Okay, here we are, today is the 29th of February. A first in.. four years. I don't have much to say about it, except that we are a leap year. February is not my favourite month of the year, not by a long stretch, it usually my worst month job-wise, or at least this is the month I find most difficult. It is also often in February that I receive work-related bad news (or at least it did when I had that job I hated). So yeah, February is short, but I often find it a bit too long for my taste. That said, February is also the month when I started blogging, back in 2008, also on a leap year. So I guess it is not all bad. But anyway, how do you feel about the 29th of February? Does it mean anything to you?
Thursday 29 February 2024
The 29th
Un Temple de Cthulhu à Paris
Wednesday 28 February 2024
Pumpkin Pie's Chocolate
Retrouver IXE-13
Tuesday 27 February 2024
"Nordic Noir"
I stumbled on an article in Forbes today: Nordic Noir: 5 Must-Read Crime Novels Set in Norway. I don't know if I ever heard the term "Nordic Noir", but I love it and this is now the word of the day. I have read very little Scandinavian crime fiction, in fact I think I only read one book. I know, I know, this is borderline shameful. It is ironic, because, although I have never been to Norway, I love a lot of things Scandinavian and Scandinavia in general is a great setting for Noir crime fiction. Therefore, I will check if these five titles and their authors are available in the local bookshop next time I go there. And if you have any recommendations for Scandinavian crime fiction (or crime fiction in general), please leave them in the comments.
"Brocéliande et ses légendes"
Another post about Anthony Burgess
Two days ago, on the 25th of February, it was the birthday of Anthony Burgess, my favourite writer. I forgot to blog about it. I kindof feelguilty, because I want Vraie Fiction to be about more than just, well,the silly trivial things I often blog about. And because he is my favourite writer. When I started this blog, I was considering turning it into a literary blog. It is still a bit like that, but that is another story. If you want to know more about my love and admiration for his work, you can this post, that post, or this one as well. There are more. So yes, if you read him, tell me in the comments.
Monday 26 February 2024
Missed blogging anniversary
Quick post today, just to mention one thing: I missed my blogging anniversary, which was yesterday. I missed another birthday, then another from the day before, but these two are for two different posts. So anyway, it baffles me, but I missed my blogging anniversary. I have been blogging since the 25th of February 2008. Blogging is a lost art, on social media it looks bleeding ancient, but I happen to love it, so I try to feed Vraie Fiction regularly. So yes, that's it really.I feel like I missed my own birthday.
Les Pères trappistes au Québec
Sunday 25 February 2024
The fingers of the bookworm
Se faire les ongles (et une réplique)
Une amie de longue date, la mère de mon filleul pour être plus précis, cherchait hier des recommandations sur Facebook. Elle voulait qu'on lui propose des personnes qui font des ongles. De beaux ongles, en fait. Je n'ai pas pu résister à lui répondre: "Ben d'habitude, ils devraient pousser tout seuls." Oui, je sais, c'est de l'humour de gars, mais je me suis trouvé drôle quand même. Et puis je crois même que ça mérite d'être homologué comme une grande réplique inconnue. Sinon, c'est dans le secteur de Jonquière que mon amie demeure, si vous avez quelqu'un à lui suggérer, dites-le moi dans mes commentaires, je lui transmettrai la suggestion.
Saturday 24 February 2024
Foggy Morning
Orchidées (phalaneopsis)
A walk through the maze
Bonne Maman et le chocolat
Friday 23 February 2024
The many names of Guinness
Thursday 22 February 2024
Another Snakes & Ladders
Les jeux à batteries
Wednesday 21 February 2024
Cow Express
Tuesday 20 February 2024
Trouvez le paon
Boston on the Bucket List
My brother PJ went on holidays to New York recently, and I blogged about it, saying among other things that I am not really interested about going there. He asked me in the comments where I would like to visit in the USA instead. Well, I am not sure why, but the first US city that comes to my mind is Boston. There are other places on my bucket list, but Boston is most likely at the top of them. For years, it was in my mind just the city of a nasty hockey team, rival of the Habs, that had nastier fans. I would have avoided it like the plague when I was a child, just for that. Now, because of the few images I have seen of it, because of its kind of cosy look, maybe because it's an old city as well, at least by North American standards... I'm kind of curious about it. It just sounds like a pleasant place to go to and not the first place on anyone's holiday list, which by itself is good enough to be on top of mine. So yeah, among my readers, anyone visited Boston? Is it worth it? How was your time there? Any recommendations? Tell me all in the comments section.
Préparer ma fête?
Ma fête n'arrive pas avant deux mois. Pourtant, je suis tenté de commencer à la préparer. Par cela, je veux dire faire une liste de suggestions de cadeaux (quoique je ne sois pas difficile à combler, dixit ma femme), songer quoi faire cette journée-là, quoi manger, qui inviter (ou pas), etc. Il y a encore quelques célébrations d'ici à mon anniversaire: la Saint-Patrick et Pâques, notamment, que je fête pas mal. Pâques qui arrive beaucoup trop tôt cette année, soit dit en passant. Mais ce qui est bien quand je prépare ma fête, c'est surtout de pouvoir me replonger dans la nostalgie: je me rappelle les bons moments passés, les cadeaux qui m'ont marqués et j'essaie de revivre les moments mémorables ainsi que les occasions manquées. Les cadeaux de mon enfance que je voulais mais n'ai pas reçus, ou ceux que j'ai perdus ou brisés, j'essaie de les remettre sur ma liste. Wolfie finit par en profiter autant que moi. En fait, je prépare au moins autant ma fête pour lui que pour moi.
Monday 19 February 2024
A revolver for the artillery drawer
Pâté à la truite et tarte aux bleuets
Sunday 18 February 2024
A Dragon in a Teacup
Fleur(s) de givre
Saturday 17 February 2024
Improvised pasta
IXE-13
Friday 16 February 2024
A local Wetherspoon
They are constructing a new Wetherspoon in our little English town. It will be, as far as I know, the very first Wetherspoon in town, there was never another one before. We have and had other pub chains (in fact most of the pubs here belong to a chain, big or small), but never as of yet a behemoth like Wetherspoon. I'm of two minds about it. I like Wetherspoon pubs for their affordable beers and guest ales. The menu is decent and generally cheap. But it is often overcrowded and, while some of them have genuine atmosphere, they can be quite bland. On principle, I prefer independent businesses. I also fear for the other places round it might suffer from its presence. And finally, before this Wetherspoon, there was a clothes shop in its place. With cheap, but not cheap looking, affordable clothes. It was really practical, especially for Wolfie. And now we don't have it. Come to think of it, I am not sure I am so happy to have a Wetherspoon opening in this town...
Les pêcheurs et leur canot (santons)
Thursday 15 February 2024
Nine of Hearts
Café écossais?
Boxercise?
In the evening, my wife exercises a bit at home to stay in shape. Something I should do, as my life is horribly sedentary, but I don't. Wolfie told me that she did boxing and I was wondering what he meant. Apparently some of it is boxercise. Like workout that using movements and exercises that boxers do. I teased her saying that she should perhapstry real boxing. Okay, so she is the most nonviolent person you can ever meet, so it might come as ill-suited, however her grandfather was for a time a professional boxer, or so I heard. I think she might have a natural talent. And learning any kind of combat sports or martial art is also useful for self-defence, in any case. This anecdote also reminds me that I should go back to do Krav Maga. For fitness and for self-defence. But that is for another post. Anyway, does anyone among youdo boxercise? What do you think of it?
Carnaval-Souvenir de Chicoutimi
Enfin! Je suis tombé sur la chanson-thème du Carnaval-Souvenir de Chicoutimi. Ah, les trésors qu'on trouve sur YouTube. Ce qui veut dire que j'ai la chanson au complet. On l'avait apprise par coeur à l'école. Pour mes souvenirs du Carnaval, lire ce billet de 2015. Des souvenirs qui se réveillent en écoutant ça.
Wednesday 14 February 2024
Pink Latte
Rose et mercredi des Cendres
Tuesday 13 February 2024
Shrove Tuesday
Today is Shrove Tuesday. I refuse to call in Pancake Day, or whatever they name it these days. I have been celebrating it since I came to England and spent a lot of time with the French community at uni, because the French students all celebrated it. It's funny: before that, I never really celebrate Shrove Tuesday, even when I was a good little Catholic boy. So today I will stuff myself with pancakes, drowned in maple syrup, because I'm from Québec and this is how we eat pancakes (that and sometimes molasse, but finding molasse here is kind of tricky). This is not how Wolfie eats his pancakes too, he is very fond of maple syrup, as I mentioned before. So anyway, do you celebrate Shrove Tuesday? If so, how?
Un nouveau panda
Monday 12 February 2024
Say it with Mozartkugelns
chocolates, now perfectly prepared for the special occasion. I had to tell my wife, who bought a box two days ago (yes, I know she bought it, but that's okay, I will only start eating them in two days. Nothing says I love you like these chocolates, or the music of Mozart. It is just so perfect. Oh and to start celebrating the day, here is an aria about love, from The Abduction from the Seraglio. Sung by Malin Hartelius. Unlike others that he composed, this aria does not show a cynical world view of love, but it rather idealises it. So yes, it is fitting.
La Saint-Valentin le Mercredi des cendres
Bon, je me prends un peu d'avance cette année, mais bon, une chose m'a frappée il y a quelques jours quand je m'en suis rendu compte: la Saint-valentin tombe pile poil sur le Mercredi des cendres cette année. Quand j'étais un bon petit catholique, ça aurait créé la source d'un dilemne cornélien: anger ou pas du chocolat? Maintenant, plus vraiment, mais je trouve que ça indique que Pâques arrive trop tôt cette année.
Sunday 11 February 2024
About New York
My brother PJ is taking some holidays in New York. He is going today. When I spoke to him last night, it struck me that I have yet to visit the USA, which is a shame. And that of all the places in the US I would love to see, New York is... not on the top of my list. I am not certain why. I have a housemate back at uni who was from there and he was a great guy. Actually, I met a few Americans from New York and they all seemed really nice. I enjoy a lot of movies and TV shows set there. I think maybe that's why, actually: New York has been featured in so many films, so many TV series, so many novels, so many everything, it does not feel new or exotic. It's like I am afraid I would be disappointed, or underwhelmed, if I was to take holidays there. Nevertheless, there is one place I want to go to that is in New York. But that is for another post.
Feu de foyer
Saturday 10 February 2024
Coffee at The Mixing Jug?
Les Bouquinistes: vente d'inventaire
Friday 9 February 2024
Owning Up, Owning It
Question existentielle (386)
Une question existentielle inspirée de mon billet d'hier. La voici:
-Aux échecs, préférez-vous utiliser les pièces blanches ou les pièces noires?
Thursday 8 February 2024
The Sydney Opera House
My wife often tells me that her ideal holiday would be in Australia. Not sure why, but she finds it very exotic. And she spent her teenageand young adult life watching Australian soaps, which I think has something to do with it. For me, Australia means two things: it's where my favourite actress is from (guess who?) and the Sydney Opera House. Not so much for its unique architecture than for the fact that it's a freaking ultra modern, gigantic, cool, majestic opera house. I'd love to visit it of course, but also and especially buy tickets for a performance of something. Preferably Mozart, although it does not necessarily have to be Mozart. I have no idea if it is going to be possible in the forseeable future, but if one day we can afford to go to Australia we will have to go there. For those among you who have been to the Sydney Opera House, please leave me comments and tell me of your experience.
Apprendre les échecs
Wednesday 7 February 2024
An observation about full fat milk
A couple of days ago, we made a food order. We rarely o to the shops anymore for groceries, except for quick top ups. My wife buys stuff online, it gets delivered to us, that's it. And we started doing it way before the pandemic. We just did it more often once the pandemic happened. Anyway, in the order, there was a substitute we did not notice: full fat milk instead of sem-skimmed milk. My wife only drinks semi-skimmed, but we kept it anyway, because I am okay to drink full fat milk. ButI hadn't done for a few years. So when I tried it again, it came as a shock. It really tastes of cream. So that was my observation. I drank full fat milk and really, it is like drinking cream, isn't it? Your thoughts in the comments.
Tuesday 6 February 2024
Heart of the Hunter
Some good news for the crime fiction addict that I am: one of Deon Meyer's novels, Heart of the Hunter, has been adapted into a movie. Well, it's not the first time that it happened, in fact a lot of his novels have been adapted, faithfully or not, in a film or a tv series. And that is not counting the original screenplays he wrote himself. But the difference here is that it will be available on Netflix in March. So I will be able to watch it. Unless there is some kind of stupid regional restrictions, which might happen, who knows. I hope this will not be the case. I have a lot of screen time to catch on when it comes to Deon Meyer's work, but at least it means I will have the pleasure to rediscover it.
Fleurs de givre
Monday 5 February 2024
Mouse Trap(?)
Un printemps hâtif?
Nouvelle assez désagréable pour moi, si elle est vraie: Fred la marmotte prévoit un printemps hâtif, ils semblerait. Le nouveau Fred, celui qui a été entraîné pour commencer cette année, pas l'ancien Fred, qui est décédé l'année dernière et est donc une marmorte. Bon, cela dit, ce qui m'ennuie, c'est je n'ai pas très hâte au temps trop doux ou au printemps hâtif. Alors je ne suis pas très enthousiaste à cette prédiction. Bon, je sais, c'est au Québec, mais comme il fait doux ici aussi, j'ai peur que la prophétie vaille pour tout l'hémisphère nord.
Sunday 4 February 2024
Play Date
Today, Wolfie is going to a play date with a friend from school. The first proper play date in a year and the second one since he started school. Not the same friend with whom he had a play date before, but another. She is a girl who was new at school, she arrived in the middle of the year last year. She sat next to Wolfie and she got quite fond of him. Anyway, long story short, she is his best female friend(albeit he finds the attention a bit much sometimes), sometimes I joke that she is his first girlfriend. And she has been wanting for a play date for a looong time, or so says her father. I hope everything goes well. I was never so keen on play dates as a child, I used to end up disappointed at them more often than none. But in any case, it is very cute.
Saturday 3 February 2024
Scotland Yard... Junior?
Grand-pères à l'érable (encore)
Friday 2 February 2024
Wolf-like Cryptid
Something caught my attention in the local news recently: a dead "wold-like" creature was discovered in Henley. Now, as usual, I am very skeptical about this news. For all I know, there may not even be a corpse available to prove it. The article remains very shady about it in any case. In fact, a lot of it is just a reminiscence of sighting of other creatures, some of which I blogged about back in August 2023. It seems that the local press enjoys its cryptids. I might sound sarcastic, but I found the news entertaining all the same. I actually love a bit of cryptozoology, if only as a sort of speculative fiction mixed with legends. And I love wolves, so the more wolf-like critters, real or imagined, the better.
La Chandeleur
Bon, c'est la Chandeleur aujourd'hui... L'hiver passe ou prend vigueur... selon le proverbe. Qu'en est-il chez vous? Ici l'hiver passe et prend vigueur, parce que c'est souvent, sinon toujours, entre deux eaux. L'année dernière, l'hiver avait duré jusqu'en avril, voire mai. Mais c'était un hiver assez doux, comme la plupart des hivers anglais. Je ne célèbre guère la Chandeleur, mais j'essaie de la mentionner sur le blogue chaque année.
Thursday 1 February 2024
Britain's Landmarks and Legends
Le long mois de février
Nous sommes le premier février aujourd'hui et ce sera un long mois de février. Enfin, je parle ici en des termes relatifs: cette année étant bissextile, il aura un jour de plus. Même si le mois est court, je le trouve souvent un peu long. Suis-je seul à le trouver (la plupart du temps) morne et ennuyeux? Cela dit, je vais me répéter: je le préfère aux mois d'été. Toujours est-il qu'un jour de plus à février, ça me permet de vieillir un peu moins vite, alors c'est déjà ça de pris.