Xavi to leave Barcelona at the end of the 2023-24 season

As director of a leading real estate development company based in Johannesburg, Laurence Grigorov is involved in all aspects of the development process.

In order to relax and unwind, Laurence Grigorov enjoys watching football and is a keen supporter of FC Barcelona in Spain. The recent news of the potential sale of the London-based Arsenal Football Club has caught Laurence Grigorov’s attention.

Barcelona head coach Xavi Hernandez is stepping down at the end of the season, he has announced.

The Blaugrana boss revealed his decision to leave his post at the post-match press conference after Barcelona were humiliated 5-3 by a Villarreal side that had been winless in four games.Article continues under the video

It was the first time in 63 years that the club conceded five goals on home soil and Xavi’s side have already conceded as many goals in 32 games this season as they did over the course of the entire previous campaign.

In recent weeks, Barcelona also suffered punishing defeats against Real Madrid (4-1) in the Super Cup final in Saudi Arabia and against Athletic Club (4-2) in the Copa del Rey. The club find themselves ten points off league leaders Real Madrid in LaLiga.

Xavi quits

In the wake of the 5-3 defeat to Villarreal, Barcelona head coach Xavi, who had been under pressure for weeks amid a string of poor results, faced the media and announced his decision to step down at the end of the current campaign.

“I want to announce that on June 30 I will no longer continue as the coach at Barça,” the 44-year-old said. “I think the situation needs to change course, and as a culer, I cannot allow the current situation.”

His decision comes just a little over a month after he vehemently denied that he was considering quitting. Just last week, a defiant Xavi said: “The day they [the players] are no longer with me, I will leave. We have to wipe the slate clean. We have always believed…But I understand the criticism. I know where I am.”

Text and image courtesy of http://www.footballtransfers.com

A third of UK musicians are considering ‘abandoning’ their music career due to the pandemic

As director of a residential property development company based in Johannesburg, Laurence Grigorov is involved in all aspects of the development process, including land acquisition, rezoning applications, architectural design as well as the finance and legal components of these complex projects.

Laurence Grigorov enjoys listening to music in his downtime with a particular preference for electronic music.

A new survey conducted by Musicians’ Union reveals the toll the coronavirus pandemic has taken on UK artists, with one-third “considering abandoning their career in music.”

The poll of about 2,000 of the union’s members, as reported in the Guardian, found that 87 percent of musicians will earn less than £20,000 in 2020—the average annual UK income is £29,600. The same percentage of artists said they will face financial hardship if the UK government does not extend its furlough and income support schemes after October.

The survey also found that nearly half of musicians have been “forced” to look for work outside of music. 70 percent of artists have been unable to secure “more than a quarter of their usual work,” while 36 percent “do not have any work at all.”

88 percent of respondents believe that the UK government hasn’t done “enough” to provide support for musicians and the arts. In July, the government announced a £1.57 billion relief package for the arts and cultural sectors, though it wasn’t until the #LetUsDance campaign by the nightlife industry and community that it was clear that clubs and festivals would be eligible for grants. Aside from independent funds and grants and the furlough and self-employed income support schemes, there’s not been much else in the way of direct aid for musicians and artists from the government.

The Musicians’ Union is encouraging UK citizens to write to their MP asking them to provide more support for artists and music industry.

10 Weight-Loss Tips for Beginners

Laurence Grigorov is director of a residential property development company based in Johannesburg, South Africa that specialises in bespoke high-end luxury living. In his spare time Laurence Grigorov enjoys training at the gym as well as travelling.

Laurence Grigorov found an online article in www.bodybuilding.com written by My Obvi that highlights simple steps we can take to successfully start a weight-loss program:

Do you want to lose weight? Don’t be embarrassed! Living a healthier lifestyle is possible for everyone at any age. Losing weight takes patience, strength, and commitment. Some people will find it easier than others to shed the extra pounds. Don’t compare yourself to anyone else. Whatever happens, just keep going! Everyone’s weight-loss journey is unique, but what they all have in common is the desire to lose weight.

Here are some tips if you want to lose weight and some insight into the journey you will make:

Tip 1: Realize You Will Be Making Sacrifices

If losing weight were a piece of cake, the United States wouldn’t be waist-deep in an obesity epidemic. To lose weight, you’ll have to cut back on eating certain foods that are high in calories (like cake) or otherwise unhealthful, even though you may find them delicious. You don’t have to sacrifice taste, however. With a little creativity in the kitchen—and a basic internet search for recipes—you can have diet-friendly meals that satisfy your taste buds as well as your protein, carb, and fat allowances.

Along with cutting back on certain foods, you’ll also have to increase your activity to burn extra calories. Less TV, more exercise. You should continue to make these sacrifices until you reach your desired weight-loss goal, at which point you can loosen the reins a bit.

Tip 2: Make A Commitment And Stick With It

Many people start a weight-loss journey only to feel discouraged after a couple of weeks or months, at which point they quit. If you want to lose weight, you must stick with your goal. It will take a lot of commitment before you start to see a difference in your weight. Don’t grow discouraged if success doesn’t come overnight. (Warning: It won’t. And that’s OK.) Even though you may not see physical results, if you’re eating well and exercising, you may be building muscle. Gaining strength is a plus for your weight-loss journey because while you’re losing some fat pounds, you’re putting on lean mass, aka muscle.

Tip 3: If You’ve Started And Stopped, Give Yourself Permission To Start Again

You may reach a point where you decide to give up on your weight-loss journey for any number of reasons. It could be a life shock, a schedule change, or even simple frustration that you’re not progressing quickly. If you do stop, you’ll likely resume the habits that made you gain unwanted pounds in the first place.

Regardless, you can always try again. To quote self-help author Mel Robbins, “You are not a failure, even when you’ve failed. It’s an event, not a personality trait. No matter how many times you fail, it will not define you unless you let it.”

Tip 4: Build A Support System

Weight loss doesn’t have to be solitary. Find supportive friends and family to join you on this journey. Who knows, maybe they’ll decide to lose weight with you! In that case, you can plan days to work out or prepare meals together. You’ll also be able to hold each other accountable for mistakes and encourage each other to stay on the right track.

If you don’t have any friends or family members who want to come along, join an online weight-loss support group, where you can chat with other people about your experiences. You can also join a gym and take a fitness class where you’ll meet people who are trying to accomplish similar goals to yours. That said, the most important supporter you have should be you. At the end of the day, it’s up to you to continue the journey and accomplish your goals.

Tip 5: Accept That You’ll Never Follow Your Diet 100 Percent, And That’s OK

Unless you are infallible, there will be days, even on a diet, when you overeat. Don’t give up. Mistakes happen. The important thing is to accept that you made a mistake, learn from it, and try not to do it again. If you want to do something constructive after overeating, hit your next workout extra hard and burn some extra calories. Then, resume your diet.

Tip 6: Exercise—And It Doesn’t Have To Be In A Gym

Exercising will help you reach your weight-loss goals faster. You can train at the gym, or you can exercise in the comfort of your own home. BodyFit by Bodybuilding.com offers great options for both approaches!

 

Tip 7: Practice Patience—You’ll Need It

Weight loss requires patience. Depending on how much weight you hope to lose, it may take weeks, months, or even years to reach your goal. Given that it’s going to take a while, learn to enjoy your weight-loss journey. Rather than getting hung up on setbacks, focus on the small achievements along the way.

Tip 8: Dial In Your Diet

We’ve already discussed the calories-out part of the weight-loss equation, meaning exercise. Now let’s talk about the calories-in part, namely, your diet. If you want to lose weight, you probably need to cut some calories, unless you want exercise to do all the work—which is not feasible for most people. The goal is to eat below your maintenance calories every day to lose at least one pound a week.

Tip 9: Step Away From The Scale

One of the biggest mistakes people make on their weight-loss journey is constantly checking the scale to see if they’ve lost weight. Unfortunately, if you don’t see immediate results, you may grow discouraged. Again, this is a slow process. Only check your weight once a week or once every two weeks, not every day. Mornings, when you wake up, are the best time to check because your stomach is empty and you’ll get a more accurate depiction of your body weight. To keep yourself motivated, track your progress by writing down your weight every time you weigh yourself.

Tip 10: Remember Why You Started

You will want to give up at various times during your weight-loss journey, but always remember why you started. You knew it was going to be hard, but you decided to make the commitment to reach your goals. You’ll do yourself a disservice if you give up. Try to imagine the finish line and how happy you’ll be when you get to live with the results you’ve dreamed of. Nothing in life comes easy, and all of the hard work and sacrifices will pay off in the end if you get there—so do it!

 

Words & images courtesy of www.bodybuilding.com

 

Galleria in Gwanggyo

As team leader of a leading residential development company based in Johannesburg, South Africa, Laurence Grigorov keeps abreast of international development and design projects in order to ensure that the projects the company is involved in are current and relevant. Laurence Grigorov has been director since the company’s inception in 2003.
The Galleria is Korea’s first and largest upscale department store franchise founded in the 1970s, and has remained at the forefront of the premium retail market in the country since then. The store in Gwanggyo—a new town just south of Seoul—is the sixth branch of Galleria. Located at the center of this young urban development surrounded by tall residential towers, the Galleria’s stone-like appearance makes it a natural point of gravity for public life in Gwanggyo.
The store is located between the Suwon Gwanggyo Lake Park and ubiquitous buildings in the city: an intersection between nature and the urban environment. The store has a textured mosaic stone façade that evokes nature of the neighbouring park. Appearing as a sculpted stone emerging from the ground, the store is a visual anchor in the city.
The public route has a multifaceted glass façade that contrasts with the opacity of the stone. Through the glass, retail and cultural activities inside are revealed to the city’s passers-by, while visitors in the interior acquire new vantage points to experience Gwanggyo. Formed with a sequence of cascading terraces, the public loop offers spaces for exhibitions and performances.
A place where retail and culture, city and nature collide, Galleria in Gwanggyo offers a get away from the predictability of shopping.
Words and images courtesy of http://www.architectmagazine.com