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The Sound Kitchen

Namaste, my brothers!

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This week on The Sound Kitchen, you’ll hear the answer to the question about Macron and the French parliamentarians. There’s musings on the bond between brothers and sisters, about working for peace, about elephants - and of course, there’s the new quiz question. Just click on the arrow in the photo and enjoy!

David Franklin/Getty Images/A Terrade
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Hello everyone!

Welcome to The Sound Kitchen. You can catch the programme on-the-air every Saturday at 6:15, 7:15, 14:45 and 16:45 universal time. You’ll hear the winner’s names announced and the week’s quiz question, along with all the other ingredients you have grown accustomed to: your letters and essays, “On This Day”, quirky facts and news, interviews, and great music … so be sure and tune in every Saturday.

For our DX enthusiast friends: Our shortwave frequency is 11905 kHz on the 25m band, from 06.00 to 07.00 UT every day. We’ve had reception reports from Algeria, Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Canada, China, Columbia, Cuba, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Peru, Poland, Portugal, Russia, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, Sweden, Ukraine, the United Arab Emirates, the UK and the US, and although the frequency is “aimed” (or however that works) towards the African continent, give it a try. You never know … and be sure and send us your reception reports. Maybe we can get more time, which would be wonderful.

You can also hear our programs on WRMI (http://www.wrmi.net/) and WRN (http://www.wrn.org/listeners/). These broadcasters diffuse our programs out of the goodness of their hearts, but unless you tell us how you heard us, we have no way of knowing … so do write and tell us how you listen to us.

Welcome to our new RFI Listeners Club members! Abdul Aleem Qamar from Kasur, Pakistan; Jinabo Cyrille Fointama from Njinikom in the North West Region of Cameroon; Deekay Dimple and Karobi Hazarika, both from Assam, India and Mohammed Ibrahim from Ahwerewam Mantukwa in the Ashanti Region of Ghana.

Welcome one and all! If you would like to join the RFI Listeners Club, just send an e-mail to english.service@rfi.fr and I’ll get you signed up – it’s that easy!

A hearty welcome to two new official RFI Clubs! The RFI Fun Young Stars Club in Murshidabad, India, Tarun Maitra, president, and Club RFI Monrovia Liberia with Lloyd N Toh serving as president. Welcome!

RFI Clubs, take note: As most of you know, Chrystelle in the Listener Relations department has gone off to pursue new adventures, but before she left she urged Sebastien and I to challenge you to a Club Contest. We decided on a humorous photography competition. This is what you have to do: take a photo of your entire club membership with the RFI banner, doing something in the kitchen, or something to do with cooking … and … make us laugh! So put on your silly thinking caps, get out your pots and pans or whatever you choose, and get all your club members in the photo with the RFI banner … and take a funny picture! You'll recieve an official notice soon with all the details, but you can start thinking about it now.

This week’s quiz: On 8 July, Aidan asked you a question about French politics. That week, President Emmanuel Macron addressed a joint session of France’s parliament at the Chateau de Versailles. He outlined a few of his plans, one of which will directly affect the parliamentarians - and that was your question. What did Macron, in his speech to both houses of Parliament on Monday 3 July, promise to do which will directly affect the members of both houses?

The answer is: reduce their numbers! Macron proposed a one-third reduction in the number of lawmakers in both houses of parliament, telling lawmakers he would call a referendum if they do not agree to the measure.

Macron said the change -- which he proposed while running for president -- would have "positive effects on the general quality of parliamentary work".

The Senate has 348 members, while the lower house National Assembly has 577.

The winners are: Two brand-new listeners: Marcia Opoku-Gyamfi from Kumasi, Ghana; Jörg-Clemens Hoffmann from Alsbach-Hähnlein, Germany, and Musa Manneh from the Kombo Central District of The Gambia – who texted his answer to the Sound Kitchen’s mobile phone. You can do that, too – scroll down to the bottom of the page for the phone number. To round out the list this week, two cherished and faithful listeners: Royse Cramton from Oak Park, Illinois in the US, and the president of the RFI Seven Stars Listening Club in District Chiniot, Pakistan, Saleem Akhter Chadhar.

Congratulations winners!

Here’s the music you heard on this week’s program: Mancini: “Baby Elephant Walk”; Ervin Drake (Frank Sinatra): “It Was a Very Good Year”.
Have a musical request? Write me and let me know! thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

This week’s question: You'll have to listen to the show to participate. You have until 2 October to enter this week's quiz. The winners will be announced on the 7 October program. 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.

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

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