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Posted Jul 9, 2010
Some kind person has recommended that i go to the ask form and request information on links to the oil pollution in the Mississipi delta. I wonder if this is the way to do it. For the life of me I cannot remember how it is done. !!
Christiane
AR80
Friday 9th July, 2010 5.30 BST
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Latest reply: Jul 9, 2010
Wonderful Wimbledon
Posted Jun 24, 2010
Thursday 15th June 2010
7.10 BST
I suppose I have been listening/watching Wimbledon for well over fifty years.
It was the highlight of my visit when I first returned to Europe after the war - I think it was in 1953.
There were those marvellous Australian players headed by Ken Rosewall, Lew Hoad abd several others.
I think however that Eric Sturgess, a South African was also there or am I making a mistake?
But yesterday was quite extraordinary.
we watched two men, a good looking Frenchman called Nicolas Mahut and a very tall American called John Ismer competing against one another. They started competing on Tuesday evening, continued all day yesterday and are continuing. apparently, again today.
Is it tennis? Well yes, in a fashion it is.
I have read some of the sports writers comments. I have heard the players, Federer and McInroe, and others comment. All of them say it is awesome - incredible - extraordinary -. But is it?
The longest rally took about seven exchanges between the two players. and even so they were both equal.
It was perfection - but oh dear does one want perfection in a singles match. We want someone to make a mistake. But neither man made a mistake.
As a Frenchwoman I was naturally upset at the partisanship of the Wimbledon crowd; but then they have always been partisan.
I remember seeing Yvonne Goolagong. Were the crowd partisan then?
I do not know how the outcome will occur. I was amazed because I knew nothing about either of the players, and it seems neither did the commentators. How remiss of them; they certainly had time to go and investigate their tennis backgrounds which I am sure are fascinating.
I was glad I watched, and glad that the outcome was a non-outcome. both men behaved so well. There were a few dramatic falls onto the turf - there was relatively little barracking apart from a chant of
USA,USA,USA,USA, USA
which became rather boring after a while.
But I wondered again, as I often do in this adopted country of mine.
Why do the English hate the French so much?
However I must admit that for the first time in my life there was a chant of
Vive la France!
And that from the crowd at Wimbledon. So perhaps the cold is becoming warmer. !
I have certainly not witnessed any of partisanship during the soccer matches in South Africa. I know I criticized the French team for their approach when they played, and they have certainly received a roasting from the the entire French nation when they returned to France.
Apparently the latest "punishment" is to make them pay for their own trips by air to South Africa. !!
A really novel way of making the standard of play improve. Perhaps we should try it on a certain soccer side. !!
How strange life is.
Christiane
Alsoran80
Thursday 24th June 2010 7.30 BST
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Latest reply: Jun 24, 2010
What a total eclipse of France in the soccer.....
Posted Jun 18, 2010
I lay in my reclining chair to watch the French soccer match in South Africa and thank goodness I was lying down or I would have fallen over.
It could not be true. These "nailed to the soil" players could NOT be the French soccer team?
But they were, and they remained glued to the ground. And Mexico won.
I can only think of one thing; where they played is called the highveld I seem to remember that the altitude is about 6,000 feet above ses level.
I know that when I was a competitive swimmer, we ,in the Transvaal had the edge on the other provinces because,as we did all our training at high altitude, our circulatory systems were used to it and so we easily, not only swam faster, but also beat the swimmers from the other provinces who trained a lower altitudes.
Could that be a reason for the quite tragic performance which the French soccer team demonstrated last night?
Being French it grieves me to have seen the sad display.
Could the high altitude have been the reason for the French soccer team's lethargic performance?
Thank goodness the French Rugby team are more successful !!
Christiane
AlsoRan80
Friday,18/VI/2010 7.30
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Latest reply: Jun 18, 2010
Whales and birthing off the South African coast....
Posted Jun 10, 2010
Some of you who have been researchers for a long time might remember that I wrote a little memoir about watching whales giving birth to their young . The wonder was how dolphins formed a protective ring about them to save both the mother whale and the new born infant whale from the predatory sharks surrounding them.
You can imagine my pleasure when I watched a BBC programme last night with an energetic walker from England presenting it , She also apparently loves South africa and was talking about it. It was also mentioned on the BBC news.
It brought back so many happy memories and I slept the sleep of the just and had a very happy ending to a day full of reminiscences. .
I think there is another programme next week. Also pleased to see Johanthan Dimbleby cavorting down Africa. The BBC are giving us a real feast of the wonderful continent of africa.
Christiane
AlsoRan80
Thursday 10th June 2010 8.10 BST
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Latest reply: Jun 10, 2010
Wonderful belated 82nd birthday lunch in Wimereuxx
Posted Jun 4, 2010
Last Sunday my second grandson and his quite delightful Greek girlfriend took me to lunch in France.
it is really very easy to get to France when one lives where I do, and the crossing of "La Manche" is painless through the tunnel. |It takes just thirty minutes, and is speedily and marvellous coordinated.
They drove out from London, and arrived at my flat at about 10.15 BSt. As we were booked on the Train which left at twenty to twelve we lost no time backtracking to the turnoff to book in..
Both of them |I think were a little apprehensive, so I felt very brave, having done the crossing of "La manche" several times severa; times through the "Tunnel de la Manche"
We arrived in Calais at ten past one (France is an hour ahead of us) and as I was in a wheelchair, we had been placed first in the coach. My grandson was thrilled to drive off first, and then we decided to take the auto-route to Wimereux. J. drove off and without any problems drove off on the right side of the road. We travelled at a great pace, and as I knew where the marvellous restaurant at the Atlantique was, were able to easily be seated at the table J. had reserved for the three of us at the restaurant at the Hotel Atlantique on the Esplanade. It was full fit to burst with a great many French families sitting at big huge round tables celebrating either a family occasion or perhaps even just the joy of summer being here at last and of course, the superb food.
The young were very impressed with the napery, cutlery and glass ware at the table. I have decided to give them a guide Michelin for 2010 so that they can go on gastronomic tours of France as they begin to rise in the financial world they are in!.
I am sorry my neck is hurting so I shall finish this later.
Friday 4th June 2010 8.07 BST
I have just realised that today is the 61st anniversary of my first wedding.....oh dear. Anyway, I at least had my first three children with the dear boy - long departed!!
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Latest reply: Jun 4, 2010
AlsoRan80
Researcher U12340544
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