Since I am right now living and working in the Republic of Moldova, it will come probably not as a surprise to you, dear readers, when I am trying to get my hands on any books written by Moldovan authors that are translated in a language that I am able to read. There are indeed a few quite interesting authors whose translated books I will feature here in the future. Today I am writing a few lines about a rather humorous book by the British comedian Tony Hawks: Playing the Moldovans at Tennis. At the beginning is an eccentric wager: Tony is betting with a friend (after they watched the Moldovan football team in TV losing against England) that he can beat every member of the Moldovan National team in tennis. (It should be mentioned that a short time before his Moldovan adventure he won a bet that included his traveling around Ireland - with a fridge!) Tony believes the task will be relatively easy and has a cunning plan to use the adventure as material for a next book. However, upon arriving in the former Soviet Republic of Moldova, he discovers the task will be more challenging than expected, as he encounters uncooperative football managers, gangsters, corruption and poverty.

BBC Radio 4 Extra - Playing the Moldovans at Tennis - Episode BBC Radio 4 Extra - Playing the Moldovans at Tennis - Episode

Much like in “Round Ireland With a Fridge”, “Playing the Moldovans at Tennis” is more about the people he meets and how he goes about doing what he has to do, rather than the places he goes. Whilst this makes for an interesting read, it doesn’t make it a terribly good travel book, which is what it is technically defined as. However, his experiences of public transport in Moldova are fairly good, although all this leaves you with is a vague knowledge of how to get around the country, but without really knowing where you’d want to go or what you’d do when you get there. pentru contribuția ta din Moldova la faptul că „oamenii cu orice fel de dizabilitate trebuie să fie respectați de către societatea în mijlocul căreia trăiesc și să aibă dreptul la o viață pe cât e posibil normală și satisfăcătoare”. Tony, a successful and somewhat complacent writer, makes a bizarre bet with a friend that he can play and beat the entire Moldovan national football team at tennis, one by one. Tony Hawks, is a British comedian and author, famous for his Quizotic travel accounts undertaking bizarre wagers with friends. Hawks performs stand-up comedy, and is a regular on TV and radio panel games in the UK, including I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, Just a Minute, The Unbelievable Truth and Have I Got News for You, although he first came to prominence as one of two resident performers — the other was Jo Brand — on semi-successful BBC monologue show The Brain Drain.

Retailers:

In summary, it's an OK film. This is a shame, because Tony Hawks has funded the film himself from his retirement savings. All proceeds (and these will be low) go to a hospital for mentally handicapped that Tony himself has founded in Moldova.

BBC Radio 4 Extra - Playing the Moldovans at Tennis BBC Radio 4 Extra - Playing the Moldovans at Tennis

As a die-harder on CIS traveling, I do my best in ready every travelouge written on the former Soviet republics - some works, some do not work and some are great. Tony Hawks book is - against all odds - in the 2nd category. What follows is the hilarious report of Tony's adventures mainly in Moldova, with a visit in Northern Ireland (where the football team has a match that would give Tony the opportunity to challenge some players he hadn't met yet.) and an exciting trip to Nazareth where things seem to go wrong for Tony...Fortunately, Tony Hawks is a different kind of person. His humour is self-depreciating, and he is genuinely interested in getting to know and understand the Moldovans. He is even questioning if he is doing the right thing with his bizarre adventure, which seems to him rather frivolous as time is passing, considering the living conditions of everyone around him. It's not nearly funny enough. There are many smiles, but few big laughs. 2. The book is good. It revealed that the author learned a lot about himself from his experience in Moldova. This only vaguely transfers to the screen. 3. The plot is reasonably but not compellingly constructed. If the streaming had stopped half way through (it didn't, it worked well), I am not sure I would have felt any need to find it again to see the end.

Playing the Moldovans at Tennis - Tony Hawks - Google Books Playing the Moldovans at Tennis - Tony Hawks - Google Books

The reason why Hawks has the odds against him for writing a travelouge that works (and under no circumstances is capable of writing a great travelouge) is that is simply doesn't have a clue about Moldova. As anyone that succeeds with making a living out of something he doesn't have a clue about, he does not try to behave like he is an expert, he chooses a subject most other people don't have a clue about either and of course it does not hurt that he has a great humor and a lot of good spirit.Playing the Moldovans at Tennis by Tony Hawks is the story of Hawks' attempt to a win a bet. A bet, which, to any sane person, would sound utterly ridiculous: that he could beat all of the players that were on the field for the Moldovan national soccer team, in tennis (one on one). Why this bet, of all things? As he and his buddy were watching the game on TV, they decided to debate if athletic ability wins out over skill and knowledge of a game. As Mr. Hawks used to play tennis at a very low competitive level, he was adamant that he could beat athletic individuals, like these soccer players, at his game. So adamant that he was willing to agree to stripping naked and singing the Moldovan national anthem if he wasn't able to beat all 11 players. Pretty daring, but somewhat expected - Mr. Hawks wrote one book previously, Round Ireland with a Fridge, where apparently he walked around Ireland while carrying a fridge, also on a bet.