Emmanuel shares his bucket list with us.

To be fair, he was asked with little or no time to think about it, so maybe, if we did it again, as we most probably will do, the bucket list would probably be very different than this one.

It is quite an interesting exercise to redo a bucket list, as in fact, it almost forces people to really think about what they would lreally like to do - hence a bucket list is created almost by accident.

The Proust Questionnaire is a questionnaire about one's personality. Its name and modern popularity as a form of interview is owed to the responses given by the French writer Marcel Proust.

At the end of the nineteenth century, when Proust was still in his teens, he answered a questionnaire in an English-language confession album belonging to his friend Antoinette, daughter of future French President Félix Faure, titled "An Album to Record Thoughts, Feelings, etc." At that time, it was popular among English families to answer such a list of questions that revealed the tastes and aspirations of the taker.

Proust answered always with enthusiasm. The original manuscript of his answers of 1890, at the time of his volunteer internship or some little time afterwards, titled "by Marcel Proust himself," was found in 1924. It was auctioned on May 27, 2003 for the sum of €102,000.

The French television host Bernard Pivot, seeing an opportunity for a writer to reveal at the same time aspects of his work and his personality, traditionally subjected his guests to the Proust questionnaire at the end of the French broadcast Apostrophes.

Inspired by Bernard Pivot, James Lipton, the host of the TV program Inside the Actors Studio, gives an adapted version of the Proust Questionnaire to his guests. Lipton has often incorrectly characterized the questionnaire itself as an invention of Pivot.

A similar questionnaire is regularly seen on the back page of Vanity Fair magazine, answered by various celebrities. In October 2009, Vanity Fair launched an interactive version of the questionnaire, that compares individual answers to those of various luminaries.

Another version of the questionnaire, as answered by various Canadian authors, is a regular feature on the radio program The Next Chapter.

For the benefits of this quick-fire question podcast, we have simplified it even further and we make no claims that it reveals the true personality of the person - especially as the questions are asked in English to a non-native person.

What it is, is a lot of fun.

Surprising Incredible India

Listen to Sue interview Chris about his recent trip to India and especially about what surprised him.

During his travels in India, Chris went to Bangalore in the south and then to Rajasthan in the north, to The Taj Mahal in Agra, Fatihpur Sikri, Bundi, Udaipur, Jodhpur, Delhi and Jaipur, to name but a few of the fabulous places he visited.

What do you think would be the most surprising aspects of travelling in India?

[wpdevart_poll id="19" theme="0"]

See some photos of Incredible India here

Ahmed - my country

Today we podcasted Ahmed, who now lives in France, about life in his country, how he left his country and what he misses from back home.

This is a podcast for English learners and is non-political, non-religious and has no views on any issues that may be raised by listeners and speakers on the site.

Listen to Fred talking about his bucket list.

As with many people, he wants to travel, perhaps all over the world, and a bucket list is a great way to tick off travel destinations.

The good thing about this is that as we tick off destinations, we get an appetite for even more travel.

But Bucket Lists are not just about doing scary or adventurous things, as Fred mentions, they can also be almost a personal development opportunity, making more 'me' or family time. 

Living in the present and savouring everyday moments can also be an opportunity that a Bucket List can present.

Sebastien shares his bucket list with us.

To be fair, he was asked with little or no time to think about it, so maybe, if we did it again, as we most probably will do, the bucket list would probably be very fifferent than this one.

It is quite an interesting exercise to redo a bucket list, as in fact, it almost forces people to really think about what they would lreally like to do - hence a bucket list is created almost by accident.

Hervé Bellut, the creator of this self development board game, has had a varied and interesting career path.

His formal studies were in astrophysics, and as an aerospace engineer he went on to become interested in occupational stress in the workplace. This interest and development into Well Being  seemed a natural path to him because from a young age he had begun to learn yoga and in 1990 he became a yoga teacher and therapist.

Hervé uses meditation and yoga in his therapy sessions, training and workshops, in addition he has written books on the subject and is a frequent conference speaker.

From this experience, Hervé developed the "game" of INVITOSCOPE in order to help professionals in the workplace better understand their motivation, their path to creativity, their decision making process to reach fufillment and improve team building among colleagues.

French speakers would be interested to read "Les 7 invitations de l'Univers" which Hervé wrote in 2015 and is the foundation for his game INVITOSCOPE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Invitoscope Website

Experiences of being on stage

Experiences of being on stage can be both a very exciting or a very stressful experience, especially if you suffer from Stage fright or performance anxiety.

Susan asks Andy, a somewhat seasoned performer, and Chris who is just staring out, about their experiences of being on stage.

Stage fright or performance anxiety is the anxiety, fear, or persistent phobia which may be aroused in an individual by the requirement to perform in front of an audience, whether actually or potentially (for example, when performing before a camera).

In the context of public speaking, or performing on stage, this may precede or accompany participation in any activity involving public self-presentation.

In some cases stage fright may be a part of a larger pattern of social phobia (social anxiety disorder), but many people experience stage fright without any wider problems.

Quite often, stage fright arises in a mere anticipation of a performance, often a long time ahead.

It has numerous manifestations: stuttering, tachycardia, tremor in the hands and legs, sweaty hands, facial nerve tics, dry mouth, and dizziness.

Stage fright can occur in people of all experiences and backgrounds, from those who are completely new to being in front of an audience to those who have done so for years.

Stage fright may, for example, have a negative impact on the individual's performance, such that it affects their confidence during job interviews, being on stage or during presentations.

It affects actors, comedians, musicians, and politicians. Many people with no other problems in communication can experience stage fright, but some people with chronic stage fright also have social anxiety or social phobia which are chronic feelings of high anxiety in any social situation. Stage fright can also be seen in other situations, like stand up projects and class speeches.

See this too

The first time I saw snow

The first time I saw snow - Can you remember the first time you saw snow ? Do you live in a country where snow is usual or do you live in a region of the world where snow is a highly unlikely event?

Some countries never get a single flake of snow and the idea of the ground covered in a white blanket of snow is only something that some people see in books or on Christmas cards.

For other countries, snow is an annual occurrence that can last for up to six months at a time - some love this and others really hate it.

In this podcast Raghv Vamsi, a 25 year old Indian currently living in France, shares his feelings with us about the first time he saw snow.... he was clearly impressed! Listen carefully to vocabulary which expresses amazement and surprise.

In February 2018 Europe was hit by a strong high pressure system which caused severe temperature drops and  was quickly nicknamed "The Beast from the East" because the snow came from an easterly direction and the temperatures were even colder than Arctic Circle .

The United Kingdom, in particular, experienced huge amounts of snowfall, gale-force winds and record cold temperatures. Some villages across the British Isles were cut off by 25-foot drifts, days after the snow ended. The army was bought in to help dig people out. There were major travel disruptions with roads being impassable, airports closed, trains stuck in stations and thousands of schools and business closed for days all across the country.

In France and the rest of Europe the weather was very cold but the snowfall only lasted a couple of hours and caused much fun for many people, including Raghv Vamsi.

Test your comprehension skills even further by watching the Met Office weather forecast snow warning.