If you follow hockey and the NHL, then you are probably aware that there have been some pre season NHL games happening over here in Europe. Tampa Bay, Pittsburgh, Ottawa and New York are all over here playing. On Wednesday, our team had a scheduled day off, and it just happened to fall on the same day that the Rangers were playing a Russian team in Bern, Switzerland, only about 2.5 hours from Epinal, France. So arrangements were made to get tickets to the game and we were all set to go when we were informed at the last minute that we had a team function. At first it was, "oh great, the whole team is going to the game!" Wrong, we had to be at "La Fete Foraine" in other words, the Carnival. This is the equivalent to the Freedom Festival in downtown Windsor, with rides and games etc... And also at the end of the evening, the Carnies were making us dinner!
Not a tough decision to make as to which option I wanted to take, but being a team guy, we had to stay in town and miss the game, but did I mention we had a pass for free rides all day! Oh yes, that included "Break Dance," "Himalaya," "Haunted House," "Les Karts (go karts)," and don't let me forget "Beach Party!!!" In all honesty, for those who know me pretty well, you would have to say that if there was a "non hockey" related consolation prize for missing the NHL game, this Carnival thing with free rides and a free dinner would be it! I had a blast, the food was great, it wasn't hot dogs and burgers, it was crepes and waffles. I was hitting up as many rides as I could until the "Beach Party" got the best of me and I was ready to puke up my Nutella Waffle.
It was a little different hitting up these rides too, while on the Himalaya, when you just spin around in a circle and they play great music and say "Let me here you scream if you want to go fasterrrrrrr!!!!" well all this stuff was in French, and though I appreciate the differences "Crie si tu veux aller plus vite!!!!" just didn't have the same ring to it!
On our first ride "Break Dance" which is much like the Giant Teacup Ride at Disney World, I was sitting in a buggy with Tarik Chipaux, 21 year old french player on our team. In the other buggy was another younger french player Anthony Pernot and Canadian Ryan Caicco. We were all pretty excited to get this going, it was our first ride and all, and Tarik is yelling things over at Ryan (who doesn't speak french). So Caicco, thinking our french teammate is just yelling things to get him fired up for the ride, is raising his hands in the air smiling, and yelling "Ya! Woooo! Ya!!!" Tarik continues, screaming the same thing prior to and for the duration of the ride "Hey Ryan, Va te faire enculé!!!" and Ryan continues to respond with "YA!!!!" and celebratory actions, throwing his hands up in the air, single arm fist pumps. This went on for the entire ride and the same reaction every time. I'm sure you all are curious as to what that means..... in English what Tarik was yelling was "Hey Ryan, GO FUCK YOURSELF!!!" Poor Ryan, with a smile from ear to ear: "Woooooooooooo! Ya!!!!"
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