Introduction:  Part 3 of ‘Talking to London’ brings us closer to another character from South London. Mayur talks us through his experiences and how they’ve taken him around the globe. Once again a completely different experience to that of Lee in part 1 and Mahtab in part 2. Make up your own opinion after listening to the interview. This conversation is available in audio format via mixcloud. Simply click play in the box below to hear the whole conversation. Additionally there are selected quotes from our conversation to accompany the photography’s below. Enjoy. Peace & Love.

Tumblr – ialwaysdreamincolor
Twitter – TheReal_Mayur
Instagram – mayur_baller

3. Talking to London – Mayur – October 2014 by Hark1karan on Mixcloud

Interview Highlights

10 seconds: My name’s Mayur.  From South London, originally from Thornton Heath. I’m a 26 year old, grown up in the area, done various things in my life and obviously trying to keep it moving forward.

58 seconds: Tryna make the dream come true-n-dat.

1:10min: Home is where the heart is for sure.

1:39min: It’s always good to remember your roots and where you’ve come from no matter where you end up.

2:15min: If I reflect back to about 12 years I never really had a vision of what I wanted to do. There wasn’t so much guidance, everyone sorted of wanted to be the comedian in school… I just didn’t really know what I wanted at the time.

3:05min: I’m really sort of grateful for the high school that I went to because that made me more focused and determined when I went to university…. I got to make up for it at university were it counted.

4:08min: I really enjoyed it actually. It was very multi-cultural and very diverse as well. It was proper jokes man. I proper miss those days man.

4:35min: Basketball has taught me a lot in life. Gave me a lot of confidence as well. Met so many people around the world from just playing basketball at secondary school. I studied in America for half a year, I played basketball in Missouri as well. I went Finland, I did a pre-season with a pro team in Malta as well, currently playing semi-pro in Austria as well. Definitely opened doors for me.

5:50min: Being an athlete you have to be focused, diligent and persistent as well. I think you have to have a solid work ethic that the average human being doesn’t really have actually.

6:05min: I been playing basketball probably every day since I was a youth. Now I still play 5 times a week. It’s a part of me. For me it’s kinda like breathing to be honest. If I don’t play for a couple of days I start feeling a bit strange. It’s a passion for me for sure.

8:23min: …If you’re wearing a hoodie and a snapback they’ll think something negative of you. I guess in a sense that people are more conditioned sort of… negativity around Europe the way they see ethnic minorities.

8:55min: For me I just try to take the positives out of it and where ever I go I try represent my background, sort of culture as well. Just to put a smile on peoples face.

9:28min: When I do go abroad it really makes me appreciate London….. London is one of the best places in the world for sure.

10:09min: There was about 3 undercover Police at the station and they stopped me.

11:44min: People are still grinding and going hard regardless of wherever it is. While one person is sleeping the other person is working.

12:07min: I think everything is all connected and you kinda just gotta be open-minded and be willing to try different things.

12:45min: I went to America for 6 months as an exchange student.

14:15min: First time I watched a NBA game I was gassed cos I saw so many celebrities.

16:11min: Sometimes it looks good on social media but it is hard-work.

16:23min: People buy Jordan’s these days for 2, 3 bills but I can go on holiday for a week with that money.

18:54min: There are just really endless opportunities now in London which I’ve got to realise and I really think younger people should take more of an interest in expanding their future.

20:16min: I say the more failures you have, more successful you’re gonna be. In order to succeed you have to fail.

22:30min: I don’t have any role models to look up to. Well not any positive role models anyway. They’re just always sort of hanging about.  They don’t really judge them or blame them….

23:28min: The friends that they hang round with that’s gonna be their family you know. They’re gonna do anything for them…….. Deep down no one’s really bad to be honest, but they’re just a bit misguided.

24:20min: The teachers never once said that to me or anyone that I know, that you can make it.

24:43min: That’s what life is all about, is being inspired.

25:58min: It’s good to see people being happy and smiling, enjoying life. That’s what I try to do on a daily basis.

26:46min: Things for the future is obviously to build, to grow as a person. That’s the number one thing, to grow as a human being.