The Current ‘News’

[Gardian]

There are at least two ghastly major tragedies quite close to all of us in Morocco and Libya.

There’s economic crises afflicting most countries worldwide.

There’s political unrest in the UK, to the extent that Macron is welcoming Starmer for a ‘chat’.

And instead ............. what are we getting, wall-to-wall ?    Russell bloody Brand.

I rest my case.

[Harnser]

2 hours ago, Gardian said:

There are at least two ghastly major tragedies quite close to all of us in Morocco and Libya.

There’s economic crises afflicting most countries worldwide.

There’s political unrest in the UK, to the extent that Macron is welcoming Starmer for a ‘chat’.

And instead ............. what are we getting, wall-to-wall ?    Russell bloody Brand.

I rest my case.

You forgot - Rishi Sunak has planned that the deadline for the prohibiting of the sale of petrol & diesel vehicles will be pushed forward to 2035 from 2030. 

Cue emergency delivery of smelling salts for Guardian readers........................😂

[menthe]

13 hours ago, Gardian said:

There are at least two ghastly major tragedies quite close to all of us in Morocco and Libya.

There’s economic crises afflicting most countries worldwide.

There’s political unrest in the UK, to the extent that Macron is welcoming Starmer for a ‘chat’.

And instead ............. what are we getting, wall-to-wall ?    Russell bloody Brand.

I rest my case.

Gardian, how I agree with you!  TBH, I knew nothing about Russell Brand and I don't think I really want to know any more!

[anotherbanana]

Yes, Gardian, I lived and worked in Benghazi for a couple of years; the people were nothing but kindness. Derna which I visited once was less than attractive and seems to have grown hugely. It was known as the religious area of Cyrenaica. Very sad for the Libyans who have had enough chaos for several lifetimes and more. 

Perhaps Brand could dedicate his millions to helping rebuild the place!

[menthe]

To introduce something lighter, I have been watching the royal visit to France on French tv and enjoyed it very much.

What really interested me was the vocabulary and it got me to thinking many things, not least of which was how many of our military terms were in fact of French origin.

Then I saw the term for the armoured division of some section of the army or other and THAT made me wonder what the difference is between soldiers that were "armoured" (blindé) and others that were not?

Fly past at the Arc de Triomphe was spectacular (literally!)

[Loiseau]

"Blindé" refers to régiments of tanks and armoured cars I think, mint.

[menthe]

Yes, Loiseau, I know what blindé means.  When I first heard it on the news a few years ago, I decided to test it on French friends to see if they'd understand me.

So during a walk following day, and we passed a deeply ploughed field full of deep ruts, I offhandedly remarked, this looks as though a blindé has passed here.

You should have heard the oohs and aahs....nobody thought I'd know the word.  I smirked and looked insufferably knowing....😏

[menthe]

Loiseau, where are you?  France or London?

Wall to wall coverage, en direct, on BFMTV of Charles and Camilla.  I have become as fascinated as the French are about our royals😜

They have French-speaking English commentators and English-speaking French commentators.  I found the vocabulary fascinating.  And the sort of things that are obviously totally unknown and possibly incomprehensible to the French.  Quite a bit of protocol around royal etiquette (English sense was) was discussed, such as not touching them and the notable lapse on Macron's part, patting Charles, guiding him with hand on back, etc.  All so amusing seen from the eyes of foreigners.

All that before the perennial how do you address the king?  Some reckon "sa majesté" but in the excitement, many were calling "king! king".  It was all enough to make a cat laugh😂

Charles doing a royal walkabout greeting people was said to be "en bain de foul"e (new one on me!)

And last night, at the dinner in the palace of Versailles, he talked about our mutual support and cooperation which he said would be  "inébranlable" against present challenges.

Loiseau, I wish you were here to have a laugh with!

[Loiseau]

Temporarily in the PdeC, mint.

I’d love to have seen a bit of the BFMTV coverage; that must have been fascinating to have British protocol explained!  However, we haven’t watched much of the royal visit, though I did see a clip of the First Ladies playing table tennis, at which they seemed equally incompetent.

i watched a bit of the King's speech to the Senate, to see if his French was as good as his German seemed to have been. I am sure his listeners swooned to hear his English accent! (Funny how the French say they find ours so charming, while we find theirs adorable, too.)

 

[menthe]

Strange how even the king puts the emphasis on the second syllable of words, isn't it?  Many Brits I have met seem to do that even though the rest of their French is very good.

He's come across very well and I was surprised at how enthusiastic the crowds were.  Disappointed in the Marche aux Fleurs in Paris as it looked a very small place with tight walkways and I did not see luxuriant flower dispays.  Don't know what I expect, mind.  Maybe a Chelsea Flower Show with more even more flowers than ours!....duh...I am so ridiculously parochial sometimes  😁

But I did like to see people "normally" dressed, no dressy hats and expensive hired-for-the occasion type clothes.  Anne Hidalgo was dressed no differently from how I might dress to nip down to Aldi.  And I like that sort of casualness...certainly no mayoral chain in sight and everybody going about their day in that insouciant way that the French display so effortlessly.

However smartphones and photo-taking were just as front and centre as everywhere else😫

[Judith]

7 hours ago, Loiseau said:

Temporarily in the PdeC, mint.

I’d love to have seen a bit of the BFMTV coverage; that must have been fascinating to have British protocol explained!  However, we haven’t watched much of the royal visit, though I did see a clip of the First Ladies playing table tennis, at which they seemed equally incompetent.

i watched a bit of the King's speech to the Senate, to see if his French was as good as his German seemed to have been. I am sure his listeners swooned to hear his English accent! (Funny how the French say they find ours so charming, while we find theirs adorable, too.)

 

I was just told today what a charming accent I had and where did I come from (when I was at the hospital), which was a nice change.  When she saw my address, she also asked did we suffer in the floods, and it took me a while to realise it was the ones in the east of the region she was talking about, but nice to have a conversation whilst checking in for a change.

Menthe - long day today, but stitches finally gone - at last!

[menthe]

Well done, Judith!  Bon rétablissement🙂