Olympics

The Game of Demolishing History

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The entrance to the main building of Japan's iconic Hotel Okura in Tokyo. An outcry from architectural preservationists couldn't stop the demolition to make way for a high-rise tower. PHOTO: Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP/Getty Images

The entrance to the main building of Japan’s iconic Hotel Okura in Tokyo. An outcry from architectural preservationists couldn’t stop the demolition to make way for a high-rise tower. PHOTO: Yoshikazu Tsuno/AFP/Getty Images

What’s the prize you pay to host the most prestigious event in sporting history? If your answer is breakneck development that is low on sustainability, spares not a thought on protecting what’s natural/native to the land – then you score points in Tokyo. Workers have started tearing down a Japanese landmark — the Hotel Okura. The Okura is a treasure of 1960s modernist design and has hosted every American president since Richard Nixon, Hollywood royalty and actual royalty.

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Beijing Looks to ‘Making’ Snow

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While Beijing has won the bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, questions are being raised about the environmental impact of creating artificial snow. PHOTO: BBC

While Beijing has won the bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, questions are being raised about the environmental impact of creating artificial snow. PHOTO: BBC

Beijing is still celebrating its chance to host the 2022 Winter Olympics. The International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) decision means China’s capital will become the first city to host the summer and winter events. The candidate cities were down to just Beijing and Almaty, Kazakhstan, after a number of other cities including Krakow, Poland, and Oslo, Norway, dropped out of the bidding, many citing public opposition to the expense of hosting the games. Despite Kazakhstan’s recent oil and gas-driven economic boom, Beijing was considered the safer choice, given that China proved during the 2008 Summer Games that it can put on quite a show. So, think Winter Games, think snow. And where is that going to come from?

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Connecting Over Competition

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Guest Author: Siobhan Powers

I’ve been staying in the beautiful backwaters of Kerala for the past few days, which has put me at ease as I always feel more comfortable by the water.  Jonathon and I took some time out of our workday to take a walk and get a feel of the area, including all it has to offer, both culturally and agriculturally. We interrupted the construction of a stone wall surrounding a rice paddy field and watched a young boy catch fish in a stream at the side of the narrow road. In the heat of the Indian sun’s rays, we contemplated buying ice cream, but, on our return, settled on the universal refreshing thirst-quencher that is an ice-cold cola.

Rice paddy in Panangad

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