What the ----?
if you have 3.7 million (£1.8 million) to 36 million dollars (£18 million) spare, and wanting to move to Dubai in or by 2010, you might just want to check the world's first rotating residential (apartments) tower.
This post is inspired by GF.
At the previous event, his baby debuntate, he mentioned about bridges. No no! not the game.
When come to bridges, i'm pretty loads of people would think of London bridge, why? cos everyone can sing the bloody nursery rhyme and got it etched into our mind since young.
yeah yeah...it's falling so? wat can a baby do to help? seriously... my fair lady.
So when everyone go to london, they want to see london bridge. Little did they know, it look like this.
Or for 33 quid i get a glass of champagne while enjoying the hmm...grey sky - depending on the weather. (pic)
the copycat one in Singapore is the next best thing - 30mins ride for $29.50, or $69 which some cocktail. (pic)
Simply called the bridge aka Gateshead's Millennium Bridge.
down: for foot & cyclist...
up: for boats & cruise to pass
down again
was surfing around and i saw this:
how far would you go and buy yourself a Prada mules or heels? ever tot of one in the middle of the desert?
Look, Prada store in the middle of nowhere...literally. It's like watching those American road trip movie, the scene is like that: driving through the long endless road from A to B and bang on, smack in the middle, you get a Prada store.
is it real or fake?
U either be 1. really pleased- wow! pit stop!...shopping!!!
or 2. be pissed off - wat the eff? waited there over 2 hours and no one there to serve you!
haha...i think it's a brilliant piece of art piece. (or wateva terms those artists call it). Imagine all the excitement or astonishment, only to find out...it's not what you think it is. ooo this piece is called Prada Marfa , by Michael Elmgreen & Ingar Dragset or maybe shld be called: Devils sell Prada. hehe! I can't help but wonder, what does Muiccia think of this? tat's all... (via 1 & 2)
now time for some architecture...
not in any particular order... HSBC building by Norman Foster. Mine mine mine!!! It's my first time to actually visit the building up close and saw Steve & Smith (the 2 fengshui-ed position lion guard). Also gained access to the building courtesy of Pris. yeah!!! Well...just the 28th floor. good enuf for me. yes...there is a restaurant on that level. So Breakfast @ HSBC.
And also finally got up close to Bank of China by I M Pei, which is one of my favourite piece of architecture.
enuf of me blah di blah...just check out the pics.
goodness...i so cannot believe this silly-sounding piece of crap news when i read it today, but do bless his heart-the so called 'young man'.
wat is it? read it here.
seriously, does the writer know wat the eff he's blahing about?
so Dear Mr I.S
First, stop the self advertising in the post. oh yes u did!
"Then he slumped into a comfortable chair "..."A cold orange drink, please," he told the waitress.And as he sipped his glass he did not have to wait for long before his friends came in. He seemed much relieved...
please...dun get ur waitresses to lure customers into your cafe. oh yes they do!
Second, get ur facts right. this is hilarious...
"The man wore a white short-sleeved shirt with pockets on the upper arm and elsewhere, like those popular with some young architects."
How many architects u know that fit that descriptions? hmm...Cos i hv not seen them myself and I DO NOT WEAR SUCH ATTIRE TO WORK MYSELF. So just because say, u saw 2 architects wore them DOES NOT equate MOST of us do.
and please...pockets on the upper arm? wat? for ciggies kah? or their measuring tapes? pls!
The siting of the monument...which i may agree might be a bit obstructed from view but it formed a link between the existing wharf area and the adjacent site. As u walk from or drive along Jalan Sultan (which most people does rather than walk nowadays) u get a glimpse of the structure. So it's like a little peep before revealing the whole thing. PATIENCE ppl.
anyway...where was i?
Third, dun try to be funny by being funnily exaggerating your emotions. It may work on others by this one...hmm...i dun think and get ur facts right.
"minor state of trauma"...
wat? did u almost call an ambulance???
"That is an architectural miscarriage," he remarked when someone told him that the museum had taken it over and pronounced it a historical site. He just could not believe it. He was told that the museum people had moved in great haste and caused the cheaply built ugly structure pronounced a historical heritage.
calling it or quoting it "architectural miscarriage" wat? u trying to invent a new slang or term like "wardrobe malfunction".
Shocking it may be...but if u ask around or check around, u may find this out:
1. "the museum people" HAVE NOT MOVED in. How can they? It is now used temporarily to house a free public exhibition showcasing the "making of" the monument, the new Municipal Board boundary, model of another upcoming monument/structure, the future phase work for the waterfront. so guys do check them out.
2. The building when restored and upgraded will not look like the current state, pending on funding of course, it will be jazzed up nicely. Wat u see now, is its current pre-refurbishment. If u want to have a look at the 'new' 3D rendering, do check with the right authority.
3. The building is 'listed' or pronounced a historical site, according to the 'people' i.e. Museum Department, because of it's history. Dun ask me how old the building is but wat i do know is this: The late Sultan worked in there as an apprentice for the Public Works Department during his younger age, and this is one of the reason why they are preserving it.
I'm sure there are others but this is a sentimental reason why they are doing this. Plus I do not think this building is tat ugly as claimed by the report. It framed the end of the road and give people a glimpse of what's behind it ie. Kampong Ayer or shall i say, FRAMED part of Kg Ayer for the passerbys. And nothing wrong with tat.
Again, beauty is in the eye of the beholder. what someone considered shit could will be someone's treasure.
i'm sure not 100% of the public liked the new monument and wonder wat the hell?, which i have no problem with that.
ps. I've been trying to take night the night shots but God Forbids. It's raining like crazy for the past few nites. NO JOKE. Thunder, lighting, rain, wind- the full monty.
pps. I just cant help but wonder, who are the 'architect' and the 'senior civil servant'?
the day had finally arrived. Yes! Guys & Dolls, i can now 'officially' revealed the project we had been busy working on for the past 4 to 5 months, as HM officially opened it yesterday.
The Bidarlahs visited the monument previously, so did some of the public during the night as part of the hoarding was removed. I would recommend to go during the day & night just to see the difference the lighting effect does to the monument. When we were there, there were still a few minor things required to be fixed or replaced. But now, it's all in its full glory: fully erected and 'sparkled'.
I was there yesterday morning to witness the event: His Majesty 'meet & greet' the people. Well, when i say 'witness', i was there from 10am only and 'there' being next to the monument, ie. not in the taman (field)
Standing in line next to the red carpet.
finally... the banging started, cameramen rushed here & there, and HM arrived...
and i managed to shake HM's hand. One can just imagine what HM went through. He shook everyone hands and walked from the padang in town to our site under the blazing heat. Someone got to pass Him a towel or wipe his sweat.
only to find out, it was pushed back later - post lunch & costume changed.
a tent was purposely erected for this alfresco dining.
one hour or so later, everyone lined up again for the camera. I tell you, all the personnel lined up behind HM & family are the rich & super-rich. Their wealth combined is enough to built a new city or even buy up the town.
on the other side- the pushy media.
the departure.really this is wat i call a 'view' man.
"...a glass cube which projects 3 metres out from the building - with you in it - suspended almost 300 metres above the ground!" it is also the highest vantage point on the southern hemisphere (so they say)
where? it's called the edge (as seen it's projected out of the main building-Eureka Skydeck 88) and it's in Melbourne, down under. check out the site for more details. (pic)
now, another reason for me to visit the city as there aren't much to see there really, or is there? i have only ever visited Perth and Brisbane/Queensland-yes! the pineapple land. however, would definitely love to visit Sydney one day.
the events are not in chronological order, otherwise i will be here all nite (*hehe) just snapshots can already lah.
from shi-ni-GA-wa to Harajuku cost only 160 yen.
heard so much about it, read so much abt it, even seen so much about, finally we get to visit the place ourselves. Seeking out for the harajuku gals. As reported, they will dress up on sunday morning, but when we were there, WHERE are you gals & boys?
the station and opposite it, Snoopy Town
Inside the shrine, did the water cleansing, prayed, and too hard not to pose yo!
we even saw a wedding ceremony.
forget Krispy Kreme, if you get to Harajuku, past the snoopy town-turn right and you are heading towards the main street (Omotesando)-loads of buildings and shops! Look out for Choco Cro. Their croissants are yummylicious. Their chocolate with banana filling is to die for. Went back their on our last visit, and it's too good not to eat more. Afraid to say that i even managed to get the chocolate onto my shirt and pant. Damn! 
This is the famous street, tucked quietly in one of the alley, and we only found it on our second visit. Reminded me of Ka-Na-By street in London, no? And only in Japan (for all that i know), they would covered your paper bag (purchases) with transparent plastic cover when it's drizzling or raining out. How thoughtful.
This is ShiBUya. the famous 800 people crossed (last counted) cross section. Seriously. I was taken away by it. The light, the cityscape, the people.
spot the bidarlahs
This picture is taken from hmm...(let's just say somewhere we had lunch-more abt it in another post) showing the street of Ginza. I just ♥ Tokyo.the 'project' in town is still undergoing some minor 'facelift'. Man! I just can't wait for it to finish completely, cos the scaffolding went up, went down, and back up again.
Thus i hv not shown any shots of the actual monument. Soon! i promise.
The actual unveiling or opening is 22nd July 2007, as HM & his posses will be in town for the annual meet-the-public gathering. So only another month or so, left. And also, to keep it more shh-shh and surprise, i might not posted the actual pic till after the day or maybe one day before haha! So for friends abroad, wait lah.
But wat i can show you guys is the surroundings for the time being. wat you think?
day/nite
didnt know that fountains can be so sexual...(for Scarlot's den maybe?)
Jolly, u might like this, as you are so into ghost or horror movie... (for your new garden-maybe)
(for more weird fountains pics)
compared to the previous post, the monument is changing. finishing touch - applying make up loh.
taken 2 days ago.'Dont go chasing waterfall, please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you're use to...' by TLC.
Saw the images and was taken back by it. The rendering & innovative design for the 400-bed resort hotel set in a spectacular water filled quarry in Songjiang, China by Atkin's Architecture Group, which won the first prize award for an international design competition.
Isn’t it amazing? The architect says, “We drew our inspiration from the quarry setting itself, adopting the image of a green hill cascading down the natural rock face as a series of terraced landscaped hanging gardens.”
Now just hope this will come true and not only exists in movies. (pics)
so so so so so excited. why? my project in town is 'up' yeah! ie. erected haha...
you know you get the feeling of seeing it finally erected, cant really explain it in words. Got a call from the contractor and told me the thing is up. Got me rather excited man! Cos i saw it in the factory (process), saw it on site previously but was lying on the floor, now it's finally up. While walking (*rushing) towards to the site just now after another meeting, i just cannot believe it myself. It's there! it's there for everyone to see. Gosh!
Ok, it's not fully done yet, just in it's upright position getting ready for everyone to 'poke', adding more stuffs to it and add the final coating.
I was there previously marking the 'diamond' locations, and 2mr go and mark something else. Man! I just cant wait for everything to be finish and the public to either love or hate it.
There are still a few problems we need to resolve and i tell you, time is running out. argh! So fingercross. will update more when i get round to doing it.
attended the 'Pameran Profesion Perunding 2007' today @ the MOD Building - the one with the glass wall in the middle building. It's an exhibition showcasing works from various local architects, engineers, QS-s, and some of my works are also on display.
I missed the consultants' dinner last weekend as i was busy hmm...absorbing Vitamin E, so missed a chance to mingle with other fellow architects but did i missed much. None really lah haha! anyway, today official cutting-the-ribbon @ the MOD was also a last minute thingy cos i wasn't told earlier otherwise i would have worn my tux haha!
If you guys & dolls have nothing much to do, go and visit the exhibit, ok it's not in the mall or manggis but just popped by and see wat masterpieces other architects had done and/or wat will be erecting soon, and also finding out who did who which building? It will be running for a week (i think!) It's also a good chance for me to see other ppl work (being nosey) and i must say, some are really impressive. I have been telling other consultants that architect hardly get a chance to see other architects' work as everything is kinda top secret(competition level) or 'fraid of comparison, and when we do, it's the finish building. why? share share mah! haha! Anyhow...Brunei architecture is coming along. tat's good news...
wat a trip? seriously. within 4 days, i travelled through or departed from/arrived into 5 airports & 1 ferry terminal, and not forgetting the amount of time, i sat in the car from terminal to hotels. Got to say, though it's tiring but it was a sightful journey. (need to check with royalskies for my airmiles haha!)
where did i go? well, wont bored u with the details. 1. my english aint tat good, 2. some of u dun even bother to read the text 3. i cant be asked really! not like u guys bothered.
anyway, i went snapping crazy. took like almost 250 pics. hei, it's digital so snap snap snap! why not? 98% are buildings or scenery or parks or my foot! (*will upload those interesting buildings later) most of the pics of the buildings i took were taken while i was in the car passing through. Winded down the window and snapped!
coach from HK airport to ferry terminal
