International Sport

The seventh arrondissement is located on the Left Bank of the Seine River. It hosts several major government institutions and some very important tourist attractions. This lovely district occupies about 1.6 square miles (slightly over 4 square kilometers) and has a population of approximately 57 thousand people while providing more than 76 thousand jobs.

Some of the best jobs in this arrondissement are in the Assemblee Nationale (National Assembly), the lower house of the French Parliament which consists of 577 elected members known as deputes (deputies), each elected to represent a single-member constituency. The official seat of the National Assembly is the Palais Bourbon (Bourbon Palace) on the banks of the Seine River as well as some neighboring buildings.

The Eiffel Tower is perhaps Paris’s best-known landmark, recognized the world over. This thousand foot (three hundred twenty meter) building, as tall as an eighty-story building, annually attracts over six million paying visitors. Once the tallest structure in the world it is now only the fifth tallest building in France. And yet year in year out more visitors pay to see it than any other monument in the world.

The Eiffel Tower was erected between 1887 and 1889 as the entrance arch to the Exposition Universelle (World’s Fair) honoring the centennial of the French Revolution. It was not immediately popular. The French writer Guy de Maupassant supposedly ate lunch there every day. When asked why, since everyone knew that he hated the tower, he simply replied ‘ that was the only Paris location where he couldn’t see the tower. The original plans were to demolish the tower after twenty years but happily plans changed. The tower is used for radio transmission and served for German television broadcasts during the occupation of Paris in World War II and again since 1957.

There’s a fancy restaurant with a private elevator on the second floor and another restaurant on the first floor. The Eiffel Tower was struck by lightning in 1902 and in 1910 helped scientists discover cosmic rays. And con men have succeeded in selling it for scrap metal. The tower shifts up to 7 inches (18 centimeters) because of the sun and sways about a third as much in the wind. You can climb the first two levels but going higher requires an elevator. Once every seven years it’s painted in three different colors to keep up appearances.

During the German occupation **** soldiers climbed to the top and hoisted the swastika but after a few hours the wind blew that rag away. Later during the war the tower proudly flew the French flag. During the winter the first floor hosts a free ice skating rink. Its night-time image has been copyrighted. Many, many buildings are taller, but none are as recognizable or perhaps as well loved.

The Hotel Matignon, completed in 1725 is one of Paris’s most elegant mansions. At that time, the owners authorized any “well-dressed” person to visit the mansion in their absence. Too bad that I was unaware of this little slice of history the last time I was in the neighborhood. The building had seen a lot including the signing of the famous Matignon Accords in 1936 that established the forty-hour work week and paid vacations for French workers. During World War II it was used by the collaborationist government. According to legend the French Resistance leaders who seized the premises got confused between Hotel Matignon and the Matignon Avenue across the Seine River. In all fairness, they did have a lot on their mind. General de Gaulle convened the government there in 1944 and once again in 1958. Its park is the largest private garden in Paris.

The Champ de Mars (Field of Mars) is named for the Roman war god and was once used for military training. It’s not far from the military school described below. It was the site of both a festival and a massacre during the French Revolution. The Musee d’Orsay (Orsay Museum) was once a railway station, the world’s first electrified urban one. Charles de Gaulle spoke there in 1958 before taking power. It is now a museum specializing in French art from 1848 to 1914. Its collection includes impressionist masterpieces by Monet, Renoir, and many others.

The Ecole Militaire (Military School) was founded in 1750 by Louis XV. Madame de Pompadour was part of this project whose objective was to enable poor boys to become cadet officers. Napoleon Bonaparte was such a good student that he graduated from a two-year program in a single year but he had already frequented (from age nine) another French military school. Be sure to visit the nearby Les Invalides (The Invalides) complex, built in 1670 as a retirement home for war veterans that has expanded to include a soldiers’ hospital, war monuments, and war museums. Many of France’s war heroes are buried there including France’s greatest war hero of them all, Napoleon Bonaparte and his family.

The Musee Rodin (Rodin Museum) was opened in 1919 in the Hotel Biron where the artist lived from 1908. It contains most of his greatest works including The Thinker and The Kiss. You’ll see many of his sculptures in the gardens. Other great artists and sculptors including Van Gogh, Rodin, and Claudel are represented in the museum.

The Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris (Paris Institute of Political Studies), often called Sciences Po is one of France’s greatest educational institutions. Among its subjects of choice are political science, economics, business, communications, finance, journalism, law, management, and urban studies. It was established in 1872 by French businessmen, intellectuals, and politicians in the wake of France’s defeat in the Franco-Prussian war of 1870 and the Paris Commune of the following year. In the last few years Sciences Po has taken on a few students from the poor suburban areas outside Paris; a French version of the inner city. This is in contrast to their usually elitist student body. The undergraduate program is usually three years with the third year spent abroad or in an internship. Of course there are Master’s and Doctoral programs. Students are expected to be proficient in at least two foreign languages and fluent in French. Many French leaders such as Chirac and Mitterand, thirteen former prime ministers and a whole slew of world leaders are former students, teachers or both.

Of course you don’t want to tour Paris without sampling excellent French wine and food. In my article I Love French Wine and Food ‘ A Bordeaux Merlot I reviewed such a wine and suggested a sample menu: Start with Gravette Huitres (Oysters from the Arcachon Bay). For your second course savor Lamproie au Pomerol (Eels cooked in Red Wine and Chocolate). And as dessert indulge yourself with Cannelles de Bordeaux (Portable Cr? Brulee). Your Parisian sommelier (wine steward) will be happy to suggest appropriate wines to accompany each course.

In the present age of fashion and style, everyone wants to look different from others. Whenever one talks about fashion, the picture of a woman comes in the mind. They are considered to be more fashion conscious than men. However, a lot of changes have taken place in men’s clothes industry. The stylish and designer outfits can be seen coming into the markets these days. The trend of “bell bottoms” and “button down” shirts is rarely seen and the youths today enjoy the hip-hop kind of outfits. Many other kinds of apparels can be found that excite the male youths.

The men’s wears market has a lot to offer these days and the garment manufacturing companies are fighting hard to provide the latest fashion clothes to the men. The youths and adults enjoy the unique and stylish garment items being introduced these days. Some of the very popular items are casual trousers with hip-hop looks, T-shirts with portraits of celebrities printed on them, cargo pants and many more. The latest fashion trends in men’s garments markets can be well understood by going through the following points.

Formal wear: Men like the formal wears for meetings and seminars. These items are given fashionable looks by the companies. The pleated trousers are the hot choices among the users and are in great demand. The shirts with short sleeves, stripes and trousers in skinny designs are also loved by the youths.

Casual clothes: These types of clothes give a rough & tough look to the wearers. The shirts and trousers with sporty looks are getting huge popularity among the young men. These outfits are perfect choices for parties and informal gatherings.

Beach wear: The swimsuits with attractive shades of bright colours are popular these days. The fabrics used in these items give the required level of comfort to the person who is wearing them. A lot of brands are available in the markets that manufacture such items.

Night wear: The garment items such as shorts and briefs are also given stylish looks. These products are popular among the men of all ages.

Colours: These play an important role in making any kinds of clothes fashionable. Different types of colours such as pink, blue, purple, red, etc., are used to give the stylish look to the shirts and T-shirts.

The international men’s wears industry has seen a tremendous growth in recent times. Unlike earlier, the ready made garments seem to be popular among the men these days. In fact, people want to imitate what celebrities wear and therefore the pre-designed apparels are in great demand. The top notch designers from all over the world are coming up with their own series of fashionable clothes for men. Apart from the fashionable looks, many other factors like fabrics, cuts and designs are also focused by the garment making companies. The rising popularity of large retail stores and shopping malls has also contributed to the success of men’s garments industry. The industry has become more organised now and hundreds of brands are available to the customers. Due to the rising competition, even good quality designer clothes can be availed at affordable prices.

The online shopping portals are also proving to be the popular choices for the shoppers as these allow the users to get the products by just browsing the related websites. The items are delivered to the customer’s place within the specified period of time. A number of deals and schemes are offered on these sites and the users can make the most out of them. All the latest and fashionable types of men’s wears can be found there. Different online contest are also run on these sites and one can win exciting gifts by participating in them. One can also design his choice of clothes on the portals where such facility is provided. Overall, the men’s clothes industry is touching new dimensions and the future is looking more promising.

The capital as well as one of the largest cities in the People’s Republic of China, Beijing serves as the cultural, political, educational, economic, and scientific center of the nation. Located in the country’s north-east corner, Beijing boasts of a diverse range of attractions, from magnificent palaces, temples, and historic monuments to interesting museums, incredible parks and gardens.

Just few to name are Forbidden City, The Great Wall, Summer Palace, Ming Tomb, Chinese History Museum, Chinese Science and Technology Museum, Chinese Military Museum, Yanhuang Art Museum, Temple of Azure Clouds, Wofo Temple, Yonghegong Lamasery, Big Bell Temple, and Ox Street Mosque. Further, people touring the place can also engage in a variety of recreational as well as fun-filled activities such as kite flying, martial arts, ice skating, and cycling. Above all, Beijing has also been chosen as the venue to host 2008 Summer Olympics, as a result of International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) exhaustive ballot.

The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially referred to as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad or the 29th Olympic Games, will fall on August 8, 2008 and would last till August 24, 2008. The Summer Olympic Games, otherwise known as the Games of the Olympiad, is an international sport event that is held once in four years. It is conducted by the International Olympic Committee.

Majority of the games would be held at the city’s Beijing National Stadium. Further, both the opening and closing ceremonies would be held at there. In deed, the Beijing National Stadium would be the major field as well as track stadium. Other venues that have been chosen to conduct Olympic events include National Indoor Stadium, Wukesong Indoor Stadium, Beijing University of Technology Gymnasium, Ying Tung Natatorium, and Olympic Green Convention Centre.

It is estimated that about 11000 competitors would take part in the 2008 Summer Olympics events. Almost competitors from almost every country take part in the events such as, Afghanistan, Antigua, Argentina, Bahamas, Belize, Bolivia, Cameroon, Canada, Chile, Comoros, Czech Republic, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Denmark, Arab Republic of Egypt, Ethiopia, France, Great Britain, Greece, Hungary, India, Jamaica, Kazakhstan, Korea Democratic People Republic, Laos, Madagascar, Namibia, Netherlands, Oman, Papua New Guinea, Rhodesia, Saint Lucia, Saudi Arabia, Tanzania, United Arab Emirates, Venezuela, Yugoslavia, and Zambia.

Earlier, the summer Olympic Games consisted of only 40 to 45 events. But, now it has been expected that there would be more than 300 events for the 2008 Summer Olympics in Beijing. Most prominent among the events that form part of the 2008 Summer Olympics are swimming, football, handball, cycling, volley ball, mountain biking, wrestling, judo, weightlifting, tennis, baseball, rowing, canoeing, slalom racing, fencing and shooting, kayaking, field hockey, equestrian, softball, triathlon, water polo, and synchronized swimming.

The 2008 Summer Olympics’ official mascot is Fuwa, which in turn stands as a symbol of peace and friendship. Fuwa has been primarily designed to convey playful qualities of five small children, who in turn form a close circle of friends. Fuwa is also an embodiment of five natural characteristics of four most popular animals of the country, such as, the Tibetan Antelope, the Fish, the Swallow, and the Panda.

The Olympic flame is also represented in Fuwa. In other words, Fuwa represents the five important elements of the nature, such as, the earth, the sky, sea, forest, and fire. Included in the Fuwa are Beibei, representing the fish; Yingying, which stands for the Tibetan Antelope; Nini – the Swallow; Jingjing, which represents the Panda; and above all, Huanhuan, representing the Olympic Flame. Above all, the Fuwa is the representation of aspiration as well as dream of people from all parts of the country.

The capital city has taken all steps to prepare and host the 29th Summer Olympic events as well as the millions of spectators and sports enthusiasts. As a part of this, majority of travel industries have also taken steps to make the 2008 Summer Olympics events eventful. Some of the hotels even offer special packages for those touring the place, especially to spectacle this event. These packages mostly include accommodation, dining, transportation to and fro events, gift package, city sightseeing tours, and excellent travel as well as concierge services. Apart from these, there are also provide special celebrations in connection with the 2008 Summer Olympics.