* DRUMS, STEEL BANDS AND DISGUISES *
CARNIVAL 2006
This special week remains the biggest party of the year but its origins are centuries-old. In the Egyptian times, Isis was worshipped together with Apis, the Bull, powers were reverted and special offerings were made. In Ancient Greece, during the Bacchanalia and the Saturnalia, masters were turned into slaves, and vice versa.
With Christianism, those special parties disappeared, but people remained allowed to let go before Lent... In the Middle Ages, during the Day of the Mad, again, roles were swaped, and mass was said backwards for example.
There are many Carnivals throughout the world today, they usually take place between the Epiphany and Ash Wednesday. Here are a few among the most famous :
In Switzerland, during the Basel Carnival, the "cliques" spring from everywhere... Holding lanterns, they stroll along the streets to the sound of drums.
Visit the beautiful fasnachts-comite web site.
In Italy, the Venice Carnival is a jewel. Colombine looks for her Pierrot and Arlequin says all sorts of nasty things, under cover of his mask ! It is the Commedia del Arte in real life. Check out the superb photos of Italian Theatre caracters, visiting Abris-photos.com.fr.
In Binche (Belgium), the Societies of Gilles have their costumes "stuffed" with straw and the oranges are the queens of the day all along the procession ! Visit the Carnival's official web site : carnavaldebinche.be.
"In Köln, we love to party": such is the moto of Köln Carnival. Karnéval, a Rhineland prince, is elected to rule over the Madmen. Children impatiently await for the Madmen who throw tons of candies to them. During the women's carnival, ladies walk around cuting men's ties ! More details on koeln.de.
In France, the Nice Carnival and its fantastic procession of inventive carts and stunning "Grosses Tętes" (big heads) made out of cardboard must be mentioned. All the way along the "Promenade des Anglais", sensational battles take place with confetti and flowers !
Visit the nicecarnaval website to have a foretaste of the procession...
In the West Indies and Latin American carnivals, steel bands and tropical rythms are welcome under the palm trees ; Trinidad, Barranquilla, the Dominican Republic (La Vega and its Diablos Cojuelos), Cuba or Honduras (La Ceďba) are only a few of the many places where the tropical Carnival fever vibrates every year…
Last but not least, who has never heard of the Rio Carnival and its Samba exhibitions ! Heat and music are on the agenda... Everybody sings and dances for three days and three nights, while the long awaited Samba competition takes place between the greatest Samba academies of the country... An event impatiently looked forward by the Brazilian people every year. To get all details on the organization of this mythical carnival, visit the Brazilian Carnivals' webpage: carnaval.com.br.
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Salon Mondial du Tourisme :
Grand opening on 16th of march 2006 in Paris, Porte de Versailles
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The Tourism World Fare will take place in Paris for the 31st time.
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HEALTHCARE EXPENDITURES HAVE SPIKED TO RECORD LEVELS
according to OECD report Eco-Health 2005
In most countries, healthcare expenditures have risen faster than the general economic growth.
In 2003, OECD countries have spent an average of 8,8 % of their GDP on healthcare, against 7,1 % in 1990 and little more than 5 % in 1970.
The share of the GDP spent on healthcare varies a lot from one country to the next : 16 % in the USA and 10.4 % in Canada for the 2005 estimates, twice as much as Italy and many other western countries.
In the USA (highest healthcare spending nation with Canada), an average of $6,280 per person was spent on healthcare in 2004. the increases are most pronounced in areas affecting foreign insurers : hospital spending increased by 8.6% and spending for physician services by 9%).
Such rise in healthcare expenditures is probably due to medicine breakthroughs as regards prevention, diagnosis and medical treatments of diseases. Those additional spendings are mainly taken care of by Insurance Companies and emphasize the need for efficient cost containment in the USA and Canada.
| Country |
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| Average increase / year [1998-2003] |
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| Germany | 8.5 % | 11.1 % | 1.8 % |
| Canada | 9 % | 9.9 % | 4.2 % |
| Spain | 6.7 % | 7.7 % | 2.6 % |
| France | 8.6 % | 10.1 % | 3.5 % |
| Ireland | 6.1 % | 7.4 % | 11.4 % |
| Italy | 7.9 % | 8.4 % | 3.1 % |
| Netherlands | 8 % | 9.8 % | 4.6 % |
| GB | 6 % | 7.7 % | 5.7 % |
| USA | 11.9 % | 15 % | 4.6 % |
Sources OECD HEALTH DATA 10/2005, International Healthcare Journal #24 -02/2006
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| - March 2006 - |
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 Everything to understand how an exclusion is written...
by Peter Gutelius from RBC Insurance
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Technical Vocabulary
AVI International explains insurance terminology. This month : usual and customary charges
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New conditions of waiver for
VISAS to the USA
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A taste of Carnival
The real Bugnes of Lyons recipe
Ingredients :
500 g. flour, bakers yeast, 150 g. butter, 100 g. sugar, 4 eggs, 1 orange peel and juice, a pinch of salt.
Directions :
Mix the baker's yeast with the orange juice.
Mix the flour with the eggs, gradually incorporate butter, sugar and salt.
Add the mixture of yeast and orange juice and peel.
Knead well, with an dough mixer if necessary.
Cover and leave the dough to stand for 1 and a half to 2 hours.
Cut the dough in 2 halves. Roll out with 1 and a half cm taking precautions to sprinkle flour over the rolling pin and the worktop to avoid the dough from sticking. Cut out straps of dough and make knots. Leave to stand for another hour.
Fry the knots in vegetable oil.
Sprinkle with icing sugar and taste immediately.
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