Burj Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Artist Impression

Site Location & Foundation

Design based on shape of flower

Flower: Hymenocallis

Comparison of heights

The Burj Dubai (Arabic: برج دبي "Dubai Tower") is a supertall skyscraper currently under construction in the "New Downtown" of Dubai, United Arab Emirates. When it is completed in late 2008, it will be the tallest man-made structure in the world. Scheduled for occupancy in 2009, the building is part of a 2 km² (1.54 mi²) development located at the "First Interchange" (aka "Defence roundabout") along Sheikh Zayed Road at Doha Street. The total budget for this project is about 4 billion US dollars.

Factfile:
Construction start : 21 Sept 2004
Target completion : 31 Dec 2008
Project type : Mall, residential and retail facilities and world's tallest skyscraper
Location : Dubai, United Arab Emirates
Estimated investment : Dh800 million (mall, residential and retail facilities); Dh3..9 billion (tower)
Height : 808 m (2651 ft) - (suggested figure, not actual)
No of Floors : 162 (suggested figure, not actual)
Floor area : 344,000 sq metre
Retail space : 5 million square ft² Shops >1,000
Car parking : 16,000 spaces
Key Players : EMAAR Properties PJSC
Lead contractors, designers, architects and engineers : DC Architects PTE Limited, Skidmore, Owings and Merrill, Bauer Spezialtiefbau, Middle East Foundations, Turner Construction Corporation, Grocon, Lerch, Bates and Associates Incorporated

Actual figures on the height and no. of floors are only an estimation as actual figure are being kept secret due to competition purposes. As at 27th July 2007, the construction of the Burj Dubai is as below:

Human Foosball - Field Report - Sunday 29th July 2007

Managed to go to Cineleisure last Sunday to catch a view of human foosball. Basically, it's a small 'field'. 6 vs 6. You could actually score by chipping the ball over the defenders. I saw a fullback did it a few times.

Malaysia Hari Ini... sad but true....

Lately, there has been many many happenings in our country, be it natural disaster, crime, social issues, political issue, religion issue, etc. As a true 'Rakyat Malaysia' born here and grow up here, it's a sad but hard fact to accept. I guess all true 'Rakyat Malaysia' will agree to the cartoons below. Enjoy...

Let's not make a big hoohah out of issues beyond our control, but look at ourselves first. We Malaysians are known to have valuable asian values but it seems that it's gone these days. How many of us are willing to make donations to people asking for donation on the streets? How many of us are willing to stop and help when there's an accident (all we do is look, and cause long traffic jam, and of course copy the car plate no and buy 4D). How many parents still think that getting 90/100 in exams is considered good?

Well, this is the fact of life these days....this is the Malaysia of today!

Visit Malaysia Year 2007

Opened my gmail this morning and I found this! What a way to describe Malaysia in 2007... Well, actually it's not only for 2007. Almost every year we are facing the same problems. I believe there are more, but in every country there is good and bad. We are just lucky that we do not have to starve and beg for food and also to live in fear where everyone on the street carries an M16.

Dra-quitoe

I took this pic last week, in my hostel toilet. It has the shape of a mosquitoe, just that the wings and body colour resemble one of a dragon's. I even checked on the web,
bug guide, etc, but I can't find any info on this insect. Anyone seen this before? Do let me know k......

Jalan Puki Mak U lah


Taxi Driver : Helo, selamat petang cik...
Cik : Selamat petang pakcik...
Taxi Driver : Nampak rupa, cik macam bukan orang KL la
Cik : Oh ya, saya baru sampai kat KL, sekarang tinggal kat rumah kawan
Taxi Driver : Oh begitu ya, kalo begitu, mana rumah kawan tu?
Cik : Jalan Puki Mak U lah....
Taxi Driver : Hak-illah-hak-illah-wah.....Orang muda sekarang, takda 'manners' betul la....

Human Foosball Challenge, 21st-29th July 2007




I've heard of 'human cannonball' but this is the 1st time I hear of 'human foosball'. For those who are interested, get a team of 6 people, fill up the registration form at the Info Counter at Cineleisure Damansara. Fee is RM10 per person. Check out their website http://www.cineleisure.com.my/

My Birthday 07.07.07

Hoollaa....Today is my 29th birthday. Of all days, today is 07.07.07. I did not throw a party like I did last year. I'm getting married this year, so it's just a dinner with my future wife.

For many people, today is such a memorable day I supposed. Many people got married as they believe today is an auspicious day. For those who is bad in remembering dates, it's just the numbers, as it's easy to remember.

Thanks to those who sent me greetings; my bro CHK, Tang, James, Tammy, Ah Lam, John, Elpha, TBT, Khiam, WeeYC, Shona, and a few others, but most of all, to my Dad. It's such a surprise to receive an sms from him in the morning. Dads are usually hard spoken but soft in the heart. I wonder if I'm able to do this 30 years down the road...."I really appreciate it. Thanks Dad."

"Pos Malaysia" Boleh

I came across this article in the papers some months ago. It was indeed true, when I managed to log into their website a few days ago. You can get your photos printed onto a Malaysian stamp. They have 2 categories, Personal Corporate Stamps and Personal Individual Stamps. Below are the samples. For those who are interested, check out the website here

Personalised Corporate Stamps

Personalised Individual Stamps

There are 3 packages to choose from, and each package starts from RM500:

1. Emerald : 30sen stamps x 34 sheets

2. Diamond : 30sen stamps x 12 sheets + 50sen stamps x 13 sheets

3. Ruby : 50sen stamps x 20 sheets

*there are 20 stamps per sheet

*additional stamps available at RM13 (30 sen stamps) & RM22 (50 sen stamps) per sheet

*for enquiries, you can also call 03-22741122 (ext 6838) or email filateli@pos.com.my

Satisfaction perhaps?

Being in the construction industry in this country isn't a good thing....

(Flashback...) I remember in my uni days, my seniors used to tell me their seniors were like hot cakes coming out of the oven, even before they graduate. Everyone of them would have earned a good prospect job when they step out of the uni, into the real world. Their salary highest among the fresh grads, their benefits similar to higher rank managers of today, and their yearly bonus is beyond what you can imagine. Well, those were the days.....Ever since the economic downturn in 1997, construction industry in this country has never been the same. To be frank, we are the ones first to be hit, and last to recover. But why, I wonder....why am I still in construction after so many years?

I was doing construction since graduation. Some of my peers went into consultation, some went to site, some left for other industries. Consultation is boring, basically u use your brains more, which lead to grey hair at a young age. Site work is worse! You don't look like an old man, but you look like a burnt piece of old junk! Many has mistaken me for a malay / burmese / thai / sabahan / whoever that has a DARK complexion! No one who works at a construction site is fair...except for the Boss. He is fair in the sense of skin complexion, and also when it comes to judgement. That makes him the BOSS!!!

Anyway, when I joined this company in Sept 2006, the shoplot looked like this:

In December, it looked like this:



However, in July, this is how it looks like:

If you ask me, with all this hot sun, low pay, little bonus, lots of travelling, etc, etc...why am I still in the construction industry? Well perhaps, "SATISFACTION" is the key word here. Maybe one day I will be building Super Structures such as the Petronas Twin Towers, Beijing International Airport, Beijing's National Grand Theatre, Beijing's Olympic Stadium, Beijing's National Swimming Centre, Beijing's CCTV, and lots more. Who knows, maybe one day, I will be known to the world, to build one of the "7 Wonders of The Modern World". Maybe one day, I will....

Petronas Twin Towers, Malaysia (MALAYSIA BOLEH!!! Tapi Si Korea & Jepun yg bina... Walau bagaimanapun, RAKYAT MALAYSIA punya duitlah...)

Beijing International Airport

(Designed by Foster & Partners. Airport teminal covers >1 million sq metres, bigger than the Pentagon. Handles 43 million passengers a year)

National Grand Theatre, Beijing

(Architect : Paul Andreu. Located near Tiananmen Square. Made up of 490,485 sq ft glass-titanium. Seems to float above a man-made lake)

Olympic Stadium, Beijing

(Idea taken from Rome's Colliseum. 91,000 seats. Stadium's outer grid resembles a bird's nest)

Central Chinese Television (CCTV), Beijing
(Designed by Rem Koolhaas & Ole Schereen, Engineered by Ole Arup. Centre of gravity lies outside of this building)


National Swimming Centre, Beijing
(Nicknamed the Water Cube. Made from panels of lightweight form of Teflon that transfroms the building into an energy-efficient greenhouse-like environment)