The future tallest building will still be in Asia but it will be on the eastern side this time. Sky City in Changsha is 838 meters tall, taller by 20 meters than Dubai's Burj Khalifa. It's construction was reportedly stopped on July 25, 2013 because it didn't receive the necessary permits, but with China now having half of the world's world's 10 tallest buildings, it's a matter of time that it will be reclaiming the top prize.
Monday, July 29, 2013
CHANGSHA's SKY CITY: Future tallest building?
The future tallest building will still be in Asia but it will be on the eastern side this time. Sky City in Changsha is 838 meters tall, taller by 20 meters than Dubai's Burj Khalifa. It's construction was reportedly stopped on July 25, 2013 because it didn't receive the necessary permits, but with China now having half of the world's world's 10 tallest buildings, it's a matter of time that it will be reclaiming the top prize.
RE: Asian Eyes
A friend had a Blepharoplasty (eyelid surgery) to add a second lid, but apparently, when he took a vacation to the province, his grandmother couldn't recognize him anymore. The old woman was confused: "Iho, kaninong anak ka ba, wala yatang ganyang mata sa dugo natin?" ("My Child, whose son are you, I think our bloodline doesn't have those kind of eyes?")
LESSON: Don't make it permanent. We can take lessons from our Asian neighbors. Use a removeable eyelid glue perhaps for the parties in the city... then your good, old eyes when visiting the grandma.
LESSON: Don't make it permanent. We can take lessons from our Asian neighbors. Use a removeable eyelid glue perhaps for the parties in the city... then your good, old eyes when visiting the grandma.
COOL SEOUL: You can study, but please don't forget to order!
Nice library, isn't it?
You can study but it's actually a cafe so you should order too. They call it a study cafe.
From: May Island
You can study but it's actually a cafe so you should order too. They call it a study cafe.
From: May Island
Friday, July 26, 2013
WORLD'S BIGGEST COMPANIES, as of April, 2013
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From: FortuneMagazine |
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Thursday, July 25, 2013
Wednesday, July 24, 2013
COOL JAPAN: Zen
Expect the Japanese, forever obsessed of being cool, to gather inspiration from its monks. This fashion curiosity- very cool indeed!- emerged from Hiroshima.
From: Bon
Tuesday, July 23, 2013
ASIAN BEACHTOWN: Nha Trang
Surprisingly, Vietnam has been very effective in developing its provincial cities. Danang has an iconic bridge while Nha Trang has developed a beach skyline that's turning out to be a classier alternative to Pattaya in Thailand. The Philippines, despite its many coastal cities, hasn't developed its own beachside wonder. There are many possibilities just waiting for a developer of a local Copacabana or Ipanema- Subic Bay is lined with white sand beach waiting for condominiums to line it; Times Beach in Davao City is right inside the city proper but access and view are degraded by ramshackle structures; San Fernando, La Union is lined with white sand beach all the way down to Agoo, etc. Yup, we have many beaches right smack inside highly urbanized cities but surprisingly, despite the unstoppable sprouting of condominiums all around, nobody seems to be aware that beachfront is a very nice location (try scouring Brazilian beachside and you'll see an array along the Atlantic from Florianopolis, Balneario Camboriu, the famous Rio beaches of Copacabana & Ipanema, etc.). Well, at least, they are now starting to develop a section in Mactan...
Remember, Nha Trang was flat just a few years ago... Look at it now...
Saturday, July 20, 2013
DOTC: Skybridge to the Clouds
Disturbing is the accusation by the Czech ambassador Josef Rychlar that certain DOTC (Philippine Department of Transportation and Communication) officials under then Secretary Mar Roxas sought a commission of $30 million from the Czech firm Inekon for it to be eligible as a supplier of trains to Manila's metro. Rychtar allegedly reported the incident upon the assumption of present Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya but Rychtar is claiming now Abaya didn't even conduct an immediate investigation.
The story is still unfolding, the same officials directly involved were all appointees of Roxas but apparently are still with the DOTC under Abaya. I welcome that this thing was finally brought into light so it could be properly investigated once and for all.
I've been puzzled by the actuations of DOTC for a long time. A big part of China's rise was the massive infrastructure investments, but three years after the start of the Aquino administration, most (or is it all?) of the vaunted PPP infras within Metro Manila have yet to break ground.
Does the rot behind the Inekon mess also behind the following "mysteries"?
1. Any private initiative is welcome and two skyways (one from Manuel Pangilinan's Metro Pacific, and the other from Citra-San Miguel) are very much welcome indeed considering that both will pass through two congested parts- Pangilinan's across España, and Citra's across Araneta near Sto. Domingo, a considerable distance between them which could take hours in rush hour (the metropolitan skyways of Tokyo sometimes have only one intersection between them, and we are as congested as Tokyo). But why was Abaya so concerned that he was quoted as saying publicly that " the two skyways will compete with each other" and that they were an unwise investment? The two proposals were forwarded by time-tested entrepreneurs, but why was a government functionary so concerned about their viability when apparently they were not or they would not have bothered to submit proposals in the first place? He knows more about business than Pangilinan or San Miguel's Ramon Ang?
2. Why were the PPP programs delayed one after the other? Three years after the start of the present administration, we still have to see signs that work is actually starting on the much-publicized (and as a consequence, eagerly awaited) Metro Manila Skyway 3, the NLEX-SLEX connector limk, the LRT 1 extension to Cavite, etc. Not to mention the lack of noise on other previously approved projects like the Grand LRT Station at North EDSA, the much-delayed MRT 7, etc.
If those big ticket projects which were previously bandied about were not even started, does that mean we should not waste time anymore dreaming of other deserving proposals like that of Pangilinan's offer to build a high speed train route from Clark to Makati over the PNR lines?
I very much like MMDA Director Francis Tolentino's proposal to build a Skybridge from Quezon City to Makati as alternate to EDSA because that is actually the most critical considering that it will connect the financial district to the congested inner core of the metropolis, complementing the above-mentioned skyways so the northern parts will have elevated connections to Makati from three congested points- Pangilinan's with old Manila and lower Camanava, Citra's with lower QC and upper Camanava, and the Skybridge with Quezon City proper and San Juan.
Even if funds are available, Filipinos just have to be content dreaming? As usual?
Friday, July 19, 2013
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
UPDATE: World's Top Economies 2013
Rank | Country | Purchasing Power Parity External Debts | |||||
1 | United States | $15.6 trillion $ 16,737,246,099,998 | |||||
2 | China | $12.4 trillion $ 710,700,000,000 | |||||
3 | India | $4.8 trillion $ 390,000,000,000 | |||||
4 | Japan | $4.5 trillion $ 2,719,000,000,000 | |||||
5 | Russia | $3.4 trillion $ 455,200,000,000 | |||||
6 | Germany | $3.3 trillion $ 5,624,000,000,000 | |||||
7 | Brazil | $2.4 trillion $ 405,300,000,000 | |||||
8 | France | $2.4 trillion $ 5,633,000,000,000 | |||||
9 | United Kingdom | $2.3 trillion $ 9,836,000,000,000 | |||||
10 | Mexico | $2.0 trillion $ 217,700,000,000 |
Source of PPP data: World Bank
Source of Exterbnal Debt: As compiled by Jedh.org from data of IMF & World Bank
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
WORLD'S BIGGEST BANKS 2013: By Total Asset
Rank | Bank name | Total assets (US$ billion) | Country |
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1 | Industrial and Commercial Bank of China | 2811 | China |
2 | HSBC | 2693 | UK |
3 | Deutsche Bank | 2665 | Germany |
4 | Crédit Agricole | 2661 | France |
5 | Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group | 2595 | Japan |
6 | BNP Paribas | 2527 | France |
7 | Barclays | 2402 | UK |
8 | JPMorgan Chase | 2359 | US |
9 | Japan Post Bank | 2291 | Japan |
10 | China Construction Bank | 2239 | China |
Source: Relbanks
Monday, July 15, 2013
World's Biggest Banks 2013: By Market Capitalization
By Market Capitalization:
Source: Relbanks
Source: Relbanks
Rank | Bank name | Market capitalization (US$ billion) | Country | ||||||||||||||||||||||
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1 | Industrial and Commercial Bank of China | 233.6 | China | ||||||||||||||||||||||
2 | China Construction Bank | 207.6 | China | ||||||||||||||||||||||
3 | HSBC | 202.4 | UK | ||||||||||||||||||||||
4 | Wells Fargo | 200.2 | US | ||||||||||||||||||||||
5 | JPMorgan Chase | 187.6 | US | ||||||||||||||||||||||
6 | Agricultural Bank of China | 142.9 | China | ||||||||||||||||||||||
7 | Citigroup | 141.8 | US | ||||||||||||||||||||||
8 | Bank of America | 133.2 | US | ||||||||||||||||||||||
9 | Bank of China | 130.0 | China | ||||||||||||||||||||||
10 | Commonwealth Bank | 122.3 | Australia |
WORLD'S BEST AIRPORTS 2013
1. Changi Airport, Singapore Yearly passengers: 51.2 million |
2. Incheon International Airport Yearly passengers: 39.2 million |
3. Amsterdam Schiphol Yearly passengers: 51 million |
4. Hongkong International Airport Yearly passengers: 56.1 million |
5. Beijing Capital International Airport Yearly passengers: 81.9 million |
6. Munich Airport Yearly passengers: 38.4 million |
7. Zurich Airport Yearly passengers: 24.8 million |
8. Vancouver International Airport Yearly passengers: 17.6 million |
9. Tokyo Haneda Airport Yearly passengers: 66.8 million |
10. London Heathrow Airport Yearly passengers: 70 million |
Source: Skytrax World Airport Awards.
Sunday, July 14, 2013
World's LONGEST & WIDEST: Jiaxing-Shaoxing Sea Bridge over Hangzhou Bay
It was not enough to be the longest, it should be the widest too... it still has to open the middle of this month, but this 10 kilometer wonder over the Hangzhou Bay is the longest and widest multi-pylon, cable-stayed bridge in the world.
Friday, July 12, 2013
Designer City: ASTANA, KAZAKHSTAN
Astana is the capital of oil-rich Kazakhstan. Unlike its oil-rich brothers in the Middle East who are busily competing against each other for the tallest building, the Kazakhs opted not for much height but for design, using well-known names like Norman Foster, Kisho Kurokawa, etc. to bring "edge" to the city found in the middle of the desolate Central Asian steppes. The original plans for the new Astana were drawn up by the late Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa, one of the original movers behind the Metabolist architectural movement in Japan.
Bayterek, the "torch" designed by Norman Foster |
the way they were positioned, these two towers must be guarding something important, don't you think? |
... what could it be? |
The Presidential Palace on the foreground, whose entrance is flanked by the two metallic towers |
National Theater by Studio Nicoletti |
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