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The Fifth Floor

Factual: Life Stories

Global stories from the BBC’s 40 Language Services, with Faranak Amidi

Faranak Amidi presents global stories from the Fifth Floor, home to the BBC’s 40 Language Services.

Faranak Amidi presents global stories from the Fifth Floor, home to the BBC’s 40 Language Services

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The Fifth Floor: Hanging On To The Keys

Documentaries

A set of keys

20/01/2017 GMT

Hanging On To The Keys

BBC World Service - The Fifth Floor, Hanging On To The Keys

The former holders of high office reluctant to leave their grand official residences

Ghana, Venezuela and India: former officials reluctant to quit an official residence; tourist scams; Soviet jazz; China's post-natal pampering; Miami lunchboxes, with David Amanor

As the Obamas leave the White House to make way for the Trumps, we hear about some less smooth handovers of official residences.  Venezuelan Patricia Sulbaran of BBC Mundo, Sammy Darko in Ghana and BBC Hindi's Shivaani Kohok share tales of presidents, officials and family members who have become rather too attached to their state-owned homes.  

You've been scammed...
Police in central China have raided a tourist attraction they say was tricking people into visiting a fake Terracotta Army. Tourists have always been prey to scams and con-artists, including our Fifth Floor language service colleagues, who share tales of tricksters from around the world. 

Soviet jazz
Alexander Kan of BBC Russian grew up as a citizen of the USSR.  He felt few regrets with the recent 25th anniversary of the collapse of the Soviet Union, but he admits a nostalgia for Soviet jazz.  He shares some of his favourite pieces from a rich tradition little known beyond the Iron Curtain. 

'Sitting the Month' 
New mothers in China traditionally spent 30 days in near isolation from the outside world, and recently luxury hotels have been springing up to cater for women who want to sit their month in style.  Laureen Leung from BBC Chinese in London and Daisy Li from the BBC Beijing bureau share insights and experiences.

Miami lunchboxes 
It's a busy week for BBC Miami with the inauguration of President Trump, but not so busy that there's no time for lunch.  Emilio San Pedro recently visited and shared a culinary tour of South America with Uruguayan Ana Pais of BBC Mundo, and BBC Monitoring colleagues Rafael Abuchaibe and Claudia Plazas, both from Colombia.

And Fifi Haroon's pick of the world wide web.

Image: Set of house keys.
Credit: Barnaby Perkins, BBC

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