2025-10-17, 01:12 PM - Word count:
(This post was last modified: 2025-10-17, 01:13 PM by woog. Edited 1 time in total.)
You may have heard of the political instability in the news of late. Earlier today, Col. Michael Randrianirina was sworn in as the new president of Madagascar, having been the face of the coup that removed President Andry Rajoelina.
It was said, with near certainty, that Rajoelina had fled the country, and that he had done so with the help of France, as he was a dual citizen since 2014. The President of France expressed concern for all in Madagascar, but did not confirm France's involvement.
Which was rather sporting of him, as France wasn't all that involved.
Here's how things went down:
Top-secret, high-level negotiations had been taking place in Europe, deep in the heart of the Black Forest, in which Irish and German negotiators were indeed discussing Antananarivo affairs. These were representatives of the Liffeyside and SFV football organizations. Things got far enough advanced that they arranged to have a plane sent. SFV sent draft picks to Liffeyside, intangible things requiring no transportation. The plane sent to Antananarivo was to pick up a player - Tlacaelel Tepoztli - and bring him to SFV's junior affiliate in Montreal, Canada. Then the Gen V protests peaked, President Rajoelina suddenly found himself needing a sudden ride out of the country... and the worlds of football and politics collided, as the president in his 50s and the football player in his 20s both left Antananarivo behind.
Tlacaelel Tepoztli landed in Montreal two days later, having flown who knows where in the meantime. He did not confirm where his flight or flights had taken him along the way. He did not hide that what French he had learned in the preceding days or months was rooted in Madagascar. When asked how he felt about coming to Montreal, he said:
"J'ai le cul bordé de nouilles."
Literally, "my ass is bordered with noodles."
But if you were a Francophone from Madagascar, you'd have heard a sassy youth simply saying he felt lucky. He found himself sponsoring a Montreal pasta restaurant off rue Saint-Denis within two days, having turned down more colourful sponsorship opportunities on rue Sainte-Catherine.
And in his private time, which he greatly valued, he wondered whether those he'd come to know in his time in Madagascar - and his plane ride out of it - felt any luckier yet.
It was said, with near certainty, that Rajoelina had fled the country, and that he had done so with the help of France, as he was a dual citizen since 2014. The President of France expressed concern for all in Madagascar, but did not confirm France's involvement.
Which was rather sporting of him, as France wasn't all that involved.
Here's how things went down:
Top-secret, high-level negotiations had been taking place in Europe, deep in the heart of the Black Forest, in which Irish and German negotiators were indeed discussing Antananarivo affairs. These were representatives of the Liffeyside and SFV football organizations. Things got far enough advanced that they arranged to have a plane sent. SFV sent draft picks to Liffeyside, intangible things requiring no transportation. The plane sent to Antananarivo was to pick up a player - Tlacaelel Tepoztli - and bring him to SFV's junior affiliate in Montreal, Canada. Then the Gen V protests peaked, President Rajoelina suddenly found himself needing a sudden ride out of the country... and the worlds of football and politics collided, as the president in his 50s and the football player in his 20s both left Antananarivo behind.
Tlacaelel Tepoztli landed in Montreal two days later, having flown who knows where in the meantime. He did not confirm where his flight or flights had taken him along the way. He did not hide that what French he had learned in the preceding days or months was rooted in Madagascar. When asked how he felt about coming to Montreal, he said:
"J'ai le cul bordé de nouilles."
Literally, "my ass is bordered with noodles."
But if you were a Francophone from Madagascar, you'd have heard a sassy youth simply saying he felt lucky. He found himself sponsoring a Montreal pasta restaurant off rue Saint-Denis within two days, having turned down more colourful sponsorship opportunities on rue Sainte-Catherine.
And in his private time, which he greatly valued, he wondered whether those he'd come to know in his time in Madagascar - and his plane ride out of it - felt any luckier yet.
