Hello everyone!

Welcome to the “new/old” Sound Kitchen. We’ve put the programme back together: instead of two smaller programs on two days, The Sound Kitchen is now one program on one day – Saturday, at 4:52, 6:22, and 7:52 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 tune in every Saturday!

Update for the The Sound Kitchen Listeners Cookbook : we’re close! Just a few more things to work out, and we’ll be there … the development team says next week. I am pleased with its “look” – there is a map of the world, with little forks in the countries from which recipes were sent. For example, you click on the Nigeria fork, and you’ll find (amongst others) a recipe for Red Lizard Soup. If you click on the India fork, you’ll find (amongst others) a recipe for Kerala Theeyal. If you sent in your photo, it will be next to your recipe. You still have time to send in your photo, we can easily add that, and if you can send a photo of your completed dish, that would be great, too.

Also, if you are interested in corresponding with other Sound Kitchen listeners, let me know. I’ll figure out a way to get you together – most likely through a special page on our web-site...

The quiz: this week’s question was read on 3 June, and was about the Cannes Film Festival, which had just concluded. I asked you to send in the name of the film which won the Golden Palm, the top honor at the festival.

The answer is: Amour, or “Love”. The movie is about a devoted elderly husband caring for his dying wife. Amour was directed by Michael Haneke from Austria; with Amour he picked up his second Golden Palm - three years ago, his film The White Ribbon also won the Golden Palm.

The winners this week are: Miguel Angel Lahera Rivero from Guaro, Cuba; Tanimu Yahaya Kaoje, from Kebbi State, Nigeria; Mrs Fru Glory Zii from Bamenda, Cameroon; Zia Munawar from Karachi, Pakistan, and Ratan Kumar Giri, from Medinipur, West Bengal, India .

Congratulations, winners!

This week’s question is a sporty one – it’s about the European championship in football. No secret who won: Spain … the first team to win three successive major international tournaments: they won the last European championship in Vienna, in 2008, and the last World Cup, in Johannesburg, in 2008, and now this year’s European Championship.

My question to you is, what do the Spaniards call their national football team? Here in France, we call our team “les bleus” – “the blues”, not because they are melancholy, but because they wear blue jerseys … what do the Spanish call theirs? You must also send in the final score, who they played against, and where the match was held ….

We’re coming up on the summer break, which means it’s almost time for the Sound Kitchen Special Recipes – special programs I’ve cooked up just for you. That also means you have plenty of time to get your thoughts together and your pen to paper ……. all the way until 3 September. The winners will be announced on the 8 September program. As always, be sure you send your postal address in with your answer … and be sure and tell me if you are a Mr. or a Mrs. or a Ms. or a Miss – I don’t want to get it wrong!

Send your answers to:

english.service@rfi.fr

or

Susan Owensby
RFI – The Sound Kitchen
BP 9516
75016 Paris
France

or

By SMS … Now you can send your quiz answers to The Sound Kitchen cell 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.

Remember, it’s not just the quiz which wins you a prize. If your essay goes on the air, you’ll find a package in the mail from the Sound Kitchen. Write in about your community heroes – the people in your community who are quietly working to make the world a better place, in whatever way they can. I am still looking for your “This I Believe” essays, too. Tell us about the principles that guide your life … what you have found to be true from your very own personal experience. Or write in with your most memorable moment, and/or your proudest achievement.

Send your mini book reviews, your musical requests, your secret “guilty” pleasure (mine’s chocolate!), your tricks for remembering things, your favourite quotations and proverbs, descriptions of the local festivals you participate in, your weirdest dream, or just your general all-around thoughts to:

thesoundkitchen@rfi.fr

Include a phone number, if you can. I’d like to call you and put you on-the-air … and send you a thank-you gift for participating.

I look forward to hearing from you soon!

All the best,

Susan