Lunchtime with the French and Swiss

Watching the World Cup. France is hammering Switzerland. Two goals in the matter of a minute.

The television is on Univision, the Spanish-language channel that comes over the air free to our digital antenna in Hillsdale. All the games we have watched have been in Spanish this way. I have practicing the cry of "goooool" from the announcer. It's easy to stereotype, but there is an art to getting it just right.

The French team's great play reminds me of my friends in France, in particular Jean. I haven't seen him for almost five years now. He doesn't get to North America much anymore.

I want to write and tell him that a commercial on Univision playing during the World Cup uses a cover of the old pop song "Born to Be Alive." That was on the radio briefly in 1979, when Jean first came to the U.S.---to Houston, as a junior high school student. His dad was in the oil industry. He remembers that particular song as being his welcome to America. Ironically the song is by a French guy.

The version in the new commercial is slowed down and wan. Half speed or less, like everything in America these days (the U.S. team looks like scraggly and unhealthy, and were lucky to win that match).

At least the French are playing well today, with great spirit. They sang the Marsellaise at the beginning with alacrity, even some of the players on the field.

Aux armes, citoyens... Can't believe they still sing that line.

Now the Swiss are counterattacking. They are not letting the French take the game so easily.