Sunday 31 March 2024
Praise Judas!
Licorne de Pâques?
Mozart's Agnus Dei for Easter
Happy Easter everyone! I always add Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart to my Easter and this year is no exception. I shared this very video before, but it is worth sharing it again.
Le gâteau de Pâques
Joyeuses Pâques tout le monde! C'est devenu une tradition ici, je ne sais pas trop pourquoi ("parce que vous êtes excessifs" dirait ma mère) de faire un gâteau pour l'occasion. En plus du reste, je veux dire. Mais je ne le fais pas seul: Wolfie gère les opérations. Il a aussi cassé les oeufs (enfin, un oeuf) et a fait pas mal de brassage. C'est un peu "son" gâteau. Alors il en est très fier.
Saturday 30 March 2024
Easter Lamb Cake Season?
Écureuil de Pâques
Friday 29 March 2024
Fish & Chips for Good Friday
Où sont les chocolats de Pâques?
Mozart for Good Friday
It is becoming a tradition for Good Friday (and also Easter) on this blog to put something of Mozart. His music makes most of my Easter playlist. I have shared the Kyrie from his Great Mass in C Minor time and again, but it fits this day so well, I have to do it again. Here it is sung by French soprano Julie Fuchs, who makes her débuts on Vraie Fiction (ha, ha!). She is also really cool as a person, check her on social media, she reallly is fun. Anywya, now onto more solemn matters, enjoy this great piece of music.
Question existentielle (387)
Cette question existentielle pascale est un peu le contraire de la question existentielle 44, posée en 2011. Alors la voici:
-Quelle est la figurine de Pâques en chocolat la plus incongrue et la moins pascale?
Thursday 28 March 2024
Preparing for Easter
We are Maundy Thursday, which for the religious among you (although I doubt many if any read this blog), means an important celebration in the time right before Easter. For the Godless heathen that I am, it is... well, it is the last working day before the Easter holidays and the moment when I start panicking before I haven't prepared enough for Easter. No, just kidding, I think we will be all right, albeit I do find that Easter comes a tad too early for my liking this year. Anyway, I will take it easy this evening after work and maybe even tomorrow, but I will also make time to get things ready with Wolfie. When you are a parent, Easter is all about the children.
Canard de Pâques
Wednesday 27 March 2024
Writing in the train?
I have been wanting to blog about this for a while. A few weeks ago, I read this article on the Guardian, from author Benjamin Dean: My unlikely cure for writer's block: I catch a train to Cambridge. I don't know Dean, never read any of his books, but he seems to be a nice guy. Writer's block or not, I never read in the train. I do however read more and a lot when I travel by train. Call it my cure for reader's block, which has somewhat increased in recent years, maybe because I don't commute or travel by train anymore. I do think also that my mind wanders more in a train, I mean even more than it usually does. So I can easily believe that train travels are more inductive to creativity. Maybe we should have a writing workshop in a train. That would be nice, if nothing else.
Encore Joe Bine
Goldfinger for Spy Wednesday
Today is Holy Wednesday, also called, more dramatically... Spy Wednesday. I prefer to call it the latter. It has nothing to do with real spies or spy fiction, however I take this opportunity to mention that a few days ago, last Saturday, was the 65th anniversary of the publication of Goldfinger. I learned about it on the official Facebook page of Ian Fleming. To celebrate its publication, they are selling a couple of cool fancy stuff, go check it out. I just thought the novel is a fitting read for Spy Wednesday. The film would make a great watch too, come to think of it, especially if you are not into Biblical things or fluffy bunny stuff. Butgive the novel a try.
Un autre lapin de Pâques
Tuesday 26 March 2024
Greek Mythology for Easter
Un gâteau de Pâques cette année?
Monday 25 March 2024
Easter (chocolate) Bunny
Joe Bine
Sunday 24 March 2024
Psalm Sunday
It is Palm Sunday today, which for the ex-Catholic turned Godless heathen that I am means diddly squat, except that Easter is coming. Like very soon: in a week. This year, Easter comes far too early, as it is always the case when it comes in March. I prefer in April, but I digress. The date on the religious calendar reminds me that I have to prepare for Easter, ans get on with it, as I have barely done anything. It will be a blitz this week. I say this, and it is easier to prepare for Easter than maybe any other holiday in the year. Anyway, what does Psalm Sunday mean to you? If it means anything.
La tasse du chevreuil
Saturday 23 March 2024
NIMH (a childhood classic)
Un thé l'après-midi
Friday 22 March 2024
ATJ as James Bond?
I am late commenting on it and, as I am typing this the night before this post will be published, I am also share some views that will be proven innaccurate when you will read it. But anyway, as you probably heard, actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson has been rumoured to be the next James Bond. According to some sources, it is a done deal, or almost. I, like many Bond fans, am skeptical about the news. For a number of reasons: as far as we know, there is, as far as we know, no script and no director. The casting of the main actor would start once this has been sorted, not before. So I think it is a rumour that has been blown out of proportions, although it is very likely that ATJ is among the potential candidates for the role, should there be auditions in the near future. As for the actor himself, I don't know him much to give a full appreciation of his skills. I think if nothing else, he has the right look and age. However, I find his voice too high. But a proper audition would determine that. And of course, whatever happens and whoever is cast, I will be watching the next Bond movie. And you, what do you think of this rumour?
Du thé chez Couche-Tard
Excellente nouvelle: j'apprends, via la page Facebook de David's Tea, que Couche-Tard offre maintenant leurs produits. C'est une très bonne chose: faut bien servir autre chose que du café comme breuvage chaud, taboire. Et puis on a beau dire ce qu'on veut de David's Tea, c'est quand même cool d'avoir une sélection de thés à servir dans un dépanneur. Même ici en Angleterre, je n'ai jamais vu ça. Et puis je vais ajouter une chose: j'ai toujours aimé Couche-Tard. Je l'aime encore plus depuis que j'ai appris la nouvelle. Et ça me donnera donc une autre raison de faire un arrêt obligé lors de notre prochain séjour au Québec.
Thursday 21 March 2024
Battleship
Des infos sur IXE-13
Wednesday 20 March 2024
Four years later
I know, today is the equinox, but it is to me a very special anniversary. A similar one to many people living in the UK, but slightly different in my case. So four years ago, it was leaving the office of my old job for the last time, as the government had ordered total lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic. I was going to work from home for a while. I naively thought it might only be two weeks. Unlike others, I was really looking for it: I hated my job and I hated spending time in the office. Until I found something better, working from home, with no boss breathing down my neck, no petty colleagues, close to my family, it felt like a borderline extended holiday. And it did, until I got furloughed in May 2020, then lost my job in June... To find another one soon after. Four years later, I am happy in my job, I still work (mostly) from home and well, things are much better. So the 20th of March 2020 marks the day I started feeling good again, work-wise.
Vivaldi: Le printemps (Petit Ménestrel)
Tuesday 19 March 2024
A box for afternoon tea
Les Pères trappistes changent de main
Photo trouvée sur la page Facebook des Pères trappistes hier. Tout ça pour dire qu'ils ont de nouveaux propriétaires et qu'ils ont une manière sympathique de nous le dire.Ah oui et c'est Pâques dans moins de deux semaines...
Monday 18 March 2024
Post Saint Paddy's Blues?
Well, here it is: another Saint Patrick's Day is done and dusted. I am missing it already. After a special day, I always feel a bit of melancholy. For the usual reasons: it was too short, I feel like I did not celebrate it as fully as I should have had, or as I once did. Also, more specifically, on the 18th of March, I often have the Irish flu. But not so much these last few years, being a father. But I feel generally less bluesy the day after Saint Paddy's in comparison to other holidays, mainly because Easter is often round the corner. And this year, Easter comes particularly early. All the same, I wish I had celebrated it a bit more.
Deux questions existentielles 374
Bon, petit billet meta ici: je viens de me rendre compte que j'ai écrit deux questions existentielles 374: une le 25 octobre 2021 et une autre le 23 novembre 2021. La question technique qui me vient en tête: que faire? À part abandonner les questions existentielles entièrement, puisqu'elles ne sont que très rarement commentées. Plus sérieusement (ou pas), je n'aime guère quand je commets des impairs comme celui-là.
Sunday 17 March 2024
Irish Red Ale
La Saint-Patrick à Montréal
Saint Paddy's Day
Gâteau aux Oreos
Saturday 16 March 2024
Living in a Rovos Rail train?
Ixe-13: des questions
Friday 15 March 2024
The Irish Pub
It is Saint Paddy's Day in less than two days and I have barely done anything about it on this blog, shame on me. So I decided that it was about time to share Irish music. Something from The High Kings. I know fairly little about them. But if there is something I love, it's an Irish pub. This song is not profound, but it's great fun anyway.
Mafalda et Susanita
Beware the Ides of March (always)
Today is the 15th of March, day of the Ides of March. It is also and therefore the anniversary of the assassination of Julius Caesar.When you love history like me, you ought to remember it. So I try to commemorate it every year on this blog. The line "Beware the Ides of March" comes from Julius Caesar by Shakespeare. Anyway, we beware the Ides of March and not only on the 15th of March. I mentioned why back in 2022. I will sum up again the lessons we must learn from Caesar's murder: 1)even the most powerful man in the world is vulnerable, especially when he made himself enemies, however subservient they may appear to be. 2)we must be wary of the power vacuum created after a coup d'état. Or whenever a tyrant, or a dictator dies or fall from power. I am well aware that these are not cheerful thoughts, but the lessons of history seldom are.
Acheter du vin
Petite nouvelle locale: une nouvelle boutique (ou un nouveau magasin?) vendant des vins, de la bière et des spiritueux, mais surtout des vins, vient d'ouvrir dans notre petite ville. Je suis curieux d'y aller, même si mes sentiments sont partagés. D'abord, je vais déjà dans une petite épicerie fine pour acheter du vin. je ne voudrais pas qu'elle ferme parce que le nouveau concurrent, qui fait partie d'une chaîne, le batte avec ses prix et sa variété. Surtout que les magasins d'alcool qui ont fermé, il y en a eu treize à la douzaine depuis mon arrivée ici il y a quinze ans. J'en compte au moins trois qui ont dû fermer boutique. Cela dit, je me permettrai peut-être une petite visite en fin de semaine.
Thursday 14 March 2024
Beer Pong?
La Saint-Patrick au...Café Cambio
Wednesday 13 March 2024
NOT Dracula's Castle
I know we are a long way from Halloween, but what the heck. I'm also a fan of Dracula, my all-time favourite horror novel. I saw this meme recently on my Facebook feed. I think I recognised Bran Castle. My answer: yes I would but no, this is not Dracula's Castle. Read Elizabeth Miller's work to understand why, but grosso modo, Bram Stoker knew diddly squat about Bran Castle, or indeed any Romanian castle. He invented one for his vampire and that was that. Okay, rant over. Or are you guys otherwise?
St-Ambroise à l'érable
Tuesday 12 March 2024
Night Trains
I recently read this article (thank you Google feed) about night trains making a comeback in Europe. And that is, well, very cool. Great news, in fact, as the more railway travel, the better. Those who have been following this blog for a while know that I love train travel and trains in general. I rarely if ever get bored by train travels, except a few commuting days when the railway service was sub-par for one reason or another. Otherwise, I just love being on a train. On holidays, it is often my favourite part of it. The journey, not the destination. However, if I often traveled by night, I have yet to take an overnight train, with a cabin and berth and so on. it would be a dream, although I'm not sure I can sleep in the same room as some strangers. Otherwise, if time and money were of no concern, it would be my dream holiday.
Mafalda (et sa maman) siempre!
Monday 11 March 2024
Fixing a runway in Antarctica
I recently read this article, which for some reason came on my feed on Google. I found it quite interesting. It's about people working in Antarctica, grosso modo. I am not nearly technical enough to do this job, let alone liking extreme weather. Even tidying this house is a bit of a challenge to me and I struggle to keep myself motivated enough. So I admire these people and I also envy their skills and resilience. And when things get difficult at work (not very often in my current job, thankfully), I might take a moment and spare a thought for these people fixing runways in the most unforgiving place on Earth, in the worst weather conditions ever.
Sunday 10 March 2024
Early Mother's Day
It is Mother's Day today. Or rather it was, as it is late and well, pretty much over. Mother's Day in the UK comes in March, usually the third Sunday of the month. Or so I thought until now. That shows how little I still understand about the traditions of my country of adoption. For me, Mother's Dayhas always been a May thing. But anyway, this year it came earlier, because it's the fourth Sunday of Lent, apparently. So yeah, it came earlier and, to be honest, far too early for my taste. We didn't celebrate much, because we wanted to do house work. But as Wolfie was sick yesterday, we did not prepare anything at all, or indeed did much housework. Yet it might be fitting: being a parent is all about, well, being a parent, so taking care of our children when they are not well. So it was a fitting way to remind my wife that she is a mother.
Un mirador dans Charlevoix
Organic Black Tea
Les motos
Saturday 9 March 2024
Burger Pizza?
"Faque"
Voici une petite nouvelle qui a fasciné le linguiste en moi. Enfin, je dis linguiste, je ne suis pas linguiste de profession, mais j'ai quand même certaines notions de linguistique et je l'ai même enseignée un peu. Enfin bref, j'apprends dans la grosse Presse que l'expresison "faque" (entre autres) est empruntée par les Français qui s'installent au Québec. Il remplace le "du coup", qui m'a par ailleurs toujours irrité (je ne sais pas trop pourquoi). Faqu'il remplace le "du coup", donc. Par conséquent, "faque" mérite de devenir notre mot du jour. Pour ceux qui ne le savent pas, c'est une contraction de de "cela fait que". Ce n'est pas très sophistiqué, mais ça dit ce que ça veut dire.
Friday 8 March 2024
MI6: facts from fiction
I recently stumbled on this BBC article, which is an interview of a real employee of SIS, also known as MI6. It remains very vague, but it is quite interesting all the same. Of course, the real spies live in the shadow of James Bond and it seems that people still use the fiction as staple for their perception of MI6. As much as I love James Bond movies, I still think there is room for more realistic spy thrillers out there. I have watched and read a few, which I blogged about in the past. I hope this article and others like this one will inspire writers to write different kind of stories featuring SIS. Oh but for the record, I will still eagerly watch the next Bond movie.
Concours de Pâques (Pères trappistes)
Thursday 7 March 2024
World Book Day
It is World Book Day today, which I try to celebrate every year. I Wolfie celebrates it at school by dressing up, it's a special tradition they have in this country (and elsewhere?). I hope he gets back home with a book token to be spent in the local bookshop, like last year. That would be great. Wolfie is going to school dressed up as a king. Maybe King Arthur, maybe not, don't ask me why, but I do suspect the Arthurian legend sort of influenced him, as I did tell him about it recently and he got quite curious. We have a few books about which I intend to read them with him.
La Relâche au Québec (souvenirs)
C'est la Relâche au Québec cette semaine, ce que j'avais oublié de souligner jusqu'ici. Ca ne veut plus rien dire pour moi: il y a une semaine de relâche ici, mais c'est à un autre moment dans l'année et je ne la prends plus vraiment comme vacances. La Relâche dont je me rappelle le plus, c'est celle de notre séjour dans les Cantons de l'Est, sur leuel j'ai blogué en 2011. C'est l'un de mes plus beaux souvenirs de Relâche et de vacances au Québec en général. J'ai souvent revu l'Estrie par la suite, mais je n'ai jamais autant aimé que durant ces vacances.
J'ai un autre souvenir des semaines de relâche de mon enfance: à chaque année, ma mère nous achetait un livre, parfois deux, à mes frères et moi, pour célébrer. C'était la plupart du temps au début, mais parfois plus tard aussi. On les lisait durant les vacances. C'est vrai que chaque occasion était bonne pour ma mère. Je pensais peut-être en faire une tradition ici avec petit loup.
Wednesday 6 March 2024
Heart of the Hunter soon
Herminette (mot et santon du jour)
Tuesday 5 March 2024
About Karate
We recently received a freebie school magazine when Wolfie got back from school. Parents get it from time to time. In the freebie magazine, there is an advert for karate classes not too far from here. Near(ish) my old working place from seven years ago. Anyway, a few things struck me in this advert. The first is that self defence is barely mentioned. It' there, but not the primary benefit, apparently. I thought it was strange. Maybe my few years of in Krav Maga rubbed on to me. I think this should be the main reason why you would try any martial art. True that Krav Maga is not a martial art per se, because it is solely focused on self defence and not rituals or codes. Every time I see an advert somewhere for martial art classes, of any kind, it reminds me that I should really, but seriously, go back to do Krav Maga. The other thing it reminded me of is that karate was the first and only martial art I ever did, once at school, because we had special classes for it, and once in cégep, because I needed it for my credit. I guess I wasn't very good at it, or it was just not for me, because I never went further than that. It felt too formal and not nearly as impressive as what I could see in movies. Truly, I only felt comfortable doing Krav Maga, although again I was not very good at it. It just felt more natural.
Retour sur le Cinéma de 17 Heures
Je reviens sur un billet que j'ai écrit il y a cinq ans, le 8 mars 2019. Je me demandais à l'époque ce qui était advenu du Cinéma de 17 heures et si quelqu'un à part moi s'en rappelait. En fait si, bien des gens s'en rappellent, mais on ne trouve rien sur le sujet dans les itnernets. Enfin, on ne trouvait rien à l'époque. Il faudrait vérifier maintenant, mais je doute que ce soit bien différent. Alors je refais un appel à tous sur le sujet, j'en ferai peut-être même une question existentielle. Qui s'en souvient, de quoi vous souvenez-vous, surtout, quels films vous souvenez-vous avoir vus au Cinéma de 17 heures? Je crois que je peux comtper ceux dont je me rappelle sur les doigts de la main, même si j'ai une bonne mémoire. Mais j'aimerais me faire une petite filmographie, rien que pour le plaisir nostalgique de la chose. Faites-moi part de vos souvenirs dans les commentaires.