A quick look back at Germany's recent elections

This week on The Sound Kitchen you’ll hear the answer to the question about Germany’s September federal elections. You’ll hear about two women artists who aim to spread hope through their art, some great music, and of course, the new quiz question. Just click on the “Audio” arrow above and enjoy! 

Sound Kitchen Podcast RFI

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.

I am busy cooking up special shows with your musical requests, so get them in! Send your musical requests to [e-mail]  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, rfienglish.com, 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, Africa Calling, Spotlight on France, and of course, The Sound Kitchen. We have a 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 part of the RFI English service!  Keep checking our website for updates on the latest from our excellent staff of journalists.

To listen to our podcasts from your PC, go to our website and click on the three horizontal bars on the top right, choose "Listen to RFI / Podcasts", and you’ve got ‘em! You can either listen directly or subscribe and receive them directly on your mobile phone.

To listen to our podcasts from your mobile phone, slide through the tabs just under the lead article (the first tab is “Headline News”) until you see “Podcasts”, and choose your show. 

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 [e-mail]   If you would like to donate stamps and postcards, feel free! Our address is listed below. 

Another idea for your students: my beloved music teacher from St Edward’s University in Austin, Texas, Br Gerald Muller, 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. 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.

RFI Clubs: Be sure to always include Audrey Iattoni ([e-mail]) from our Listener Relations department in all your RFI Club correspondence. Remember to copy me ([e-mail]) 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 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 recognised 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 2 October, I asked you a question about Germany, which had just held closely watched federal elections, as they mark the end of the 16-year Angela Merkel era. Angela Merkel has been Germany’s Chancellor since 2005, and Europe’s de facto leader.

I asked you to tell me the name of the party that won the 26 September elections, as well as the name of the person at the head of that party. 

The answer is: The SPD won the elections. The SPD are centre-left Social Democrats, and the head of the party is Olaf Scholz.

If the SPD succeeds in putting together a coalition government, Olaf Scholz will become the country’s next Chancellor. They have until 17 December to come up with a coalition. Until then, Angela Merkel remains Chancellor.

The winners are: Mrs. Nafisa Khatun, the president of the RFI Mahila Shrota Sangha Club in Hariharpara, India, and Muhammed Aarosh, a member of the RFI International DX Radio Listeners Club in Murshidabad, India. There are two winners from Bangladesh:  Salehin An Nahiyan, from the Shetu RFI Listeners Club in Naogaon, and Rabeya Begam from the Nilshagor RFI Fan Club in Nilphamari. Last but not least, RFI English listener Mervin Kensington from Windhoek, Namibia.

Congratulations winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s programme: Lento from Antonin Dvorak’s  String Quartet No. 12 in F major, "American", performed by the Cleveland Quartet; “Kazala” by Raby, Basile Ntsika, and Pierre Grillet, performed by Raby and Basile Ntsika; the traditional German song “Unter unserem Himmel”, played by the Kerschbaum Zithermusi and friends; “The Flight of the Bumblebee” by Nicolai Rimsky-Korsakov; “Happy” by Pharrell Williams, and the traditional Malian song “Jarabi”, played by Sona Jobarteh, Femi Temowo, and Robert Fordjour.  

Do you have a musical request? Send it to [e-mail]

This week’s question ... You'll have to listen to the show to participate. You have until 29 November to enter this week's quiz; the winners will be announced on the 4 December podcast. When you enter, be sure you send your postal address in with your answer, and if you have one, your RFI Listeners Club membership number.

Send your answers to:

[e-mail]

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 to form your own official RFI Club, click here