May 30, 2005
Oui! Oui! Oui! Mais non...
I am so overjoyed at the French doing the right thing at the polls (and surprised, to boot, as I never pass up the opportunity to lower my expectations of the Franco-Gallic people), that, in honor of the vote that should derail the evil mess of an EU Constitution, the Keilholtz household will speak exclusively French for the next day (with, of course, Italian, the rightful language of large parts of so-called France, always being allowed).
And, to mark this historic occasion, the German language is going to be banished for the next 24 hours (or until Amalia really gets my goat to the point that I am reduced to hollering in German), in favor of French.
No, it is not April 1, but sometimes the French do the right thing, besides creme brulee, that is. They always do that right. I wish I could say the same for croissants, but this modern age has seen such a decline in the small patisserie, that I am more confident in my ability to find a good croissant in Oakland than I am in Paris (which is part of the cultural trends the French people are resisting).
So, Francois*, if you happen to be reading this, part of this act of Francophilia will mean that I will not call you "Maginot," "Frosch," "Grenouille," "Frankreich," or "Dirty Slug Eater" for the next 24 hours. Don't get used to it, though.
Now, you guys have got to do something about your Mohammedan problem...
*Francois was my roommate in college (Freshman year). He used to drive me crazy, so I kept him in line by shouting at him in German and talking about the Maginot Line. Then I realized that he was baiting me, and that by getting irate, I was giving in to his merde. I was contemplating killing him, but then the year was up, and I did not have to be his roommate any more. We remain good friends to this day, although I keep finding excuses to not go hear his band play.
Thanks for the elucidation. I've been to 3 fights so far (2 in Thornton and last week's Stevinson), and each one has featured something different and interesting.
Posted by: Ian at June 3, 2005 12:15 PMIan,
I did not go to Stevinson on the 30th. I think that Turlock is into a rough patch, as they did not seem to work well as a team when I saw them the prior week in Stevinson. It wasn't like the old days when Turlock was unstoppable.
The Mexican groups tend to show a lot of heart, but not a lot of technique. I imagine it is because forcados are not so common in the Mexican bullfights - they don't get the practice in the ring that the Californians or Portuguese do.
As for the cavaleiro, my guess is that he felt that he did not do well. The California bullfights tend to have everyone take a lap of honor, even if they only did so so. He was probably being honorable.
Please feel free to post questions or to email me if you would like any explanations of anything related to the bullfight. Also, let me know when you are going, because if I am planning to go, I would be happy to sit by you and explain/translate.
Posted by: Erik Keilholtz at June 2, 2005 11:07 PMHerr Duce,
Have you read Donna Tartt's The Secret History?
Reynaldo
Found your site via Google, but since I'm here--Did you go to Stevinson last night? If so, I'm curious to know what you thought about a) the front Turlock forcado who kept going back but seemingly losing his nerve at the last minute each time; b) the Mazatlan guy getting launched but then acting like he'd somehow beaten the bull; and c) the Cavaliero refusing to go out for applause at the end, although the short Turlock guy was egging him on. It was only my third fight and I speak no Portuguese, so I'm not always clear on what's going on.
Posted by: Ian at May 31, 2005 4:39 PM