The organizers, including running legend Sebastian Coe, chairman of the London Organizing Committee, consulted 40 groups of children of all ages in their pursuit of a design. The result is a pair of inspirational figures aimed at being children’s friends throughout the period leading up to the 2012 Olympics, as well as during the Games themselves.

The mascots are named Wenlock and Mandeville. Each has one giant eye, signifying a camera lens, and that’s the extent of the facial features.

Wenlock, the one with the orange stripes, is named for the town Much Wenlock, where Pierre de Coubertin, the inventor of the modern Olympic Games, had the idea. He was visiting Much Wenlock in 1890 and got the idea for the worldwide event after seeing games put on by the town’s residents. On Wenlock’s head is an orange light, meant to look like the lights to be found on top of London taxis.

Mandeville, the blue one, is named for the town Stoke Mandeville, where, in the 1940s, the Paralympic movement began. (The Paralympics follow the Olympics, in the same city, by a few weeks.)

The mascots were introduced to the world in a short animated film, in a story written by Michael Morpurgo, the well-known author of the children’s books Private Peaceful and The Wreck of the Zanzibar. In the film, the mascots take shape from drops of molten steel at the plant where the foundation for the main stadium was made. A steelworker makes the drops of steel into figurines and places them in a window, where a rainbow shines on them and brings them to life. Then, they’re off.

(That’s the Usain Bolt pose, by the way.)

In other news on the 2012 Summer Olympics:

• London Mayor Boris Johnson has announced plans for the city to become 100 percent WiFi-enabled by the time the Games start. Workers are soon to start installing thousands of Wi-Fi hotspots in street lights and bus stops, to create a citywide wireless network for Internet access. This will benefit people in London for the Olympics, but it will also be a plus for London residents, who are hoping that the pricing details yet to be announced don’t include a high fee to cover the costs of all that construction.
• The London Organizing Committee of the Olympic Games has announced that it intends to conduct 5,000 drug tests at the Olympics and 1,200 drug tests at the Paralympics. This would exceed the 3,667 drug tests carried out in 2008 in Beijing.

By: socialstudiesforkids.com

That’s the case with a machine at the Emirates Palace in Abu Dhabi, which is not only coated with a thin layer of gold but also will, for a price, give you something made of gold. The current range of 320 items on offer includes customized gold coins, gold bars of various weights (the largest being 10 grams), and many other things made of the precious metal. In the works is a souvenir gold bar made with the Emirates Palace logo. (No word on whether the logo will cost extra.)

All can be had in exchange for the requisite funds, of course. The machine now accepts dirhams, the local currency, but will soon be able to take funds from a credit card.

The machine, titled “Gold to Go,” was tested in Germany (which is, by the way, the source of the gold in the machine at the moment). The Middle Eastern city of Abu Dhabi, the capital of and second-largest city in the United Arab Emirates, is the first to get a Gold to Go machine because so many of the people who do business there buy and sell gold. (Mindful of the current economic climate, many investors are preferring to deal in gold bars rather than dollars or currencies of other countries.) It doesn’t hurt, either, that the hotel will serve you a cappuccino topped with tiny gold sprinklings.

The machine is computerized and is in touch with the international financial markets. The price of gold is updated every 10 minutes, round the clock. Investors are not surprised to have to pay more than 1,000 American dollars for an ounce of gold. (So the 10-gram bar of gold in the Gold to Go machine would cost 436 American dollars.) By: socialstudiesforkids.com

1. ZARA. In an ideal world, we’d love to see the entire family decked out in their gear (they’ve got Zara Kids and Men as well). And with their prices getting more and more shockingly reasonable, this could soon be a reality. They’re very much on the ball when it comes to the latest trends and are ace at sleek tailoring, killer heels and comfy basics. You won’t go anywhere in their pieces without a compliment.

2. SPLASH. No budget fashionista in Abu Dhabi could do without it. They cater to a range of looks fresh off the international catwalks but are probably best for bright and bold prints and patterns, graphic tshirts and dresses for all occassions.

3. VINCCI. Any Abu Dhabu shoe fanatic would call this home. Shoes, shoes and more shoes, from the flirty and floral to the sequined and the sophisticated. This Malaysian brand has a huge UAE following with new styles i stores each week. It also sells funky accessories and handbags.

So, if you guys are able to visit the amazing and fantastic place of Abu Dhabi, UAE dont ever forget to drop to the said shops and fore sure you’ll be amazed how reasonable their price is. Okay! That’s it for now ’cause I still have to check this motorhome towing I’ve found earlier ’cause UAE’s car parking nowadays is too strick already and this might probably help for y Uncle’s car.

Jones the Grocer isn’t just an eatery tucked away in the dusty, developing Al Mamoura area – it’s a haven for foodies with fine taste. Here you’ll find a charcuterie and a fromagerie stocking fine cheeses from Spain, France and Australia, among other luxuries for the not so money conscious customer. The store is impressively self-sufficient, with most of what’s on offer on and off the shelves coming from its own kitchens – from porcini mushroom and truffle cream to honeycomb ice cream and sparkling non-alcoholic cabernet.

We quite enjoyed the tuna cake with fried egg (although we’re glad the egg was runny because the cake needed moistening) and the Jones omelette was good – a ‘real’ omelette (such a rarity these days) stuffed with veal bacon, Spanish onion, red capsicum, tomato and cheddar cheese, and served with sourdough toast.

Thanks to the less than generous portions, we were far from ready for the cheque; so we ordered toasted muesli to share with our English Breakfast teas, and that alone was bigger than the main meals. Not that we’re slurping soda at breakfast time, but we did notice that fissy drinks didn’t make the cut at this joint, probably because their fresh juices are so remarkable – the whole fruit and nothing but the fruit!

We left, not only with a couple pricey pleasures from the racks, but also feeling healthy and happy. For more information about Joneses click here. For you to have an access about them is you happened to visit UAE soon.

1. THE PARKING. There’s just about nothing more infuriating than sitting through an hour of traffic only to arrive at a building and spend another thirty minutes or more circling for a parking space -  especially when you only spend five minutes doing business inside. Almost everywhere you go on the mainland, parking is plentiful and easily accessible. Reason enough to move.

2. THE PRICE. You can literally save a third of the cost of rent ina place on the mainland over the island. Looking for a flat that comes with parking? Expect to pay up to AED 50,000 more per year. If you can afford the incovenience, the savings you reap from living on the mainland are really worth the drive.

3. YAS ISLAND. In the past, places like Khalifa City A didn’t have so much as street sings or lights. These days, though, some of the best events in the capital are coming to Yas Island, which is a stone’s throw away from anyone living on the mainland.

This are some of the few things I love living in the mainland of Abu Dhabi City, UAE. Living a life and earning for a living in this place is definitely awesome!

Okay that’s it for now ‘cuase I still have to check this glucosamine sulphate I’ve found earleir this day as I was looking for a solution on joint pain for my Granny. She keeps on complaining it to me when I used to call back home. Just this this morning I happend to talked to her and again the same thing I hear. So I decided to look for a solution. Good thing is I found this glucosamine sulphate. Thanks to them!

Unfortunately, the light also reveals that the outdoor furnitures is already a bit worse for wear. But still we’re eased into them by the funky lunge music and staff off with the Sea Soup, a warm cuppa brimming with seafood, veggie and an array of tongue – ticking spices that has us sniffing with satisfaction.

Next we go with the charbroiled beef steakburger with “rushdie potato”(fries), sauteed baby tomatoes and onions in baisamic, and duck breast. The burger is more than a handful but pretty standard, its fries leaving more of a lasting impression. The duck served with fruit chutney and balsamic orange sauce was tender with a unique tangy and sour taste.

At bursting point now, we are coaxed by a whispering waiter to fry Eight’s signature pain perdu, a French pudding served with vanilla ice cream. And we thank him. Anything drenched in this dessert we’d eat no questions asked. It’s the perfect climax to a gastronomically superb evening.

Eight ticks all the right boxes with both its drink and food menus, not to mention a Fondue night is in the works, among many other attractions, so we’ll keep our ears to the ground for what’s to come.

This were some of the best foods you can hunt here in Abu Dhabi if you wish to visit this place and have fun. Okay! That’s it for now ’cause I still have to look a truck accessories for my Dad’s car. He was asking me to help him find the accessories he need for his truck that really needs to be repaired. Hope you guys will enjoy this article I did.

For that, why don’t you consider a family vacation and adventure in this country? I bet you’ll absolutely enjoy while roaming around the place and exploring the great and greatest about this country. If you guys wants to consider a vacation from this place in this spring season better grab the chance now to book your reservation online at karismahotels.com ’cause they are the one who offers a great package tour in thise amazing city. Besides, you don’t have to worry if you will avail from them simply because they are one of the leading provider for the said services and has been to this type of business for several years and through that time they garnered the trust and loyalty of their clients and customers who keep coming back and refering them.

One more thing, spending a vacation with your beloved family is indeed crucial to strengthen the bond you have for each other. It helps you renew the bows of love and obligation towards your family. So, better take a vacation now and have a great time!

It’s a great place for entertainment, both in front of you ( the F1 Yasalam gigis) and a bit further away (Red Bull Air Race, the UIM Formula One Powerboats, regular gig boat racing). Wakestock Abu Dhabi on 4th to 6th March should combine both, while also getting Abu Dhabi on to another international sporting circuit.

Wakestock Abu Dhabi will be the first stop on the 2010 WWA World Wakeboard Series. This is a clever move, because official world series stops can contribute points towards the world rankings. This guarantees that the world’s best wakeboarders will be there to strut their stuff.

You think it looks easy enough? Wait til you see the likes of current WWA World Series Champion Philip Soven, WWA Wakepark Champion Nick Davies, and Euro Champion and four times wakestock UK winner Dan Nott, and the near-legendary Parks Bonifay – one of the greatest wakeboards freeriders, winner of the X Games in his first visit as s 14-year old, who are taking the consideration of best acne treatment was the first person to land the 1080, a real extreme action sports car.

And Wakestock has an equally spectacular reputation for putting on standout musical performances alongside the action. In the past the biggest and best dance acts have ripped up the stages; we can expect Flash Entertainment to maintain that tradition.

Jacques Bothelin, who created the team 29 years ago, says there will be mixed emotions among the team members when they take to the blue skies over the oasis city of Al Ain. ” Rest assured we will deliver a sign-off performance to remember, featuring close formation flying, opposition passes, solo routines and synchronized manoeuvres. And we look forward to returning in 2011 with a fresh new look and perhaps some surprises too, ” he said.

Bothelin adds that the team’s main target is to entertain the crowd: ” We give the best of ourselves, pushing ourselves to greater daredevil antics each time, to offer the best entertainment we can. It works and the public loves what we do!