- Now we enjoy like different levels of spices as well.

So like before I would be like, I can't eat it.

(chime music) - Hi, I'm Meg, Executive Producer at Nashville Public Television, and on this series, we talk about the little things that stood out to people when they first moved to the region from another country.

So today I'm here with Tahseen.

Tahseen moved to Nashville, Tennessee from Hyderabad, India.

She lives here with her husband and three beautiful children.

She's a high school math teacher, and one of her favorite parts of the day is the early morning, and the sunrises and breakfasts that come with them.

And that's what I wanted to start off talking with you about actually, is food.

And so when you first moved here, what stood out to you about the food, and was it different?

I'm guessing yes, between here and India, and how so?

- I did not enjoy anything I ate.

- Oh.

- I did not, yeah.

It was just not that I missed Indian food, but I wanted my mom's hand cooked food.

That's all I wanted.

- Oh.

- So it was like, even if I cooked, because I didn't cook much back home, right, I started after I came here.

- Yeah.

- I didn't enjoy anything, even if I cooked.

So it took me a while.

It took me a while to get used to eating food here.

Yeah.

- Uh huh.

Well, and so we're here today in Nashville, and the House of Kabob, and that was a place that you mentioned that was one that you found, you were like, oh, I do like this place.

- Yes.

- So why is that?

What stood out?

- [Tahseen] So I would say House of Kebob was one of those places where, or like when we started enjoying food outside of home cooked food.

- Yeah.

- So there was something special about this place.

Something other than food, that made us feel very comfortable.

- [Meg] Yeah.

- This place was always very family friendly.

So my husband and I came here with our newborn babies, and we came here just a few weeks ago again, for celebrating one of our newborn's 19th birthday.

- Okay.

- So now this place is like special to them, because this restaurant holds memories of their home now.

- Yeah.

- Because they call Nashville their home.

So this place is special to them now.

- Because you said, you were like, well pick whatever restaurant you wanna go to, and this was, - Yeah.

- the selection.

- This is the one he picked.

because I think it's more than food.

Like they have so many memories of this place.

- Yeah.

- Like, you know, they remember coming here like growing up, and every time, okay, let's just go there.

Yeah.

- And what about the spiciness level, that you can find here in Nashville, compared to what you can find back home?

- Oh, back home is like very spicy.

I would say, we've cut down our spice level, too.

- Yeah?

- So on a scale of 10, I could say we are about seven.

- That's like your preferred.

- Yeah.

- That's pretty spicy still probably, right?

- Right.

But I should say, like now we enjoy different levels of spices as well.

- Okay.

- So like before, I would like, I can't eat it, but now it's like we do enjoy different levels also.

If it's a little bit less, we are okay with it.

- So is there even a place in Nashville where I could get a 10, or no?

Spiciness level.

- I have seen one actually in, you know some of the newer restaurants.

- Oh.

- Like back over in Brentwood and Cool Springs areas.

- Okay.

- There one restaurant called Amaravati.

I remember eating some something over there like oh, this is really spicy.

So, and they said it was medium spicy, so I found it spicy, I was like, - Okay.

- they have a good spice level, yeah.

- Okay, so either your tongue's getting used to, you know, - Yeah, yeah.

- U.S. spices, or it was really spicy.

- Right.

- Well, and so apart from food, some other things that we talked about were just kind of interactions, and other cultural differences that you noticed.

And one thing that I thought was really interesting is, you said in India is it was more common for friends, or I guess family members too, to just show up to your house, and not plan it ahead of time.

- Right.

- So when did you notice that that wasn't something that people do in Nashville, or other cities you've lived in in the U.S.?

- Yes, to begin with, I didn't have family around here.

So it took me some time till I made friends and met families to realize that.

But it was not too long before I saw the difference, because I mean, over there it's like really common.

It's like very frequent.

- Yeah.

- So over here, first of all, I didn't have family, but to just see that okay, you have to call, you have to ask, you have to text or do something.

It was pretty obvious, I guess.

- Yeah.

- Then I understood the difference, yeah.

- Well, 'cause how was it, you know, just in your hometown though, you're just like, hey, I wanna go see my friend, I'm going over.

And then you just, - Yeah.

- whenever you want.

- Yeah.

- Family, yeah.

And family can drop in any time.

- Oh, family anytime.

- It could be even in the middle of the night.

So you cannot, you cannot complain.

Nope, family is family.

- [Meg] Do people strategically do it and go over to someone's house when they're about to eat, because they might get invited to dinner?

- No, no, they actually avoid that.

- Oh, they avoid that?

- Yeah.

I mean, so that they don't put burden too much, but it's just against time.

Unless somebody really, really wants to make sure that they meet a certain person in the house.

They don't have to call or, you know, inform them.

They just go to meet or check on them.

And then again, even though they don't do it intentionally, but the host always have to make sure that you eat something and go.

- Oh.

- So that's also like here, - A snack.

- Yeah.

At least a snack, or if it's time for food, Yeah, lunch or dinner.

- Uh huh.

- They make sure that they serve you something.

- Wow, that's really sweet.

Well, thank you so much for sharing kind of your observations, - You're welcome.

- and experience.

Just as someone who's, - Thank you.

Moving, a new Nashvillian, and we will just call it a video, so we don't let our food get too cold.

And just appreciate you all joining us for this conversation.

If you'd like to see more in the series "The Little Things," subscribe to the channel, and give us a thumbs up if you enjoyed this video.

'Til next time.

(chime and guitar music) - [Narrator] "Next Door Neighbors" is made possible by the support of the Nissan Foundation.