ExtraOrdinary Women
By ExtraOrdinaryWomen
ExtraOrdinary Women Mar 07, 2020
Trailer: Extra-Ordinary Women
Get a taste of Extra-Ordinary women project, come with us behind the scenes of making the podcast, and enjoy listening to some extracts from all the different episodes. Huge thanks to our fantastic production & sounds designers Helen Malich and Christoph Brandner who made this fantastic extract, which embeds and captures the beautiful atmosphere that surrounded us for the complete duration of the project. Enjoy!
Barbara: "Die Zeit der Selbstuntersuchung"
In dieser Folge führt uns Barbara Groß, eine Galeristin, die seit mehr als 30 Jahren Künstlerinnen fördert, durch ihre ersten Begegnungen mit Kunst, die sie machte, als sie mit ihrer Familie Kirchen besichtigte, und als sie alte Meister in der Alten Pinakothek entdeckte, als sie auf dem Weg zum Zahnarzt war.
Sie erzählt uns von der feministischen Bewegung in München und wie es ihr Interesse weckte, dass es kaum weibliche Künstler in den Museen gab.
Nach der Geburt ihrer Tochter reflektiert sie, was in ihrem Leben wichtig ist, und verpflichtet sich, die Arbeit von Künstlerinnen zu fördern, noch bevor sich die meisten Museen und Sammler die Mühe machten, einen zweiten Blick auf ihre künstlerische Arbeit zu werfen.
Zum Schluss erzählt sie uns, wie viel wir durch das Betrachten von Kunst über uns selbst lernen können, und sieht ihre Rolle als Vermittlerin zwischen Kunst und Öffentlichkeit.
------- http://www.barbaragross.de/
Barbara: “Have a conversation with a painting”
In this episode, the gallerist Barbara Gross shares her passion for art and for inspiring people to look at the work of female and young artists.
She remembers visiting museums on her trips to the dentist and being introduced to art by her parents. She recalls the feminist movement in Munich and how that opened her eyes to the almost no existence of female artists in museums, leading her to fight for better work conditions to women’s artists.
She acknowledges the advancements for women in the past years, while reinforcing that “there is still a lot to do”. Most beautifully, she reminds us that the best way to learn about art is to look at it and allow ourselves to “have a conversation” with the artworks. This will lead you to a world of discoveries.
Rahmée: "Je suis a' la recherche de la lumière"
In this episode in FRENCH, the fashion designer Rahmée Wetterich takes us on a journey through her life since arriving in Germany more than 40 years ago. The work she develops together with her sister Marie embodies both their African ancestry and Bavarian tradition, bringing to life the Dirndl à l'Africaine.
Since her childhood she has always been surrounded by textiles, and comes from a very artistic family. She highlights the diversity of “light” that makes the african’s textiles an “esprit des dance“. She talks about the common points and differences between African and German culture, but most of all, how, every time she comes back from her country of origin, she misses the “chaleur du coeur” that people in Africa have.
Learning the importance of being heard, she tried to incorporate that when raising her children, who she considers her best advisers. If she ruled the world, she would fight injustice and she brings up the need for cooperation between women and men, as both sides bring to the table different (and needed) perspectives.
When asked about inspiration, she emphasizes that If we are open, sincere and real we will automatically inspire others.
------ https://www.nohnee.com/
Rahmée: "Mama, bleib bei dir"
Die Modedesignerin aus Kamerun Rahmée Wetterich nimmt uns mit auf eine Reise durch ihr Leben, seit sie vor mehr als 40 Jahren nach Deutschland kam. Die Arbeit, die sie zusammen mit ihrer Schwester Marie entwickelt, verkörpert sowohl die afrikanische als auch die bayerische Tradition und sie erweckten das Dirndl à l'Africaine zum Leben. Schon früh verstand sie, dass die Sprache der Schlüssel für sie war, um die Kultur zu erfassen, in der sie lebte, und erinnert sich, wie wichtig ihr Mentor für den Aufbau ihres Vertrauens als Teenager war. Als sie lernte, wie wichtig es ist, gehört zu werden, versuchte sie dies bei der Erziehung ihrer Kinder zu berücksichtigen, die sie als ihre besten Berater betrachtet. Wenn sie nach Inspiration gefragt wird, betont sie, dass sie mehr daran interessiert sei, neugierig und offen für die Welt zu bleiben, und sie bewundert die Lernbereitschaft, die sie in Afrika findet, wo sie eine soziale und kulturelle Initiative leitet.
------ https://www.nohnee.com/
Preshika: "It takes courage to survive any type of abuse"
In this moving and eye-opening episode, the South African Preshika Wright tells us about the support group she created for survivors of abuse. She fondly remembers her grandparents and their work to the community as well as being a teenager during the ending of Apartheid. She opens up about surviving abuse, living with PTSD and having the drive to meet up with other women who had gone through similar circumstances, thus creating the “community she was looking for”. She educates us on victim blaming and its damaging impact for the women who went through abuse, as well as suggesting how to support a loved one who has been through this situation. She shares with us the shocking numbers of domestic violence in Germany and is determined to help reverse this scenario. She is deeply inspired by all the women that, out of extraordinary strength and courage, choose to speak their truth. Above all, she hopes that by sharing her own story, “the value that that brings far outweighs the pain” that she feels when she speaks about and we can only be thankful for having had the chance to listen to her.
------ ABOUT HER: ”Preshika Wright has enjoyed success in a wide ranging career - from an international corporate executive to restaurateur to an energy therapist- but the one where she strives to make the most impact, is with her work for abuse survivors.
An abuse survivor herself, Preshika battled PTSD and depression, coming out the other side with a fierce determination to work on healing an often overlooked and misunderstood fact of life for many people - trauma arising from abuse.
Her indomitable spirit fuelled her courage to create a community for abuse survivors. The community, which started off as a support group with 6 women in 2018 has now grown to over 50.
Preshika describes herself as a fierce force of love, working tirelessly to provide a safe haven to abuse survivors, who don’t know what to do or where to go or how to start their healing journey. Women receive pro bono support from Preshika, via support group meetings, one-on-one meetings and via phone.
Anyone seeking support from this invaluable community of trauma survivors can contact Preshika directly at preshikaw@gmail.com”
Agnes: "Don’t put a frame around yourself. Jump in it!"
She talks about how, through her attitude of “not giving up” she managed to not “put a frame around” herself and to embrace every single opportunity she has.
Agnes also highlights the positive take away that she treasures from the cultures she experienced and how she now values her Chinese heritage, traditions and core values.
Most of all, she talks about her rediscovered “superhero” and appreciates even more the challenges and achievements that her mum and friends had to face.
At the same time, she shares how her passion for sports and rope skipping developed and how she embeds the belief of “stay strong and never give up” in her life, which made her undefeatable.
------ ABOUT HER: Agnes Yu is a former Asian rope skipping champion and an honour graduate of Sports Management. She has a passion for high intensity and functional training as well as personal well-being. Agnes is currently a personal trainer and group class instructor based in Munich and delivering seminars worldwide. Her calling is to empower women to build their own confident self-image through fun and challenging workouts.
Website: www.jumpfitagnes.com
Facebook fanpage and Instagram: @jumpfitagnes
Agnes: 自強不息，永不放棄。
In this episode in CANTONESE, Asian rope skipping champion and trainer Agnes Wo, originally from China but raised in Hong Kong, moved from England to Munich, where she felt like facing a “nuclear bomb”.
She talks about how, through her attitude of “not giving up” she managed to not “put a frame around” herself and to embrace every single opportunity she has.
Agnes also highlights the positive take away that she treasures from the cultures she experienced and how she now values her chinese heritage, traditions and core values.
Most of all, she talks about her rediscovered “superhero” and appreciates even more the challenges and achievements that her mum and friends had to face.
At the same time, she shares how her passion for sports and rope skipping developed and how she embeds the belief of “stay strong and never give up” in her life, which made her undefeatable.
ABOUT HER: Agnes Yu is a former Asian rope skipping champion and an honour graduate of Sports Management. She has a passion for high intensity and functional training as well as personal well-being. Agnes is currently a personal trainer and group class instructor based in Munich and delivering seminars worldwide. Her calling is to empower women to build their own confident self-image through fun and challenging workouts.
Website: www.jumpfitagnes.com
Facebook fanpage and Instagram: @jumpfitagnes
Sneha: "I am a people person"
Language enthusiast from India, Sneha Chattopadhyay, shares with us her love for letter writing, a passion she developed in her childhood. “Writing is like breathing”, a refreshing way that helps her think mindfully about making decisions. She also brings to the table how letters give you an insider view on what is really happening around the world. In particular, she talks about a letter sent to Crimea which couldn’t be delivered to her penpal. Sneha, also reminds us that “life starts when you step out of your comfort zone” and that it is important to always “be the best version of yourself”. Lastly, she treats us with a special song in Hindi. Enjoy!!
------ SNEHA IN HER OWN WORDS: I am an engineer by day and mail-artist by night. I have a Masters degree in Communications Engineering from TU Munich and ~5 years of professional experience in tech. I believe that in this age of technology, the lost art of snail-mail (handwritten letters) opens up a new world of building friendships and connecting languages, cultures and art across the world like no other. Apart from letter-writing, I also enjoy singing, playing the guitar and travelling.
Connect with me on Postcrossing: @snickas | Instagram: @snickas32
Noemi: "Il contatto con l'altro fa sempre esplorare maggiormente se stessi"
In this episode in ITALIAN, Noemi Salamone takes us on a journey through her love for languages and how it started. She treasures diversity and how “traveling and the contact with other cultures makes you know yourself better and better”.
She introduces us to the German lifestyle and how childhood is perceived in a different way in comparison to Italy, while feeling herself part of a “beautiful big Europe”.
Above all, she talks about how knowing a language is key to understanding the culture and its way of thinking. At the same time, she highlights the importance of cultivating our native language as it is “the language of our hearts”. Her love for the Italian language, her artistic passion and challenges she faced living in a different country led to the creation of Insieme. A beautiful initiative created to support Bilingualism, integration, maternity and paternity through a wide range of activities. Most of all, she invites the new generations to work hard and to be a bit foolish sometimes in order to achieve their dreams.
Noemi: “How are the rivers of your life flowing?”
In this episode, the self proclaimed non-ordinary-Italian, language lover Noemi Salamone, tells us how living abroad gave her new perspectives. Taking the decision of moving from Venice to Munich in less than 20 days, she shares the challenges she overcame and the positive take away of German culture. Mostly, she highlights the importance of knowing the local language, a pivotal tool to understand the culture one lives in. At the same time, she thinks, we must cultivate our native language.
Precious heritage, which drove her to develop Insieme, an initiative that supports bilingualism and bilingual families in Munich throughout a diverse range of activities.
Above all, she reminds us of the importance of finding harmony between the “rivers of our lives” and that sometimes we ought to stop.
Mathilda: "Les Femmes sont le pilier de l'humanité!"
In this episode in FRENCH, Mathilda Legitimus-Schleicher takes us on her journey to Munich. Coming from a family of show business, Mathilda arrived in Germany for one year, to improve her German and never left.
She highlights how solidarity, comprehension and empathy are pivotal values to survive in our current society. It’s important to put yourself in each other's shoes to understand others. She shares also her personal experience and view on discrimination & racism.
Empathy in particular, is what she calls the “fuel of our society” but also her superpower, talent that she uses to make others aware that they “do matter”
She ends by introducing the inspiring women in her life that shaped who she is today, highlighting also how her grandma, who she never met, still, had a huge impact on her, and she is always living, because she is in Mathilda’s heart.
------ ABOUT HER: Mathilda has lived abroad for 42 years - 40 of those in Germany. For the last 25 years she has specialized in "Migration & Integration" and the fight against racism and female genital mutilation (FGM). Born in Paris and having grown up with 6 siblings, she sees herself as pan-African & world citizen. She is an advocate for lifelong learning! She is a social worker and for over 12 years has worked as a pedagogical family coach. She has also been a community interpreter for around 20 years.
Mathilda: “Integration braucht Zeit”
In dieser Folge erzählt uns die energiegeladene Mathilda Legitimus-Schleicher, eine Dolmetscherin und Sozialarbeiterin mit Wurzeln auf drei Kontinenten, die Geschichte ihrer Familie und fühlt sich Teil einer langen Reihe freiwilliger und unfreiwilliger Migrationen.
Sie blickt dankbar zurück auf ihre Erfahrungen an den United World Colleges, und wie das ihren Horizont extrem erweiterte.
Als Dolmetscherin interessiert sie sich für die Förderung des gegenseitigen Verständnisses und fordert uns auf, uns daran zu erinnern, dass Integration Zeit braucht. Sie warnt uns vor Rassismus und erinnert uns daran, dass Vorurteile zu Angst führen, was wiederum zu Gewalt führen kann.
Bei ihrer Arbeit Menschen zu empowern, möchte sie die Botschaft vermitteln, dass wir alle, unabhängig davon, was mit der einzelnen Person passiert, wichtig sind und es verdienen Erfolg zu haben.
Sie ist sich sicher, dass wir nicht auf dieser Welt leiden müssen, sondern unsere eigenen Wege gehen müssen. Sie ist zutiefst dankbar und mit ihren Vorfahren verbunden und fühlt, dass hier ihre Stärke herkommt.
------ ÜBER SIE: Mathilda lebt seit 42 Jahre im Ausland - davon 40 Jahre in Deutschland und hat sich in den letzten 25 Jahren auf das Thema „Migration & Integration“ und den Kampf gegen die Frauenbeschneidung FGM und Rassismus spezialisiert. In Paris geboren und mit 6 Geschwistern aufgewachsen sieht sie sich als Panafrikanistin & Weltbürgerin, Befürworterin für ein lebenslanges Lernen! Sie ist Sozialarbeiterin, arbeitet seit ca.12 Jahren als Pädagogischer Familiencoach und seit ca. 20 Jahren als Gemeindedolmetscherin.
Katharina: “Will you take the last piece of cake?”
In this episode relationship and sex coach Katharina Horvath talks about owning our desires and walks us through the path that led her to orgasmic meditation. She tells us about the importance of women saying what we want and acknowledging our hunger in all spheres of our lives.
She tells us about overcoming shame and finding the confidence to say uncomfortable things. She regards vulnerability to be a courageous act and the one that most connect us with each other, which is one of the reasons why she finds the #metoo movement to be so empowering.
She shares with us her sources of inspiration and wishes every woman on the planet had a place where they feel safe to talk about their sexuality. Her experience shows that if we do not stand up to what we want in our sex lives, we probably don’t do it in our careers either. Above all, Katharina sees sex as playground where we can learn a lot about ourselves and she hopes to create more places for people to have “honest and open conversations”.
------ ABOUT HER: Katharina Horvath is a passionate coach for women and men who want to find more freedom in their sexuality. She helps her clients to discover old beliefs around relationships and sexuality and supports them in letting go of what’s no longer serving them.
Katharina: "Wie geht es deine Pussy heute?"
Katharina Horvath nimmt uns mit auf ihre Reise, ein Beziehungs- und Sexcoach zu werden, und sie betont wie wichtig es ist, dass wir mit unserer Sexualität verbunden sind. Sie teilt uns mit, wie bedeutend es ist, zu lernen auf seinen Körper zu hören und seinem Bauchgefühl zu folgen.
Wenn es um Sex geht, glaubt sie fest daran, zu sagen, was wir wollen, und die starke Ausrichtung auf Ziele beiseite zu legen, um den Moment miteinander zu genießen.
Sie erinnert uns daran, dass jede Frau einzigartig ist und wir besser als jeder andere wissen, wie sich unser Körper anfühlt. Sie sagt uns auch, dass die Meinung, dass Männer immer wissen, was sie tun, ein Missverständnis ist und fordert Frauen auf, sich mit ihren Pussies zu verbinden.
Vor allem hofft sie, dass sie durch ihre Arbeit mehr Kommunikation zwischen Männern und Frauen fördern kann, damit sie gemeinsam ein sinnvolles und erfülltes Sexualleben erleben können.
------- ÜBER SIE: Katharina Horvath ist ein leidenschaftlicher Coach für Frauen und Männer, die sich freier rund um das Thema Sexualität fühlen wollen. Sie hilft ihren Klienten alte Glaubenssätze über Beziehungen und Sexualität zu entdecken und unterstützt sie dabei die loszulassen, die ihnen nicht länger dienlich sind.
Nahia: "What would you do, if you were not afraid?"
In this episode Nahia Orduña, a firm believer in the positive impact of technology in our lives, shares with us her passion for bringing more women to the world of Big Data.
In this enterprise, she calls women to discover the many possibilities this new field has to offer while emphasizing how much companies and society need the talents of women to enrich our digital world.
She takes pride in having grown up with a working mother in her native Spain and recounts the cultural shock of becoming a mother in Germany. This led her to take on the mission to inspire more women into finding fulfilling jobs. Above all, she urges us not to let fear stop us from pursuing our dreams and reminds us that every new experience teaches us something valuable.
------ Nahia has reinvented herself many times in the digital world and brings good news: we need more than ever diverse talent. AI and Big Data are creating new career paths for people with different background and experiences. She and her team of Women In Big Data, are inspiring and guiding women to find their way to thrive in the digital workplace.
Nahia: "Yo sigo pa'lante!"
In this episode in Spanish, the Big Data passionate Nahia Orduña, walks us through the moment she decided to focus her energy into inspiring more women to come to the technology world and the importance of having diversity in the field.
As a kid in Spain, she remembers growing up in an egalitarian household and seeing her parents working as a team. She also remembers the pressures she faced after having had her children in Germany, which made her aware of women’s struggles and how she could help improving this situation. She has reinvented herself professionally and advises anyone to do so in order to find more fulfilling jobs. Finally she shares with us her inspiration when taking up new challenges and not letting fear stop her. Pa’ lante!
------ Nahia has reinvented herself many times in the digital world and brings good news: we need more than ever diverse talent. AI and Big Data are creating new career paths for people with different background and experiences. She and her team of Women In Big Data, are inspiring and guiding women to find their way to thrive in the digital workplace.
Livia Maria: “Das Leben findet einen Weg zu wachsen”
Sie spricht auch über ihre Wurzeln und erinnert sich liebevoll daran, dass ihre Mutter sie zu sozialen Projekten in Sao Paulo mitgenommen hat, was sie offen für verschiedene Lebensweisen gemacht hat. Sie unterhält uns auch mit einem lustigen Bericht aus ihrem Arabisch-Unterricht im Alter von 12 Jahren und sucht vor allem immer wieder danach „ die Schönheit in Schwierigkeiten zu sehen“.
------ In ihren eigenen Worten: Ich wurde in São Paulo geboren (BR, 1980). Ich bin neugierig und mag das Abenteuer, etwas Neues zu lernen. Ich mag die Vielfalt, die Dynamik in der Welt. Alles, was mich umgibt, lehrt mich, erweitert mich. Ich lebe seit Januar 2013 auf dem europäischen Kontinent. Heute lebe ich in München. Ich bin Urbane Gärtnerin (mit essbaren Pflanzen); Inklusionsassistent für Kinder mit geistigen Störungen; Lehrling des Lebens.
www.begruen.com | IG - FB @begruen
Livia Maria: "Não dá para viver 50%. Eu tenho que viver isso 100%."
In this episode in Portuguese, the urban gardener Livia Maria talks about adapting to a new life after having moved from Brazil to Europe, while enchanting us with beautiful metaphors about this process and its relationship to plants.
She emphasizes that, although her “structure” grew up in a different soil, it is essential to allow yourself to be open to capture the nutrients of the new soil you are in – “I have to live this 100%”.
Looking back at loving memories of her grandparents, she also recounts the strength of the women in her family, who she admires for their commitment to the community. Above all, by bringing us all closer to the green world, she hopes to help us better connect with each other and our surroundings.
-------- In her own words: I was born in São Paulo (BR, 1980). I am curious and I like the adventure of learning something new; I like the diversity, the dynamics in the world. Everything that surrounds me, teaches me, expands me. I have lived in the European continent since January 2013. Today, I live in Munich. I’m an Urban Gardener (with edible plants); Inclusion assistant for children with intellectual disorders; life’s Apprentice.
www.begruen.com | IG - FB @begruen
Ursula: “Ich habe es nie bereut”
Ursula Neubauer arbeitet seit 40 Jahren in der ersten Frauenbuchhandlung, die in Deutschland gegründet wurde. Hier nimmt sie uns mit auf die Reise eines kleinen Mädchens, das direkt nach dem Zweiten Weltkrieg aufwuchs, sich als lesbische Frau entdeckt, und die Consciousness Raising groups in den 70er Jahren miterlebt. Wir lernen die wichtige soziale Bedeutung der Buchhandlung in den ersten Jahrzehnten, und wie sie beschloss ihr Leben zu ändern, so könnte es richtig sein.
Merle: "One doesn't feel powerful alone, one feels powerful because we feel connected to the world and the people around us".
In this episode cognitive neuroscientist and mother of four, Merle Fairhust, reminds us that we experience and make sense of the world through our bodies. She shares her passion for music and how blessed she feels for the people in her life.
Merle talks about coming from a long line of powerful women and having learnt from her grandmother to find a balance between strength & softness.
She is also very vocal on how important it is to create realistic roadmaps for oneself, as well as asking for help and “holding each others hands”.
Most of all, she highlights the pivotal role that new female generations have to "inspire action" and sets herself to help empowering others.
Merle: "Ich habe es geschafft"
Die Kognitiv-neurowissenschaftliche Forscherin und Mutter von vier Kindern, Frau Prof. Dr. Merle Fairhurst, spricht vom Aufwachsen in Südafrika, ihrer Liebe zur Musik und von weiblichen Vorbildern, die sie inspiriert haben. Sie erinnert daran, wie wesentlich es ist, dankbar zu sein und daran Erwartungen abzuwägen. Sie betont, dass jeder Mensch Unterstützung braucht - „allein macht man nichts“ - und wie wichtig es ist um Hilfe zu bitten. Vor alledem ist sie aber mit Begeisterung dabei die nächste Generation von Frauen zu „empowern“ und hat dabei eine äußerst optimistische Sicht auf das Leben.
Ursula: " I am lesbian feminist"
In this episode you will be taken into a journey to Ursula Neubauer's life. From her childhood, to the feminist movement in Munich, till her current job. She emotionally talks about the special affection for her grandmother "who was really something" and the time when she joined the team of Lillemors Frauenbuchladen. Opened since 1975, it is the first bookshop in Germany promoting female authorship, and still a special meeting point for women in Munich. ----
In her own words:
"I am a Lesbian Feminist. I was born 1946 in a little village in Bavaria. My parents and all my family were refugees and came from Sudetenland/Czechoslovakia after World War II. We moved so often to different cities in Germany that I can't count them all. I changed schools and ended up in Munich in 1963. I was trained as an insurance agent. I found this profession terrible!
In my youth I travelled a lot all over the world: From Europe to Alaska to Panama and so on and I lived in Chicago (USA) from 1970-1972. Back in Munich I had a very well paid job in medicine PR. In 1974 I got in contact with the women's movement in Munich, met the ladies from Lillemors Frauenbuchladen and since 1979 I work there. I never regretted my decision and I still love what I'm doing“.
If you are in Munich, please make sure to drop by Lillemors Frauenbuchladen.
Check www.frauenliteratur.de