Blamerbell en Paris
Sunday, June 17, 2007
What's happening then?
Don't expect me to tell you:)
As you may know, I've been away at the CNN European blog awards, which I'm pleased to say I won.
I went to Paris for the ceremony on Friday and it was actually rather a big deal. There was a huge media fair being held at the Porte de Versailles which, for future reference, is not really taxiable from the centre of town (unless you are willing to remortgage your maison).
The awards ceremony itself was quite a grand affair - there were a number of elaborate speeches before I was eventually called. I was given the prize by a chap called Emmanuel Chain, who is sort of the French Jeremy Paxman (for looks, think David Ginola rather than Tony Adams). I'm sure he said some nice things about my blog but it was all in French and all I can remember from GCSE is how to ask for an ice cream or report that my cello has been stolen.
And that is very much how the rest of the evening went - much French being spoken and much failing to understand on my part. Later, I went to a student party with the guy who runs the second placed blog, drank a couple of beers and asked for lots of ice creams.
Incidentally, if you want a taxi in Paris, don't automatically assume that a taxi sitting in a taxi rank with its light on and door open is necessarily willing to take you anywhere. I got in, sat down, said 'Gare du Nord', even said please (though now I wish I hadn't bothered) before I was unceremoniously ejected by an all too rude Frenchman.
So, it's good to be back in the UK. And it's great to see that Welsh politics has been as unpredictable as ever in my absence.
Hopefully, I'll catch up with all that later, though I hear Plaid are now leaning towards a deal with Labour, if only because Labour will find it almost impossible to deliver it.
Labels: Blamerbell, CNN blog awards, National Assembly for Wales, Rainbow Coalition
posted by Blamerbell @ 12:54 pm,
34 Comments:
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At 1:19 pm,
Luke Young said...
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Congrats on the award btw!
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At 1:26 pm,
said...
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Llongyfarchiadau mawr! Dych chi'n haeddu'r peth.
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At 1:52 pm,
said...
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were you in cardiff central staion arounf 6.45 friday?
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At 2:03 pm,
Blamerbell said...
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Cheers guys.
VM, in the morning, yes... -
At 2:11 pm,
Unknown said...
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Well deserved. Congrats.
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At 2:25 pm,
said...
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Thought it was you I was going to come over and say hi but had to run for my train - you are a tall one.
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At 3:15 pm,
said...
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Well done!
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At 4:05 pm,
said...
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Llongyfarchiadau and great to have you back!
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At 4:07 pm,
said...
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Blamerbell very sensibly said:
"though I hear Plaid are now leaning towards a deal with Labour, if only because Labour will find it almost impossible to deliver it. "
LOL. -
At 4:08 pm,
said...
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Very well deserved. Congratulations!
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At 4:25 pm,
said...
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llongyfarchiadau indeed, a well-deserved win. Just one thing: it's not 'en' Paris, but 'a' Paris, with a grave accent on the 'a'. Might as well get that right.
Felicitations!
Ludovic -
At 5:02 pm,
said...
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Well done, butt!
On the taxi thing, see, on the mainland everybody expects you to be polite. You should have said hello first and asked if the taxi was available. I once went into a cake shop and asked, in French, for a particular cake. She answered in English "Don't you even say 'good morning' first"? I made the same mistake when I wanted to change my train ticket (not in the cake shop, obviously). I was ordered to the back of the 'file' with the same ear-bashing. -
At 5:18 pm,
Alun Cairns said...
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Thoroughly deserved. Congratulations
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At 6:21 pm,
Glyn Davies said...
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Its an honour to have known you when you started out. I'll be able to tell out first grandchild, who is to be born in October that I was once interviewed by Blamer
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At 6:52 pm,
sarah said...
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Llongyfarchiadau!
..who knows, maybe your success will see the CNN website recognise Wales (charmingly described as the 'region of Cardiff' on the awards site at present!) -
At 6:56 pm,
gwe said...
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Quite an amazing feat - this won't look half bad on the old CV!!!
Warmest congratulations,
Llongyfarchiadau mawr Ciaran,
gwe
PS Did you see you got a 'mensh' yesterday on Betsan Powys' blog? -
At 7:33 pm,
said...
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Ciaran,
It's "à Paris" ;-)
Well done on the award!
James -
At 7:41 pm,
Christopher Glamorgan said...
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This comment has been removed by the author.
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At 7:42 pm,
Christopher Glamorgan said...
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Congratulations on the award - well deserved! It looks like the only successful thing to come out of the Assembly election so far is your blogging.
P.S. I think Betsan Powys is now a big fan (see her blog)- it'll be coffee for two in the Assembly cafe from now on :-D -
At 7:49 pm,
Blamerbell said...
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Thanks again.
a Paris, en Paris, whatever (still feeling bitter about that taxi...)
VM, 'quite' tall is the qualifier I prefer to use. Not as tall as Adam Price, or Iain Dale mind.
Come on then, chaps. I'd expected you to fill me in on all the news by now:) -
At 8:03 pm,
said...
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Well done Ciaran.
"Come on then, chaps. I'd expected you to fill me in on all the news by now:)"
News fatigue is setting in. Signal and counter signal, over-analysed inflection, people talking about triple bluffs and even more adventurous multiples...
Much easier to just congratulate you old chap. -
At 8:05 pm,
Peter Black said...
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Congratulations on the award it was well deserved even if you did misrepresent me in the Wales on Sunday this morning :-)
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At 8:13 pm,
Blamerbell said...
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Everyone knows Matt Withers writes all the political lies in the Wales on Sunday, Peter:) Me? I was in Paris...
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At 8:14 pm,
Blamerbell said...
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Oh, and Daran - I've just read 100+ blog entries from the weekend.
Seems an intervention from the Lib Dems could send the whole thing rocketing back to square one. Then it truly would be a farce. -
At 9:33 pm,
Dragon said...
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Your blog is great. Lots of regards from Serbia
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At 12:31 am,
said...
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Congratulations Blamer.
Well done.
.......and well done to my fellow posters, whom I hope may be permitted to bathe in the reflected glory visited upon us by our esteemed host.
Your pestiferous yet pleased pal.
johnny. -
At 8:58 am,
Gwenno said...
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Llongyfarchiadau!
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At 9:58 am,
said...
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Llongyfarchiadau - haeddiannol iawn. Yn mwynhau fy ffics dyddiol o dy friffs.
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At 10:13 am,
said...
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Many congratulations on the award. Don't judge the French by the manners of the Parisian taxi drivers.
In terms of the coalition, I still say that it's too close to call between the two options for Plaid. Statements from Brit Labour MPs could scupper a deal although requests form Mike German for Plaid to make their minds up will drive rainbowists in their droves to the red/green banner. He winds up other party members just as much as his own. -
At 11:04 am,
said...
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dosseur incontinente
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At 11:24 am,
said...
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What isn't being said by either Labour or Plaid is that nagging feeling about having to trust the Lib Dems.
If Plaid go in with them, will they jump ship after the Council elections and go back to Labour and if Labour bed them, will they jump before 2011 to avoid losing list seats?
They don't even trust themselves so why should any other party be expected to trust them?
Whatever the result of July 6th and 7th, it's odds on that Plaid will get Ceredigion back at Westminster. -
At 11:28 am,
said...
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The Alec & Ian summit has more to do with Labour's change of heart than any other factor. With Wales also in tow through the rainbow option, London would face a formidable challenge.
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At 11:33 am,
said...
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The more progressive element of my party need to get off their arses and start shouting for this red/green deal. We have stayed silent long enough and should follow Edwina's lead.
We could truly put our New Labour colleagues to shame by working with the progessive Plaid elements and showing that socialism is not a dirty word in 21st Century politics. -
At 12:37 pm,
said...
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"follow Edwina's lead"
What - "I don't care what happens as long as I keep my job." Socialism in its purest form.
