French Friends, Fun & Funds

As mentioned yesterday, the dad of one of Tara's friends from l'Ecole Ponteil (her school in France last year) has made the most generous offer. He is dedicating his Ironman Malaysia triathlon on Saturday to little Tara (wow!), and raising funds for her new 'pretend legs'. He's giving a speech tonight (click here to download) and has also attached a short version of it in French and English if you'd like to pass on the information to anyone else.

Tara left an impression on Jean-Luc in Antibes last year when we were playing besides a freezing cold swimming pool, and a ball fell in. While we were all discussing who should be the one to get in the cold water - Tara just jumped in and did it.

JL's wife - a fab Melbournite - has also tracked down an extremely inspirational athlete, Sarah Reinertsen - who happens to have also had her left leg amputated at seven, and who Tara and the girls watched in awe on Amazing Race as she scaled the Wall of China etc. 

To follow Jean-Luc's race live you can visit: www.ironmanmalaysia.com.my/home.html His race number is 441 (and his name is Jean-Luc Boulanger).

It's funny. In the English world, 'the French' have this image of being arrogant - but in real life (well, in the South of France for definite) - you couldn't meet people with more warmth and soul. Apart from JL, there's Christine (the girls' former teacher, who's learnt a lot of very useful English from Desperate Housewives) - she sends us beautiful CDs that she compiles herself, messages of support that could hold up a rugby team, and so much more. Yesterday we received a postcard from her and signed by 'toute la rue' (the neighbours in the street that make up our Antibes family) including Wolfie who helps us with broadband in France (and feeds us champagne), Angie who makes fantastic coffee (!!) and Richard the doctor who still makes house calls in the middle of the night...and smiles! Novels and movies about gorgeous French communities like the one in Chocolat are no exaggeration!

Pics today of Tara doing handstand on Plage Ponteil in Antibes (still with brace) & the girls with Christine's funny and wonderful husband Jac on his birthday last year.