Friday, February 15, 2013

The award ceremony.

After the lady from the Ministry finishes her speech it's time for the handing out of the awards for the village ' happy garden ' competition. Every year the villagers are invited to submit photographs of  their gardens to the mayor for judging. There was a time when there were 1st, 2nd and 3rd prizes but the competition for the top slots caused such bitter inter-communal feuding that now all gardens are considered equal.  Everyone who enters receives a medal and a small paper bag containing a bottle of wine and one of Madame Mayors dried vegetable arrangements. This year 15 medals and paper bags are to be handed out.  Liberte, egalite and just a hint of fraternite.

Being rural France theatricality is in the air. The Oscars have nothing on the ' happy gardens ' award ceremony. A beturbaned Madame Bay receives hers with a tearful '' thank you, thank you, thank you ". She takes the medal from the lady in the white suit and makes a strange up and down movement that could have been  a curtsy.   The Marge Simpson lookalike with the beehive hairdo tells us she is '' honoured. Deeply honoured ". The very old farmer, who has submitted a photo of six nicotina plants in a pot ,  turns to kiss the lady from the ministry but the mayor skillfully interposes himself between them. A look of unadulterated terror can briefly be seen on the dignitaries face .

Then it's all over. All the medals handed out. The bigwigs quickly depart. Perhaps just a tad too quickly. The extremely tall, thin young man in the suit with drainpipe trousers positively sprinting out of the Salle des Fetes and into the back of one of the large Peugeot limousines. The mayor turns to ' the font ' and and says ' I think that went well '. The very old farmer knowingly informs us that the Parisienne in the white suit was ' his sort of woman'.

As we walk back across the village green we both agree. It may not be perfect but it's home .

14 comments:

  1. Thoroughly enjoy reading your blog and look forward to each day's instalment. Today's is very well written and highly amusing. Thanks for my daily dose of French life. Richard

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  2. Definitely a family feel--they might be nuts, but they're family after all.

    XXXOOO Daisy, Bella & Roxy

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  3. As always a good laugh for me early in the morning Angus...thanks.
    One could write an entire book on the exploits of the old farmer and I'm sure it would be a bestseller.
    I had no idea that this trend of handing out prizes, medals etc to everyone participating in a competitive event had reached the shores of France as well. These adults should be ashamed. Someone has to win, and therefore someone has to lose.
    In the US all the kids are given a medal at sports events or other competitions whether they win or lose....how can they ever survive in this world where everything is not a bed of roses....wimps they will become.

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  4. There's no doubt the village has become your home and the people almost like family--And I've also no doubt they feel the same about you and 'the font' which is why I am surprised that the Mayor didn't invite himself to your house afterwards for a glass of your champagne.

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  5. But of course it is about the big picture and getting priorities right! People are more important than perfection. And who knows what good will come from respecting another living being be it human or otherwise. Villages are small places and harmony counts. I have a new found respect for the mayor and his wife.

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  6. I would stand in line to watch the movie about life in your village! I always love hearing your stories!

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  7. That very old farmer is quite the Casanova.

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  8. Six nicotinas in a single pot gets you a nice bottle of wine? Quite the deal, I'd say.

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  9. As places that a person could live go, it sounds very close to perfect to me.

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  10. I think the comedians Bob and Ray used to do a very funny bit about something akin to "dried vegetable arrangements" in paper sacks.

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  11. Ah! La vie quotidienne d'un village Francais...Un peu rustique bien sur mais totalement unique!

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  12. "It" also gave me the biggest laugh of my day. Thank you, thank you, thank you! (graceful curtsy)

    Jo, Stella and Zkhat

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