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a, Arts & Entertainment, Theatre

A night at the opera

by Morgan Alexander on

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As part of their 2014-2015 season, l’Opéra de Montréal produced Camille Saint-Saëns’ Samson and Delilah, a biblical tale of lovers’ deceit and the might of God. Sung entirely in French, Samson and Delilah tells the story of the Hebrew Samson (Endrik Wottrich), who used his God-given strength to free the Hebrew people from capture by the Philistines, only to be taken hostage yet again—both figuratively and literally—by the beautiful Philistine princess, Delilah (Marie-Nicole Lemieux). 

The plot, as one could guess, is weak, if not simply boring. An operatic adaptation of a biblical story does not provide much in the way of excitement, and while each song sounds incredible to Saint-Saëans’ credit, little is gained by following the translation provided on a screen located above the stage.  That advice goes for double in terms of the negative effect of taking your eyes away from the set for even a moment. Truly, the credit for what made this performance so incredible should be awarded to set designers Anick La Bissonnière and Eric-Olivier Lacroix, whose ingenuity in using multiple pillars with moving projections made for a simplistic yet awe-inspiring experience.

In terms of this production’s flaws, one does not have to look farther than Act I, which dragged along in spite of the skill of both the orchestra, conducted by Jean-Marie Zeitouni, and the chorus. Admittedly, Delilah’s entrance towards the end of the act provided a much-welcomed change of pace, since her costume for Act I finally ushered in the opulence one would expect in dealing with the rulers of Israel. The chorus, however, deserves particular amounts of praise, providing the best songs throughout, particularly in Act III when Samson is mocked. This is not to detract from the main cast; the skill of Wottrich and Lemieux hits its prime in Act II with the lovers’ duet—Samson on his knees crooning “Dalila, je t’aime!” as Delilah rebuts with claims of cowardice. This scene too succeeded in displaying director Alain Gauthier’s skill in making the most of the minimalist set design. In this particular scene, always having Samson either positioned lower than Delilah—a feat given Wottrich’s menacing size, accomplished in part by the tilted stage—or left in her shadow added to the drama of the whole affair. 

Despite the clear talent of the main cast, chorus, and orchestra,  it was ultimately the beauty of the set in combination with the contrasting elegance of the costumes that stole the show from beginning to end, making an all-encompassing performance even in scenes where the plot was noticeably lacking. 

This was particularly embodied in Act III, when, in the Philistine temple, the chorus seated themselves facing the pillars upon which was projected a scene of a man and woman dancing maked in black and white. The scene itself was odd in its abrupt entrance and exit, but the soft lighting splayed across the cast, picking up the glow of the gold jewels in which they were adorned, as blasts of colour emitted from the projectors created a cinematic experience, as if we had been moved from the biblical retelling into a modern ballet. 

As a whole, Samson and Delilah was beautiful in its production, using light imagery and a re-imaging of simple themes to create a visual experience as bold as the performers’ voices, bringing a relatively flat plot to life.

Samson and Delilah will be playing to a sold-out crowd at the Opéra de Montréal’s Wilfird Pelletier Hall Jan. 27, 29, and 31. Visit www.operademontreal.com to see the schedule for future events.

a, Arts & Entertainment, Theatre

Uneven script limits Players’ production’s promising potential

by Dan Moczula on

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The Creation of the World and Other Business is a deep cut of Arthur Miller’s work. The self-serious American playwright tried his hand at comedy, and what followed was nothing if not memorable and confusing. In fact, director Kirsten Kephalas admits that the play is “one of the worst comedies [she had] ever read.” Despite the ineptitude of the source material, this Players’ Theatre production still results in a brave, and at times, compelling staging of Arthur Miller’s idiosyncratic rendition of the world’s creation in Judeo-Christian mythology and mankind’s fall from innocence.

The play begins in the mystical Garden of Eden, with God (Frederic Rosenthal) and Adam (Alec MacMillan) struggling to name fruits and animals. Early on, Miller’s humour would be comfortable in a Sunday school; however, with the entrance of Lucifer (Lucas Amato), the play shifts gears, becoming more adult in its humour and weighty in its concerns. 

Amato’s Lucifer is a highlight of the production. Miller writes him as the most human character, and Amato embodies Lucifer’s pettiness and idealism incredibly well. He knows how to commit and deliver a joke no matter how clumsily written—or obscene, in the case of one joke about ‘holes.’ 

Throughout the play, Miller’s heavy-handed treatment of ‘important questions’ is often antithetical to comedy. Conversations between God and Lucifer alternate between discussing the relationship of innocence and knowledge to corny jokes—“If it weren’t for the law of Conservation of Energy, I’d destroy you!” bellows a megalomaniac God to Lucifer more than once. In these exchanges with Lucifer, Rosenthal’s bearded, white-robed God is played a little more disinterestedly and aloofly than needed in the pursuit of gravitas. The dialogue can be clunky—Miller alternates between using a natural modern speech pattern and faux biblical language such as the repeated use of “thee.” 

The play never decides to commit to being a comedy or a drama, and its uncertain genre status pulls the play in two different directions. The relationship between Adam and Eve (Anna Queen) is distant and forced. During Eve’s late pregnancy there are several pregnancy, jokes which come off—through no fault of the director or cast—as misogynistic and cruel. The character of Eve is dealt a poor hand and Queen makes the most of her role dealing with the misfortunes caused by a vengeful God and clumsy playwright with a grace that is befitting of her character. 

In the last act, the plot grows convoluted as God wants to kill Eve’s youngest son so that humanity becomes dependent on God. Lucifer wants to stop God’s plan to prove that there does not need to be any duality between good and evil. This reversal of roles is fascinating and intriguing for those versed in Judeo-Christian mythology, and fits comfortably in a long tradition of painting Lucifer as an anti-hero. 

Due to God’s influence, Eve’s sons tie her up and are about to assault her when God comes down and causes a chain of events which result in the death of Eve’s youngest son, Abel (Adam Almeida). The ending has the emotional intensity and high volume of Miller’s dramas and is reminiscent the climax of The Crucible. However, the staging of the last act is cluttered, with God, Lucifer, Adam, Eve, and their children vying for stage space. The death of Abel at the hand of his brother Cain (Clay Walsh) is not an emotional moment with Abel entering and exiting the play briefly, and the writing does not establish his relationships with other characters before his murder. However Walsh gives Cain depth during his brief stage time and showcases murderous rage and immense regret in one of the play’s strongest dramatic moments.  

Despite inconsistencies in the scripts, The Creation of the World and Other Business is still fascinating and unique because of its flaws. Fans of Arthur Miller or for those who want to have a distinct semi-comedic experience should watch it for themselves. 

The Creation of the World and Other Business runs from Wednesday, Jan. 28 to Saturday, Jan. 31 at 8 p.m. at Players’ Theatre. Student tickets are $6. Trigger warning for subject matter pertaining to sexual and emotional abuse.

a, News, SSMU

Khan and Syed v. SSMU Council case resolved through mediation

by Philippe Dumais on

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On Jan. 17, Judicial Board (J-Board) case Khan and Syed v. Students’ Society of McGill University (SSMU) Council and Speaker was resolved through a mediation session. Participants signed an agreement mandating the J-Board to investigate and make recommendations on whether adaptations to Robert’s Rules should be adopted in regards to motions to postpone indefinitely during General Assemblies (GAs). The motion to postpone indefinitely prescribed by Robert’s Rules currently allows participants in a meeting to not decide  on a motion, while also avoiding the possibility of bringing up the motion later. 

The mediation session followed a petition filed by Zain Ali Syed and Nadir Khan over the Speaker’s practices at the SSMU GA held on Oct. 22.  The petition accused the Speaker of stifling discussion on a motion that called for SSMU to stand in solidarity with the people of Palestine at the Fall GA by allowing an indefinite postponement to go through. In effect, the mediation agreement has terminated the proceedings of the suit.

The mediation agreement states that both parties have agreed to resolve their differences on the basis of the following two questions that the J-Board will be investigating.

“Does a special two-thirds majority rule instead of a simple majority for the ‘Motion to Postpone Indefinitely’ constitute a valid standing rule according to Article 5.3.3 of By-Law Book 1-5?” the first question reads, challenging whether the number of votes needed for the motion to pass can be raised.

“[The J-Board will] analyze and clarify the meaning of Article 5.2. of By-Law book 1-5.  If the J-Board deems that there is an obligation, it shall elaborate on the nature and extent of the obligation therein implied,” the second question reads.

Article 5.2 of SSMU’s bylaws specifies that standing rules for GAs must be adopted by Council at least one week in advance and publicized five calendar days before the meeting.  Article 5.3 adds that “the General Assembly may amend resolutions and motions in accordance with the standing rules.”    

The investigation, starting immediately, will be overseen by Chief Justice of the J-Board Munavvar Tojiboeva. Tojiboeva is expected to clarify the constitution and outline the procedures to follow, although she did not specify the time frame in which SSMU would have to change its by-laws if requested to do so by the J-Board.

“I am [planning] on having the report ready by the end of February,” Tojiboeva said. “It all depends on whether the questions are answered [by the J-Board] in the affirmative or the negative and what the recommendations will be [….] Maybe there will be nothing to ratify if the answer to the questions is negative.” 

The agreement also specifies that if the J-Board deems that there is an obligation regarding question 2, the J-Board must outline the procedures for SSMU to comply with the decision it will make.

“The rules of the GA have being reviewed in the past.” Tojiboeva explained. “I believe last time the By-Law Book I-5 has been changed, but I am not aware of when it has been done.” 

“I am happy that we were able to come to a common ground with the petitioners that everyone is content with,” SSMU President Courtney Ayukawa said, highlighting that the agreement is non-binding. “What proceeds after the J-Board makes their recommendations is mostly up to how the [SSMU] Council votes.”

According to Khan, the complainants hope that the J-Board investigation will result in a change in SSMU’s procedural rules.  

“We reached a compromise that fell somewhat short of we would have liked,” Khan explained. “Still, hopefully this will help clarify the bylaws and raise awareness amongst the student body [….] We are optimistic that we can bring about changes in SSMU procedures. It’s very important that Robert’s Rules are accessible to all students.”

a, News

Management Undergraduate Society raises $45 thousand for cancer research

by Cece Zhang on

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The Management Undergraduate Society (MUS) organized the Winter Carnival and the Cancer Auction, raising approximately $45,000 towards cancer research this year, a significant increase from last year’s events, which raised $30,000.

“The whole goal of this week is the idea of school spirit and philanthropy,” MUS VP Events Jony Tabuteau said. “We work closely with the Cancer Auction committee, so it’s a combination of Winter Carnival and the Cancer Auction committee.”

The funds raised will be donated to the Canadian Cancer Society (CCS), Canada’s largest national cancer charity which funds cancer research. The MUS has had a partnership with the CCS since 1976.

“This was our 39th Cancer Auction […and] around 75 to 80 per cent of the total [donation] is raised by the auction, but there are also smaller initiatives throughout the year,” MUS President Sean Finnell said.

According to Tabuteau, this year’s fundraising has been particularly successful partially because of new projects such as selling toques.

“We’re trying to combine charity with things students want to donate to in a way they want to donate,” Tabuteau said.  “Every year builds on the competitive spirit of the last year. There’s [a] drive to break last year’s record. Everyone in Carnival from top to bottom [was] really into the cause this year.” 

a, Martlets, Men's Varsity, Sports

The week that was for McGill Athletics: January 27th

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Athletes of the week

Samuel Labrecque

Labrecque led the Redmen over the Queen’s Gaels this past weekend with a spectacular three-goal night, becoming the first McGill defenceman to score a hat trick in 19 years. In his first year with the Redmen, Labrecque has had an immediate impact, leading all CIS blueliners with nine goals in 22 games, all while playing All-Star-calibre defence. He should provide stability to McGill’s defence over the next few years as he matures and develops on both ends of the ice.

Leslie Oles

Oles capped off the Martlets’ wild come-from-behind win over Concordia on Sunday night, scoring the overtime winner with 44 seconds remaining. She also added an assist for good measure. Oles has been her usual dominant self over the past five games, tallying 10 points on five goals and five assists. The Martlets have gone 4-1 over that span. Oles last earned Athlete-of-the-Week honours back in September, when she single-handedly willed the Martlets past Wilfrid Laurier 7-6, scoring a hat trick and dishing six assists.

Beyond the box score

Martlet Hockey 

With a 3-2 overtime win over Concordia on Sunday, the Martlets put the final nail into the Stingers’ coffin, effectively turning the RSEQ title into a two-horse race between McGill and Université de Montréal. After being held scoreless for the first two periods, the Martlets came back from a 1-0 and then a 2-1 deficit in the third on goals from Katia Clement-Heydra and Gabrielle Davidson to force an overtime period. With under a minute left, speedy forward Leslie Oles sliced through the Stinger defence and snapped in the game-winner. The Martlets have six games left on their schedule, and will take on the first-place Montreal Carabins on Friday in what should be an exciting showdown. 

Martlet Volleyball

The Martlet volleyball team dug deep and came away with perhaps their biggest victory of the season thus far, defeating the CIS No. 3 ranked Université de Montréal 3-2 on the road. The match featured gruelling points and marathon sets, but after two hours and five minutes, the Martlets emerged with an upset win by set scores of 25-20, 21-25, 25-21, 20-25, and 17-15. This marked only the sixth win McGill has managed against the Carabins in their last 45 meetings. Juniors Ashley Norfleet and Catherine Amyot led the way on offence, scoring 14.5 and 14 points, respectively. Also notable was rookie middle Myriam Robitaille, who contributed 12 digs, seven kills, and an ace in the win. After this weekend, a mere one and a half games is all that separates last place from first in the tightly packed RSEQ. 

By the numbers

31 – The positive difference in shot total between the Martlet ice hockey team and the Concordia Stingers in McGill’s 3-2 overtime victory.

63 – Points scored by the Martlet volleyball team in their 3-2 victory over the Montreal Carabins.

3599 – The new McGill record in the pentathlon set by Dylan Golow, a senior neuroscience major from Barrie, ON, during the annual McGill Team Challenge.  

Gadgets

Amazon Echo: This is what a smart home should feel like

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AmazonEcho
This is some dummy copy. You’re not really supposed to read this dummy copy, it is just a place holder for people who need some type to visualize what the actual copy might look like if it were real content.

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Long copy or short – You decide

As a marketer, you probably don’t even believe in body copy. Let alone long body copy. (Unless you have a long body yourself.) Well, truth is, who‘s to blame you? Fact is, too much long body copy is dotted with such indulgent little phrases like truth is, fact is, and who’s to blame you. Trust us: we guarantee, with a hand over our heart, that no such indulgent rubbish will appear in your entry. That’s why God gave us big blue pencils. So we can expunge every example of witted waffle.

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But you will know why, won‘t you? You will have given her husband a chance to immortalize himself in print, writing some of the most persuasive prose on behalf of a truly enlightened purveyor of widgets. And so, while your dedicated reader, enslaved to each mellifluous paragraph, clutches his newspaper with increasing interest and intention to purchase, you can count all your increased profits and take pots of money to your bank. Sadly, this is not the real copy for this entry. But it could well be. All you have to do is look at the account executive sitting across your desk (the fellow with the lugubrious face and the calf-like eyes), and say ”Yes! Yes! Yes!“ And anything you want, body copy, dinners, women, will be yours. Couldn’t be fairer than that, could we?

a, News, PGSS

Post-graduate students vote to leave Canadian Federation of Students

by Will Burgess, Julia Dick, Jenna Stanwood on

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Last Thursday and Friday, members of the Post-Graduate Students’ Society of McGill University (PGSS) voted against continued membership with the Canadian Federation of Students (CFS), a national union for post-secondary student societies. (more…)

a, Arts & Entertainment, Theatre

Peer review: McGill Classics Play

by Max Berger on

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In a world where Hollywood churns out high-budget Classics-themed blockbusters like Troy (2004) and 300 (2006) every few years, it’s pretty common to find these types of ancient stories being retold in a dramatic form that’s accessible to modern audiences. What’s far more rare though, is to come across a live production that actually stages ancient drama more or less as it was written; but three weeks from now, that’s exactly what will be happening when Thyestes, the fifth instalment of the McGill Classics Play, begins its four-show run at the Plateau’s La Sala Rossa.

Formed in the 2010-2011 school year by Classics professor Lynn Kozak, the McGill Classics Play is an organization which aims to provide a space for the exchange of arts and ideas around classical texts in the Montreal community. Its main annual project is staging a production of one of those dramatic texts—but only after it has undergone an original translation. This year, the responsibility for that daunting task fell on the shoulders of director Duncan McDonald (U3 Music and Greek Language), who had never tackled such an assignment before signing on for Thyestes.

“To translate it yourself, not in a class setting, and to have that goal of a performance-ready version, it’s a whole different experience,” said McDonald. “Because you’re thinking about way more things than you normally would [….] You’ll try and match what’s in the Latin word for word, but that doesn’t sound good in English, so it’s really turning it into a good English version that’s the most difficult.”

On top of the translation, which was mainly done over the summer, McDonald needed to completely add directorial vision to a text that may not have actually been performed.

“[Thyestes] is written by Seneca, who was basically prime minister for the Emperor Nero in the first century AD, and he wrote a series of tragedies in Latin on Greek mythological themes. What’s interesting about those is that we’re not actually sure if they were ever performed or if they were plays written for recitation in a room without being staged, the scholarly consensus isn’t there,” he explained. “So these plays have no stage directions, all you have is the text [….] You had to basically think of what you wanted before you started translating.”

In arranging Thyestes, there was another more genre-specific challenge McDonald needed to work through.

“One of the big things in classical drama is that there’s always a chorus, which at certain points in the play comments and kind of sums up the action, and it varies: Sometimes they can be part of the action or they’re separated from the action, so you have to decide what to do with them,” described McDonald. “And the way they speak, it’s these kind of ornate speeches [….] so deciding what to do with those is also a challenge. How do we make these big speeches interesting and engaging?”

Challenges aside, McDonald is excited about presenting Thyestes since there’s a lot that appeals to him in terms of its background and themes.

“The Classics Play had done four straight years of Greek plays, so I thought it would be cool to do a play in Latin because there’s a different sort of feel to the language, different structure,” McDonald said. “Also, the story itself is really attractive because you have this supernatural stuff—ghosts, demons. The language is completely over the top extravagant, and [there’s] cannibalism, murder, betrayal [….] I could really see a dark, baroque, spooky production.”

While the play is fairly sinister and dark, McDonald expressed that it’s been a pleasure working with its 12-person cast and the crew members.

“It’s a good, manageable group; it’s a good energy, and I think we’re looking forward to an exciting production.”

Thyestes will be performed from Monday, Feb. 9 to Thursday, Feb. 12 at 8 p.m. at La Sala Rossa (4848). Student tickets are $8.

a, Men's Varsity, Sports

Hockey: Redmen turn up for Carnival Game, send Ravens packing

by Zikomo Smith on

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McGill Redmen
2

Carleton Ravens
0

Invigorated by the bumping capacity crowd, the McGill Redmen [16-5] secured a well-fought 2-0 victory over the Carleton Ravens [16-5] in this year’s Carnival game. McGill stretched their undefeated streak at Carnival games to 13, while improving their overall record against Carleton to 27-20-1.

The 950-seat McConnell arena appeared way over capacity, with McGill fans crammed into the bleachers. Countless supporters stood to watch the play unfold so that they could be a part of the unique atmosphere.

Revelers turned up in all sorts of fancy dress: stars-and-stripes onesies, blue cows, and black ‘pukesuits.’ Students came prepared with signs such as “This is a Carleton Diploma.” The section behind the Carleton goaltender Patrick Killeen was heckling him relentlessly for the entire game.

This created an intimidating, almost unsavoury atmosphere for the visiting Ravens. And while McGill outplayed them start to finish, Carleton did rise to the challenge. In particular, Killeen had an impressive game. He made 20 saves on 22 shots, keeping his focus sharp while being screamed at by McGill fans for a full 60 minutes.

McGill’s puck movement was better than Carleton’s for the entire game, and junior right wings Max Le Sieur and David Rose led the attack with crisp passing and shooting. The two disrupted Carleton’s rhythm with a strong fore-check, and helped to break up many potential counter-attacks. McGill always seemed to have more bodies on defence than Carleton did because they were so effective at shutting down the counter-attack.

Despite McGill’s strong pressure, their shooters were denied on the power play on each of the team’s five chances. Carleton was excellent at clogging up scoring lanes in their third of the rink. The Redmen, as usual, returned the favour—shutting out the Ravens 0-5 on powerplays. McGill goalie Jacob Gervais-Chouinard, made 27 saves on his way to his first shutout of the year.

In such a defensive battle, McGill’s superiority on offence proved the difference. Senior forward Jonathan Bonneau tapped in a rebound off of freshman defenceman Dominic Poulin’s slapshot with four minutes to play in the first period to take the lead. The second goal came from 6’4” winger Neal Prokop, just minutes into the third period.

McGill’s sharpness extended to face-offs. McGill won 37 of them against 28 for Carleton. This was impressive given the spirited atmosphere and the number of penalties both teams accrued. Carleton’s Van Stralen was ejected in the second period for a game misconduct penalty. McGill racked up penalty minutes for roughing and high sticks. However, their play was more disciplined over the night, and it showed in the final result.

On Saturday, McGill beat the winess Royal Military College (0-17) 4-3 in a thriller. Junior centre Jonathan Brunelle, scored the winner with seven minutes left in the third period after McGill had given up a 3-0 lead against the scrappy RMC squad. In a rather stunning performance, RMC goalie Evan Deviller made 53 saves to keep his team in the game. With the win, they clinched a playoff spot, and are quickly closing in on the top spot in the conference.

On Sunday the Redmen went to the Bell Centre to take part in the Montreal Canadiens’ annual skills challenge. After a whirlwind weekend, the Redmen get a few days to rest before taking on the Queen’s Gaels at home Friday at 7 p.m.

a, Features

In conversation

by LA Benoit on

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“We’re all very happy to be working here actually. It’s a unique place, and we enjoy being here to serve the students. We all have kids—my kids are [in their 20s.]I see a lot of students grow up; they graduate and we talk, so [it’s a] very rewarding job for me.”

Why did you decide to move to Canada?

“I moved to Canada in 1991. When I came here, [it was through an] exchange [program] from China [that had] just opened [its] doors. Basically, everything we wanted to learn and to see outside of China was out there, and […] I came to Canada as an exchange fellow to study Medicine. I then […] graduated from McGill. I was a doctor before [in China. Then] I did a PhD at the MNI here, and I worked for the federal government. When I finished [my] PhD, I did several fellow exchange programs in different places. I think that the main reason I had to switch [careers] was because of my health. I wasn’t able to work at the labs; it had affected me a lot.”

ow long have you been working at Second Cup?

“I’ve been working here for almost two years. I started last March […] I’m 21. I’m saving money to go to school. It’s a long process.”

What is your most cherished memory?

“I’ve been working here for almost two years. I started last March […] I’m 21. I’m saving money to go to school. It’s a long process.”

What kind of struggles did you have?

“[Focusing] and having to do my homework. I had no one at home to actually help me with it, so it took me a little longer to grasp [subjects] like math and French, even English sometimes. It was so hard to focus. Sometimes I thought, ‘I can’t do this.’ Also, I had to deal with the bullying, you know what you get in high school and what not. It was a struggle. They called me a whole bunch of names, because I would always look down on my paper in order to focus.””

How did you manage to cope with that?

“I joined a whole bunch of sports, like track, which kind of helped me. If you push through, hopefully they’ll leave you alone.”

What frightens you the most?

“I think that [it is] moving forward. There’s always a scare: Am I going to make it in the real world? Am I going to be able to wake up the next day and tell myself ‘Okay, I can do this?’”

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

“I wanted to be a doctor—a pediatrician. It didn’t [happen] because only my mom [worked], so we couldn’t afford for me to go to university. I had to go to work.” “The most gratifying job I had [lasted] for 10 years. I ran an OASIS care centre. It was for pregnancy resources, helping young girls that got themselves in trouble, helping them make the right decision [….] I was the executive director.” “We ran out of funding, and we had a really hard time getting [new] funding […] and I was having a hard time [recruiting] volunteers. I’ll start it up again if I can get the volunteers—it’s getting the volunteers that’s hard.”

What was the happiest moment of your life?

“My happiest moment I think would be the day [that] my granddaughters were born! I have two granddaughters—one is seven and one is 10. I have two sons as well and that was gratifying, but I think [the happiest moment was] the day [that] my granddaughters were born. I adore them.”

What is the biggest obstacle you have faced?

“The biggest obstacle [I’ve faced] was deciding whether [to continue] my studies or whether to get involved in the business. It was a very hard time for me to choose between them—whether [to continue] school until I became an engineer, or whether I should quit school and work and become [involved in business. That’s why it was my biggest obstacle; [it was] the obstacle that made the decision of my life.”

Are you happy with your decision?

“I could say yes, I could say no. I see that I wasn’t made to work in an office, sitting down to work. This is why I told myself that, even if I ended up as an accountant or as an engineer, [an office job] wasn’t my type. I said [to myself that] it wouldn’t be a bad idea to be involved in a restaurant business. It was something that I wanted for a long time.”

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