2010
12
Apr
The Evening Standard repotts that Newham, the London Olympics borough, is one of London’s robbery hotspots.Met statistics show Newham, with 2,077 offences, the second worst borough for robberies last year.Its Stratford and New Town ward (including the …
2010
9
Apr
The Singapore 2010 Organising Committee (SYOGOC) has opened the ticket sales for the inaugural Youth Olympic Games, which will take place in Singapore from 14 to 26 August 2010.
320,000 tickets are on sale at affordable prices so everyone can attend: tickets will cost SGD 10 for preliminary events, SGD 15 for quarter- and semi-finals and SGD 30 for finals.
Worldwide TOP partner Visa is supporting the Singapore 2010 Organising Committee with its ticket sales programme, and will provide a Singapore 2010 DBS Visa Prepaid Companion Card with every ticket purchase. As well as being a prepaid top-up card, the Visa card will offer up to four free MRT train rides and unlimited bus rides for the day of the event for which the ticket is purchased.
For more information on the ticket sales click here: www.singapore2010.sg/tickets
2010
8
Apr
The London 2012 Olympics promises to break at least one record, the number of drugs tests carried out.The London Organising Committee (Locog) will carry out around 5,000 tests, 10% more than were performed in Beijing in 2008.Olympic Medals won during t…
2010
7
Apr
The Daily India ran this story back in February about the contamination of the London Olympics site, that seemingly is buried beneath a plastic sheet.How true is this story, and how much of a hazard does this present given that there is meant to be a “…
2010
1
Apr
Russian Olympics clouded by 19th century deaths
Amie Ferris-Rotman Sun Mar 21, 2010
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE62K0IT20100321
TBILISI (Reuters) – A Muslim diaspora is demanding the Sochi 2014 Olympics be canceled or moved unless Russia apologizes for the 19th century deaths of many of their ancestors in the location where the Winter Games will be held.
2010
1
Apr
Set in a garden and lined with lush language, Paradise Garden is “unabashedly joyful, hopeful and romantic,” says playwright and lead Lucia Frangione.
Based on a story she heard three years ago about a series of hate crimes towards Muslims, the play is about the love story of two neighbors from different cultural backgrounds.
“The play is a response to the gross misunderstandings people have,” says Frangione. “I wanted to explore not just the differences, but also the similarities between these people.”
The story highlights the lives of two families: a Muslim family from Turkey and a secular West Coast Canadian family.
“I wanted to show a Muslim family that is very contemporary and working globally. The mother is re-exploring her religious background, the father is secular and the daughter is finding her way between those two paths.”
The career-driven, globetrotting daughter is played by Frangione —she did have to audition for the role — who falls in love with a stereotypically Canadian boy next door. Their romance plays out on centre stage.
“It’s a simple love story that resonates on a lot of levels. There’s a story about being Canadian, about the arts (Frangione’s character is an art curator) and about the possibility of having intercultural understanding.”
While the story is undeniably romantic, there are also elements of sorrow, pain, wit and dark humour in the play, which was commissioned by Vancouver’s Arts Club Theatre, and is Frangione’s 26th work.
Although her plays touch on a wide range of issues, the Alberta-born playwright says she usually writes about spiritual and social issues from a feminist perspective, which is usually evident in her character development.
“I always like to invert typecasts. It’s usually the man who is out there, career-focused, and in this case it’s [lead actress] Layla who’s off travelling and is career-focused,” says Frangione. She says she is confident about the play’s likeability. “This play is one of the rare ones where I feel like anyone will come and enjoy it. It works on enough levels that I feel pretty confident about it.”
“My goal was to earn a happy ending. And I think we’ve earned any happiness and joy it brings.”
“Paradise Garden” runs March 11 to April 11 at The Stanley Theatre, 2750 Granville Street, Vancouver; (604) 687-1644; Tickets are $25 to $59.