I am a public radio reporter. Read uninteresting background about me here. This is my first attempt at blogging. Most of this blog will be served up in the form of a weekly podcast. Some of the material will be podcast- original; some of it will be culled from PRI’s The World and other BBC World Service programs.
10 Comments
August 20, 2008 at 9:17 pm
Hello Patrick,
I can’t tell you how much I love your Podcast the World in Words, I have been listening since the very beginning. The opening montange ( and how it changed) is great and I just love the music. I would really love to know the name of the song in your opening.
Oh and a funny little addition to the swearing collection from Colombia: “Mas amarrado que peo de mula” for someone who is a real skinflint (direct translation “more tied-up than a mule’s fart).
cheers
Diana
Vancouver, BC
Canada
August 26, 2008 at 10:37 am
Hi Diana,
Thanks for the feedback…and nice curse!
The music comes courtesy of Lily Allen and her song “LDN.”
Patrick
September 19, 2008 at 8:55 pm
Hi Patrick,
I just discovered your podcasts and enjoy them thoroughly. I especially liked the story on Georgian music. It reminded me of a great film I saw this year, the Singing Revolution, about the revival of singing in Estonia. See http://www.singingrevolution.com/
As someone with a lifelong interest in languages and a curious ability to rapidly learn languages, I find myself currently with a company called Kwikpoint that develops “visual language” tools that allow people who do not speak the same language to communicate by pointing to pictures. The Voice of America did a story on us and I thought you may want to consider doing the same. It would be interesting to do a tory about something so visual, but you could post examples of our graphic imagery on your blog.
Here’s the link to that story, showing our CEO and myself. I am Director of Product Development.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G0vZWJkYnPI
Keep up the good work.
Larry
October 14, 2008 at 7:26 pm
Hi Patrick,
I came across your blog after looking for the photo taken by Lana Slezik of the recently murdered Afghanistan senior police woman, Malalai Kakar. Have you seen it? Bewildering, that she would have to wear traditional dress over her uniform.
I’m writing, because I would like to know when your particular segment runs on The World.
After reading your blog posts, I smiled, because words and languages are right up my alley. Interesting coverage, by the way!
Like you, one of my favorite jobs ever was cleaning bathrooms. What a great way to have time to think and get rid of frustrations! Scrubbing bathrooms takes second place to being a full-time French teacher in a private school where I was known to do the moon walk for my students. Just think School of Rock. Or should I not admit that?
I look forward to following your podcasts!
Karey
October 15, 2008 at 11:21 am
Hi Karey,
I’m glad you like the podcast. Please tell your friends…
We don’t run The World in Words as a named segment on The World. But we do broadcast (often in compressed form) many of the same stories and interviews that you can hear on the podcast. That said, I also put out a lot of podcast-exclusive material that you won’t hear on The Big Show.
Hope that all makes sense…and bathroom cleaners of the world, unite!
Patrick
December 22, 2008 at 9:55 pm
Patrick,
Wonderful piece on the Japanese language. It took some courage for me to get around to listening it. Loved it. Made me cry and laugh.
Keep posting wonderful stories.
Peace,
t
April 28, 2009 at 5:21 pm
Hi Patrick,
I listen to your podcasts when I go out running. They do not necessarily have the running beat but they are definitely very interesting. Every morning at seven am Borat greets me with “Iyi aksamlar!” or “Good Evening!” Maybe one day you’ll do a story about Turkish.
Ebru
July 30, 2009 at 3:01 pm
Hi Patrick
Just stumbled across The World in Words and now working my way through the back catalogue. Fantastic listening for language lovers! I’ve been on the look out for such a program for some time, thanks for hitting the nail on its head. I’m worried that after your latest monthly round up am I may have have to start rationing my swear words…
Keep up the good work, I’m spreading the gospel!
David
PS a twitter badge on your blog would help people follow you more easily and it took a little wading to find your blog. It seems Patrick Cox is also the name a famous fashion designer (meta tags for your wordpress blog could help)
October 12, 2009 at 8:11 am
Hi Patrick
Thanks for a fantastic podcast, it’s one of my favourites, and one I listen to often while I work.
I just wanted to point out something from your last podcast about swedish. You mentioned that swedish is the official language of Sweden. An interesting fact here is that it is actually not. As far as I know, it is only officially seen as the “head language” (“huvudspråk”) and not the official one (“officiellt språk”). As late as 2005, the parliament of Sweden voted against accepting swedish as an official majority language.
As far as I know, swedish is only an official language in Finland and the European Union.
Anyway, not a very important distinction, but I find it funny none the less..
On skånska as a minority language, I work in Norway (I’m originally from Sweden), and when we discuss languages, I usually say that I think of Swedish and Norwegian as two dialects of the same scandinavian language. I guess Danish would be another dialect as well, which would make the question moot. As much as I love skånska, it is not a seperate language..
Thanks again for an excellent podcast, loved hearing the swedish chef sing. I look forward to hearing more!
Magnus Mårtensson
Stavanger
Norway
October 15, 2009 at 10:13 am
Hi Patrick
I’ve heard you mentioned a couple of times your interest in Welsh, well you might like to know that Cerys Mathews ( ex – Catatonia now BBC Radio 6 d.j.) has released her new album ‘Don’t Look Down/Paid Edrych i Lawr w ‘in both English and Welsh.
Perhaps you could interview her about this as her recent interviews have passed quickly over this fact?
Also, Radio 4 has just aired a programme on Yiddish – any chance putting a link to this on the The World site for others to enjoy?
Cheers,
Jason