February 7, 2010
(France)- For the first time, the Château de Versailles outside Paris devoted a large scale exhibition to Louis XIV. "Louis XIV, the Man and the King" is ending today and brought together more than 300 exceptional works coming from collections all over the world and never shown together before. Paintings, sculptures, objets d’art and furniture were exhibited. These masterpieces, some of which had never been presented in France since the days of the Ancien Régime in the 18th century, enabled visitors to get to know the famous monarch better in both his personal tastes and through his public image.
XXX
XXX
XXXThe richness of the image of Louis XIV (1638-1715) has no precedent in history: Louis XIV is the Sun King, i.e. Apollo as the sun god. But his image is also associated with other historical or mythological figures at different times during his reign: Alexander or Hercules, Augustus or Saint-Louis, etc. Fashioned by the king himself and his counselors, this image constantly evolved to convey emblematic figures of the royal power: the king of war leading his troops, the patron king and protector of the arts, the very Christian king and Defender of the Church, the king of glory, an image constructed for posterity. This visible glory, given mythical proportions, which was constructed during his lifetime, took shape thanks to the excellence of the artists chosen, such as Bernini, Girardon, Rigaud, Cucci, Gole, Van der Meulen and Coysevox who set out to sublimate the royal portrait, which the exhibition allowed the visitors to rediscover.
XXX
XXX
XXXApart from his public image, if we wish to see the man behind the sovereign, we need to study his personality. He saw himself as a king who was the protector of the arts and a collector, competing with other sovereigns of Europe who were also genuine connoisseurs. Benefiting from the example of Mazarin, Louis XIV formed his taste in direct contact with artists, and through the personal relations that he established with them: Le Brun and Mignard in painting, Le Vau and Hardouin Mansart in architecture, Le Nôtre in the art of gardens, Lully in music, and Molière in theatre. By assembling the works appreciated by the King, a genuine portrait emerges of a passionate lover of the arts and a man of good taste through the jewels, cameos, medals, miniatures and objets d’art, as well as the paintings and sculptures that he loved to surround himself with in the Petit Appartement in Versailles. He showed a keen personal interest in artistic creation by coming every day to follow up the progress being made in the works of Le Brun, by participating in the design and setting out of the gardens with Le Nôtre, by taking part in the ballets given in the Court, as well as by orchestrating the construction work of the Château de Versailles with Hardouin-Mansart and Le Vau.
XXX
XXX
XXXLocated 10.6 miles (17 kilometers) southwest of Paris, the Palace of Versailles is one of Europe’s most popular cultural sites, attracting more than 10 million visitors each year. It has a unique place in France’s national heritage because of its historical importance as a former royal residence and center of government, and because of its rich artistic and architectural assets. The Public Institute of the Palace of Versailles, formed in 1995, is responsible for managing, protecting, and enhancing the Versailles campus, which contains 120 buildings on 2,000 acres (809 hectares). In December 2004, the French government launched a major program called Great Versailles. The government is investing $178 million (135 million euros) in this 17-year program, which involves extensive maintenance to the infrastructure of the buildings and grounds, and restoration of selected artworks and furnishings from the collection of 28,000 pieces.
XXX
XXXThe Château de Versailles, which has been on UNESCO’s World Heritage List for 30 years, is one of the most beautiful achievements of 18th-century French art. The site began as Louis XIII’s hunting lodge before his son Louis XIV transformed and expanded it, moving the court and government of France to Versailles in 1682. Each of the three French kings who lived there until the French Revolution of 1789 added improvements to make it more beautiful. In 1661, Louis XIV commissioned André Le Nôtre with the design and laying out of the gardens of Versailles which, in his view, were just as important as the Château. The works were undertaken at the same time as those for the palace and took forty years to complete. But André Le Nôtre did not work alone: Jean-Baptiste Colbert, Superintendent of the King’s Buildings, directed the project from 1664 to 1683; Charles Le Brun, appointed First Painter of the King in January 1664, produced the drawings for a large number of statues and fountains; and, a little later, the architect Jules Hardouin-Mansart drew up increasingly understated scenic plans and built the Orangerie. Lastly, the King had all the projects submitted to him and wanted the “details of everything”. (from artknowledgenews.com and cisco.com)XXX
Discover more:
February 6, 2010
(France)- A prestigious sports competition starting tomorrow has millions of fans excited in France and five other European countries. The Six Nations Championship (referred to as RBS 6 Nations for sponsorship reasons), known before 2000 as the Five Nations Championship, is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales. The event is the first international rugby union tournament in the Northern Hemisphere. Ireland are the current Grand Slam title holders, for the first time since 1948, having won the competition in 2009 by beating all other teams, and winning the Triple Crown by beating England, Scotland and Wales. France plays its first game tomorrow against Scotland.
XXX
XXXPlayed annually, the format of the Championship is simple: each team plays every other team once, with home field advantage alternating from one year to the next. Two points are awarded for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss. Unlike many other rugby union competitions the bonus point system is not used. If a team wins all its games, they are said to have won a 'Grand Slam'. Back to back Grand Slams have been achieved on five occasions, by Wales in 1908 and 1909, by England in 1913 and 1914, 1923 and 1924 and 1991 and 1992, and by France in 1997 and 1998. England holds the record for the number of Grand Slams won with 12, followed by Wales with 10, France with 8, Scotland with 3 and Ireland with 2.
XXX
XXXRugby union is a full contact team sport which is very popular in France. It is the second most popular team sport in France after soccer and is actually the dominant sport in most of the southern half of the country. It was first introduced in the early 1870s by British residents. Elite French clubs participate in the professional domestic club league, the Top 14. Clubs also compete in the European knock-out competition, the Heineken Cup. Rugby is a form of football which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand. It is played with an oval-shaped ball, outdoors on a level field, usually with a grass surface, up to 100 meters (330 ft) long and 70 meters (230 ft) wide. At each end of the field is an H-shaped goal. Rugby union has been governed by the International Rugby Board since its formation in 1886 and currently has a membership of 115 national unions. In 1995, the IRB removed restrictions on payments to players, making the game openly professional at the highest level for the first time.
XXX
XXX
XXXThe Rugby World Cup, first held in 1987, takes place every four years, with the winner of the tournament receiving the Webb Ellis Cup. The Six Nations in Europe and the Tri Nations in the southern hemisphere are major international competitions held annually. Major domestic competitions include the Top 14 in France, the Guinness Premiership in England, the Currie Cup in South Africa, and the Air New Zealand Cup in New Zealand. Other transnational competitions include the Magners League (which is essentially a domestic competition throughout the Celtic Nations), involving Irish, Scottish and Welsh teams; the Super 14, involving South African, Australian and New Zealand teams; and the Heineken Cup, involving the top European based teams of their respective domestic competitions. (from rbs6nations.com and wikipedia.org)
XXX
Discover more:
February 3, 2010
(Canada)- Canadians are in for another six weeks of below-freezing temperatures, flurries and grey skies, according to Wiarton Willie, Shubenacadie Sam and Punxsutawney Phil. All three groundhogs, hailing from Wiarton, Ontario, Nova Scotia, and Pennsylvania (U.S.A.), saw their shadows yesterday, an omen that Canadians were in store for another six weeks of winter. Alberta's Balzac Billy predicted an early spring for Canadians. All the animals seem to be in line with Environment Canada's forecasters, who are predicting colder than normal for the East, but warmer in the West.
XXX
XXXThe unanimous prediction was a triple-whammy for anyone hoping for an early spring this year. Geoff Coulson, meteorologist with Environment Canada, said he couldn't remember the last time the three groundhogs had the exact same prediction. Their forecast puts the end of winter in mid-March and, as Coulson explained, that's hardly a stretch if you're living in Ontario.
The beginning of spring is typically marked by more days with temperatures 10 C (50 F) or higher, he said, and that usually doesn't happen until mid-April. The area was hit last weekend by a cold snap with temperatures dipping as low as -25 C (-13 F). Coulson said those extreme temperatures aren't likely to return any time soon. "The word that comes to mind is seasonal," he said. High daytime temperatures are going to average between -2 C (28 F) and -5 C (23 F), he said, which is where they should be. There may be some flurries during the next two days, he said, but there are no big snowfalls in store for the region.
XXX
XXXGroundhog Day is a holiday celebrated on February 2. It is held in the United States and Canada. According to folklore, if a groundhog emerging from its burrow on this day fails to see its shadow, it will leave the burrow, signifying that winter will soon end. If on the other hand, the groundhog sees its shadow, the groundhog will supposedly retreat into its burrow, and winter will continue for six more weeks. The holiday, which began as a Pennsylvania German custom in southeastern and central Pennsylvania, U.S.A. in the 18th and 19th centuries, has its origins in ancient European weather lore, wherein a badger or sacred bear is the prognosticator as opposed to a groundhog. The holiday also bears some similarities to the medieval Catholic holiday of Candlemas. It also bears similarities to the Pagan festival of Imbolc, the seasonal turning point of the Celtic calendar, which is celebrated on February 1 and also involves weather prognostication.
XXX
XXXModern customs of the holiday involve celebrations where early morning festivals are held to watch the groundhog emerging from its burrow. Celebrations include social events in which food is served, speeches, and plays or skits performed for entertainment. The largest Groundhog Day celebration is held in Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, where crowds as high as 40,000 have gathered to celebrate the holiday since at least 1886. Other celebrations take place among the Amish populations of over twenty states and in Wiarton, Ontario (Canada). The University of Dallas in Irving, Texas has taken Groundhog Day as its official university holiday and organizes a large-scale celebration every year in honor of the Groundhog. Groundhog Day received worldwide attention as a result of the 1993 film of the same name, Groundhog Day, which was set in Punxsutawney and featured Punxsutawney Phil. (from thepeterboroughexaminer.com and wikipedia.org)
XXX
Discover more:
January 31, 2010
(Cameroon)- A new park created by the Cameroonian government that encompasses the highest mountain in West and Central Africa will help protect some of the rarest ecosystems in the Congo Basin. The government of Cameroon recently signed a decree creating the 143,761-acre Mount Cameroon National Park (58,178 hectares), which includes the 13,435-foot high Mount Cameroon (4,095 meters) – also one of the largest active volcanoes on the African continent.
XXX
XXXOn the shores of the Gulf of Guinea, the actively volcanic Mount Cameroon towers over the landscape, functioning not only as the tallest mountain in the region but also as the epicenter of biological diversity. Elephants and chimpanzees roam the local forests amidst multiple species of rare plants, creating a scene unparalleled both in West Africa and throughout the world. And although local humans thrive off the resources given to them by the lush environment, their presence may be putting the entire ecosystem at risk.
XXX
XXXIn response to the growing threat posed by the human population, the Cameroon government decreed in December that Mount Cameroon and the surrounding area would be designated a national park. Although environmental protection will preserve the diverse wildlife near Mount Cameroon, the decree is also expected to bring economic benefits to the same population which serves as an existential threat to the environment. Dr. Atanga Ekobo, the Coordinator for the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) Coastal Forests Program and based in Cameroon, described to MediaGlobal how the creation of the Mount Cameroon National Park will benefit the local population. He said "The park will trigger the government to create investment in the locality, especially [on] roads and other infrastructure." The park is also expected to function as a tourist destination, creating a multitude of necessary jobs to keep the park operational.
XXX
XXXIn order to protect the environment and help the local population, though, certain old practices will have to be discarded. The WWF points out that multiple human activities have brought an assault on Mount Cameroon from all angles. Hunting and the encroachment of local cities have placed animals at great risk of extinction. The creeping urbanization has also meant that water resources are threatened, spinning the deleterious effects back on the population. As Ekobo put it: "The park is a watershed of the area and the environs, providing water to over 300,000 inhabitants. The encroachment to the remaining forest would deprive them [people] of this important resource." Rather counter-intuitively, the greatest threat to Mount Cameroon is farming and agricultural activities. Considering that agriculture is often a key component of economic growth for Africans, halting its progress might raise eyebrows in some development circles. Yet, the detrimental effects to the environment, and subsequently to human inhabitants, have been clear. For example, residents regularly use trees and brush as firewood and torches to search for honey, prepare their farms, and even aid in their search for game. Although useful, the continual burning of the landscape is damaging the long-term health of the forest. The soil of the land has proved to be an equally dangerous double-edged sword. It is so rich that farmers find the land very suitable for their livelihoods and the government has turned the land into an agricultural co-operative. However, over-farming has begun to take a mighty toll on the viability of the land.
XXX
XXXTo ensure that the population was given a say on the national park and that the process remained transparent, the government made sure to be inclusive at every step of the process. Collaborating with the WWF, the government started the process of creating the park with public input, as required by national forestry laws. Ekobo noted that "meetings took place at the regional, divisional, sub-divisional and village levels." Maintaining the sense of transparency and involvement, the signatures of all the participants in the discussions were forwarded to the Prime Ministry with other paperwork. Like anywhere else, trying to find an acceptable medium between human development and environmental protection is a tough, but necessary, challenge. Hopefully the residents of the area surrounding Mount Cameroon will benefit from the new park designation, and see their lives improve dramatically. It appears that this decision was made at just the right time, because as Ekobo put it, "This important flora biodiversity hotspot could be wiped out in the next 10 to 20 years." (from mediaglobal.org and panda.org)
XXX
Discover more:
January 29, 2010
(Martinique/Guadeloupe)- Martinique and Guadeloupe are two of the few countries in the world where Carnival does not end on or before the Christian Ash Wednesday begins (February 17, 2010). Actually, it sometimes ends at the end of Ash Wednesday or, in some cases in the wee hours of the morning after Ash Wednesday. Carnival officially begins the Saturday that precedes Ash Wednesday, but in the French Caribbean islands of Martinique and Guadeloupe, the day after New Year's Day, people begin to unofficially start the celebrations. During this unofficial time, the carnival associations rehearse in the street; people spend their times making beautiful floats for the parades and getting themselves mentally, psychologically and physically prepared. The official start of Fat Saturday (Samedi Gras) is the time that people go to parties to dance throughout the night.
XXXKing Vaval, a giant mannequin, is the king of Carnival and he is ostensibly featured along with the beautiful floats and revelers on Fat Sunday (Dimanche Gras). This is the time when all barriers of race, color, or creed are broken down and people jump and dance to enjoy themselves to the fullest. This finishes late in the evening, and people return home to rest a few hours before partying the night away. There are parties every night during the official celebrations.
XXXFat Monday (Lundi Gras) is the day of the red devils. It is the day when everyone dresses in red. Today people continue to dress in red, decorated with shimmering reflective silver and glitter. These costumes are a thing of beauty as the costume designers seemingly let their imaginations flow to come up with beautiful works of art. During Carnival, many men parade in drag queen costume, sometimes with very elaborate and provocative outfits. It must also be mentioned that traditionally, some women dressed as men for burlesque weddings on Monday. The high presence of men in drag is an obvious reference to the central role of women in the French Caribbean islands' society and family structures.
XXXAsh Wednesday is the day when everyone dresses in black and white for the funeral of king Vaval to mark the end of the Carnival. Festivities go on throughout the day until seven o'clock in the evening. King Vaval is then burnt to mark the end of the Carnival season. Nevertheless, parties continue until midnight with great revelry. Some party people even continue partying until just before daybreak as they are some who say "dis party can't done 'til morning come."
XXXDuring the four-day holiday of Carnival festivities, activity on the island nearly comes to a standstill. Preparations begin as early as the first week of January with the election of the Carnival Queens, and last until the day before Fat Sunday (Dimanche gras). The parades and parties start on Big Sunday and finish on Ash Wednesday when the carnival effigy, the "Vaval" King, is burned.
XXXIt’s easy for tourists to take in all the fun of Carnival. They can safely join the parade or watch from bleachers set up on the sidewalks or from balconies overlooking the streets and squares. The focal point for the final celebration is King Carnival, a giant colorful effigy known as Vaval, along with his alter ego, Bwa-Bwa (French: Bois Bois), who towers over the floats and dancing procession. By now, humorous death notices of King Carnival have been announced in local media. Festivities continue as his funeral pyre is built. Dusk falls, then flames light up the night sky. As Vaval’s effigy is consumed by the fire, dancing reaches its apogee. Only when the flames die down does a calm settle over the crowd. With the burial of Vaval, they chant "Vaval, pas quitte nous", which is Creole for "Carnival don’t leave us."
XXXThen it is over. At least for the time being. The mischief is revived three weeks later – with a 24-hour reprise of Carnival called Mi-Carême, or mid-Lent. There is no Vaval, but there are costumes and parades again, endless marching bands, plus much revelry and rum - all in the spirit of Carnival, Caribbean-style. In towns and villages throughout the islands, there is dancing and dining galore. The favored food everywhere in Martinique is "matoutou" ("matété" in Guadeloupe) or curried crab, a dish that is also popular just after Lent at Easter Monday beach picnics. (from martinique.org and caribbeanchoice.com)
XXX
Discover more:
January 28, 2010
(Canada)-The Quebec Winter Carnival (Carnaval de Québec) is starting tomorrow. This annual winter carnival takes place in Quebec City, Quebec from January 29-February 14, coinciding with Mardi Gras celebrations in other regions of the world. With close to one million participants, it has grown to become the largest winter celebration in the world. A magical ice palace was built for Bonhomme, the Carnival's guest of honor, for the first time in Jacques-Cartier Square in 1955. Bonhomme (literally "good man" in French; short for bonhomme de neige "snowman") is the official ambassador of the festivities, a large snowman sporting a red cap, black buttons and a colorful arrow sash (traditionally worn in Quebec). XXX
XXXAt the beginning of the French colony, the inhabitants of New France created a rowdy tradition of getting together just before the Christian period of Lent to eat, drink and be merry. At this time, this intense period of revelry was already designated as the Carnival - a word of Italian origin meaning Mardi Gras. The custom of celebrating from the end of January until mid-February has long been popular. The first large winter Carnival in Québec City, the world's snow capital, took place in 1894. Often faced with winter’s hardships, the city's population reinvented this popular tradition with a winter celebration that warmed up the hearts of all of its revellers. Interrupted by two wars and by the economic crisis of 1929, the Carnival was held sporadically until the second half of the century. In 1954, in the context of the economic development of the Old Capital, a group of business people relaunched the festivities. That year, Bonhomme was born and elected the event’s representative. The first official edition of the Québec Winter Carnival took place in 1955. The Carnival snowballed into an undeniable manifestation for the entire Québec City population, and was an important vehicle for tourism and economical activity in the city.
XXX
XXXFrom one winter to the next, the Carnival enriched its activity program, adding even more popular activities: winter sports, snow sculptures, and activities based on the traditional Québec lifestyle, such as canoe races and dogsled races. This year, visitors and families can also enjoy snow rafting, horse-drawn sleigh rides, dog sledding rides, a children's village, snow baths, parades, giant soccer games, shows, an ice palace, and skating. Renowned events include the canoe race on the icy St. Lawrence River, the International Snow Sculpture Competition, and the magical night parades. The Québec Winter Carnival is the largest winter carnival in the world today, and is third on the list of top Carnivals after the famous carnivals in Rio and New Orleans. (from carnaval.qc.ca and wikipedia.org)
XXX
Discover more:
January 26, 2010
(Tunisia)- Regional radio professionals and an international organization promoting cross-cultural dialogue joined together to launch a Mediterranean-wide radio station from Tunis last week. Representatives from the Permanent Conference of the Mediterranean Audiovisual Operators (COPEAM) and the Anna Lindh Euro-Mediterranean Foundation for Dialogue between Cultures kicked off the new "Waves of the Mediterranean” project. COPEAM, created in Cairo in 1996, is now the most representative professional structure of the Mediterranean media. It gathers over 130 professionals from 25 countries, including the major public broadcasters of the region, and the two major European and Arab Unions: EBU (European Broadcasting Union) and ASBU (Arab States Broadcasting Union).XXX
XXX"Waves of the Mediterranean" will produce a daily news radio variety magazine for the next 20 months. "This is an addition to two radio series to be co-produced by the members of the Radio Commission in COPEAM, calling for promoting dialogue in the region," said Julie Royer, vice-president of the Radio Commission. Funded by the Anna Lindh Foundation with 200 million euros ($282 million), the new radio station will be under the supervision of Radio Tunisia. In addition to broadcasting programs designed to build a bridge between Mediterranean countries, the station will also train local journalists in new technologies. Eight training sessions for radio professionals in project member states will also be offered.
XXX
XXX"It's the fruit of partnership between the radio operators in Tunisia, France, Algeria and Morocco, as well as the Superior School of Visual Arts in Morocco and COPEAM," said Royer. Radio France, ENRS in Algeria and SNRT in Morocco will also act as project partners. Ridha Bouguezzi of Radio Tunisia will help manage the committee overseeing the new station. He hopes the project will bring "opinions closer in the Mediterranean region and make the radio a tool for supporting dialogue and openness", he said. Media expert Ali Ben Mansour explained that the project is an important one for the region. "The project seeks to kick off a rich and diverse dialogue, especially via the radio, a journalism tool that fosters closeness," he said, pointing to the successes of European and Maghreb FM stations.
XXX
XXXLocal journalists had varied reactions to the new project. Jamel Hani said the project was a solid step toward cementing Mediterranean ties, but he still had misgivings. "I'm not enthusiastic about the idea," he said. "How can the Europeans call for dialogue while they are driving our sons towards the borders? How can this dialogue be kicked off when there are disputes over minarets, the veil and the increasing debate about identity and nationality?" Insaf Kheireddine of the Tunisian Radio and Television Establishment said the new channel could build a solid bridge between the northern and southern shores of the Mediterranean. "The media alone can get the message across," she said. "Launching a dialogue between the two sides of the Mediterranean is an important matter, and I don't think we're achieving an immediate result – rather, the important thing is that there's an ongoing dialogue." (from maghrebia.com and tunisiaonlinenews.com)
XXX
Discover more:
January 24, 2010
(Monaco)- Last year's World Rally Championship runner-up, Mikko Hirvonen, was the class of the field on the 78th edition of the Monte Carlo Rally, winning the event this weekend after leading from start to finish on its competitive debut. Hirvonen and co-driver Jarmo Lehtinen mastered treacherous winter conditions in the mountains of southern France to reach the Monaco harbor finish in the early hours of Saturday morning with a winning margin of 1min 51.4sec. The five-day Monte Carlo Rally is not part of the World Rally Championship this year, but still offered the sternest of challenges.XXX
XXX"It's always been a dream of mine to win the Monte Carlo Rally," explained the 29-year-old Finnish driver. "It was a long, hard event and the conditions made the challenge even tougher. This car is brand new to competition but everything worked perfectly from the first kilometer. That's a tribute to the whole team, and particularly the people who put in so much effort over the last two weeks. "To start the season with a win is a big confidence boost. I enjoy the winning feeling and I want to carry on like this when the WRC (World Rally Championship) starts next month in Sweden," he added.
XXX
XXX The Monte Carlo Rally (officially Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo) is a rallying event organized each year by the Automobile Club de Monaco who also organizes the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix and the Rallye Monte-Carlo Historique. The rally takes place along the French Riviera in the Principality of Monaco and southeast France. From its inception by Prince Albert I, this rally, under difficult and demanding conditions, was an important means of testing the latest improvements and innovations to automobiles. Winning the rally gave the car a great deal of credibility and publicity. It all began in 1911, at the height of the rivalry between two famous seaside towns: Nice (France) and Monte Carlo. The former organized its "carnaval" which attracted a rich clientele to its casinos and so Monaco decided to organize an automobile rally on the same lines as the celebrated Italian Cycle Rally ("convegni ciclisti"), with departure points in different Europeans towns, converging on Monaco. This event was to take place in January, as a way of showing that the climate of the Principality at this time of year was exceptionally mild. Since 1973, the race has been held as the first race of the FIA World Rally Championship, but for 2009 has joined the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (IRC) program. The race presents varying conditions, typically comprising dry tarmac, wet tarmac, snow, and ice, sometimes all in a single stage of the rally. This places a big emphasis on tire choices, as a driver has to balance the need for grip on ice and snow with the need for grip on dry tarmac. For the driver, this is often a difficult choice as the tires that work well on snow and ice normally perform badly on dry tarmac.
XXX
XXXMonte Carlo (French: Monte-Carlo, Occitan: Montcarles, Monégasque: Monte-Carlu) is one of Monaco's administrative areas, sometimes erroneously believed to be a town or the country's capital, just as Monaco-Ville. The official capital is the city of Monaco, which shares the exact same territory as the country itself (Monaco is a city-state). Monaco is the second smallest country in the world (less than 2 square km - 1 sq mile). Only Vatican City is smaller. Monaco is also the world's second smallest monarchy (and principality to be more exact). Monte Carlo, which lies in the French Riviera on the Mediterranean Sea in Monaco is surrounded by France and close to Italy. It is widely known for its casino, and its gambling. The permanent population is about 3,000. Monte Carlo quarter includes not only Monte Carlo proper where the famous Le Grand Casino is located, it also includes the neighborhoods of Saint-Michel, Saint-Roman/Tenao, and the beach community of Larvotto. It borders the French town of Beausoleil.
XXX
XXXMonte Carlo is home to most of the Circuit de Monaco, on which the Formula One Monaco Grand Prix takes place. It also hosts world championship boxing bouts, the European Poker Tour Grand Final and the World Backgammon Championship as well as fashion shows and other events. Monte Carlo has been visited by royalty as well as the general public and movie stars for decades. The Monte Carlo Rally is one of the longest running and most respected car rallies, although the rally takes place outside the Monte Carlo quarter. Monaco's key destinations include such attractions as the Monaco Cathedral, the Napoleon Museum, the Oceanographic Museum and aquarium, and the Prince's Palace, all of which are located in Monaco-Ville. (from wrc.com, acm.c, and wikipedia.org)
XXX
Discover more:
January 22, 2010
(France)- Pralognan, a peaceful resort in France's Vanoise National Park in the Savoie department, is hosting the "Festi'musiques de Pralognan" this week (January 20-27). The festival celebrates women and French and Francophone culture and music from Canada with concerts, street events, storytelling sessions, meetings, documentaries, folkloric dancing, and children's workshops in a lively and friendly atmosphere. This celebration of French cultural heritage kicked off with a torchlit descent on the pistes on Wednesday evening, followed by a show by Quebecois singer, songwriter, and comedian Simon Genest who is the only male artist at the festival and also its artistic director. What makes the festival special is the availability of the featured artists. They stay at the resort during the whole week and visitors can meet and chat with them in bars, restaurants, on the slopes, and around the village. "This cultural exchange is part of the event. Artists who come to Pralognan are chosen, among other things, for their generosity and human values", explained Silvère Bonnet from the tourism office of Pralognan.
XXX
XXXThis year the festival pays homage to the women of the French artistic world with concerts by Quebec's Châkidor (a country/bluegrass duo with a Celtic touch), les Soeurs Moustaches (a trio of singing sisters), and other French and Canadian artists, such as famous Montreal singer Fabienne Thibeault. The concerts take place at the village's multi-purpose center. A local café will also host two after parties. Festi'musiques isn't just a series of concerts. During the week-long event, Quebecoise artist Julie Mercure exposes her art at the Hotel de la Vanoise. There are also two art workshops, open to everyone. If painting isn't quite your thing, there are also three country line dancing workshops with a live band. The festival finishes on a funny note with a comical and musical dinner show. The activities and concerts of Festi'musiques are free of charge.
XXX
XXXThe Savoyard resort of Pralognan-la-Vanoise has been welcoming tourists for over one hundred years. Over the century, the resort has been an innovator in numerous mountain activities. Pralognan-la-Vanoise is one of the oldest mountain villages. The most ancient constructions date from the 12th century. Tourism, which is quite important to the Savoie region, began to develop towards the end of the 19th century, mostly summer-oriented. The increase in the popularity of skiing in the 20th century made Savoie home to the largest number of ski hills in France, including many famous ones, such as Val-d'Isère, Tignes, Les Arcs, La Plagne, Courchevel, and Méribel. (from pralognan.com, actumontagne.com, wikipedia.org and onthesnow.com)
XXX
Discover more:
January 20, 2010
(France)- Paris Fashion Week, one of the most prestigious fashion events of the year is starting tomorrow at the Carrousel du Louvre in the French capital. For the first part of the week, the event is given over to menswear (fall-winter 2010/2011 collections), while haute couture takes center stage in the second part (spring-summer 2010 collections). A fashion week is a fashion industry event, lasting approximately one week, which allows fashion designers, brands or "houses" to display their latest collections in runway shows and buyers to take a look at the latest trends. Most importantly, it lets the industry know what's "in" and what's "out" for the season. The most prominent fashion weeks are held in the fashion capitals Milan, London, New York, and Paris.XXX
XXXIn the major fashion capitals, fashion weeks are semiannual events which must be held several months in advance of the season to allow the press and buyers a chance to preview fashion designs for the following season. This is also to allow time for retailers to arrange to purchase or incorporate the designers into their retail marketing. The schedule begins with New York, followed by London, with the penultimate fashion week in Milan ending the events in Paris. These four cities are the traditional "big four" fashion weeks that are followed by new emerging fashion weeks globally.
XXX
XXXHaute couture (French for "high sewing" or "high dressmaking") refers to the creation of exclusive custom-fitted clothing. Haute couture is made to order for a specific customer, and it is usually made from high-quality, expensive fabric and sewn with extreme attention to detail and finish, often using time-consuming, hand-executed techniques. Couture is a common abbreviation of Haute Couture, which refers to the same thing in spirit. It originally referred to Englishman Charles Frederick Worth's work, produced in Paris in the mid-nineteenth century. In modern France, haute couture is a "protected name" that can be used only by firms that meet certain well-defined standards. However, the term is also used loosely to describe all high-fashion custom-fitted clothing, whether it is produced in Paris or in other fashion capitals such as Milan, London, Rome, New York and Tokyo.
XXX
XXXIn France, the term haute couture is protected by law. The criteria for haute couture were established in 1945 and updated in 1992. To earn the right to call itself a couture house and to use the term haute couture in its advertising and any other way, members of the Chambre syndicale de la haute couture must follow these rules: design made-to-order for private clients, with one or more fittings; have a workshop (atelier) in Paris that employs at least fifteen people full-time; each season (i.e. twice a year), present a collection to the Paris press, comprising at least thirty-five runs/exits with outfits for both daytime wear and evening wear.
XXX
XXXHowever, the term haute couture may have been misused by ready-to-wear brands since the late 1980s, so that its true meaning may have become blurred with that of prêt-à-porter (the French term for ready-to-wear fashion) in the public perception. Every haute couture house also markets prêt-à-porter collections, which typically deliver a higher return on investment than their custom clothing. In fact, much of the haute couture displayed at fashion shows today is rarely sold; it is created to enhance the prestige of the house. Many top designer fashion houses, such as Chanel, use the word for some of their special collections. (from wikipedia.org)
XXX
Discover more:
- show me the location of the event on a map!
- visit the official website of Paris fashion week
- discover haute couture with Chanel, Dior, Lacroix, Givenchy
January 18, 2010
(France)- The 20th Nîmes Flamenco Festival is taking place this month until Saturday. Held throughout town, is both a fiery and subtle affair. Organized each year in the southern French city of Nimes, this famous two-week event has been graced with the presence of international singers like Enrique Morente, Juan de la Alpujarra and Camarón de la Isla, guitarist Diego del Morao, Fernando de la Morena and Fuensanta "La Moneta". Other stars who have given performances during the festival include singers David el Galli, David Palomar, Jesús Méndez, Moi de Moró, José Valencia and Cancanilla de Marbella, guitarist Antonio Moya, Antonio Soto, Paco Iglesias and Rafael Rodríguez, the Galvan family, solo dancers like Manuel Liñán and Mercedes Ruiz and dance group Son de la Frontera. XXX
XXXThe programs of the Flamenco Festival in Nimes usually begin with splendid solo songs accompanied by instrumental recitals. Amazing dance performances accompanied by superb songs are also held at the festival. Group dances are among the popular events of the festival performed by international troops of dancers. This year, the festival is featuring more than 60 international artists, 18 concerts, dance classes, conferences, meetings, and lectures. In addition, 10 free concerts are organized by the Tourism Office of Nîmes and performed by local flamenco bands and musicians.
XXX
XXXNîmes (population: 150,000) is a city in southern France and the capital of the Gard department. It has a rich history, dating back to the Roman Empire, and it is a popular tourist destination. It is principally (but not only) the impressive Roman buildings in Nîmes that are the big attraction. The two main constructions are: the amphitheatre which is 2,000 years old and the best preserved Roman arena in France (still used today for bullfighting). It is elliptical in shape and has two stacked rows of arcades in a structure than could hold more than 24,000 spectators; the second site is The Maison Carrée, an exceptionally fine Roman temple (see also the Eglise de la Madeleine in Paris which was based on this temple) - the only complete Roman temple in the world.
XXX
XXXFlamenco is a style of music which is considered part of the culture of Spain, but is actually native to only one region: Andalusia. It is believed to have grown out of the fusion of Arabic, Andalusian, Jewish Sephardic, and Gypsy cultures. It is also applied to the dance style performed to flamenco music. The origins of the term are unclear - the word Flamenco is not recorded until the 19th century. Flamenco is the music of the Andalusian gypsies and played in their social community. Andalusian people who grew up around gypsies were also accepted as "flamencos". Other regions, mainly Extremadura and Murcia, have also contributed to the development of flamenco, and many flamenco artists have been born outside Andalusia. Latin American and especially Cuban influences have also contributed, as evidenced in the dances of "Ida y Vuelta".
XXX
XXXFlamenco occurs in three settings. The first and most traditional is the juerga, an informal, spontaneous gypsy gathering (rather like a jazz "jam session"). This can include dancing, singing, palmas (hand clapping), or simply pounding in rhythm on an old orange crate or a table. Flamenco, in this context, is organic and dynamic: it adapts to the local talent, instrumentation, and mood of the audience. One tradition remains firmly in place: the cantaores (singers) are the heart and soul of the performance. A Peña Flamenca is a meeting place or grouping of Flamenco musicians or artists. The professional concert is more formal. A traditional singing performance has only a singer and one guitar, while a dance concert usually includes two or three guitars, one or more singers (singing in turns, as in traditional flamenco singers always sing solo), and one or more dancers. One of the singers may play the cajon (a kind of drum), and all performers will play palmas when not required for other duties. Alternatively, there may be a dedicated cajon player and one or more palmeras. The so-called Nuevo Flamenco New flamenco may include flutes or saxophones, piano or other keyboards, or even the bass guitar and the electric guitar. Finally there is the theatrical presentation of flamenco, which uses flamenco technique and music but is closer in presentation to a ballet performance, with musicians in the orchestra pit, scenery, lighting etc. (from francethisway.com, wikipedia.org, and theatredenimes.com)
XXX
Discover more:
January 16, 2010
(Switzerland/USA)- A second museum designed by Swiss architect Mario Botta has just opened in the United States, bearing all the hallmarks of the world-renowned Ticino architect. The Bechtler Museum of Modern Art – named after its benefactor, the Swiss Andreas Bechtler – is located in the center of Charlotte, North Carolina.XXX
XXXThe terracotta colored exterior strikes the eye, as do the geometric shapes and the convex, 49-foot-high column at the entrance. The roof of this entrance area is the floor of the actual exhibition space. "We have created a little plaza here," Botta explained. The Bechtler Museum is like a design for a theatre and a city museum under construction, he said. Together these form a culture campus. The main north-south highway runs directly past the new Botta building, which has four levels and a total floor space of 32,292 sq feet (3,000 square meters). The 10,764 square-foot (1,000-square-meter) exhibition area dominates the construction. By European standards, it is an imposing building. But by American standards it is rather modest. "It is an intimate space," said Botta. That becomes clear when you view the building from a distance, and see it surrounded by skyscrapers.
XXX
XXXThe impetus for the museum came from industrialist Andreas Bechtler, who moved to Charlotte in the 1970s and inherited with his sister his parents’ art collection, including important 20th century pieces. As he wanted to make the collection accessible to the public, Bechtler donated around 1,400 pieces to the city of Charlotte, 116 of which are now on display. These include works by Andy Warhol, Alberto Giacometti and Jean Tinguely as well as Picasso, Jasper Johns, Max Ernst, Paul Klee, Le Corbusier, Joan Miró, Alexander Calder and Ben Nicholson. The museum was built by the city and district of Charlotte at a cost of $17 million, with financing from the Wachovia/Wells Fargo bank. Bechtler contributed an additional $3 million of his own. When it came to the choice of architect, he appears to have had the right to nominate someone. "I received the commission from the city of Charlotte on Bechtler’s recommendation," Botta explained.
XXX
XXXIn the entrance area stands the large Firebird sculpture by the French-American artist, Niki de Saint Phalle (1930-2002), which dates from 1991. Bechtler was convinced that this rounded sculpture would be the perfect counterweight to the linear-geometrical museum building. "The Firebird is both exciting and a symbol of a warm welcome to all visitors to Charlotte and to the Campus," writes museum president John Boyer on the Bechler Museum website. For Botta, it is the second building he has erected in the US. His first work was the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art in 1995. Both his US buildings are modern art galleries. "That is really coincidence," laughed Botta, adding that he has no other projects in the US at present.
XXX
XXXMario Botta (born 1943) is one of the best known architects in Switzerland with buildings all over the world. He studied at the Liceo Artistico in Milan and the IUAV in Venice. His ideas were influenced by Le Corbusier, Carlo Scarpa, Louis Kahn. He opened his own practice in 1970 in Lugano, Switzerland. He designed his first building at age 16, a two-family house at Morbio Superiore in Ticino. While the arrangement of spaces in this structure is inconsistent, its relationship to its site, separation of living from service spaces, and deep window recesses echo of what would become his stark, strong, towering style. His designs tend to include a strong sense of geometry, often being based on very simple shapes, yet creating unique volumes of space. His buildings are often made of brick, yet his use of material is wide, varied, and often unique. His trademark style is visible in France in the Mediatheque in Villeurbanne (1988), a cathedral in Évry (1995), and the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art or SFMoMA (1994). Religious works by Botta, including the Cymbalista Synagogue and Jewish Heritage Center were shown in an exhibition in London at the Royal Institute of British Architects.
XXX
XXXIn 1998, Botta designed the new bus station for Vimercate (near Milan), a red brick building linked to many facilities, underlining the city's recent development. He worked at La Scala's theatre renovation, which proved controversial as preservationists feared that historic details would be lost. On January 1, 2006 he received the Grand Officer award from President of the Italian Republic Carlo Azeglio Ciampi. In 2006 he designed his first ever spa, the Bergoase Spa in Arosa, Switzerland. He has also incorporated his trademark design language in the product design field by creating designs for Alessi such as the Tua Pitcher, at the turn of the century, or before that the Shogun Lamp for Artemide. (from swissinfo.ch and wikipedia.org)
XXX
Discover more:
XXX
Discover more:
January 15, 2010
(Haiti)-A massive earthquake struck Tuesday near the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince, causing damage across the impoverished region. It is the largest quake to hit the area in some 200 years. Scientists with the U.S. Geological Survey say the earthquake struck about 6 miles from Port-au-Prince. The initial quake registered at magnitude 7.0 on the Richter Scale and was followed by several other shocks, including one that measured 5.9. The temblor destroyed at least 30 percent of the capital and leveled half of the buildings in some neighborhoods, collapsing the presidential palace, ministries, homes, schools, monuments and the city's largest hospital. The International Red Cross says up to three million people have been affected. Haitians are growing increasingly desperate waiting for food, water and medicine after a devastating earthquake left the capital in ruins and killed up to an estimated 50,000 people.XX
X XXXInternational troops and planeloads of supplies are arriving in Port-au-Prince. But humanitarian groups still do not have an organized way to deliver aid with roads blocked, phones out and a general lack of security. Many planes have circled Port-au-Prince, waiting to access the overwhelmed airport. U.S. aircraft carrier, USS Carl Vinson, arrived off the coast today to serve as a floating airport for rescue helicopters. The United Nations estimates Tuesday's earthquake left about 300,000 Haitians homeless. Survivors - many of them struggling with their own injuries - are digging through the ruins of collapsed buildings looking for victims buried in the rubble. XXX
XXXU.S. President Barack Obama spoke with Haitian President Rene Preval by phone today. Mr. Obama pledged full support for Haiti's immediate recovery effort and its long-term rebuilding effort. Washington says it has received rare permission from Havana to use Cuban air space for aid and evacuation flights. That will reduce the time it takes to fly to and from the U.S. Naval Station in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. The United States is sending more troops and ships to help Haiti. U.S. Defense Secretary Robert Gates says the security situation is "okay" (acceptable), and that U.S. forces will focus on Haitians' immediate needs so the situation does not deteriorate.
X
XX XXXUnited Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called the situation "dire." He said today U.N. peacekeepers and police are taking charge of law and order in Port-au-Prince. He said he will visit Haiti soon. The U.N. says the international community has pledged $268.5 million in aid. It is asking for an additional $550 million for urgent needs, like food, water, medicine and tents. The Red Cross estimates 45,000 to 50,000 people were killed in the earthquake. The World Health Organization recommends the bodies be placed in shallow ditches rather than mass graves. Meanwhile, Haiti's exiled former president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide, says is he ready to return to his homeland to help rebuild the country. He has been living in South Africa since 2004.
XXX
XXXThe effort to aid Haitian earthquake victims is presenting Europe with the first test of its newly created foreign policy structure and prompting France to call on other nations to speed the forgiveness of the nation’s international debt. In Brussels, at the European Union's headquarters, Catherine Ashton, who has taken over as the new foreign affairs’ chief, has been bringing together the humanitarian aid, development and civil protection officials of the European Commission, the bloc’s executive arm, as well as experts from the European Council, which represents individual governments. European authorities have pledged millions in aid, both through Brussels and individually. A team of experts was sent to assess the situation in Haiti, while a number of governments have joined the search-and-rescue effort, sending in searchers and sniffer dogs.
XXX XXX
XXXOn Monday, European development ministers will hold an emergency meeting in Brussels to consider how to start reconstruction once humanitarian aid has reached Haiti. "It is important to tell the people of Haiti that we stand ready to help them as much as we can in this tragedy," Ms. Ashton said yesterday. "They can count on Europe." France, the former colonial ruler of Haiti from 1697 to 1804, has attempted to take a lead in announcing initiatives for the country. France has a large community of Haitians, estimated at 50,000 or more, and is also host to numerous Haitian exiled political figures and intellectuals. Christine Lagarde, the French economy minister, said today that she had asked members of the Paris Club, a grouping of creditor nations, to speed debt relief and cancellation for the country. In addition, the French immigration minister Eric Besson said yesterday that France, like the U.S., had suspended expelling illegal immigrants from Haiti in the wake of the earthquake.
X
XX XXXDoctors Without Borders, founded in 1971 by a group of French doctors, said today that it had treated at least 1,500 patients in Haiti. It had 800 staff in the country before the quake and expects 70 extra staff to arrive within days. It is sending supplies to set up a 100-bed hospital with a surgical unit. The Geneva-based International Committee of the Red Cross said today that one of its teams — comprising 11 emergency experts — had arrived in Port-au-Prince, while a cargo plane carrying 40 tons of medical supplies was in the air and expected to reach the area late today. Red Cross workers in Port-au-Prince distributed medical assistance to five major hospitals and clinics, as well as to smaller facilities set up by local doctors in areas with a high concentration of earthquake survivors.
XX
X XXXHaitians are a resilient and creative people of deep religious faith and national pride. In 1804, their ancestors accomplished something that no other people in world history ever have: a successful national slave revolt - succeeding where Spartacus failed. It is a victory for all of humanity to celebrate: a revolution committed to a fuller ideal of freedom than either that of the American or French revolutions. Haiti is a country created by former slaves, kidnapped West Africans, who, in 1804, when slavery still flourished in the United States and the Caribbean, threw off their cruel French masters and created their own republic. Haitians have been punished ever since for claiming their freedom: by the French who, in the 1820s, demanded and received payment from the Haitians for the slave colony, impoverishing the country for years to come; by an often brutal American occupation from 1915 to 1934. Haiti's healing and reconstruction will be long and arduous, and will also require the generous and "unwavering support of the American people" that President Obama has pledged. Because the local (U.S.-trained) military was the only cohesive and effective institution left in the wake of the 1934 U.S. withdrawal, the result was a sequence of military-backed dictatorships, orchestrated coups-d'état and terror, all attached to American patronage, which would define the next 50 years of Haiti's history. (from voanews.com, wikipedia.org, philly.com, and nytimes.com)
XX
Discover more:
Discover more:
January 14, 2010
(France/Belgium/Switzerland/Luxembourg/World)- The French government is in "tough negotiations" with pharmaceutical companies over the supply contracts for H1N1 flu vaccines, Health Minister Roselyne Bachelot told Europe 1 radio last week, following the decision to cancel 50 million of the 94 million doses ordered from Novartis AG (NVS, NOVN.VX), Sanofi-Aventis SA (SNY, SAN.FR), GlaxoSmithKline PLC (GSK, GSK.LN) and Baxter International Inc. Like most countries, France (population: 65 million) ordered supplies based on the understanding that two shots would be needed to protect against the H1N1 virus. However, it was later determined that one shot was sufficient to protect against the H1N1 flu virus. "The best argument would be to raise the modification of the product license," Bachelot said, noting that the World Health Organization had advised two shots per person before changing its stance and recommending only one shot. A spokesman from Novartis stated that his company would "evaluate government requests on a case by case basis within the framework of the contractual agreements which we consider binding." The French government move came after intense criticism from politicians and scientists. The French opposition Socialist Party described the national campaign as an “extravagant fiasco” and demanded a parliamentary investigation.XXX
XXXGlaxoSmithKline (GSK.L) has agreed to slash the amount of swine flu vaccine it will supply to Germany to approximately 70 percent of the original order, due to low demand for the shots. Glaxo is also in discussion with other governments about reducing H1N1 vaccine supplies, including Britain, France, Spain, the Netherlands and Belgium, a spokeswoman said. Several countries have started to cut orders for flu vaccines because the pandemic has not turned out to be as deadly as originally feared and adults need only one dose, not two, to be fully protected. Original orders for flu vaccine were placed in May, June and July, when it was not known what dose would be needed and it was not clear how severe the pandemic would be. Belgium (population: 10.5 million), who has received from GSK 4.3 of the 12.6 million doses ordered, is hoping to be able to renegotiate its contract with the drug company (the original contract makes no provision for any order cancellation). Switzerland, which has a population of 7.7 million, ordered 13 million doses of vaccine from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) and Novartis. In December the government said it planned to donate to the World Health Organization (WHO) or sell to other countries some 4.5 million excess doses of the swine flu vaccine due to the low uptake. Only a small share of the initial order has been used. Negotiations are ongoing with a view to selling or donating our stocks," Jean-Louis Zurcher, Federal Health Office spokesman, explained, refusing to to say which countries were interested or whether Switzerland, like France, was in negotiations with pharmaceutical firms to cancel or return surplus vaccines. Another French-speaking country, Luxembourg (population: 493,500) is wondering what will happen to the 700,000 vaccines it ordered. Luxembourg's health minister explained that although the amount of vaccines may seem excessive, the World Health Organization had recommended 2 doses per person.
XXX
XXXThe United Nations health agency will review the way it dealt with the outbreak of swine flu once the pandemic has subsided, WHO spokeswoman Fadela Chaib told a news briefing. "Criticism is part of an outbreak cycle. We expect and indeed welcome criticism and the chance to discuss it," she said, adding the WHO's review would involve independent outside experts and its results would be made public. But she said it was too soon to say when the examination would take place or which experts would be involved. In the latest complaint about the way authorities have dealt with the pandemic, the Council of Europe, a political forum of most European countries, is to determine whether drug companies influenced the United Nations Health Agency and some public health officials to spend money unnecessarily on stockpiles of H1N1 vaccines. The WHO's "false pandemic" flu campaign was "one of the greatest medicine scandals of the century," said German doctor Wolfgang Wodarg, chairman of the Council of Europe Parliamentary Assembly (Pace) Health Committee, who tabled the motion to be debated on January 25.
XXX
XXXEuropean shares dipped this week, retreating from a 15-month high as investors booked a small portion of recent lofty gains, with pharma stocks dropping on mounting worries over sales of H1N1 flu vaccines and suffering the biggest losses. With European countries sending their vaccines supply back, drug companies will look to Asia and Africa for profit. A Sanofi Pasteur spokesman said the impact on sales would be minimal. "We don't expect this change in the French order to impact sales as the freed number of doses will be reallocated to other countries which are looking for H1N1 vaccines," he said.
XXX
XXXMeanwhile, the United States said on Monday it had cut in half its order for H1N1 flu vaccine from Australia's CSL Ltd (CSL.AX), but said it is not certain how far orders from other suppliers will be trimmed. While U.S. officials are still calculating how much swine flu vaccine they will need, it is clear that the United States will not need all 251 million doses it ordered from five companies. While the pandemic is slowing down in North America, the World Health Organization said on Monday the virus was still active in parts of central, eastern and southeastern Europe, North Africa and South Asia. The WHO declared a global pandemic last June, weeks after putting the world on an emergency footing over the sudden discovery and swift spread of the then unknown new swine flu virus in April 2009 in Mexico and the United States. It now reaches into more than 200 countries having left at least 12,799 people dead, according to the agency's data. However, "regular" flu (seasonal flu) kills 250,000 to 500,000 people worldwide each year, and the American Center for Disease Control estimates that an average of 36,000 people die each year in the U.S. alone from seasonal flu...(from marketwatch.com and reuters.com, swissinfo.ch, romandie.com, and nextbigfuture.com)
XXX
Discover more:
XXX
Discover more:
January 12, 2010
(France)- Xavier Kuhn of France and Ashleigh McIvor of Canada won World Cup ski cross races on Sunday at the ski resort of Les Contamines in south-eastern France. Kuhn defeated Stanley Hayer of Canada to win the men’s event for his second career victory to move into second place in the World Cup standings with 225 points. "My previous victory was six years ago," Kuhn said on the event’s official Web site. "It’s really pleasing one month away from the Olympics." Michael Schmid of Switzerland was eliminated in the semifinals but kept the overall lead with 295 points.XXX
XXXMcIvor beat Canadian teammate Julia Murray in the women’s final to also rise to second in the overall standings with 247 points. "I was kind of in shock when my teammate and I were in first and second," Murray said, "I was really excited." McIvor added: "Hopefully we can keep it up. We’re all going for gold." Six-time overall World Cup champion Ophélie David of France finished fourth to retain the overall lead in the women's standings with 290 points. "I’m very disappointed," David said. "I started to win and ended up fourth. But Ashleigh had a very good start."
XXX
XXXIn the men’s race, Casey Puckett finished fourth to increase his chances of making the United States Olympic team. The 37-year-old Puckett placed second in his quarterfinal and semifinal before failing to finish in the final to climb to fifth in the overall standings with 143 points. He is looking to participate in his fifth Olympics. This was the third of six World Cup events that will help determine the U.S. Olympic roster. The next World Cup ski cross event will be held tomorrow in Alpe d’Huez, France. There will be races next week in Blue Mountain, Canada, and then Lake Placid, United States.
XXX
XXXMeanwhile, in another discipline, France's Julien Lizeroux won a World Cup slalom race on the Swiss Kuonisbaergli course Sunday, racing through from 12th place after the first leg. The 30-year-old Frenchman earned his third career World Cup win. He was third last Wednesday in Zagreb, Croatia, and is now trailing Austria's Reinfried Herbst by only four points in the World Cup slalom standings.
XXXSki cross, which features a mass start and head-to-head racing on a course with turns, bumps, jumps and rolls, will make its Olympic debut next month in Vancouver, Canada. Although new to the Olympic sport program, ski cross has existed as a sport since the early days of alpine skiing competition. The "mass start" appeal of ski cross, also seen in snowboard cross, sets the stage for fast and exciting competition. Not restricted by formal structures and formats, ski cross is part of the FIS (International Ski Federation) freestyle discipline. The majority of competitors have an alpine skiing background. The ski cross course, designed to test skiers’ skills, incorporates turns in a variety of types and sizes, flat sections and traverses, as well as rolls, banks and ridges similar to those found on a normal ski slope. Structures on the course resemble those found in snowboard cross events. Physical endurance and strength play a key role in ski cross as athletes ski four to five runs lasting 60 seconds or longer. A timed qualification run is used to seed skiers into different heats, of four skiers each. The start, as well as the first sections before the first turn, are critical parts of the course, as passing can easily occur here. While other passing areas are designated on the course, interference with other skiers can lead to an athlete’s disqualification. Each race is limited to four starters. The top half of the finishing field then moves on to the next round in a series of quarter, semi and final rounds. (from sports.yahoo.com, gogle.com, and vancouver2010.com)
XXX
Discover more:
January 11, 2010
(Martinique/French Guiana/France)- Those supporting greater autonomy for France's overseas departments of Martinique and French Guiana are voicing disappointment after voters resoundingly rejected in referendums efforts to reduce French control of the two territories. The proposed changes would have given the regions a status similar to that of French Polynesia, which has more responsibility for its own affairs than the so-called overseas "departments" but they would not have led to full independence. Results from last Sunday's referendums showed that nearly 79 percent of Martinique residents and almost 70 percent of those in French Guiana voted against greater autonomy.
XXX
XXXIn a statement, French President Nicolas Sarkozy who had announced the vote last year saying changes were needed to improve governance in the Caribbean, hailed the outcome. In a statement, his office said the vote showed how attached the territories were to the French Republic. Both Martinique, in the Caribbean, and South America's French Guiana were granted French department status, when Paris relinquished total control more than half a century ago, and count as full parts of France and the European Union.
XXX
XXXChampions of greater autonomy have argued it would allow the territories greater say in key issues like development, education and employment. And some - like politician Alfred Marie-Jeanne, a leader of Martinique's independence movement - voiced deep disappointment at the results. In remarks broadcast on French radio, Marie-Jeanne said the loser of the referendum was Martinique - and that the vote reflected people's fears, not their aspirations. But others, like Chantal Meignan, a senior member of Mr. Sarkozy's ruling UMP party in Martinique, said the vote marked a victory for the population. Meignan told French radio the Martinique residents had other concerns than wanting more autonomy. She says the next step is to simplify administration procedures for the territories. Voters in both departments will vote on that measure in separate referendums, later this month.
XXX
XXXThe referendums come a year after Martinique and another overseas French territory, Reunion, were rocked by violent protests and strikes caused by low wages and high prices. Unemployment in France's overseas territories is generally far higher than in mainland France. Reports show food and fuel are also more expensive - despite government efforts to cut prices. (from voanews.com and reuters.com)
XXX
Discover more:
January 9, 2010
(Belgium)- The Royal Museum for Central Africa located in Brussels is hosting an exhibition this month featuring 180 masks. Over 100 are from the collections of the Royal Museum for Central Africa. The remainder are loans from Belgian private collections and a European project's four partner museums: the Musée du quai Branly in Paris, the Ethnography Museum of Stockholm, the Museo Nazionale Preistorico Etnografico Luigi Pigorini in Rome and the Musée International du Carnaval et du Masque in Binche (Belgium).XXX
XXX"Persona - Ritual Masks and Contemporary Art" is a temporary exhibition based on the theme of identity as examined through the mask in the literal and figurative sense. In Latin, Persona referred to the actor’s mask... In a very general way, the persona is the mask worn by each person in order to respond to the demands of life in society. These ritual masks are juxtaposed with contemporary works by African artists or African diaspora members, which explore the question of identity, self-respect and representation of the Other. Ritual Masks and Contemporary Art is presented as part of Project READ-ME (Réseau européen des Associations de Diasporas & Musées d’Ethnographie, ‘European Network of Diaspora Associations and Ethnography Museums’), which aims to encourage dialogue in Europe between museums and the diasporas whose cultures are represented in their collections.
XXX
XXXAnother temporary exhibition featured at the museum is "Omo - People and Design". The Omo valley, located in south-western Ethiopia, is on Unesco’s World Cultural Heritage List. An exceptional paleontology site on which several ancestors of the human race were discovered, it is rightly named the "birthplace of humanity". Graced with stupendous natural beauty, it also has several national parks. Now viewed as one of the most remote regions of the African continent, it is the cultural crucible of a dozen nomad tribes that barely survive in an austere environment. The Ethnographic section of the Royal Museum of Central Africa possesses over 1,000 objects collected from those pastoral people, representing one of the largest collections for the region. The exhibit offers one person’s view of the nomadic peoples of the Omo valley and of their relations with their environment. It focuses on the esthetics of ordinary, everyday objects and explains the role played by them in a society constantly obliged to adapt itself to the laws of nature. It also describes the new social and geopolitical stakes, and the recent challenges faced by these small nomadic communities. Some magnificent portraits and pictures of body paintings complete the exhibit.
XXX
XXXThe Royal Museum for Central Africa (RMCA) was created following the 1897 Brussels International Exhibition and is one of ten federal scientific establishments in Belgium. As a scientific research institute dedicated to Africa, it occupies an important position on the international scene; as a cultural center, it is one of the most visited museums in the country. Its collection of ethnographic objects from Central Africa is the only one of its kind in the world. The central African regions that are now The Congo, Rwanda, and Burundi were Belgian colonies in the 19th and 20th centuries (1885-1960 for Congo, 1923-1962 for Rwanda and Burundi). The museum is also home to the entire archives of Welsh journalist and explorer Henry Morton Stanley, which are of great historical value. The RMCA maintains film and photograph libraries and a large collection of maps and geological data. Its zoology collection features a vast array of specimens of African fauna, while the Entomology Section boasts some six million insects. The Museum also houses a magnificent collection of tropical wood, which is now the largest in Europe. (from africamuseum.be)
XXX
Discover more:
January 7, 2010
(Benin)- Seventy films are competing in the 8th International Film Festival of Ouidah, entitled "Quintessence", which is kicking off today in the town of Ouidah (located at about 30 miles south-west of Cotonou, the Beninese capital). ”Altogether, 70 films were selected for the 8th edition of "Quintessence". Among these films were 7 feature films, 20 documentaries, 18 short films, 12 entertainment films and 9 video movies, the sponsor of the event, Jean Odoutan, explained. The main objective of the Ouidah Film Festival is to facilitate access to films in sub-Saharan Africa.
XXX
XXX"The Quintessence Festival 2010 aims not only to contribute to the development of cinematography in the sub-region, but also to showcase filmmakers, especially those from the south”, Jean Odoutan said, revealing that two round table discussions will be held during this year’s edition. The first is entitled "Documentary and commitment: the documentary film, sociology of an art between rebellion and alienation", while the second is titled "The documentary, film and television: producing and distributing documentaries in Africa". Beside these two roundtable discussions, several workshops will be held, including workshops on the introduction to documentary. (from apanews.net)
XXX
Discover more:
January 6, 2010
(France/Belgium/USA)- A new exhibition hosted at the prestigious Musée d'Orsay in Paris and organized together with New York’s Museum of Modern Art presents to the public a major retrospective of James Ensor, the unique Belgian artist whose life and work straddled the 19th and 20th centuries, with 90 paintings, drawings and graphic works that range from naturalism and early Impressionism to Expressionism and the strident, violently colored masks and skeletal fantasies for which he is best known.XXX
XXXJames Ensor (1860–1949) was a major figure in the Belgian avant-garde of the late nineteenth century and an important precursor to the development of Expressionism in the early twentieth. In both respects he has influenced generations of later artists. This exhibition presents approximately 120 works, examining Ensor's contribution to modernity, his innovative and allegorical use of light, his prominent use of satire, his deep interest in carnival and performance, and his own self-fashioning and use of masking, travesty, and role-playing. Examples of Ensor's paintings, prints, and drawings are installed in an overlapping network of themes and images to produce a complete picture of this daring, experiential body of work. Ultimately, this exhibition presents James Ensor as a socially engaged and self-critical artist involved with the issues of his times and with contemporary debates on the very nature of modernism.
XXX
XXXThis exhibition, the first retrospective to be presented in Paris since 1990, aims to show the interplay of fracture and continuity to be found throughout Ensor's work. Continuity comes from the Naturalism and Symbolism that influenced his early work, as well as the tradition of masks, disguise, grotesque and satire, and carnival, a legacy from his childhood in the Belgian seaside town of Ostend, a city to which he was deeply attached. Fracture is the dramatization of the use of color and light. It is also the invention of a new language where the words intrude unsubtly alongside images, in order to give meaning to ideas, and the invention of a new narrative system teeming with characters and actions. Through his scathing irony, his sense of derision and self-derision, his intense colors and his expressiveness, Ensor, a strange and unclassifiable painter, finds his place amongst the precursors of Expressionism.
XXX
Discover more:
January 4, 2010
(France)- Her iconic beauty is so incredibly close to perfect that even her minor flaws are adored indiscriminately. To this day, Brigitte Bardot remains a sparkling symbol of French culture and fashion. Bardot secured her first magazine cover shoot with Elle at sixteen, and le look Brigitte Bardot quickly invaded the fashion industry, priming the teen idol for success in sometimes shocking films and pop music. The legendary sex symbol, who as a young woman was the model for Marianne, the national emblem of the French republic, retired from celebrity life at age 39 after over twenty years in the public eye. Today, the woman affectionately known as B.B. leverages her fame by advocating for animal rights.XXX
XXXFor the star's 75th birthday this year, the Musée des Années 30 (Museum of the 1930s) right outside Paris is hosting until the end of the month an exhibition called Brigitte Bardot: Les Années "Insouciance" (The "Carefree Years"). Featuring a delightful smorgasbord of media - from film clips to fashion accessories to Andy Warhol's classic paintings of the star - the event has imbued the museum's Espace Landowski with a flavor of the breezy, innocent years before the whirlwind chaos of Brigitte Bardot's fame. The exhibition revisits the life and times of one of the sixties most sexy stars with photos, film clips and memorabilia. Bardot made 48 films including the legendary "Et Dieu créa la femme" (And God Created Woman - 1956). Early photos of her taken by Sam Levin and Cornel Lucas became icons of French feminine sensuality. The Sculptor Alain Gourdon used her as the model for Marianne, the French national symbol.
XXX
XXXBrigitte Bardot, star of the 1950s and 60s, embodied both the carefree attitude and the liberation of women fighting the hypocrisy of a period mired in outdated and sexist values. Based on archive documents, new interviews and objects which belonged to the actress, this profuse and fun exhibition is designed as a journey back in time. A series of themed alcoves, each bearing the name of a film, a song or a TV program, form a timeline recounting the actress's life from her childhood to her espousal of the animal fights cause, via Saint-Tropez and her love life. These take us through the landmarks in her career, which also included more than 80 songs. Over the course of the tour, visitors are plunged into Brigitte Bardot’s tumultuous life, accompanied by the actress’s voice (songs, sound clips, etc.) The colorful portrait also draws on images by great artists for whom she was the muse: Andy Warhol, Van Dongen, Richard Avedon, Robert Doisneau, Sam Levin, Arman, Aslan, Saura, Paco Rabanne, etc. Finally, note that the exhibition is accompanied by a special program of films at the Landowski Cinéma d’Art et d’Essai. (from new-paris-ile-de-france.co.uk and francetoday.com)
XXX
Discover more:
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
