Autumn Leaves and Foxes’ Weddings30/11/2024 There may not have been much petanque played on the Maldon pistes due to rain last Sunday, but in downtown Kyoto it was business as usual, despite some passing showers. Andrew and I were keen spectators at a tournament that attracted 72 doubles teams - that’s 144 players who came from across Kyoto prefecture to meet for a periodic competition. As well as damp conditions, the players braved some very cold weather. They kept warm by wearing countless layers of clothes, drinking scalding tea and eating pots of piping hot noodles. In between watching the games, we took the time to admire the autumn leaves, which are gradually turning the Imperial Palace grounds into a sea of red and yellow. So, we asked: was there a cash prize for the winner? “No, better than cash,” said Masami, our club mentor. “First prize is a five kilogram bag of rice. Very good rice, grown by a Kyoto prefecture club member who is a rice farmer. His rice is the best.” As we left the tournament, the sun had come out while it was still raining quite heavily. “When it rains while the sun is shining, we have a special phrase for this in Japanese,” Masami said. “We say that it is the foxes’ wedding. Foxes have a special place in Japanese culture and traditions.” And so finished our final day at the Kyoto pistes. Although it’s very tempting to think about coming back to play in the 2027 Masters championships, which will be held in Kyoto. Let’s wait and see! Viv Markham
0 Comments
November 21st 202421/11/2024
Beverley Forsyth recently wrote this lovely tribute to Chantal Moritz who played at Maldon a number of times.
Vale Chantal Moritz 1953-2024 There have been lots of tributes from the Petanque community to Chantal as she was someone who left a deep impression on those who came in contact with her. Her beautiful smile that lit up her face, natural warmth, French accent, and skill on the piste - as someone commented ‘ she could throw a mean boule and if you were playing with or against her you were always guaranteed a competitive fun game’ Chantal was my friend and my frequent partner in Petanque, the game we both loved. We first teamed up when play resumed after Covid and found we played well together and established a rapport at first on the piste but quickly we became friends as we shared many interests Over the years on the piste we had both victories and defeats as is always the case in Petanque but throughout it was simply good fun – how could it not be with Chantal’s beautiful smile, gracious manner, knowledge of the game and considerable skill. Looking back on those tournaments, it was the individual games that stand out as highlights, winning with Gerry at Halls Gap and Avoca and the two of us together at Camberwell. I have been comforted by newcomers to Petanque telling me they remember her as ‘that lovely lady’ who was such a generous player. She stood out from the crowd for all the right reasons. Beyond our times on the piste, there are all the memorable social times, many lunches and evenings, birthdays and Bastille Days and weekends. Times of joy and laughter, good food and wine and shared stories and art and ideas, Chantal was a teacher and an artist who exhibited in Australia and France. The cloud and reality of cancer was also there but it served as a reminder to live in the present, to grasp the opportunities (a quick trip to France for Christmas) and to make plans for the future Sadly that future was curtailed. Vale Chantal beautiful friend. Beverley Forsyth |
RSS Feed