We bet on the World Cup soccer matches at the three star restaurant I cook at in Paris. It keeps the twelve hour day exciting. Not that cooking with thirty-six hormonally challenged young men isn't exciting on it's own – but I am a married woman and there are limits.
Champs Elysée after the match
France played Portugal on the 5th of July which was and is a very special day for me. First of all it's my wedding anniversary, secondly my husband's parents flew in to be with us, and thirdly I placed the winning bet. That's right! Ha!!! I cleaned hoooooooouuuuuse!!!!
The Chef de Cuisine let me go early so I could be with my husband and family – an unusual show of tenderness. I did mention to him that I haven't seen my family in seven months. I also mentioned that I never see my husband because he's always travelling and I'm always working and we don't even get to faites l'amour anymore. This he understood. No one at the restaurant has time for love – it's a sad painful fact. Especially when you are surrounded by sensual smells and tastes all day long. Starving, really, if you know what I mean...
I placed my bet 1 – 0 France with the first goal by the Coq's in 23 minutes. Everyone scoffed at my early goal estimate. But when I got home to watch the game with my husband, family, and friends I caught the first goal by Zidane at 33 minutes!
It wasn't exactly a romantic anniversary, but it was great to be with family, eat shish kabobs, and drink beer and not be in slaving away in a hot hot hot kitchen.
I felt bad receiving my lump of cash the next day. There I was the little American girl who knows nothing about soccer, or cooking for that matter, collecting wads of euros. I could tell there were some bad feelings. Oh well! You win some, You loose some!
I'm betting France 2 – 0 for the final Sunday game with the first goal in 17 minutes. Any takers?
Post final comment: Ouch. It was a tough match...
Posted by: Jennifer | July 10, 2006 at 01:25 AM
the biggest ouch came with zidane head butting the italian and getting red carded. man. that was so odd!
Posted by: jeorg | July 10, 2006 at 11:48 AM
Once again, the world was amazed by the elegance (head butt) of France losing the World Cup.
Why this happened? Visit my blog for analysis.
http://manyyearsinthemerde.blogspot.com
And celebrate this new French defeat!
Posted by: Uranus | July 10, 2006 at 04:19 PM
I can only imagine what the atmosphere was like in the restaurant on Sunday. I myself was at the Fancy Food Show in NYC and was enthralled with the cheers coming off the international sections. We could always tell who was winning by the direction of the cheers and howls. Once Zidane was red carded... the French representatives became so sad. They said "that's it then".
Posted by: Kristen Nweeia | July 12, 2006 at 07:59 AM
The BLEUS deserved to win-it's a crying shame :( Triste
Posted by: carolg@PB | July 13, 2006 at 08:40 PM
I have a different opinion... but oh well, game is game! Let the best win.
sigh* sigh* from Portugal :-(
Posted by: fada*do*lar | July 17, 2006 at 10:57 AM