Is the olympics a mess or sailing perfectly well on it's course?

The 'MEDIA' is constantly updating us on how the games budget is constantly spiraling out of out control, and how the London 2012 Olympics may well be one of the most expensive games in history.

The critics may well have a valid point in this, but as they constantly feed us with this disastrous information, they seem to forget, or intentionally forget to mention why.

Not only will the 2012 Olympics host a huge sporting event, attracting thousands of Tourists and putting East London as well various other venues across the country on the map but its also part of a long term regeneration project which plans on transforming East London for good.

You think of how much money it would cost to regenerate a site the size of the Olympic grounds anywhere, anyhow across the world, Then try building sporting arenas, accommodation complexes, improving transportation links all for one of the most well known Sporting events known?? Makes you think doesn't it!

Compare what the London Olympics proposes to past Olympics. Barcelona for example, as successful as the Games were at the time, i can't help but feel that the grounds of the site have been left since the games and are slowly deteriating on the outskirts of the city which is occasionally visited by tourists who decide to stop off whilst traveling on the Barcelona City Tour Bus. The London Games propose to keep this area a thriving and attractive location during and post game. Encouraging people to move into this new modern, and sustainable development, which will consist of one of the biggest man made natural habitats built anywhere in Europe for a very long time.

Take a look at this link http://gamesbids.blogspot.com/2006_11_01_archive.html
I found it rather interesting.

Well Hello everybody!

It has been a long time and well past my sell by date to post another 'post'!

I hope you are all doing well?

Well it's all good news on the Gareth Front! I have recently got a new job, which as of the 3rd of January will mean i work for the Sustainability Forum/Team, with this comes extra money but as does the extra work load, but hey all's well ends well.

We have all heard about the effects of global warming and how it's effecting the ski resorts this year. Well with a trip to Schliersee in Germany, along the Bavarian Alps, and a pleaseant week of Skiing completed... (well in theory that's what it should have been.)

First hands on eye witness here, global warming or not, i can safely say that large parts of the Alps are suffering from a lack of snow fall.

I went to the same resort three years ago which was covered in 4 feet of snow, we turned up this year to find not even a flake had fallen in a long time. In fact we got to Schliersee to find that the it was colder in London than where we were. The resort we would have skied on had closed down earlier that week, after already losing 8 weeks of business, it's fair to say the conditions are making business slightly tough.

Fortunatly our resort organised a coach for us to travel into Austria where we got a few days of skiing. Only problem was that we had to go 2, 600m up into the mountains before we even reached the snow line.

have a look at my photo's on this link http://my.opera.com/GROWe/albums/

Toodlpip for now!

Hi all, thought i would mention an event i went to on the weekend called 'the Synergy Project' http://www.thesynergyproject.org/.

What a weird but great night, a charity run event, once every month with the most bizarre things you could possibly imagine in a night club!

Located beneath the arches not to far from London Dungeon and jam packed with some very interesting things ranging from around 7 to 8 different rooms (as far as i found), hard to soft techno, to live bands, to stands selling clothes, food, chill out rooms with massages, to life drawing!

A weird mix which some how seems to work quite well, had an absolute wicked night, and would definatley recommend it.

Its been a while!!

Thought i would finally update my poor old and abandoned blogg.

Well its been a busy couple of months, and i dont quite know where to start......

Work..

Well my 2 month contract at constructing excellence came to an end at the end of August, which was a shame because i enjoyed working at the organisation. But wait! Dont panic yet! im not jobless - instead of giving me the boot they decided to renew it, and i am now a project administrator at the office, only a 6 month contract but they have recently approached me to ask if would like to stay for another year. So all is great here and the job is great, the early mornings are now an everyday occurance which adds some kind of routine back into my life. And i am beginning to cherish those weekends, although debts dont seem to be dissapearing too quickly.

Other than work not much has been happening, been back to my home in Swansea a couple of times, and im glad to have seen that a couple of you have been down to that area, Rich -- Joe's ice cream, is GREAT. Been to Cardiff a few times and that is as far as my travels have tacken me. although i am planning to pop to Edingburgh soon to see Rachel who is apparently having a great time.

I am beginning to plan my travels with my mate, starting to save, and organise small things so hopefully, next Christmas we will be in New York for the new year as that is where we are planning on starting.

Other than that, life has been rather boring........

DID YOU KNOW?

Now i have a lot of spare time i have started reading the 'Da Vinci Code'. Im not even half way through yet but i am fascinated. Did you know that the neo modern Glass Pyramids outside the Louvre museum in France which were designed by chinese-born American I.M.Pei and the pyramid was built with exactly 666 panes of glass, which as we all now is considered to be the number of satan. Interesting topic i thought.

It's all about office life now. With the responsabilities of having to open the office, assuring everything is in working order, and trecking across London by train, a nice late lie in in bed becomes a distant memory of the past.

The rude awakening of the alarm clock at 6 every week day pushes reality back into my life, or quite possibly for the first time ever.

Despite this it is rather pleasent being up bright and early before even the dew gets a chance to clear. Catching the crisp morning sun is very pleasant indeed.

So all in all, all things considered good, especially knowing that pay day will arrive in due course.

Job work job work

Yes! I have just got myself a job working with Constructing Exellence in Victoria on Buckingham Palace Rd, I am so close to the palace that i can see the Queen Hoovering, doing her choirs, she particualry puts up a fight when she has to do the dishes, but dont we all.
Start on Monday, cant wait.

Cant believe it is all over now! im a little bored at some points, dont quite know what to do, if it wasn't for the sun i think i would take on another project on. hehe.
Was wondering whether you guys would keep the blogg going, because i am, and it would be nice to see how everyone is doing in the future. let me know!
posted by Mr G. Rowe BA (Hons) in Landscape Architecture. (dont mean to brag but it sounds good)