As Christmas and the New Year approach, Tales of the world makes a scandalous proposal for the new year resolutions lists: instead of trying to be better, let us try to be more honest and embrace the inevitable contradictions traversing both our private and public lives. We might be surprised by the stories we uncover, and not necessarily in the negative. For Tales of the world this means episodes in French in addition to the English ones, as of January 2013.

Maria Antonietta’s pastiche, on the Mecca of Western luxury shopping (all puns intended), Harrods, reminds us that hard core reality can always do with a little lightness and cheerful cynicism.

With music from Lail Arad, Art Tatum, Aqua, and Astor…

Enjoy

It was the best of times/It was the worst of times/It was the spring of hope/It was the winter of despair… Dickens was writing about the French revolutionary period, but he might as well have written about the Arab Spring.

It was the age of wisdom/It was the age of foolishness/ It was the epoch of belief/It was the epoch of incredulity/ … he might as well have written about the Europe of the past five years.

What if we got out of these binary cycles and into a spiral of constructive and confident action?

Dear friends,

the U.S. presidential elections and the Chinese legislative ones are a window into a Bizarro world of our own making, right here on Earth!

And Maria-Antonietta brings us a story of luggage lost and found in the European Union, which makes her wonder…

Enjoy,

Ruxandra

His name is Bond. James Bond, and although he did not study International Relations in Geneva (Ian Fleming studied languages here, though), he can certainly teach us a thing or two about the intricacies of our contemporary world.

Style and nuance, is something our “real-world” leaders could learn from James Bond when delivering oversimplified political speeches.

Enjoy this episode with James Bond, not shaken, nor stirred, but with a twist and don’t forget to leave some feedback.

Ruxandra

As the UWC of the Atlantic celebrates 50 years of existence, the alumni that I happen to be  would like to say happy birthday with a twist.

Global School celebrates 50 years

Enjoy and please send feedback!

I look forward to seeing all my fellow ACers soon.

Lots of hugs,

Ruxandra Stoicescu

And in case you want the music I like the flowers

Autumn is here and with it comes a philosophical perspective on life and political affairs.

However, for those of you who still linger on holidays, Maria Antonietta has brought a pastiche signed with her special sense of humour.

All of this in the company of Vivaldi and Doris Day.

Enjoy,

Ruxandra

Dictators and dictatorships don’t go on holidays

Why should they? These are most propitious times for action, with entire Western countries and civil societies bearing their guard down.

Russia’s Pussy Riot and Syria’s rebels are but the most recent and recurring examples of what happens when a good part of the western hemisphere is at the beach.

With tongue in cheek music from

Michel Polnareff, Jean François Maurice

and, of course, Pussy Riot

For a related podcast, see Tales of the world episode 7.

What do the Higgs Boson and Barbie have in common? Find out in a new Tales of the world episode!

Politics and quantum physics have more in common that we think. They both allow for contradictions and savoury paradoxes to coexist and, when performed in freedom and absence of prejudice bring to the world the confirmation of its wonder.

Maria Antonietta’s segment on Barbie recounts an interesting tale of how a woman’s contribution to the toy industry has subverted feminist ideals in the most durable of fashions.

Music by Aqua

On the occasion of the summer solstice, Tales of the world introduces a summer series, with sunny contributions and intriguing interviews.

Episode 15 looks at the Syrian state in its frightening modernity and welcomes Maria-Anonietta’s segment on Monopoly.

Enjoy,

Ruxandra Stoicescu

The plight of the modern western state – from Greek tragedy to Shakespearean drama…

With soundbites composed by Henry VIII himself!!!!

Enjoy