Handball...it's not what you think

So, I got to go to another match last night.  VIP.  The whole deal.  It was a handball match.  For those of you who grew up in what we'll call a "regular" school in the US, when I say handball, what do you think of?


There's a wall, right?  And you hit the ball against the wall hard enough that your opponent can't return the ball, or something like that, right? This wikipedia article might refresh your memory (I personally like that there's a variation called prison handball...it just feels right haha)

So, in Europe, and of course, the rest of the world, this sport with the same name is totally different.  *side note* We like to give the US crap for stuff like 'soccer' instead of 'football', but there are good reasons why. Did you know that (according to etymonline.com) the word 'soccer' came about by taking the name Football Association, shortening to Assoc. and then adding the '-er' similar to how rugby used to be called 'rugger' in university slang? Did you know that in Italy, a major power in the soccer world, it's called il calcio and not il futbol? "I did not know that, Michael.  Thank you for enlightening me"

The Norwegian babe in the bottom right corner is my new girlfriend.  Her name is Stine Oftedal. Learn it.

So...thoughts? (I literally sat for like 2 minutes just staring at that "so" that I had typed, not knowing what to say after) It was honestly really cool to watch a sport that I'd never watched before and to try and figure out the rules. It's like a cross between indoor soccer (goals/goalie), basketball (pace and dribbling), rugby (contact/aggression), and maybe like... Quidditch? (because of its...quirkiness?)  I'll discuss the quirkiness later. 

The ball is like a small soccer ball, but with more bounce (so they can dribble) and it apparently has some tacky material (tacky like tactile, not tacky like sans class) on it so they can grip it better with one hand. No one can enter the goalie's "box" (though here, it's more like a half oval) except the goalie.  So shots on the goal have to be fast and crazy to make it.  This, combined with the ball's small size, leads to the aforementioned quirkiness. (I'm sincerely trying not to laugh in my office right now, which means I'm shaking with silent laughter...)

So, the goalie has to defend a goal from a relatively small ball flying at a relatively high velocity.  Sounds similar to soccer, right?  Well, for some reason, it just isn't.

Why did I say this reminded me of Quidditch?

Aaand...SPAZZ hands

I feel like I'm watching someone dance to cotton-eyed Joe at a church youth dance.  These were taken during warm-ups before the match, and the players were just chucking ball after ball at the goalie (to get her warmed-up) and her legs were FLYING up in the air! It was both awesome and hilarious.  Fortunately, during the match, there's a lot less relentlessness in the number of consecutive attacks.  Once they shoot, they either score, or the goalie recovers the ball. Most of the time they score...hence why it's like basketball - lots of running back and forth after each team scores.
    
Anyway, we do have handball teams in the states, but it just hasn't gained the steam that soccer has (as far as "import" sports go).  Maybe it just needs time.

And now an homage to my love, Stine

 

I swear I'm not crazy.

Lost in Translation

Can I just say, translating is not a simple task.  I think I'm realizing my own naivete in thinking that a translation internship would be a cakewalk.

Let's make one thing clear: if you speak two languages with enough proficiency, you no longer rely on real-time, internal interpretation to figure out what people are saying.  Proficient bilinguals and polyglots (people who speak multiple languages) don't sit there during conversations consciously trying to map out what is being said.  They just listen and respond, similar to what you would do in your first language.  Thus, there's not some set English script in my head for when I'm speaking French that I can turn to that will work every time (likewise in the other direction).

When I thought about my  translation internship, I thought "Oh this will be easy.  I speak French pretty well, English is my native language...cake"

Then I got here, and like running into a brick wall (or in the case of this poor woman, a glass door)...

This is a gem...I wish it were a gif

...I realized the foolishness of what I had done. 

Just kidding.  I love the internship! It's true, though, that translation is not as easy as one might think, especially with deadlines and expectations of professionalism.  I mentioned a few posts ago that I was translating the website for PL4Y International ... it's a beast! It's technically finished, but I have some cleaning touches and edits to do.  There are also little links, page headers, etc. that are resisting attempts to be changed, so it's a lot of collaboration with our web team.  I'm learning so much :) 

Never have I been so pushed in terms of technicality in syntax and semantics.  Nor in vocabulary, I might add, as I had to constantly search for the British way of saying things.  The hardest part though, was knowing the meaning of the French (see paragraph 2), but not having adequate terminology in English to translate to.  Or having too many English terms to choose from.  On top of that, I also "get" to edit all the French content (due to the nature of the language, native French speakers, even when educated, can be prone to making subtle grammatical mistakes in writing...it's hard to find an equivalent in English...it's not like spelling mistakes.  It would be more like correcting me for leaving prepositions at the end of my sentences [which I do all the time...even in this very post]...but even then, it's not the same.  Frenchies, you know what I'm talking about - fautes d'accord, conjugaison, etc.) It's thrilling (sense the tone).

In any case, I'm so thankful to be here, working, learning, eating.  It's the bombdotcom.  Six-weeks already...here's to six more!

Volleyball!!

I didn't get to play (which would have been awesome) but I got to attend the Super Cup, which takes the national men's volleyball champions, and pits them against the winners of the Champion's League (which in the world of French volleyball, is basically always the same two teams - Tours and Paris).  We had VIP seats (there are perks to this internship after all)

I went with two of my co-workers, Candice and Lynne

Lynne, Candice, me...after a long day of work, so no judging :)

Lynne is Canadian, from New Brunswick, I believe (look that one up).  She speaks French and English fluently, and her French has a wonderful, almost Quebecois-like lilt to it, which I love.

Candice is from the Alsace region of France and she is also doing a Master's program, though it's through a Swiss university.  They're both awesome!

A quick note about volleyball in France.  The stands here held less than the Smith Fieldhouse at BYU, so of course there were fewer fans (they were just as enthusiastic as BYU fans, however).  Lynne made the comment that collegiate volleyball and sports in general are really well-developed in the states and Canada, while professional leagues are less-common.  France, on the other hand, doesn't really do collegiate sports, so professional leagues and clubs are more important.  It was an interesting point...aside from the national teams, I couldn't think of a major professional volleyball team in the states.  It's all college teams.  Crazy.  Where do college volleyball players go after they graduate? 

Back to the match...so many things to say...where to start...?

OK, Tours, in my opinion, is a way better team (and they won, so there...justified) and here's why: SERVICE! Their serves were sooo strong! 

 
Paris was probably more consistent in getting it over, but the serves were rarely hit with any real force...more like lobs.  They were trying for a float serve (???...my English vocab is dying) but it wasn't super effective. Tours definitely hit the net more, but the when it got over, Paris' team was like

 

I'm still laughing from some of the moments last night. 

Volleyball culture in France is very similar to the states (I wonder why...) Lots of pumping music, intimidation tactics during opposing serves, etc.  The one thing they couldn't get right was letting "We Will Rock You" get to the lyrics part of the song so I could sing along :)  Whatevs.

They've also adopted a lot of the English vocab during play, like calling a ball "out" instead of "dehors."  One thing missing, either in French or English, was the idea of a side out.  Of course it exists, but they don't have a one-word, simple version of it.

 

Something they had that we definitely do NOT have in volleyball is cheerleaders...

I won't lie - two things made this painful...no, thr...ok so many things made this painful.

1) Not necessarily their skill level, but rather that these adolescent, club cheerleaders were at a professional, national sporting event

2) Scratch the first part of #1. Their skill level. Honestly...I couldn't even...No.

3) They didn't really do any leading of cheers.  I'll leave #3 at that.

4) SO OUT OF CONTEXT!!!! Volleyball is not a cheerleading sport!

I'm sure I'll think of other things, probably meaner things, to say...I'm a brat, I know.  Message me if you want the deets.  Needless to say I was giggling out of discomfort for them.

It was a really good night, though.  Tours won (they also two Americans and a giant Canadian on their team...so maybe I'm biased in being happy for them)

I took this at the moment the little confetti canons went off.  Oh, that libero on the front row (the guy in the dark blue, the digger or passer) was insane...both in his skills and probably medically.  I can't count the number of times he jumped on his teammates like a little...I wanna say demon?...monkey?...I'm not sure.  He just latched right on, screaming his guts out any time they scored.  I was dying of laughter.

Une soirée réussie !  

Name Change

No, I'm not changing my name, nor the name of this blog. 

Sorry it's been so long since I've written.  Last week was crazy! The NGO I "work" for (and by work I mean that I do work for them without pay) :) just changed its name, brand, identity, everything, to become PL4Y International! (yes, that is a "4" in place of an "A") I won't go into too many details...suffice it to say that I got to participate in the launch party at the Shangri-La Paris ... see here

Sorry for the poor photo quality...lighting plus an iphone makes for less-than picturesque shots.

Fancy finger-food

Yep

Sebastien Chabal, probably one of the most famous French rugby players. His beard is epic.

Some of our athlete-ambassadors with the President of the NGO

Such good desserts...Laura Larsen, I still like your macarons better.

So, ya.  That was the lead-up to my weekend.  I get to go back to the Shangri-La for a gala and auction that we will be holding in November.  I'm pretty stoked.  Other than all that excitement, I'm just plugging along translating the new website into English...the whole thing.  It's crazy how translation makes you realize how little you know your own language.  So many things in French just make sense to me without knowing how I would say it in English.  And, I have to make everything British English...which is a treat.