Latest news with #Nadja
Forbes
5 days ago
- General
- Forbes
To Drive Innovation, Learn to Show Up and Contribute as a Great Guest
Cheers. At the beginning of the year, my partner Nadja and I read a piece in the Atlantic titled 'The Anti-Social Century' by Derek Thompson. In the piece, Thompson lays out a powerful argument for why we're living in an Age of Solitude. Not loneliness, mind you…solitude. The distinction is important. Loneliness is the emotion you feel when you're alone and you don't like it. It's a helpful nudge that gets people off the couch to meet other people. A little loneliness is a healthy and normal thing. Solitude, however, is far more pernicious. Solitude is simply being alone. Coming out of the pandemic, too many of us are alone without feeling lonely. And so we stay at home on a Saturday night. We put off meeting friends. And while we don't feel bad, rates of anxiety and depression continue to rise in America. Nadja and I were shaken by the article. And we decided to do something about it. We resolved to host a dinner every month, where we brought together two or three other couples who didn't know each other. We adopted the framework of a Jeffersonian Dinner. As lore would have it, our third president was a preternaturally curious person. He was also hard of hearing. To accommodate both those needs, he'd bring together groups of no more than eight people to dine and have a single conversation where they could explore an idea. We've done the same. Our topics have included 'Where is technology taking us?' 'What gives you hope?' and 'When have you last experienced a moment of wonder?' Our goal is to learn and connect more deeply with interesting people. In our own small way, we hope to combat the epidemic of solitude. We've had such great experiences that we've started holding Jeffersonian dinners at Jump for our clients and friends. Because solitude affects how we innovate as well. At its core, innovation requires connection and collaboration. It requires exposure to new and differing ideas. It requires us to learn. Every gathering is a chance to do that: to listen attentively, ask a thoughtful question, or share a relevant story. A simple conversation over the table can spark ideas and insights that carry back into our daily work and relationships. It can even help us play a part in reconnecting our society. Of course, you may not feel ready to host a party of your own. Start by being a good guest. In this Age of Solitude, many well-intentioned people are out of practice with how to socialize. And while wonderful books exist on hosting (check out Priya Parker's classic The Art of Gathering), fewer guides exist for guesting. Yet, guests make a party successful as much as the host. For that reason, here's an imperfect list of ten ways to help ensure that you're a great guest. 1. Respond to the invitation. Bad guests receive a text, email, or Evite and then don't respond. This makes them look self-important or like they're holding out for a better offer. It also makes it hard for the host to plan. Respond to the invitation within 24 hours of receiving it, even if your response is only to say, 'Can I tell you by Friday?' 2. Follow any instructions. Bad guests ignore the premise of the party. This puts a damper on the festivities. If it's a costume party, wear a costume. If it's a book club, read the book. If the invitation says 'no gifts,' then don't show up with a present, no matter how perfect you think it is. 3. Arrive on time. Bad guests text the host after the party has already started to say they're running an hour late. This can disrupt whatever festivities have been planned. Show up on time. In the United States, this typically means between 15 and 30 minutes after the officially scheduled time. 4. Bring something easy. Bad guests show up empty-handed. Unless the instructions specifically asked you to come empty-handed, bring a bottle of wine or a six-pack of your favorite non-alcoholic beverage. But avoid 'white elephants.' Don't bring a side dish unless asked. Don't bring a fondue station that demands accommodation from your host. 5. Participate well. Bad guests say, 'None for me, thanks...' This, too, can put a damper on the festivities. If it's a dinner party, come ready to eat something. If it's a wine tasting, expect to imbibe. If it's a dance party, expect to spend at least a few minutes shaking your booty. That said, don't overindulge, drink too much, or dominate a party game with your pathological need to win. 6. Add to the vibe. Bad guests enter the party in a bad mood from whatever happened earlier that day. Leave the past at the door. It is your job to actively contribute to the sense of general bonhomie. Smile. Uncross your arms. Introduce yourself to people you don't know. Show interest in others and what they have to say. 7. Speak in paragraphs, not pages. Bad guests say, 'I hate to dominate the conversation, but…' before continuing merrily on with their oration. This puts the onus on your host to try and shut you up. If you think you're talking too much, don't apologize. Just stop talking. Better yet, ask someone else a question. 8. Don't litter. Bad guests consider every horizontal surface to be an appropriate trash receptacle. This adds to the work for your host. If you're done with an hors d'oeuvre napkin, don't leave it on a bookshelf. If you spill a glass of wine, wipe it up. 9. Watch for leaving time. Bad guests say things like, 'Hey, anytime you want us to leave, just let me know.' This puts the onus on your host to evict you. Notice when others are starting to fade or lose interest and promptly say your goodbyes. 10. Send a thank you note. Bad guests wake up the next day with amnesia. It's important to thank your host for the invitation and tell them one reason why you had a good time. For most parties nowadays, a simple text will do. For a more formal gathering, write a handwritten note. And of course, the ultimate thank you is an invitation to a party you've decided to throw. Most of us have violated these rules on one or more occasions. And while this list may seem obvious, the reality is that we're just out of practice. Years of quarantine and remote work have left us with social muscles that have atrophied. Moreover, it may be part of a troubling shift in how we see the world: not as active citizens but as passive consumers of content. As guests, we need to see ourselves as co-creators of an experience, not just consumers. Of course, the idea of being a co-creator of experiences applies at work as well. Too many ideation sessions and team workshops get dragged down by late attendees who show up unclear on the goals of the meeting or without prior work completed. Some just wreck the vibe for everyone else. This, too, seems to be happening more post-pandemic. In life and at work, innovation is social, and we're all out of practice. We need to make the most of our time together. Let's get back to being good guests.
New York Times
28-06-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
A Surrealist Classic Shows Us the Uncanny in Everyday Paris
There is an old saying in French: 'Tell me whom you haunt and I will tell you who you are.' As in English, 'haunt' in French (hanter) can have two meanings: to frequent, and to linger as a ghost. The adage, argues the father of Surrealism, André Breton, in his 1928 book 'Nadja,' thus 'says much more than it intends.' We reflect not only the people we associate with most frequently, but also those who turn us into revenants, who draw out the past selves we've long thought buried. For Breton (1896-1966), one of those figures was actually a place. Paris has always been a haunted city. It is not, like New York, a city of progress, but one that compels infinite returns to the past. People have called it a museum of itself. And it is full of flâneurs and loiterers, who, to paraphrase Breton, are doomed to retrace their steps while believing they are moving forward. Breton's most renowned literary work, NADJA (New York Review Books, 131 pp., paperback, $16.95), recently reissued in a deft new translation by Mark Polizzotti, was written as a means of processing and paying homage to two forms of encounter that have long destabilized those who have experienced them: encounters, that is, with a great love and with a great city. Nadja was Breton's love; Paris, his city. In the novel, and in his life, he haunts them both, and they torment him in kind. Nadja is a greenhorn from the north of France, and the focal point of her seduction, as in so many romances, is her eyes, which reflect 'that mix of obscure distress and luminous pride.' Though André, the narrator, is married, this is no serious impediment. He and Nadja meet at cafes, metro stations and shabby hotel rooms. They meet at the corner of Rue Lafayette and Rue du Faubourg-Poissonnière, a stone's throw from where I am writing this sentence. They stroll past the Sphinx Hôtel, which no longer exists, and take the steps to Breton's room in the Hôtel des Grands Hommes, which does. All the while, as their infatuation develops, deepens and then decays, we register uncanny moments that populate not only the narrative, but also our experience reading the book, which is littered with photographs (taken by Man Ray, the official portraitist of Surrealism, and his assistant Jacques-André Boiffard) of places and faces we feel we have seen before — in films, in dreams or in waking life. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Daily Mirror
15-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mirror
Big Brother and I'm A Celeb star dies aged 60 as fans pay tribute
German reality TV star Nadja Abd el Farrag, who is best known by her stage name Naddel, has died at the age of 60 - with the star's fans paying emotional trfbutes German singer and actress Naddel, whose real name was Nadja Abd el Farrag, has died aged 60 from organ failure. The TV star was best known for her appearances on the German versions of I'm A Me Out of Here and Celebrity Big Brother. Naddel died at a Hamburg clinic on May 9 and mourners have since taken to social media to pay their respects. One fan wrote: "Rest in peace, Nadja #naddel #RIP In my youth, you dominated the daily news about high society. Then came a rapid rollercoaster ride with ups and downs. Passing away at 60 is a truly tragic thing! She had to go through a lot in her much too short life - R.I.P. 'Naddel'." "#NadjaAbdelFarrag You were fun, but it (life) wasn't all easy. #RIP #Nadja," another stated in tribute. A third follower reflected: "Nadja Abd el Farrag died at the age of 60. Far too early. #RIP #Naddel," reports the Express. And finally, a fourth said: "Nadja Abd el Farrag has died. Also known as Naddel. Another former Jungle Camp participant is no more. #ibes #naddel #RIP," noting her reality TV past. Famed not only for her extensive career but for her high-profile relationship with music legend Dieter Bohlen, one half of the iconic pop duo Modern Talking, she had shared her life with him from 1989 to 1996 and then again from 1997 to 2001. An emotional Bohlen marked her death by posting a video of the two onstage with a simple yet profound caption: "I am very sad. Rest in peace Nadja". Naddel hailed from Hamburg, born to a Sudanese father, Ibrahim, and a German mother, Uta. Through various interviews, she's shared that her father was quite strict, leading to their estrangement for the last 15 years preceding his passing. Before stepping into the limelight, she completed an apprenticeship as a chemist's assistant and worked in retail. Her life took a turn in 1989 when she crossed paths with Dieter and joined his Blue System project as a background singer. She managed to balance her music commitments with a part-time job in a hospice during this period. Nadja made waves in 1999 with two photoshoots for Playboy, and in the 2000s she gained fame as presenter of the RTL2 show Peep and as a contestant on the first series of the German I'm A Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here in 2004. The subsequent 15 years for Nadja were marred by health crises and financial struggles. In 2018 she disclosed in her autobiography Achterbahn that she had been battling cirrhosis of the liver, attributable not only to her substance misuse but also to medication for ADHD. Despite stark medical advice, quitting alcohol proved too challenging for Nadja. "I only half-heartedly accepted the doctor's advice and reduced my consumption to one or two glasses of wine a week," she conceded in her memoir. Just before reaching her 60th milestone on March 5, this year, she opened up about the shaky state of her finances: "I only receive a pension of €200," she confessed. Despite seeking guidance from a debt advisor, she achieved only modest success in bettering her situation. In an act of goodwill, Hamburg businessman Andreas Ellermann planned a performance at Schlagermove for May 2024 as a means to support her recovery. This event was destined to become her final public engagement. Subsequent to this, she withdrew from the limelight.
The Guardian
26-03-2025
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
TV tonight: an incredibly moving story about teaching sign language
9pm, BBC OneIt's not an easy pitch for deaf actor and Strictly champion Rose Ayling-Ellis to teach sign language to a retirement community. But she finds a group of enthusiastic 65-95-year-olds, some of whom are experiencing hearing loss. Along with charismatic teacher Marios Costi, she determinedly starts a two-part experiment to highlight the increasing need for signing. This is moving, inspirational television – with added bingo and karaoke. As one of the students says: 'We're not old people; we're recycled teenagers.' Hollie Richardson 9pm, BBC TwoHeart and brain surgeries are particularly engrossing in this staggering documentary series. This week, NHS Lothian's Royal Infirmary has one of each – both complex, both mind-blowing. The heart operation – on a beating heart! – is particularly unreal. Jack Seale 9pm, ITV1 The sombre but empathetic factual drama about a 1955 murder case with far-reaching effects concludes. Having been found guilty of gunning down her abusive lover, Ruth (the excellent Lucy Boynton) is due to be hanged at Holloway prison. With only 24 hours to go, a ragtag group of allies scramble to find sufficient cause for a last-minute reprieve. Graeme Virtue 9pm, Sky ComedyFor all of their much-proclaimed piety, the Gemstones are essentially a crime family. And you wouldn't like them when they're angry. This week, rivals emerge on their territory, which leads Jesse to plan dramatic retaliation. Elsewhere, Kelvin is finally beginning to gain a reputation. Phil Harrison 10pm, BBC TwoMore bloody shenanigans in the vampire mockumentary. Doll Nadja reveals she is a virgin, and swaps bodies with vampire Nadja (Natasia Demetriou) to go speed dating. Plus, Laszlo (Matt Berry) organises a pride parade and Nandor (Kayvan Novak) goes into space. HR 10pm, Channel 4 Megabucks property developer Guy Phoenix returns to show off his latest creation, two years in the making – a 'glass castle' in Nottinghamshire, if you care. But, before building his castle, he needs to buy the plot and demolish the house already sitting on it. HR Mufasa: The Lion King (Barry Jenkins, 2024) Disney+The idea of photorealistic lions speaking English is a bit weird, but Disney's remake juggernaut rolls on with a prequel to the reboot of the animated musical. Lin-Manuel Miranda takes over in the song department, while Barry Jenkins, creator of Oscar-winning arthouse gem Moonlight, is an intriguing choice to direct this child-friendly origin story for Simba's dad and evil uncle Scar – AKA Taka (Kelvin Harrison Jr). Young orphan Mufasa (voiced by Aaron Pierre) is adopted by Taka's pride but when a gang of white lions attack, the brothers flee. They encounter a lioness, Sarabi (Tiffany Boone), and her possibly familiar mandrill and hornbill pals, with danger and betrayal on the cards. Simon Wardell Women's Champions League football: Arsenal v Real Madrid 7.30pm, TNT Sports 1. The quarter-final, second-leg tie at Emirates Stadium.
