"Tuer !!!"

Just listen to the guy…



(This guy has got a combover!)

This interview was part of the documentary magazine Strip-tease originally aired on the RTBF. If I remember correctly the guy was telling how he escaped from conscription by pretenting he was nuts. But I doubt it, somehow…

"L'émission tire son nom du terme « strip-tease », également appelé « effeuillage », qui consiste à se déshabiller progressivement face à un public, en musique, évoquant ainsi l'attitude de sujets filmés, qui finissent par se dévoiler devant la caméra, laissant les spectateurs découvrir leur intimité. Des spectateurs scrupuleux se sont parfois plaints que certains épisodes tournaient les sujets en dérision à leur insu."

"I wanna ride my bicycle"

Le Beau Vélo de RAVeL

For those who don't know what this post's title refers to, let me have a word about it.

Le Beau Vélo de RAVeL is the name of a radio programme on Vivacité. Its main presentator is Adrien Joveneau. The goal of this program is quite unusual in the sense that it is to gather as many amateur cyclists as possible in order to take part in a ride (or stage) of an average 25 km. Originally, the main goal was to promote the RAVeL (Réseau Autonome des Voies Lentes), but now it's more about discovering certain places in Wallonia. And I have to add that there's also a stage in Brussels, in mid-September.

This programme has been broadcast since a decade or so, and its success has grown stronger ever since. As far as I can remember, I took part in a RAVeL ride in 1997. Last year, I attended three stages: two in my region (Herve and Spa-Francorchamps [and I even climbed the famous "Raidillon" twice]) and one in Brussels.

Since the Beau Vélo de RAVeL was to take place in Blegny (15 km away from my village) today, I decided to go. (And I had no excuse: I've done more than 500 km on my bicycle this summer). I did this stage with a friend of mine, Alexandre. We decided to leave half an hour sooner than the peloton: experience commanded us to do that. Basically, we knew the kind of paths we'd have to take, and I couldn't imagine being surrounded by thousands of people in a climbing pathway that's like 1,5 m large, with holes filled with mud everywhere!

We took such paths, as muddy as you can imagine. (It had been raining all morning.) Fortunately, most of the stage was on "proper" roads. (I write proper between inverted comas because Walloon streets and roads are kinda crappy). There were more "ups and downs" (I mean hills) than usual, but it was OK if you didn't push it too hard.

It finally took us two hours to do the stage. I'm already looking forward to the next stage!

What A Mistake, Mr Leterme!

Christophe Deborsu works as a journalist for the RTBF (Radio-Télévision de Belgique Francophone, i.e. the Belgian, French-speaking broadcasting corporation), whose Flemish equivalent is the VRT (Vlaamse Radio en Televisie). Usually, he does reports for the news, but a few years ago, he was also doing reports in a UFO-like program (Projet X) with topics about silly things that happen in Belgium. Sometimes, we was tickling politicians, finding upsetting things about their project, etc. That is the reason why he was nicknamed by some: "le fouille-merde".

I told you in yeasterday's post that I went to Brussels to attend the celebrations of National Day, and I also stated that hardly anyone can actually say why the date of 21 July was chosen as National Day, nor sing the national anthem, the Brabançonne. Ok, but what does it have to do with Christophe Deborsu? Well, I saw him yesterday: while I was waiting outside the cathedral with my brother, I saw him walking towards the official cars, running after someone. On that moment, I said to myself: "Tiens, Deborsu vient faire son fouille-merde ?". It's authentic.

That very same evening, I discovered that Frédéric Deborsu had managed to make Yves Leterme stumble on something rather symbolic… (Yves Leterme will become Belgium's next Prime Minister. There's no doubt about it.)

Watch this video: Frédéric Deborsu's whole report (originally about the lack of knowledge of politicians about the Belgian History), then the Flemish viewpoint on this case, with help of the interview of Christophe Deborsu.



The burgemeester of Ypers actually didn't know that 21 July stands for the oath-taking of Léopold I in 1831, then he sang the two first lines of the Marseillaise, the French national anthem!!! A republican hymn in front of a cathedral in which a mass was about to be given in honour of a monarchy!! Surrealism in its pure form.

There's what happened: he made a mistake. He didn't know the anthem, as the huge majority of Belgian do.

(Remember: in a previous post, I told you I was the only one in the class who could actually sing the lyrics of the Brabançonne. After some research, I realized that there are so many different versions of the anthem that it's impossible for me to determine which is the good one. I learned at school a version that doesn't seem to be the same as the one as that in Le Soir of 22 July…)

So, Mr Leterme didn't know the lyrics at all — even though I'm sure he knows the lyrics of the Vlaamse Leeuw, the anthem of Flemish nationalists — and song the first patriotic song he had in mind. The problem is that the Walloons thought of it as a provocation… It was merely a mistake, but the Walloons have a prejudice about this man. They (I'm Walloon, but I don't share their — public — opinion) think he's trying to give more powers to the Region of Flanders (and I personnaly think it would be a good idea) up to the point of splitting the country in two (and I personnally think this is not his goal at all: Flanders would lose a lot if it becomes independent).

Later on, in Dutch, Mr Leterme appologized for having offended people, even if it wasn't his intention. He said he'd made a mistake. Then, when asked to re-say it in French, he said it was out of the question. On VTM (private Flemish television), he was (implicitly) more aggressive towards the RTBF, saying that people who would want to discredit him would pay the price of it…

Already threatening the media? Usually, we can see such things in a dictatorship, I thought. Fearsome… Then I thought that the next four years were going to be great fun (I'm just being ironic) with this man as Prime Minister…

And I can say: "I was there when it happened"!!!

Wowser

My childhood is rooted in cartoons, as you already know it. Wowser was one of the many series I grew up with. Unfortunately, they (RTBF) broadcast it only once round 1991-1992. I only have one episode left on a tape, and I admit I occasionally watch it. (Nothing to be ashamed of.) In French, it's called Cubitus; the character was created by Dupa (aka the late Jean Dupanloup). I found the credits, a song sung by the French dubbing comedian and actor Jacques Balutin, most known for dubbing Starsky in Starsky & Hutch, but also Jim Varney in the Ernest series. (And note that Cubitus's voice was that of Pierre Tornade, who was also Obelix's voice.) I hope you enjoy it. If some of you remember this cartoon, please please tell me. I wanna know if I'm not the only one who watched this programme.



And here's the Dutch version, Dommel:



Note that the music is different. Here are the lyrics:

Kijk daar heb je Semafoor,
met z'n vriendje Dommel
Samen gaan ze het leven door,
en maken heel wat rommel
Dommel is rond, hij eet heel graag,
snoepjes, ijs en botten
Hij doet wat Semafoor hem vraagt,
en laat zich soms bedotten
Hier is Dommel, gekke hond
Heel dik, wit en rond
Vrolijk, lief en trouw
Hij heeft een hart van goud
Dommel is verbaasd
Als zijn baas weer iets uitvindt,
waar hij het nut niet van ziet
Dommel heeft soms haast
Als ie moet helpen,
en hij het liefst eten zou
Dommel lacht heel gauw
Houdt van het leven,
en hij kent zelden verdriet
Dommel is heel trouw
Je kunt op hem bouwen
Hij heeft... een hart van goud

And oh yeah, the cartoon was made in Japan, hence the unusual visuals.

Pierre Istace, RTBF Journalist

Pierre Istace is my favourite journalist. He's got such a voice! Unfortunately, he's gone and retired now, but sometimes reappears to make a report of a new painting or sculpture exhibition. In fact, his main domains of investigation were finance, economy and arts (especially paintings of the 19th and 20th centuries).
Here again, we can see him in Rome after the pope's death. It was one of his last great reportages abroad.
Note that he wears a red jacket provided by the RTBF. He was also a union representative for the FGTB (socialist union).

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).