We have come to find ourselves endebted to the British footballer Michael Owen. As surprising as it may sound, when we were choosing names for our son, we didn't consider our Malagasy hosts' feelings. In the Malagasy alphabet, the letter "W" doesn't exit, so pronouncing the name "Owen" could be a real challenge. (For example the environmental organization WWF is known around here as VVF.) But thanks to the far-reaching popularity of soccer, this isn't the case. After asking what our son's name is, and before we start spelling it, the response is usually something like this: Oohhh, "oh-WEN", comme Michael Owen, le footballer !

So, Michael, wherever you are, thanks a lot, you're the best.