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NewsletterJuly 2010

Walking to School

I’ve noticed many street signs for school crossing, but never one like this. I can’t make out if it’s a mother taking her child to school or a brother taking his sister. You can see other old French road signs here.

The Bleus

As was the case in 2002 the French national football team didn’t have a good World Cup. The word most used in France fiasco. What made this world cup so bad (and worse than 2002) is that not only was the team bad on the field but it didn’t do much to help it’s self, by imploding off field.
The unraveling started during halftime of the France-Mexico match that the French would go on to lose 2-0. Forward Nicolas Anelka had some choice words for Coach Raymond Domenech. What was exactly said isn’t clear but that didn’t stop the national sports newspaper L'équipe from publishing a version as a headline a few days later on the front page. At least one French player confirmed the tone of the words if not the exact content. Let’s just say the statement isn’t something you would learn in your high school French class and I never would have thought to see as a headline in a national newspaper!
Anelka was then thrown off the team. This prompted the other players on the team to stage a one day strike where they refused to practice. The refusal to practice was filmed live with French team captain Patrice Evra, getting into a heated discussion with training coach Robert Duverne.
This really set off the already unhappy French public as the strike was seen as little more than a temper tantrum by millionaires. It also didn’t give a very good impression of France and was a bit of a stereotype come true, as France does see quite a few strikes during any given year including this one.
Many politicians added their two cents with racial overtones coming through as a New York Times article pointed out. The French team is made up of many players of African origin. The President of France even got into the fray by demanding a meeting with Thierry Henry. Henry is one of France’s most senior and respected football players and a member of the recent World Cup team. He was team captain during World Cup qualifying and very much responsible for the French team being in the World Cup thanks to his handball. One journalist asked Coach Raymond Domenech if what had happened to France was poetic justice for Henry’s handball. Unfortunately Domenech didn’t really answer the question as no one at the press conference could translate ‘poetic justice’ into French.

Vichy

There’s been much in the news recently about that 70th anniversary of the start of WWII and the fall of France. Interestingly enough the Vichy Government that collaborated with the German occupiers, and is about as hated as can be, enacted a number of laws; laws still in use today. This includes the bases of the present day retirement system. The one law I first noticed is the law that regulates bars and restaurants - Loi du 24 Septembre 1941. Try looking at the front of any restaurant or bar in France and you should see the law’s sign someplace. I even saw one sign that looks like it's from 1941!

New Videos

I’ve created a few more videos. Including visits to the Burgundy villages of Blanot and Brancion. I also filmed my brother-in-law taking sheep from one pasture to another. You can also see a chapel built in a day during WWII.

La Roche Bluegrass Festival

My town’s yearly Bluegrass Festival takes place from July 28th to August 1st. There will be over 30 groups taking part including a few from the USA. Best of all, it’s free

The French Week

The French Week is a new English-language weekly that will launch this month (July 2010). The paper’s web site is advertising a free copy of the first issue - if you have an address in mainland France.



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