild that it took college to get you there with the fusion at the Mecca. That's a great experience.

SPEAKER_04 20:58

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 20:59

So I want to ask one more question. And then we have a fun game. Love a game. I'm really excited. But... You know, this is a lot of heavy conversation. There was a lot of really challenging things that happened. I know for us, for you all as well. But for anyone who's listening, who's kind of going through this, you know, little couple in college at Howard, who's like, we're from different cultures and we're trying

SPEAKER_00 21:22

to figure it out. Shout out to Howard Love. It's a

SPEAKER_01 21:26

thing. Go ahead. What's kind of the overcoming part of this? Like what, you know, I think... when we think about the challenges that we had in our relationship and even that particular situation, I think the big thing for us was just really committing radically to open conversation and like having a very, very open mind and going into it, being as honest and nonjudgmental as possible in order to not only accept where the other person was coming from, but to learn, to appreciate their culture and their background and their perspective in a way that I was able to look at Omar's experience and say, wow, like that's really beautiful that. you're coming from this place of having this type of an appreciation and perspective. Um, but he could also look at my experience and say, you know what? Like I admire your courage to still be invested in the way that you are in the way that, you know, you described Brandon, despite, um, the type of perspective that you have and what you've grown up with. So I guess for you all, like what's your story with that?

SPEAKER_02 22:24

I mean, look, it is not always a bed of roses. It doesn't always smell good, look good. Cause you know, I I'm difficult for no reason. I'm like, I'm just, I'm gonna just put that out there. I can be difficult for no reason. I'm being honest. But to your point, it is about having wide open conversations and showing up. Like, I think for me, like I, I'm also the person that needs to see it to believe it. So if you say, don't touch the stove, I'm a touch it. I'm like, Ooh, that burn. But you know, I, I, I think I learned by being and by doing. And so. There are moments where you just show up for the person and somehow, for me at least, my ears start to open up and I'm like, oh, I get it now. Oh, let me have some empathy. I didn't really know what empathy was.

SPEAKER_03 23:08

The empathy word.

SPEAKER_02 23:09

The best. The best. Bad stereotype, but it's true. I think over the years, Brandon has actually helped me to be a more empathetic person Because that was just not a thing. This

SPEAKER_03 23:22

is recorded on the record,

SPEAKER_02 23:24

correct? It is. I'm being honest. Why do you act like I'm never

SPEAKER_03 23:26

honest? Love you, honey.

SPEAKER_02 23:28

But I don't know. What are your

SPEAKER_03 23:29

thoughts? Plus one to everything you said. Yes. And just give grace. I think you just need to just give grace, y'all. Amazing grace. You just need to just be understanding. But no one's perfect. So just give the grace. I have a follow-up question. Where'd you learn plus one from? You know, a previous employer. Plus one.

SPEAKER_01 23:56

All right, let's play a little game. It's going to be a lot of fun. So we all have these little boards. You also have little erasers. And some markers. I

SPEAKER_03 24:07

hope my handwriting.

SPEAKER_01 24:09

And we're going to write large and legibly.

SPEAKER_03 24:12

Okay.

SPEAKER_01 24:13

Okay. But the goal of the game is, is for you to respond to the answer the same way that your spouse responds to the answer. So I'm sure everyone's seen a version of this game somewhere. For our game, though, we are going to answer some fun questions about how well we know each other. The first question is, what's your husband's favorite saying? Oh, Jesus. Okay.

SPEAKER_03 24:43

So I'm writing what it is.

SPEAKER_01 24:44

Yeah, you write what it is, and she's going to try to match your answer. When

SPEAKER_02 24:49

do I flip this around?

SPEAKER_01 24:50

Hide your board, too. I

SPEAKER_00 24:51

don't know which one you're going to pick, because there's actually two that came to my mind, but I'm going

SPEAKER_02 24:57

to

SPEAKER_03 24:58

go with this one. I don't think you're going to say it.

SPEAKER_02 25:00

If I've heard it enough, I'll probably say it.

SPEAKER_01 25:04

Okay, this is not neat handwriting, so I did my best. But everybody ready? Yep.

SPEAKER_00 25:09

Okay. I'm not ready, but hold on. Hurry

SPEAKER_01 25:12

up. Let's just flip it around. Oh, I'm going to add that we are in competition today. So if I won. Every time you match, you get a point. Brandon, you're responsible for keeping Tally.

SPEAKER_03 25:24

Oh, that's weird trouble.

SPEAKER_01 25:25

If we win... If we win... you owe us a prize or something. And if you win, you get bragging rights. I love gifts, Brandon. I said we get

SPEAKER_04 25:36

bragging rights. We love gifts. That's so crazy.

SPEAKER_01 25:38

Okay. One, two, three.

SPEAKER_04 25:44

Oh,

SPEAKER_00 25:46

look at that. Oh, no. I wasn't sure if he was going to put. I put two. I put two possibly.

SPEAKER_03 25:52

Why you put two? It's the same. It's the same. I mean.

SPEAKER_00 25:54

Be two possibly.

SPEAKER_03 25:56

It counts. All right, fine. It's the same thing.

SPEAKER_00 25:57

That's valid. I would have put

SPEAKER_01 25:59

that. Even though ours was like exact.

SPEAKER_00 26:01

Yeah. Clearly, I don't listen. Don't even do that.

SPEAKER_01 26:03

Don't

SPEAKER_00 26:03

even do that. That's his favorite thing. Yeah, she hate when I say that.

SPEAKER_01 26:06

Clearly, I don't listen. It's my least favorite saying, and he says it all the time. Ding, ding, ding. He says be. Nothing's gone bad already. Nothing can not be right. Like Omar says that? Omar says that all the time. All the time. It's the worst. Okay, question two. What is your wife's childhood comfort food? Oh, yeah. Childhood comfort food. I

SPEAKER_02 26:30

can't even remember

SPEAKER_01 26:31

my

SPEAKER_00 26:31

own comfort food. Yeah, y'all, that's what I started with. Oh, Jesus. Okay. Your wife's childhood...

SPEAKER_01 26:39

Are we ready? I

SPEAKER_00 26:40

don't remember Leah as a child.

SPEAKER_01 26:41

You know, I didn't have a childhood.

SPEAKER_00 26:43

That's not what

SPEAKER_01 26:44

I said. Okay. One, two, three. What did you put? Oh, you got it.

SPEAKER_00 26:51

Dang.

SPEAKER_01 26:51

They got it. And what did you put? Everything? With a

SPEAKER_00 26:55

tomato. I put crab legs. I put sweet potato casserole. Then I said cornbread.

SPEAKER_01 26:59

Pasta? Pasta? Yeah, like pasta. I'm from Long

SPEAKER_00 27:04

Island.

UNKNOWN 27:05

But childhood?

SPEAKER_00 27:05

I don't remember. You ain't said. Y'all wasn't cooking it like that to be like, oh, that's my

SPEAKER_02 27:09

childhood. I am a very good pasta. It's always al dente. Good job. Get the tomato

SPEAKER_03 27:14

in there. The Bertie

SPEAKER_02 27:16

family. That's wild. I doubt you to fry me an egg

SPEAKER_01 27:19

sandwich with a slice of

SPEAKER_02 27:20

tomato.

SPEAKER_01 27:20

Okay. Next question. Who said I love you first? This one needs to be fast because y'all know. It

SPEAKER_02 27:27

wasn't me.

SPEAKER_01 27:29

Bro. I should deduct a point.

SPEAKER_00 27:32

Make it honest. Brandon, deduct a point from yourself. I'm

SPEAKER_01 27:34

sorry. I'm sorry. Okay. One, two, three. What? Uh-oh.

SPEAKER_02 27:41

It was me.

SPEAKER_01 27:41

It wasn't me.

SPEAKER_02 27:43

I might have been singing a song.

SPEAKER_01 27:46

I think so far we're tied at this point. All right. Anyways. Wow. That's above the rating of this. Okay. Who's more dramatic during an argument? One, two, three. we

SPEAKER_03 28:12

all we're all winners

SPEAKER_01 28:14

all right well you know what omar and omar is me literally all right last question for the win who has the louder family

SPEAKER_02 28:24

hold

SPEAKER_00 28:27

on

SPEAKER_01 28:29

who's

SPEAKER_02 28:30

keeping score We're

SPEAKER_01 28:34

tied. No,

SPEAKER_00 28:35

we're not tied.

SPEAKER_01 28:35

The last one we just won. Yeah, we're tied. So this is a tiebreaker. Or we're going to have

SPEAKER_03 28:42

a

SPEAKER_00 28:42

tie. We're about to tie again.

SPEAKER_01 28:46

Ready?

SPEAKER_02 28:49

I can see yours. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 28:51

Well, game over. It is a tie. It looks like we all know each other just pretty well. Except Omar don't know what I like to eat. Well, he listed some

SPEAKER_00 29:00

good stuff. As a child. You tripping.

SPEAKER_01 29:03

I'm just second. These are things you should know. Pasta? I

SPEAKER_00 29:07

love pasta. You know that. But as a child?

SPEAKER_01 29:09

Yeah, I did. I love pasta as

SPEAKER_00 29:10

a child. So you was cooking it? Mm-hmm. Oh.

SPEAKER_01 29:13

What? Always could cook. There you go. All

SPEAKER_00 29:16

right. All

SPEAKER_01 29:20

right. Final, final thoughts. We're going to wrap up. It's been a fantastic conversation. I think the game is super fun. My final thought is love.

SPEAKER_00 29:28

All right,

SPEAKER_04 29:31

go

SPEAKER_01 29:31

ahead. All right. So final thought, one word to describe your relationship. Fast, go fun.

SPEAKER_03 29:41

Grace. Grace. Evolving.

SPEAKER_01 29:44

Ooh, openness. There we go. I love that for us. I think it's important that, you know, we start and lead and end with curiosity. I think that that's what keeps everything interesting and keeps us growing and learning and evolving and fun. Yeah, and fun, right? So, you know, like I said, we're pretty much up on our time. It's been real. It's been real. I just want to thank everybody for listening. You know, this is... Wait, how did

SPEAKER_02 30:14

they do that?

SPEAKER_01 30:15

Well... Trying to be relevant.

SPEAKER_02 30:18

Oh, is that not... Oh, no. Okay. Let me know. Whoa.

SPEAKER_01 30:25

Okay. Well, anyway, to our, to our family out there, whether you're in a multicultural relationship or you just love, love, we appreciate you being here with us at your cultural table. Callaloo and collard greens, really our heart in our soul and bridging the gap between Caribbean and African-American relationships and learning to love, grow and build family and community together. So yeah, There's always a seat for you here at our table. And so we'd love for everybody out there, right, to like, subscribe, share. And we'll catch you next time on Callaloo and Collar Greens. Thanks for joining us as we celebrate love, family, and legacy across cultures.

SPEAKER_00 31:10

There's always a seat for you at our table. So remember to like, share, subscribe, and give us your thoughts as we want to hear your stories.

SPEAKER_01 31:17

Spreading joy, sending love. Thanks for joining us on the Callaloo and Collar Greens podcast.