Petra Laptiste: Legend of Culture

This episode is dedicated to the memory of Sherwin Laptiste, my guest Petra Laptiste’s father who passed on 10 years ago. I want to thank Petra for her generous sharing of so many stories in this episode of her family and ancestors. We go on a virtual tour of the Caribbean to Japan, to Africa and the Middle East all in one episode with Petra as our wonderful guide.

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In this episode you’ll hear:

The legends from her parent’s homeland that Petra heard as a child growing up in Canada and the black writers who were pivotal in her early life
The challenge of searching for lost family roots and the experience of being “claimed” by various tribes and nationalities whilst travelling in Africa
Petra shares stories of her family and some magical unexplainable moments
How Petra came to be in Japan and the culture shock of Japanese living style
The uplifting experience of arriving in Ghana for the first time coupled with confronting what happened to her ancestors at the slave trade castles
Sarah asks what’s next for Petra and we are excited to see what will come from this discussion!

About Petra

Petra Laptiste was born and raised in Montreal, Canada to a Trinidadian father and a Grenadian mother. After graduating from Concordia University with a Specialization in Cell & Molecular Biology, she worked at one of Canada’s largest financial institutions, then moved to Japan for a career change in education. Spending almost a decade in Japan had planted a deep wanderlust inside her soul. Petra’s years of travel to almost 35 countries on 5 continents have enabled her to experience a wide variety of foods, cultures and enriching philosophies. For instance, on her first African journey, Petra went to Ghana on holiday. Unfortunate news unfolded and tragedy hit her family. However, in retrospect, she had used that experience and the positive sisterhood energies from FEW Japan to embark upon her first entrepreneurial streak in Tokyo.

She has brought cultural sensitivity and diversity to all facets of her work. From Corporate Training to Trinidadian cooking instruction in Tokyo – it has always been Petra’s mission to broaden the horizons of those around her and allow them to understand that the Caribbean and African Diaspora have a deep richness and history. The gorgeous textiles and symbols of Ghana and Tanzania, the soulful rhythm of Trinidadian tunes, the earthy deep beats of Grenadian music, Afro-Caribbean fashion, diverse and flavourful cuisine and the beauty of English language communication are what Petra Laptiste has wanted people to savour, experience and return for more.

After leaving Japan, Petra decided to take a break from entrepreneurship. She relocated to and currently lives in the Arabian Gulf region where she teaches ESL and has just completed a Master of Arts in Interdisciplinary Studies.

Connect with Petra

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/napturaltravel/

Mentioned in this episode:

Go tell it on the mountain by James Baldwin

Notes of a native son by James Baldwin

Native son by Richard Right

Soul on ice by Eldridge Cleaver

The Autobiography of Malcom X

Why I’m no longer talking to white people about race by Reni Eddo-Lodge

Roots: The saga of an American family by Alex Haley

Connect with Sarah

Linked In: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sarah-furuya-coaching/