Archive for 'Sports'

Meet Ze CraZiest French Prankster On Ze Planet!

Posted on 25. Aug, 2011 by in News, People, Sports, Uncategorized, Vocabulary

Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few years, you must have seen or heard of the hilariously crazy French phénomène calledRÉMI GAILLARD… If not, then my friends, il est grand temps (it’s high time) for you to discover him!

How does one get to introduce a character like that?

Maybe since the last Coupe du Monde (World Cup) was such a fiasco for the French (among other teams), let us begin with his stunning footballistique skills!

You will see him in action in the video below, and wonder how come the French coach of the time, Raymond Domenech, never bothered to ask him to join the ranks of les Bleus squad in the South African Mondial

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At this point, ask anyone you want, it is completely safe to say that Rémi Gaillard is without any doubt the most famous and funniest prankster in France today!

You may wonder, how was he able to achieve this exploit?

In other words, how did it he pull it off?

Unlike so many other figures marquantes who came to national and even international prominence thanks to their behind-the-scenes “connections” with the world of le show business, Rémi was able to do it all by himself, and only by himself: It’s a well known fact that he’s a 100% self-made man, and doesn’t owe the “star makers” TF1M6, or anyone else anything whatsoever!

While his motto is ostensibly simple, it hints at a certain sarcastic undertone, en filigrane (implicitely, that is), mostly aimed towards the mainstream media:

C’est en faisant n’importe quoi qu’on devient n’importe quitranslated in English by him as: “It’s by doing whatever that you become whoever!

His many other hidden talents include a remarkable flair for déjouer (eluding) the security measures surrounding major events—especially sports events.

Asked about that several times, Rémi explained that instead of devising complex elaborate infiltration plans, it’s often enough to act très naturellement and just… “walk in”, comme si de rien n’était (like there was nothing wrong with that)!

In this video, you can see him crashing the final match of the 2002 Coupe de Francedéguisé (disguised) as one of the football players who won the championship of that year!

He even managed to shake hands with then President Jacques Chirac, who apparently told him:Vous avez très bien joué!“ (“You played very well!”)

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Also très amustanteor “énorme“, is this one time when he crashed the Ligue Mondiale de Volley-ballwhich is pretty much like the “World Cup of Volley-ball”…

Guess who was able to appear “live” on the Eurosport channel, standing next to the French players and singing à tue-tête (at the top of his lungs) the French national hymn, la Marseillaise” !


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Finally, whoever said that one needed to boast a musculature (muscle structure) of, say, a Governor of California, in order to take part in the highly competitive tournament of Mister Universe?

I actually don’t know, but ask  he’ll definitely tell you how!

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“Qui ne saute pas n’est pas marseillais!” (“Whoever Doesn’t Jump is Not from Marseilles!”)

Posted on 05. Aug, 2011 by in People, Sports, Vocabulary

Please allow me to go “droit au but” (“straight to the goal“—pun intended indeed!): We are very well aware that many of our faithful French Blog readers happen to be French (probably working on their English—call that ”reverse mode”), and that a lot of them even hail from la capitale de France, Paris


Now, if you travel all the way to Paris, and not even scream, but just *whisper* in the streets: “Allez l’OM” (OM = Olympique de Marseilles), chances are, the crowds of people will start getting the impression that you are, as the French like to say, en train de chercher la petite bête (picking for a fight)!

 It’s pretty much like if you went to Madrid and started chanting “Go Barcelona“; or, to switch to another “sport” (in a manner of speaking), if you went to Boston (home of the Red Sox), and started yelling: “Go Yankees“! :)

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To get you a “vibe” of the of the specially fun “ambiance” prevailing in the Stadium, in the joyous company of the die-hard Marseillais fans, you’re invited today to discover their team’s most cherished songs—and again, our deepest sympathies if you’re a PSG (Paris Saint-Germain) supporter! ;)

* LES CHANTS DE L’OM au STADE VELODROME (The Songs of the OM team in the Velodrome Stadium):

- First song: Aux armes” (from 0 s to 40s):  

Aux Armes!

To arms!  

Aux Armes!

To arms!  

Nous sommes les marseillais

We are the people of Marseilles

Et nous allons gagner

And we’re going to win

Allez l’OM!

Go OM!


- Second song:
Qui ne saute pas n’est pas marseillais(from 40s to 1min):

Qui ne saute pas n’est pas marseillais…-ais (x8) (easy!)

Who doesn’t jump is not from Marseilles!



- Third song: 

Allez OM Allez

Go OM go

Du virage Depé s’élevera la ferveur du peuple marseillais

From the Depé curve will rise the fervor of the people of Marseilles

allez OM!

Go OM!


- Fourth song (starting 1:38):

Tout le Velodrome reprend comme un seul homme la chanson du virage qui raisonne (twice)

All the Velodrome stadium sings like one man the song of the curve that resounds

Quand le virage se met à chanter   

When the curve starts singing

C’est tout le stade qui va s’enflammer!

It’s the whole stadium that’s set on fire!

Il faut chanter, il faut chanter,

You’ve got to sing, you’ve got to sing

Et notre équipe va gagner 

And our team will win

Allez, allez,

Go, go,

Allez, allez l’OM allez … 

Go, go OM go…


- Fifth song (starting 2:30):

Allez l’OM, allez marseillais,

Go OM, go people of Marseilles  

Hissez haut, les drapeaux

Rise the flags high

Tous unis sous les mêmes couleurs

All united under the same colors

Le virage reprendra en coeur  

The curve will sing all together   

Allez l’OM, allez marseillais

Go OM, go people of Marseilles

Hissez haut, les drapeaux

Rise the flags high  

Tous unis sous les mêmes couleurs

All united under the same colors

Le virage chante avec ferveur

The curve sings with fervor 


http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xe7ewr
Find out the inside story of ”le virage Depé“!

French Conjugaison: Savez-vous *NAGER* (Can You Swim)?

Posted on 18. Jul, 2011 by in Grammar, Sports, Vocabulary

If you are lucky enough to have more free time in these journées d’été (Summer days), why not use it to brush up on your French grammar skills?

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/2272/boue.jpg
Come to think of it, French conjugaison is not unlike la nage (swimming): It can be refreshing and fun, but one must be skillfull enough pour ne pas se noyer (not to drown)!

L'Américain Michael Phelps le 4 juillet 2008 à Omaha

http://img407.imageshack.us/img407/2272/boue.jpg

CONJUGAISON of the Verb *NAGER* (To SWIM):

I N D I C A T I F

 

Présent
je
tu
il
nous
vous
ils
nage
nages
nage
nageons
nagez
nagent
Imparfait
je
tu
il
nous
vous
ils
nageais
nageais
nageait
nagions
nagiez
nageaient
Passé simple
je
tu
il
nous
vous
ils
nageai
nageas
nagea
nageâmes
nageâtes
nagèrent
Futur simple
je
tu
il
nous
vous
ils
nagerai
nageras
nagera
nagerons
nagerez
nageront
Passé composé
j’
tu
il
nous
vous
ils
ai
as
a
avons
avez
ont
nagé
nagé
nagé
nagé
nagé
nagé
Plus que parfait
j
tu
il
nous
vous
ils
avais
avais
avait
avions
aviez
avaient
nagé
nagé
nagé
nagé
nagé
nagé
Passé antérieur
j’
tu
il
nous
vous
ils
eus
eus
eut
eûmes
eûtes
eurent
nagé
nagé
nagé
nagé
nagé
nagé
Futur antérieur
j’
tu
il
nous
vous
ils
aurai
auras
aura
aurons
aurez
auront
nagé
nagé
nagé
nagé
nagé
nagé
S U B J O N C T I F
Présent
que
que
qu’
que
que
qu’
je
tu
il
nous
vous
ils
nage
nages
nage
nagions
nagiez
nagent
Imparfait
que
que
qu’
que
que
qu’
je
tu
il
nous
vous
ils
nageasse
nageasses
nageât
nageassions
nageassiez
nageassent
Passé
que
que
qu’
que
que
qu’
j’
tu
il
nous
vous
ils
aie
aies
ait
ayons
ayez
aient
nagé
nagé
nagé
nagé
nagé
nagé
Plus que parfait
que
que
qu’
que
que
qu’
j’
tu
il
nous
vous
ils
eusse
eusses
eût
eussions
eussiez
eussent
nagé
nagé
nagé
nagé
nagé
nagé
C O N D I T I O N N E L I M P E R A T I F
Présent
je
tu
il
nous
vous
ils
nagerais
nagerais
nagerait
nagerions
nageriez
nageraient
Passé
j’
tu
il
nous
vous
ils
aurais
aurais
aurait
aurions
auriez
auraient
nagé
nagé
nagé
nagé
nagé
nagé
Présent
nage
nageons
nagez
Passé
aie nagé
ayons nagé
ayez nagé

 

I N F I N I T I F P A R T I C I P E
Présent nager Passé avoir nagé Présent nageant Passé nagé
nagée
nagés
nagées
ayant nagé

 

G E R O N D I F
Présent en nageant Passé en ayant nagé