Zen...

Puuuuuush!!! Puuuuuush hhhhh fffff hhhhh ffffffffff... PUUUUUUUUUSH!!!!!

No, reader, I am not writing a post about pregnancy and deliveries, I just decided to say a little something about rugby tonight. Thought it would be a nice change after so much saree testing and stuff... :) Indeed, the rugby world cup is taking place in France this year, and it's a whole lot of fun. First good thing about rugby is, you get to see very subtle supporters everywhere in Paris, and listen to their new-age interpretation of the English national anthem at the Gare du Nord. I just love it. I bet you 5 English rugby supporters make more noise than the whole Manchester United fan-club put together. I suppose you might even detect sismic activity near the Stade de France on game evenings... I guess that's what I love about rugby : The subtelty. And the suspense as well.

They look so big and tough, it looks like a comic show to me. And they are not taking themselves too seriously, which is great as well. It's all burlesque and stuff, they roll in the mud, scream and stomp and push and beat and bleed and suffer, it's kind of barbaric, without being cruel. All the good sides of being a brute. We've got that "bourin" word in French, I don't realy know how to translate it in English. I must say however, that I don't know much about rugby, and one of the things that I know is that you need quite a brain to play it properly. I don't think the rules are as weird as those of cricket (even after a 3 hour long crash course in Lagaan, I still don't understand the rules of this one), but they are still pretty puzzling...

I think maybe it's an English thing. I mean, it's pretty cruel to create a game where the players can only pass the ball to people backwards... it's a little as if they had to run two steps forward, one step backward... Maybe I should invent my own game, now that I come to think of it... Three steps forward, one step backward, two balls and four teams. You can only pass the ball to the people behind you, and can shoot into any goal but your own, of course, except if you're really thick. Besides, if you kick the ball out of the field, you have to go get it back yourself, and run around the field three times, before the guy with the bat catches you. The guy with the bat (I take this opportunity to introduce him), is independant. He is not part of any team, and only plays for his own glory. I think it's exciting. I name thee, game, the Claire-Ball. Oh, and you're allowed to use your teeth, in case of emergency...

Anyway. I've been watching the whole rugby match tonight, and now I'm all cheered up. My animal instinct taking over, I guess... :)

I had to fight against the said animal instict earlier today, by the way... I watch my licence getting further and further away as days go by, because of silly paperwork problems and stuff... I just hate the French obsession with administrative annoyingness. It's like a national sport here (decribed by Peter Mayle in his Year in Provence book... I did not like the book, but can only agree with him as far as administrative annoyingness goes...). The problem is that I have handed in a list of the subjects I took in Graz (its sole utility is to keep a record of the subjects I took, and check that I have been studying useful things for my French diploma -Watching Dr House episodes till 4 a.m. on my computer does not qualify as an activity which gives you credits for you erasmus semester. I tried, and they said no. life's unfair.) This list is, alas, not written on the RIGHT PAPER!! The paper is written in ENGLISH and it should be written in FRENCH. I mean, honestly, what's the big deal with the paper? As long as the list is in French and OK?

Problem is, really no one is to blame (I'm not being ironic here, reader, no one is to blame but the general organisation, so I don't actually resent anyone...) I just hope that I won't have to repeat a whole year although I passed in all my subjects, just because a bloody PAPER was not in the right language. But I've been a good girl, and did not loose my temper. Beware of the dark side... Anger, fear, agression... Those will lead you back into bloody year three!! And you do NOT want this to happen!! I'm on my way to being a real Skywalker pretty soon, reader, I hope you're impressed. I have a green laser pocket knife, as for now. My nice blue sword will come later I guess. Hope I won't have to fight Dark Vador on the way. Oooh, but now that I come to think of it... A new way to be introduced to Ewan McGregor!! Yeah! Yeah!! Anyway. I'm drifting again...

Well, reader, I'll go to bed, now, I guess... Or maybe eat a piece of raw meat, I don't know. Hope I'll write again soon, I have been away for a few days, my friends V and M have offered me hospitality for two nights last week, so I did not have too much time left over to blog... Too busy drinking and eating and talking... I guess I'll start being more regular again as soon as the university starts. Light a candle for my diploma, reader!