This week on The Sound Kitchen you’ll hear the answer to the question about the mascot chosen for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. There’s the bonus question and the “Listeners Corner” with Michael Fitzpatrick, listener news, and “Music from Erwan”. All that, and the new quiz question, too, so click on the “Audio” arrow above and enjoy!
Hello everyone! Welcome to The Sound Kitchen weekly podcast, published every Saturday – here on our website, or wherever you get your podcasts. You’ll hear the winner's names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you’ve grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and listen every week.
Erwan and I are busy cooking up special shows with your musical requests, so get them in! Send your musical requests to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr Tell us why you like the piece of music, too – it makes it more interesting for us all!
Be sure you check out our wonderful podcasts!
In addition to the breaking news articles on our site, with in-depth analysis of current affairs in France and across the globe, we have several podcasts which will leave you hungry for more.
There’s Paris Perspective, Spotlight on France, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We have an award-winning bilingual series – an old-time radio show, with actors (!) to help you learn French, called Les voisins du 12 bis. And there is the excellent International Report, too.
As you see, sound is still quite present in the RFI English service. Keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our staff of journalists. You never know what we’ll surprise you with!
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Teachers, take note! I save postcards and stamps from all over the world to send to you for your students. If you would like stamps and postcards for your students, just write and let me know. The address is english.service@rfi.fr If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below.
Another idea for your students: Br. Gerald Muller, my beloved music teacher from St Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, has been writing books for young adults in his retirement – and they are free! There is a volume of biographies of painters and musicians called Gentle Giants, and an excellent biography of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., too. They are also a good way to help you improve your English - that’s how I worked on my French, reading books which were meant for young readers – and I guarantee you, it’s a good method for improving your language skills. To get Br. Gerald’s free books, click here.
Independent RFI English Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni (audrey.iattoni@rfi.fr) from our Listener Relations department in all your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me (thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr) when you write to her so that I know what is going on, too. N.B.: You do not need to send her your quiz answers! Email overload!
And don’t forget, there is a Facebook page just for you, the independent RFI English Clubs. Only members of RFI English Clubs can belong to this group page, so when you apply to join, be sure you include the name of your RFI Club and your membership number. Everyone can look at it, but only members of the group can post on it. If you haven’t yet asked to join the group, and you are a member of an independent, officially recognized RFI English club, go to the Facebook link above, and fill out the questionnaire !!!!! (if you do not answer the questions, I click “decline”).
There’s a Facebook page for members of the general RFI Listeners Club too. Just click on the link and fill out the questionnaire, and you can connect with your fellow Club members around the world. Be sure you include your RFI Listeners Club membership number (most of them begin with an A, followed by a number) in the questionnaire, or I will have to click “Decline”, which I don’t like to do!
This week’s quiz: On 19 November, I asked you a question about the mascot for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The committee had just announced their decision, which is a … hat.
A stuffed animal hat. A toy hat. But not just any hat, a very important hat to the French, a hat which to them embodies French democratic values. It’s called a Phrygian cap and was the cap the women wore when they marched to Versailles calling for a reduction in the price of bread … pretty much the beginning of the French Revolution, as you know.
You were to re-read our article “Made-in-China 'Phryges' toys are surprise mascots for Paris Olympics 2024”, and send in the answer to this question: how many of the Phryges toys do the Paris 2024 organizers hope to sell by the start of the games?
The answer is: Two million
In addition to the quiz question, there was the bonus question: “When in your life were you a leader?”
The winners are: RFI Listeners Club member Kashif Khalil from Faisalabad, Pakistan, who is also the winner of this week’s bonus question.
Today’s winners also include Ferhat Bezazel, the president of the RFI Butterflies Club Ain Kechera in West Skikda, Algeria; Uzma Khan, who’s a member of the Naz RFI & Internet Fan Club in Faisal Abad, Pakistan, and RFI Listeners Club member Kristopher Arens from Oregon in the US. Last but not least, there’s RFI English listener Mrs. Boby Khanam, who’s a member of the Friends Radio Club in Naogaon, Bangladesh
Congratulations winners!
Here’s the music you heard on this week’s program: “Classical Symphony” by Sergei Prokofiev, performed by the Frankfurt Radio Symphony Orchestra conducted by Alondra de la Parra; “Galop Infernal” from Orpheus in the Underworld by Jacques Offenbach; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “The Cakewalk” from Children’s Corner by Claude Debussy, performed by the composer, and “It Ain’t Fair” by Questlove, performed by Bilal and The Roots.
Do you have a musical request? Send it to thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr
This week’s question ... you must listen to the show to participate. After you’ve listened to the show, re-read Paul Myer’s article “Brazilian president Lula joins the mourners at wake for football icon Pelé” to help you with the answer.
You have until 30 January 2023 to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 4 February podcast. When you enter, be sure you send your postal address with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.
Send your answers to:
english.service@rfi.fr
or
Susan Owensby
RFI – The Sound Kitchen
80, rue Camille Desmoulins
92130 Issy-les-Moulineaux
France
or
By text … You can also send your quiz answers to The Sound Kitchen mobile phone. Dial your country’s international access code, or “ + ”, then 33 6 31 12 96 82. Don’t forget to include your mailing address in your text – and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.
To find out how you can win a special Sound Kitchen prize, click here.
To find out how you can become a member of the RFI Listeners Club, or form your own official RFI Club, click here.
