André Urbain, RTBF Journalist

André Urbain is one of the longest-serving journalists still working at the RTBF. He appears on TV only for big events, such as the covering of the official ceremonies occuring on 21 July, or, as in the picture, when the pope died (in April 2005).
The half lady that you see is the one who translates the news for deaf people.

Philippe Antoine, RTBF Journalist

This is Philippe Antoine, one of my favourite journalists (yes, it's possible to make a classment of the Top 10 best journalists…) who works for the RTBF (Radio Télévision de Belgique Francophone), which is my favourite channel. Philippe Antoine's favourite subjects are aircraft and economy. This photo (which I took while watching TV) shows the journalist in the middle of a camp in the area of Rome, where pilgrims were staying after the death of pope John Paul II (nickname in French: JPII—read: Jeepeetoo).

Coastal Tramways

The Belgian (Flemish) coast is known for its tramways—which underwent a modernization lately, so that they are longer and can sit more and more "white heads" (i.e. old people). (Everything is new in Flanders; while Wallonia is rather derelict, as if we were still in the 1950s.) This view was taken in front of the Middelkerke Casino.

Middelkerke's Casino

This is a view of the Casino of Middelkerke, probably the only one that is on a (relatively) small promontory on the beach, with a special shape, and that can be seen from Oostende and Nieuwpoort (which gives a radius of more than 10 kilometres). There are parking lots on the right. In front of the casino, there's a large place for go-carts and bikes and rollers. There's also a tramway stop so that the old people (that seem to nest into these vehicles) can get off.


Usually, you see big cars such as Mercedes, BMWs, Jaguars, etc. But when I saw this Lada—an unexpensive Russian car—, I knew it would make a perfect addition to my collection of pictures. I don't think its owner was in the casino at that moment…

Vereecke

This is the best sweets shop of Belgium. It's in Middelkerke, another coastal town. There, you can find hundreds of different sweets, from chocolate to chewing-gums and so on. What I like most is what we call in French "chiques sûres" (chiques = sweets; sûre = sour). They are little coloured sweets with a kind of sugar that gives a piquant taste. It's in fact difficult to describe tasting effect…

In fact, this shop doesn't exist anymore—I mean they moved 50 metres away, just in front of the Casino. This picture was taken in 2005, and the new shop opened round September 2006. If you ever go to Middelkerke, you've got to go there and by some sweets.

Koekoek, Belgium's Best Restaurant

Who's feeling like eating chicken? If so, why don't you go to Oostende, at the Koekoek restaurant, the only one that never closes (there's no lock on the door!) and only serves "kip aan 't spit" (roasted chicken). If you don't believe me, go to www.koekoek.biz. A half chicken costs a little bit more than 5 €, but it's worth it! Whenever I go to the seaside, I have to go there and eat a half roasted chicken with a "pintje" (a pint), preferably a glass of Maes. But you've got to go there at 11 AM, otherwise there are too many people, and it's especially annoying if they're smoking—at least, it was allowed until 31 December 2006, and I haven't come back there since late December. Wait and see.
On the other picture, you see my mum and dad's hands, eager to eat their succulent meal. I wish I could go there just by squeezing my nose (reference to "Bewitched"). Oh yeah, one more thing: the bread is free and you don't get any knives of forks; use your fingers!!!!

A House Being Destroyed

In Oostende, Flemish city on the coast, you can sometimes see houses being destroyed in order to build brand-new buildings with hyper-expensive flats for old people (or Lotto winners…). I took this picture while walking towards the cathedral.
On the left side, you can see my parents crossing the street.

Man Killed by a Truck on the Freeway…

Holy shit! A man swatted by a truck! It must be painful!

Nooo… I took this photograph from my seat at the back of the car. There was a traffic jam of which the cause was a truck accident. The driver had to go under his truck. But the picture is funny because he looks as if he were dead…


The other picture is that of the other truck involved in the accident, being remove from the field where it had fallen…

(It all happened on the freeway to the Belgian coast, on 6 April 2005.)

Jean-Marie Pfaff, Flemish Star

Jean-Marie Pfaff, probably the best Belgian goal keeper ever, is now what we call a BV (Bekende Vlaming, Famous Flemish). He has such a high status that he has a reality show where cameras follow him in his everyday life, along with his family in Braschaat (near Antwerp). The show is aired on VTM, a popular Flemish channel. There have been 5 seasons, and probably a 6th one as from September 2007. Anyway, in order to advertize for that show, they painted a tramway with his picture, with is arm to make as though he was giving a kiss.

What strikes me is that he has a LEFT hand instead of a RIGHT hand (look at the thumb)!!! It's a vulgar Photoshop effect, with a fake arm stitched on him… :D

An Old Car Seen in Herstal (Liège suburbs)

When I saw this car, I knew I had to take a picture of it. Maybe this car can still ride… The mirror is about to fall, as is the (pot d'échappement) and other parts of the car, for that matter. The owner must be what we call in Walloon "barakî", which is equivalent to the English "chav" and the Flemish "Johnny".

My Neighbour's Cat

Meet Félix, the cat that belongs to Manfred, a German neighbour. This cat has been castrated, so he's very kind. He loves to be scratched around the neck. He loses too much fur (or is it "hair"?). He likes to run in our garden to catch a bird, but we don't let him kill those lovely creatures.

Coffie Shop "Le Standard"

This photograph was one of the first ones I took with my camera. This picture shows a mythic coffie shop not so far away from the (not less) mythic Stade de Sclessin, in the suburbs of Liège. This football stadion is the one belonging to the Standard, one of the most popular clubs in Belgium. Thus, the coffie shop is called "Le Standard". It's really original.

Gordon Brown: Hugo Chavez' Cousin?

For our English Proficiency course, we're supposed to make a presentation about a topic around British politics. Our work is about Gordon Brown, Chancellor of the Exchequer of the United Kingdom. One of my classmates and coworkers on that work (hello, Ellen!) has just sent me that fake picture of Gordon Brown in a rather unusual situation… We'll try to include it in the PowerPoint presentation…

Carte des gagnants Lotto en 2006

This "carte des gagnants Lotto en 2006" (map of Lotto winners in 2006) strikes me: it represents the places where amounts superior to 5000 € were won. You can only figure out that the Flemish (people living in the North side of Belgium) win a lot more than the Walloons… Is it due to the fact that the Flemish are richer, and thus can afford to spend more money on such games as the Lotto? Or is it because they are 6 millions, and we're only 3 millions…? Anyway, it's an interesting card. Maybe I should play in Flanders…

And the Oscar® Goes to…

Last night took place in the Kodak Theater of Los Angeles the most important event in the industry of cinema: the Academy Awards Ceremony. Martin Scorsese was—at last!—rewarded for his most recent film, "The Departed", featuring Jack Nicholson and Leonardo DiCaprio, among others. He was given an Oscar® for being the Best Director and for having made the Best Movie. The statuette was given by a shock trio: Francis Ford Coppola, George Lucas and Steven Spielberg, maybe the world's best directors ever—and good friends of Scorsese's.

Apart from that, as expected, Forest Whitacker and Helen Mirren were elected Best Actors, and Al Gore (former US Vice-President) was awarded the Oscar for the Best Documentary. The Oscar was given to him by the famous stand-up comedian Jerry Seinfeld (whom I am a great fan of).

PS. If you click on the title of this message, you'll be redirected on the official Academy Awards website, and you'll get the complete results (nominees and winners).

Promise of Power

This scene from Star Wars - Episode III: Revenge of the Sith, is also one of the most important scenes of the whole saga. There's the original version, followed by the French adaptation.


ORIGINAL VERSION (featuring Ian McDiarmid as Chancellor Palpatine and Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker)

(In Palpatine's private office)

PALPATINE
They don’t trust you, Anakin. They see your future, they know your power would be too strong to control. You must break through the fog of lies the Jedi have created around you. Let me help you to know the subtleties of the Force.

ANAKIN
How do you know the ways of the Force?

PALPATINE
My mentor told me everything about the Force. Even the nature of the Dark Side . . .

ANAKIN
You know the Dark Side?

PALPATINE
Anakin . . . If one is to understand the great mystery, one must study all its aspects; not just the dogmatic, narrow view of the Jedi. If you wish to become a complete and wise leader, you must embrace . . . a larger view of the Force. Be careful of the Jedi, Anakin. Only through me can you achieve a power greater than any Jedi. Learn to know the Dark Side of the Force, and you will be able to save your wife from certain death.

ANAKIN
What did you say?

PALPATINE
Use my knowledge, I beg you!

ANAKIN
You are the Sith Lord!

PALPATINE
I know what’s been troubling you. Listen to me . . . Don’t continue to be a pawn of the Jedi Council! Ever since I’ve known you, you’ve been searching for a life greater than that of an ordinary Jedi; a life of significance, of conscience . . . Are you going to kill me?

ANAKIN
I would certainly like to.

PALPATINE
I know you would. I can feel your anger. It gives you focus. Makes you stronger.

ANAKIN
I’m gonna turn you over the Jedi Council.

PALPATINE
Of course, you should. But you’re not sure of their intentions, are you?

ANAKIN
I will quickly discover the truth of all this.

PALPATINE
You have great wisdom, Anakin. Know the power of the Dark Side, the power to save Padmé.

———————————————————————————————

FRENCH VERSION (with the voices of Georges Claisse as Palpatine and Emmanuel Garijo as Anakin)

(Dans les appartements privés du Chancelier Palpatine)

PALPATINE
Ils n’ont aucune confiance en toi. Ils voient ton avenir, et ils savent que ton pouvoir sera si grand qu’il échappera à leur contrôle. Il faut que tu franchisses cet écran de fumée mensonger que les Jedi ont créé autour de toi. Laisse-moi t’apprendre toutes les subtilités de la Force !

ANAKIN
D’où vous vient cette connaissance ?

PALPATINE
Mon mentor m’a tout appris sur la Force. Jusqu’à la vraie nature du Côté Obscur.

ANAKIN
Vous la connaissez ? !

PALPATINE
Anakin… Si l’on désire tirer au clair le grand mystère, il convient d’en étudier tous les aspects, et non de s’en tenir à la vision étroite et dogmatique des Jedi. Si tu veux devenir un chef complet et avisé, il te faut embrasser … l’ensemble de la Force. Méfie-toi des Jedi, Anakin. Ce n’est qu’à travers moi que tu pourras acquérir un pouvoir plus grand qu’aucun autre Jedi. Apprends à connaître le Côté Obscur de la Force, et tu seras capable de sauver ta femme d’une mort certaine.

ANAKIN
Qu’est-ce que vous dites ? !

PALPATINE
Utilise mes connaissances, je t’en conjure !

ANAKIN
Vous êtes le Seigneur Noir des Sith !

PALPATINE
Je sais d’où vient ton trouble. Ecoute-moi… Cesse d’être utilisé comme un pion par les Jedi et leur Conseil. Depuis que je te connais, depuis toujours, tu rêves d’une vie plus exaltante que celle d’un Jedi ordinaire ; une vie qui ait un vrai sens, une vraie conscience… Est-ce que tu vas me tuer ?

ANAKIN
Je dois dire que la tentation est grande.

PALPATINE
Je sais que tu le ferais. Je sens la violence de ta colère. Elle accroît ta force, et la puissance de ta volonté.

ANAKIN
Je n’ai pas d’autre choix que de vous dénoncer au Conseil.

PALPATINE
Evidemment c’est ce que tu devrais faire, mais tu n’es pas encore tout à fait sûr de leurs intentions ?

ANAKIN
Je ne tarderai pas à découvrir toute la vérité.

PALPATINE
Tu jouis déjà d’une grande sagesse, Anakin. Le Côté Obscur et lui seul te donnera le pouvoir de sauver Padmé.

Magic—The Gathering: Artwork (1)

Being also a real fan of the American trading card game (TCG) Magic—The Gathering, I think it would be interesting to show you some of the most beautiful artworks that the cards feature. This first one was drawn by Mark Zug, as an illustration for a dragon card called Vorosh, the Hunter. For more information about Magic, go and have a look on www.wizards.com/magic. (You won't understand anything, but still.)

The Key Scene of the Whole Star Wars Saga

As a Star Wars fan eversince I'm a little boy, I was eager to see the last film of the saga in May 2005. Here is the transcript of what I think to be the most important scene of the whole saga. You'll also find the French translation, and spot a few adaptation that seem a little bit akward, but necessary for the post-synchronisation. (More about that topic later.) The address of this blog comes from this scene. That sentence can be applied to lots of real-life situations, if you think about it.

—————————————————————————————

ORIGINAL VERSION (featuring Ian McDiarmid as Chancellor Palpatine and Hayden Christensen as Anakin Skywalker)

(In Chancellor Palpatine's private lodge, in the Coruscant Opera.)

PALPATINE
Anakin, you know I’m not able to rely on the Jedi Council. If they haven’t included you in their plot, they will soon.

ANAKIN
I'm not sure I understand.

PALPATINE
You must sense what I have come to suspect . . . the Jedi Council want control of the Republic . . . they're planning to betray me.

ANAKIN
I don't think . . .

PALPATINE
Anakin, search your feelings. You know, don't you?

ANAKIN
I know they don't trust you . . .

PALPATINE
Or the Senate . . . or the Republic . . . or democracy, for that matter.

ANAKIN
I have to admit, my trust in them has been shaken.

PALPATINE
Why? They asked you to do something that made you feel dishonest, didn't they? They asked you to spy on me, didn't they?

ANAKIN
I don't... I don't know what to say.

PALPATINE
Remember back to your early teachings. Anakin. "All who gain power are afraid to lose it." Even the Jedi.

ANAKIN
The Jedi use their power for good.

PALPATINE
Good is a point of view, Anakin. The Sith and the Jedi are similar in almost every way, including their quest for greater power.

ANAKIN
The Sith rely on their passion for their strength. They think inwards—only about themselves.

PALPATINE
And the Jedi don't?

ANAKIN
The Jedi are selfless . . . they only care about others.

PALPATINE
Did you ever hear the tragedy of Darth Plagueis the Wise?

ANAKIN
No.

PALPATINE
I thought not. It's not a story the Jedi would tell you. It's a Sith legend. Darth Plagueis was a Dark Lord of the Sith . . . so powerful and so wise . . . he could use the Force to influence the midi-chlorians . . . to create . . . life. He had such a knowledge of the Dark Side . . . he could even keep the ones he cared about . . . from dying.

ANAKIN
He could actually . . . save people from death?

PALPATINE
The Dark Side of the Force is a pathway to many abilities some consider to be unnatural.

ANAKIN
What happened to him?

PALPATINE
He became so powerful . . . the only thing he was afraid of was . . . losing his power, which eventually, of course, he did. Unfortunately, he taught his apprentice everything he knew, then his apprentice killed him in his sleep. It's ironic: he could save others from death, but not himself.

ANAKIN
Is it possible to learn this power?

PALPATINE
Not from a Jedi.

———————————————————————
FRENCH VERSION (with voices of Georges Claisse as Palpatine and Emmanuel Garijo as Anakin)

PALPATINE
Anakin, tu sais que je ne pourrai jamais me fier au Conseil des Jedi. S’ils ne t’ont pas encore impliqué dans leur complot, ça ne saurait tarder.

ANAKIN
Je ne suis pas sûr de bien comprendre.

PALPATINE
Je suis persuadé que toi aussi tu pressens ce que j’en suis venu à soupçonner : le Conseil des Jedi a décidé de prendre le contrôle de la République. Ils s’apprêtent à s’en prendre à moi.

ANAKIN
Je doute que ce soit —

PALPATINE
Anakin… Ecoute ton intuition. Tu le sais, n’est-ce pas ?

ANAKIN
Je sais qu’ils se méfient de vous.

PALPATINE
Mm. Et du Sénat. Et de la République. Et de la démocratie, par-dessus de marché.

ANAKIN
Je dois l’admettre : ma confiance en eux est un peu ébranlée.

PALPATINE
Pourquoi ? Ils t’ont chargé d’une mission que tu perçois comme profondément déloyale… ? Ils t’ont chargé de m’espionner, c’est ça ?

ANAKIN
Je ne sais pas… Je ne sais pas quoi dire.

PALPATINE
Remémore-toi ce qui t’a jadis été enseigné : « Quiconque détient un pouvoir a peur de le perdre ». Ça vaut pour les Jedi.

ANAKIN
Les Jedi sont au service du Bien.

PALPATINE
Le Bien est une question de point de vue, Anakin. Les Sith et les Jedi sont similaires, ils se ressemblent quasiment en tous points. Y compris dans leur quête d’un plus grand pouvoir.

ANAKIN
Les Sith cultivent la passion de la Force, rien d’autre. Et ils sont entièrement tournés vers eux-mêmes.

PALPATINE
Ah oui ? parce que les Jedi sont différents ?

ANAKIN
Les Jedi sont désintéressés. Ils pensent d’abord aux autres.

PALPATINE
Mm. Est-ce que tu connais l’histoire tragique de Dark Plagueis le Sage ?

ANAKIN
Non.

PALPATINE
Ça ne m’étonne pas. Ce n’est pas le genre d’histoire que racontent les Jedi. C’est une légende Sith. Dark Plagueis était un Seigneur Noir des Sith… tellement puissant et tellement sage… qu’il pouvait utiliser la Force pour influer sur les midichloriens… et pouvait… créer la vie. En outre, sa connaissance du Côté Obscur était telle… qu’il arrivait aussi à empêcher ceux dont l’existence lui importaient… de mourir.

ANAKIN
Vous voulez dire… qu’il avait vaincu la mort ?

PALPATINE
Le Côté Obscur de la Force est un moyen d’acquérir de nombreuses facultés considérées par certains comme contraires à la nature.

ANAKIN
Et… Que lui est-il arrivé ?

PALPATINE
Il était devenu tellement puissant… que la seule chose qui lui faisait encore peur… était de perdre son pouvoir, ce qui, bien sûr, arriva un jour. Il fit l’erreur d’enseigner à son jeune apprenti son savoir et tous ses secrets, et cet apprenti le tua pendant qu’il dormait. Quelle ironie : il avait vaincu la mort pour les autres, mais la sienne, il n’a pas su l’éviter.

ANAKIN
Est-ce qu’il est possible d’acquérir ce pouvoir ?

PALPATINE
En aucun cas auprès d’un Jedi.

Every Saga Has Its Beginning....

Welcome to Simon Labate's Blog!!! I'm not sure I'm gonna write a message every day, but whenever I get time. My blog shall be written in English, French and Dutch, depending on my mood. Enjoy!