From college sweethearts to fusion festivities: Meet Sydney's Punjabi-Vietnamese couple, Tanveer and Janine

Tanveer Singh Mokha and Janine Vu met on the first day of college and now are two doctors in Sydney embracing the Punjabi and Vietnamese flavours of life in their marriage. Here’s how they celebrate each other and more on their upcoming fusion Lunar New Year celebration.

Tanveer Singh Mokha and Janine Vu got married in April, 2023. Credit: Tanveer and Janine

Key Points

• Junior doctors Tanveer and Janine blend Punjabi and Vietnamese cultures in a fusion Lunar New Year celebration.
• The couple embrace each others' culture through food, dance and cultural festivities
• They started their Instagram page 'Bhangra Pho Eva' where they share bhangra dance videos

Tanveer comes from a Punjabi family, and Janine from a Vietnamese background.

Still, the couple felt an instant connection from their first meeting in college in 2015 and got married in April 2023.

“On the outside, it seems we come from two wildly different cultures and religions, but something we have learnt over the years is that Vietnamese and Punjabi cultures have a lot in common,” Janine said.

A photo from Tanveer and Janine's Engagement Tea Ceremony, which is a Vietnamese custom. Credit: Tanveer and Janine

The couple has embraced each other’s cuisines and is learning to speak and write Punjabi and Vietnamese, as well as participating in cultural celebrations.

“I love Vietnamese food, I learned their rice paper rolls and Pho,” Tanveer added.

They both participate in celebrating Punjabi celebrations like Vaisakhi and Diwali, as well as the Vietnamese Lunar New Year, Tết.

Punjabi twist to the Vietnamese Tết

Each year, Janine and her family celebrate Tết with friends and family to share food, honour their ancestors and dress up in their cultural dresses.

This year, there’s a Punjabi twist.

“The fun thing about this year’s family celebration is that it’s going to involve a talent show, which is inspired by the sangeet we had at our wedding. This year, we’re going to be singing songs and dancing as if it were a traditional Punjabi wedding sangeet,” Janine shared.

A shot from Tanveer and Janine's Punjabi wedding festivities. Credit: Tanveer and Janine

Bhangra Duo

Dancing has brought the pair closer to the Punjabi cultural dance, Bhangra.

The dancing -duo share their Bhangra videos on their Instagram page, 'Bhangra Pho Eva'.

“For us, married life is about setting aside differences and working together through all the differences,” Tanveer said.

In this podcast, have a listen to how Tanveer and Janine go about embracing each other’s religions and finding their way around any differences in this podcast.

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