Category: Fourre-tout

La Pétanque Marinière is a pétanque club, but equally important it is also a social club. A loose association of people sharing a common interest.

The main reason for the club’s existence is obviously to play pétanque, but it also serves as a gathering place where you can meet new people, forge lifetime friendships and incidentally, find romance.

You often join a club for the same reasons that you join a gang: to evade loneliness. And regardless how happy you are with your mate, you cannot live in a vacuum. You need to leave your lair once in a while and rub elbows with unfamiliar people.

In the old days, places of worship served as clubhouses, but these places can be dull and stale. Before exchanging gossips, pleasantries, and confidences, churchgoers have to listen to a sermon, and many individuals would rather do without that.

In a social club, you don’t have to pretend to be pious or reverent. You can gossip to your heart’s content and use a great deal of profanity to let loose your emotions.

But besides exchanging gossips and risqué jokes, the club also has a more serious function.  It is a place where you can find friendship and comfort, especially after the loss of a dear one.

Even though club members might not know you that well, you are still part of a brotherhood, an extended family that will rally around when life gets rough.

So even if you don’t (yet) play pétanque, it would not hurt to join such a social club.

But not any club. Look before you jump!

“I wouldn’t want to belong to a club that would have me as a member.”  Groucho Marx

Alain ?

“Great minds discuss ideas. Average minds discuss events. Small minds discuss people.” ~ Eleanor Roosevelt

Last Sunday night, like millions of people, I watched the Oscars. While sipping on Champagne and tugging on my bow tie, I could not help but notice the abundance of “extreme” cleavages on the Red Carpet.

I am not opposed to cleavage, au contraire, but a neck to navel “décolleté” does not look or feel right. Especially in the middle of a passionate crusade against exploitation and objectification of women.

Women sometimes can be their worst enemy. I understand that on this significant occasion every actress is vying for attention, but showing too much skin is not the best way to do it.

A kamikaze décolleté, like a miniskirt or yoga pants, is not for everybody. To pull such a stunt successfully, you need the right equipment and the right garment. When showing cleavage, the V-line of the dress should stop right below the boobs.

If you look like Kate Upton, showing cleavage is a charitable obligation, but if you are a Twiggy lookalike, please abstain. There is absolutely nothing attractive or sexy about a boyish-looking woman baring her chest.

Flat chested women particularly look silly and over-endowed women look equally foolish. Showing extreme cleavage is a precarious balancing act between the sublime and the ridiculous. Don’t attempt this without supervision.

I am far from being a prig and I have always been on extremely friendly terms with the twins; but cleavage is an “amuse-gueule“, not the “piece de resistance.”

A woman likes to showcase her goods, but her wares have to be above average to be displayed. And when teasing, less is always more effective than more. When in doubt, show restraint and forget the navel.

Of course, if you have a wart on your nose or some facial hair on your upper lip it might not be a bad idea:

“I’m gonna try showing a little cleavage with the hopes that it will draw attention away from my face.”

In this case, I would understand, but generally speaking, extreme cleavage is to be avoided.

“Free the twins” sounds good, but is your equipment up to the task?

Alain

Your pitch is what you are!

The way you cast your pétanque boule tells a lot about your personality. We all have a  characteristic pitch, but some of us show more style than others.

This does not necessarily mean that an awkward pitcher is a lesser player than a more elegant individual. While always pleasing, flash is not everything. Some less graceful contenders don’t look cool, but never fail to deliver the goods.

As a photographer, I would lie if I told you that it does not make any difference to me. To be candid, I favor elegant shots where a player stretches his physical ability and when his face reflects his effort. Everybody likes drama, isn’t it?

But your personal style is programmed by your genes and there is very little you can do about it. Ultimately though, results are what counts, and an awkward win is always better than a flashy loss.

The nice thing about the game of pétanque is that there is practically no age limit. You can almost play from crib to grave and I have witnessed players over 90 who are still energetically tossing the boule.

“Age is no barrier. It’s a limitation you put on your mind.” — Jackie Joyner-Kersee

I have put together a small collection of pictures that I took over the last 10 years and I challenge you to select the player(s) with the most eye-catching appeal.

I will personally deliver a Golden Cochonnet and a warm “abrazo” to the lucky winner.

Alain

Click on the “My Photos” link located on the right side of this page to see the pictures. For best viewing, go Full Screen.