an+dh

Low rise, high density

2009-04-10T18:52:00.003+08:00

while each black sqaure represented the window to an individual's life, it occured to us that there was so little we knew about the Jordanians, partly due to the biased media we have been exposed to, and partly due to our inept ignorance of places outside our tiny city...

the place where it all started.

2009-03-06T13:25:00.007+08:00

four days of holiday give us some free time to catch up with the writing.

After visiting Mt. Nebo, we were led to a Greek Orthodox Church in Madaba to see what was regarded as the oldest map of the middle east constructed of mosaic in the 6th ~ 7th century.

The mosaic covers the biblical land of Egypt, Lebanon, Transjordan and of course, what is now, Israel.

The city of Jerusalem was clearly the most important location then, highly developed with city walls, defensive towers, and network of streets.

it then crossed my mind, it probably still is the root of all conflicts there is in the middle east, if not the world, ever since the days of the crusades...

with eyes towards the promised land...

2009-02-26T08:28:00.004+08:00

it was written in the Bible that Moses has led the Israelis out of Egypt in search of the Promised land. Yet, for forty years, the party did not reach the land, reasons as well outlined in the Bible. when Moses climbed Mount Nebu, God appeared before Moses and said to him: "I HAVE LET YOU SEE IT WITH YOUR EYES, BUT YOU WILL NOT CROSS OVER INTO IT." ~ Deuteronomy 34:1-7
then, at the age of 120, he passed away, and buried by God in an unknown spot on the mountain.

a life spent serving God no doubt...

but if we look at the World today, with the unending battles between Israelis and Palestinians, between Israelis and the rest of the Arabic countries, and with all the antagonisms between the Israelis and all those standing on the opposite of the world, was it worth it?

leading the chosen people, and spending forty years in the wilderness...yet, even today, peace is a word too luxurious even to murmur...

the hands of God moved in a mysterious way that is uncomprehensible by mere mortals...

where moses was laid

2009-02-26T08:24:00.003+08:00

have this habit of visiting graveyard.

there are times when one just want to take a break and don't particularly want to sit amongst strangers in a confined space on a round stool, waiting for your reheated, precooked lunch, under a punishing air conditioner.

taking a walk in a nearby graveyard with a sandwich in hand is actually quite a pleasant experience.

there are countless stories behind every tombstone. Though knowing nothing about how the passed away has lived his or her life, but if you let your imagination flows, and by looking at the engravings, the date when the tomb was set, the workmanship on the stone...you can pretty much conjure up some kind of story which is self entertaining.

but when you see a Memorial of Moses...well, that's an entirely different matter.

regardless of whether you are a religious person, anyone with a fair amount of education will learn of who Moses was.

while AN knows the story quite well, DH has no idea that Mount Nebu was the place where Moses spent his last day, after he was led to see the promised land...

Moses has been wandering in the wilderness for 40 years...

....40 years....a very long time and a very long journey....

while thinking of this, suddenly everything became mute, and was just pondering what was on his mind...

what was it like when Moses was at Mt. Nebu...

2009-02-22T17:15:00.005+08:00

forgot to mention that our flight from Hong Kong to Amman was delayed for departure for almost 3 hours, meaning that we did not leave the Hong Kong International Airport until past midnight. The plane landed in some early hours in the morning. The local guide was good enough to have arranged a sumptuous breakfast for us to regain some stamina.

so, carrying a less than able, sleep walking torso, we arrived at Mt. Nebu.

12 hours ago we were still at the comfort of a modern day city, we did find it uneasy, from a psychological aspect, to accept the fact that we were at the place where Moses had his final day...

wild in the open, the wind was howling like mad that sank all other trivial sound, cutting us off from reality and taking us back in time...

first impression of Jordan

2009-02-15T12:25:00.005+08:00

Leaving the airport, the coach drove up the highway leading into Amman. The population of Jordan is at around 6 million, of which around 1.3 million live inside the Amman Governorate , and adding to the fact that Friday is the rest day for the week, which explains why that the road appears to be quite empty.

A peculiar observation about the city was that while the capital appears to be very modern, the architecture and building we saw were mostly of recent construction, for a country which has such rich history, there was an conspicuos absence of a wider spectrum of architecture from different era.

Amman Airport

2009-02-09T08:38:00.003+08:00

more accurately, the Queen Alia International Airport.

after been travelling for almost twelve hours, we arrived at the Jordanian airport early in the morning. By comparison, this was one of the better airports we have been to: efficient, clean, air conditioned.
the suspended tensile fabric made the space less orthogonal, and definitely less intimidating than some of the other airports in the Middle East.

the air felt cool, refreshingly cool...

we need a break...

2009-02-04T22:46:00.002+08:00

2008 has been a year full of ups and downs in all aspects.

time for an+dh to take a break...

our initial options:

1. Okinawa
2. Ireland
3. England + Wales
4. Turkey

and in the final weeks, a few images caused us to make a swift change of mind...Petra and Krak des Chevaliers.

Jordan, Syria, that's where we want to be!

Fin Garden in Kashan

2008-03-31T07:34:00.002+08:00

Kashan is very much a city in the desert, but it flourished mainly due to the fact that it is one of the more important oasis in the region. The contrast of the immense desert and the well taken care gardens made a stark contrast. while research indicates that the Fin garden in its present form dated back to the Safavid period, that were sources which speculate the garden exist at an even more ancient era. The Persian Garden باغ ایرانی was an effort to create Paradise on earth, and the word "Paradise" was in fact derived from Persian.

From wikipedia, which seems believable enough:

Persian gardens
"From the time of the Achaemenid dynasty the idea of an earthly paradise spread to the literature and languages of other cultures. The Avestan word pairidaêza-, Old Persian *paridaida-, Median *paridaiza- (walled-around, i.e., a walled garden), was transliterated into Greek paradeisoi, then rendered into the Latin paradisus, and from there entered into European languages, e.g., French paradis, German Paradies, and English paradise. The word entered Semitic languages as well: Akkadian pardesu, Hebrew pardes, and Arabic firdaws."

There were elements which were essential to the creation of a Persian Garden. In particular to the Fin Garden, however, the presence of a well designed water feature is possibly one of the best in this category. No mechanical means were used throughout for the water fountains.

Amir Kabir Hotel

2008-03-27T07:55:00.003+08:00

as we travelled further south, the air became drier, and the weather resembled more of a desert environment.
sparsely populated, we seldom saw people travelled in groups. Economy in this smaller desert city was remarkably slower.
this was the place where we had lunch, probably one of the more well established hotel in the vicinity though we failed to see a single guest, as February was normally not the travel season...
Amir Kabir was the name of a former chancellor of Iran, who was assasinated in the nearby Fin Bath in 1852...

surrounded

2008-03-25T08:26:00.003+08:00

It was a good 3 to 4 hours of travelling time from Tehran to Kashan.
Along the journey, we have stopped once to take a break, bought some water.
Took this picture at the stop, and seriously, have no clues at all our whereabout except it's halfway between the two cities.
In the distance was a series of snow filled mountain range, without a person at sight. But at the base of the mountain, there were white steams rising up, suggestion of a hot spring? or of volcanic activities?
and somehow, that reminded us what happened in Bam, 2003, an earthquake that almost destroyed the entire city...

on the way to Kashan

2008-03-23T08:52:00.005+08:00

while our destination of the day was Esfahan, some 400km from Tehran, we stopped by the city Kashan, which was more or less half way between the two.
during the journey, then we realized how large a country Iran was.
vast fields extended into the horizon with snow filled plains near and afar.

Young soldiers at the Holy Shrine

2008-03-22T12:23:00.002+08:00

this was probably the first time in our lives that we have met with the people of a nation with such hospitality & friendliness. Though it was difficult to communicate with one side speaking English and the other side speaking Farsi, one could feel their genuine sincereity to visitors.

young girls at the Holy Shrine

2008-03-21T10:06:00.003+08:00

Holy Shrine of Imam Khomeini

2008-03-21T09:54:00.002+08:00

before leaving Tehran, at the south of the city is the Holy Shrine of Imam Khomeini. amazed by its sheer size, but somewhat disappointed by its means of construction...
During the day of our visits, there were many visitors, school children, soldiers...the first time we had a close encounter with the Iranian people.

waking up in Tehran

2008-03-19T00:33:00.002+08:00

Was half expecting to hear morning prayers in the morning across the city...but it did not happen.
The Sun rose, along with the dust settled on the street the previous night, composing a picture quite surreal.
Our journey started in Tehran, and took us to Esfahan, Shiraz, Yazd, before finally returning to the captial...
Tehran is very much a modern day city, with little deviation to its western counterparts. But we were told that once we leave the city, what's beyond was immensely different.
The mysterious Persian Kingdom lies ahead.

the sun still sets in here...

2008-03-17T22:54:00.005+08:00

this was our first day in Iran, and since arriving early in the morning, it was more or less a non-stop trip inside the city of Tehran. After visiting the snow filled ground of the Sa'd Abad Palaces, we left the northern side of the city, which was regarded as the more well off regions, heading towards the Tehran Laleh Hotel (fomerly Intercontinental Hotel).

was this what we expected? the Iran/ Iraq war was history, and the capital of Iran resembles very much to its counterparts in the West, the density, traffic jams, noise and pollution...and yes, you can easily find a Toyota as well.

just like any other places, the sun still set in here, the veiled country was in fact, not that remote at all...

background study

2008-03-16T20:15:00.004+08:00

available from http://www.amazon.com/

There is generally little books available on Iran in comparison to other more popular locations.
Other than the Lonely Planet, which has a good general description of the country, this book was perhaps one of the more informative literature available in the store. From the history of Persia, its people, and even events like the 1979 Islamic Revolution, this book gives a good account of the topics. How true are they from the truth...well, who can have a definitive view on the truth about anything?

An essential for outsiders who want to undertand more about Iran.

what's left behind...

2008-03-13T23:17:00.002+08:00

thought this was an installation of contemporary art, but after consulting our local guide, this used to be the statue of the Shah, but during the 1979 Islamic revolution, the statue was cut down, and all that remains was a set of hollow boots...

children at the White Palace

2008-03-12T00:06:00.002+08:00

Just when we were about to depart from the White Palace, we met with a group of young children who were extremely friendly and would like to take photo with us, even though their teachers tried to deter them from doing so.

A smile is an internationally recognizable greeting that needs no words...

The Green Palace

2008-03-11T22:24:00.003+08:00

The facade of this palace was finished a green colour stone, from Isfahan. Its pattern, texture, and tone were something seldom seen in the construction industry, in fact, was the first of its kind we have ever seen.

The interior was lavishly decorated, with a room full of ornamental mirror decorations...how would one perceive such space? the slightest movement will trigger a multitude of reflections...

marble cladded staircase

2008-03-10T23:54:00.003+08:00

not only were the floors finished with marble, the supporting walls to the main staircase inside the white palace was also finished with marble.

despite the fact that the dynasty was overthrown as a result of the 1979 Islamic Revolution, the Governement has decided to conserve what was left behind by the Shah.

An important contribution to the study of the history of Iran and its development.

sunset on winterland

2008-03-09T16:29:00.004+08:00

there were three main sites at the Tehran Sa'd Abad Garden:

the National Palace Museum (White Palace), the Green (Shahvand) Palace, and the Military Museum.

the works shown in the two palaces were some of the finest interior decor we have seen. But knowing the eventual fate of the Pahlavi Dynasty, strangely, it wasn't the palaces that drawn us, but rather, the silent, solemn woods that were around...

imagine the day the shah decided to flee, it was the same woods that witness the end of an era.

voices in the woods

2008-03-09T16:19:00.001+08:00

each a silent witness to the past, whispering in the sound of the settling snowflakes...

Palace in the snow

2008-03-09T10:50:00.003+08:00

a moment ago, we were still seeing low rise houses made of mud bricks, largely unfinished, with a compromised facade that spelt out nothing remotely resemblence to the word "comfort", in less than an hour, we were transported to a completely different scene.

a vast mansion, stood in front of a frozen lake, with its back to the mountain filled with snow...

The National Palace (White) Museum, the last of Shah's palace before he was forced to leave the country in 1979 as a result of the Islamic Revolution.

shop composition.

2008-03-09T00:38:00.002+08:00

your average corner shop?
This is Tehran, though not quite at the city centre yet.
There were many boxes springing up from the street everywhere, and the one to the left with a cupping hand is supposed to be for donation to the public.

Guardpost in the distance

2008-03-06T08:42:00.003+08:00

we knew it was going to be cold, but snow? isn't Middle Eastern Countries meant to be hot and dry?
that showed how ignorant we were about the country, ha.
on leaving the airport, the views on either side of the coach were bleak. little activities could be detected but plenty of guardposts.
we were told not to take photos of any of the Government facilities...was actually having cold sweat dripping down my forehead while taking this...

The distorted vision of the World

2008-03-05T09:14:00.004+08:00

Like past years, we spent the Chinese New Year Holidays travelling. While there are still many places which we haven't travelled to, Middle East has always been a facinating region to us: early civilizations, Babylon, Crusades, the Great Persian Empire...

With Iraq regarded as the most dangerous place to travel to on Earth, and Israel and Palestine constantly engaged in a antagonistic confrontation, we turned our eyes towards Iran, a vast country with little news on paper other than their unending disputes with the West, and Bush's labelling them as "Axis of Evil"...but what is it really like?

We have heard of great names like Cyrus, Darius, Xerxes...but what is the modern day Iranians like?

Is it as dangerous as what the West portrayed?

or is it a completely distorted story waiting to be rectified?

intuition...

2007-09-09T08:50:00.000+08:00

well, I stopped for another few months before picking up the writing on this particular topic, simply what happened still troubled me deep in the night...

when travelling along the edge of the only route leading to the summit, I could feel the air was becoming drier, and temperature was definitely dropping. Luckily for us, we have brought enough winter clothing, but it still didn't stop us shivering once in a while after breathing in the cool, dry air.

When viewed from far, the temple was dwarfed by the massive broadcasting structure located nearby, but upon arriving at the front of the construction, one's attention was immediately drawn to the meticulously detailed front walls.

Standing on the porch, facing south, I could already see in the distance that darkness was slowly dropping its veil on the land below. As we were told by our friend that we could gain access to the top of the temple to catch the view of the city of Barcelona, we hurried in, and finding our way to the tower which led to the roof.

As expected, the interior of the temple was finely decorated. Dimly lit, and thus highlighting the stained glass decoration located along the masonry walls. Perhaps due to its location, or perhaps it's almost the end of the day, the place was sparsely populated. A few candles were flickering momentarily amongst low murmuring sounds in a language I could not comprehend.

To the left of the hall was an opening which gave way to another narrow corridor, which at its end, was the entrance to a lift which travelled to the roof.

I was still deep in thought on my previous deja vu experience, and suddenly, the name of the place flashed through my mind - Tibidabo...what an interesting name, I wondered what it meant...

there's a strange sensation within me which I couldn't quite place...but I could suddenly feel my heart was beating increasingly faster, a sign that my adrenalin was pumping...

...but why?

a case of deja vu...

2007-07-04T08:53:00.000+08:00

have not updated this blog for quite a while, reason was because I didn't know how to begin with this particular entry...

let's talk about the idea of "déjà vu" first. you can read up everything you want to know on deja vu at the wikipedia, in my experience, however, it's about when I had that sudden feeling that the place looked familiar even though I have never visited the place the whole of my life. I remember such sensation only happened a few times in the entirety of my life so far, but my experience in Barcelona was one that would never be forgotten.

After visiting the former Olympic site in Montjuic, our friend drove us in his car away from the leisurely South towards the mountaineous North. As the car climbed through the winding path leading up to the hills, what came into view was rows of houses fitting sporadically along either side of the valley. A strange and somewhat chilling sensation shot through me, and I thought to myself, "this place looks familiar, somewhere I've been to...", just as I was trying to study the details of these houses, there was a picture flashed across my mind, a narrow path for coaches (horses), houses along side the steep valley, dimly lit by either gas light and candle flame...isn't this the same dreamscape that I came to many years before?

unknowingly, I was breathing heavier, and there were glimpses of fragmented images that were appearing at the back of my mind, whether they were out of my imagination or actual experience that I had before, I could hardly distinguish the two. Suddenly, the car stopped, our friend turned around and said, " this is almost midway to the top, let's stop for a while and have a look at the plain of Barcelona."

the view was definitely breathtaking, but what caught my eyes also were a church like construction at the top of the hill.

"That's where we are going," my friend pointed at the church.

a church at the top of the hill? i felt uneasy without knowing why...

homage to the Gods...

2007-06-17T09:49:00.000+08:00

after having a satisfying lunch by the waterfront, our friends drove us up the south side of the city, and making our way up the hill of Montjuic, home to a number of famous museums, galleries (incl. the Fundacio Joan Miro), as well as the site for the 1992 Olympic Stadium.

also tucked in this majestic setting was the telecommunication tower designed by Sapnish Architect Santiago Calatrava. his skills in making the most ordinary objects into something out of this world was one of the characteristics of his works, and this particular one, was a monument, to all visitors to the place in the future of time, that would keep one in awe.

lunch by the Mediterrean Sea

2007-05-27T11:16:00.000+08:00

as told by our spanish friends, people in Barcelona are expected to have lunch at a later time till...dinner time. so in order to get a table, it's a good idea to get yourself into the restaurant before the crowd started to gather, mostly after two in the afternoon.

paella is still by far one of the best dishes we had, and we had the chance to try out the seafood soup as well, which tasted exceedingly fresh.

though some people might have a preconception that the locals tend to attend matters in a laid back, relaxed manners, during our brief stay at this restaurant, all the waiters were extremely attentive, and were fast in bringing out the dishes. while it's obvious that the quicker a table of guests finished their meals, the more business they could make each day, but you can tell thru their expressions, laughters, interaction with the customers, and well welcoming gestures, that they are truly enjoying their jobs.

isn't it what a job ought to be about?

will try to dig out the name of this restaurant some later time...

at the Mediterranean Sea

2007-05-06T10:32:00.000+08:00

being a coastal city, Barcelona has to its south, an extended stretch of beach. the time when we visited though is still very cold in the late winter, one can imagine the scene during the height of summer when the crowds flock to the beach.

at the edge of the mediterranean sea, if your eyesight is good enough, it might be possible just to catch the outline of the African continent, the coastline of Algeria.

Temple of La Sagrada Familia

2007-04-29T18:14:00.000+08:00

Gaudi's final piece of work before he was tragically killed in an traffic accident. the church, or should we say the temple, was perhaps one of its kind in the entire world, while we have different churches around the world with varying design, they can still be somehow classified to a certain period or style of expression. but the Sagrada Familia was something entirely different and simply made ones jaws dropped to the ground!!!

we are curious on why the name "temple" instead the more common "church" is used throughout in Spain despite the fact that this is supposed to be a Roman Catholic Basilica.

three facades that it is supposed to have, Gaudi's completed Nativity facade is hugely different from the Passion facade. while both are remarkable piece of architecture, the question of whether the temple ought to be completed or to be left as originally incompleted to preserve the pureness of Gaudi's works remain to be highly controversial.

the Passion facade, completed by Gaudi, when observed closely, reveals immensely delicate work of art, but when viewed from a distance, can not help but think that it's the face of an unnamable being that only appears in the darkest of one's dreams.

the duality of the image in front was troubling...why was a place for the worship of God modelled in such way?

the vortex...

2007-04-29T17:57:00.000+08:00

according to our spanish friend, the building they are living in is a pre-war (Spanish Civil War)building and it still maintains some very nice character. We think the place was absolutely marvellous!

this photo was the last photo taken on our first day in Spain. just loved the decorative balustrade so much! at the top of the staircase is a glazed skylight, when during daytime let in abundant of light to light up the stairwell.

spain is a very interesting country, while we have seen and learned a lot during our travel, the experience we had and the feeling we had towards it were so much different from other countries, hard to explain at this point, but hopefully can explain in more detail in subsequent blog entries...

it's like one's inner consciousness has been drawn towards, and connected to an invisible vortex...

the gothic cathedral

2007-04-09T18:16:00.000+08:00

located very much in the centre of the old town area, the Barcelona Cathedral was being built from 1298 and was not finished until the late 19th century. set amongst the convoluted lanes and alleyways of Barri Gotic, the cathedral serves as a good reference point in navigating one's orientation. on the day of visit, the front facade was under renovation with scaffoldings all over having printed the main sponsor responsible for the works - Samsung of Korea.

that shows how much the equillibrium has shifted over the centuries...

upon checking on some background information, this was in fact an original site for a Roman basilica dated back to the 4th century, while pondering fate of the original structure, foundation and all that remains, found this rather interesting sign on the floor near one of the column in the Nave...

now, that looked pretty obvious as a sign indicating a location of importance...

a map? who needs a map?

2007-04-09T12:36:00.000+08:00

when we were walking inside the Gothic Quarter, despite having a map bought from the tourist information, we managed to quickly disorient myself. if it wasn't for our Spanish friends to show us around, we could have lost inside the maze of streets.

strangely, once we put away our maps, and start to look at the buildings and its immediate surroundings, it becomes much easier to identify the streets and location as the area was well defined by various landmarks, open squares, nodes, intersection of streets. Relying on our primal sense rather than overflowing information makes more sense.

these days, aren't we presented with a little bit too much information for comfort? where's our instinct gone?

streets in Barcelona

2007-04-05T09:39:00.000+08:00

streets were filled with people, how many were locals, how many were visitors, can't really tell. but the streets were vibrant with life.

In the old town area, particularly around the Barri Gotic, one can actually spend at least a full day there, and begging for more. Small shops which still has that certain individual character, not yet engulfed by the global brandnames, can still be found in inconspicuous alleys.

the La Manual Alpargatera, a local catalan shop specialised in handmade shoes, with its friendly staff was one such that would make you contemplate the lack of variety in our everyday shopping malls these days.

a dreamlike stroll...Gaudi's works

2007-03-27T08:16:00.000+08:00

yes, it was like in a dream...the buildings were in an out of this world form, the sky was so blue that it was almost as if it were painted on, and the row of trees lining up either side of the road also have a distintive dreamlike quality, bare from the trunk and expanding into an intricate network of dry branches, like the claws of an ent from the fairy tales, reaching up from the earth below.

on Passeig de Gracia, Eixample's main avenue, filled with brandname stores like Loewe, Camper, Zara, one of Gaudi's important work, the Casa Batllo, tucked in rather conspicuously among others in the group of Modernista buildings in Illa de la Discordia.

this building is situated right next to the Passeig de Gracia Metro station.

it's view at night was even more captivating...

tapas, tapas, and more tapas, gracias!

2007-03-24T09:14:00.000+08:00

cerveseria catalana, the place.

tapas, the food.

have never seen so much variety of tapas to choose from (er...probably that's because it's the first time we went to Spain, but in our later journey, we still couldn't find one that can compare to this!), and have never been so mouthwatering while waiting.

our first day in town, and our Spanish friends had so kindly taken us out to pretty much the centre of the most important sites for some of Gaudi's works.

there were cold tapas as well as hot tapas, calamari rings, melted cheese, air cured Iberian ham, tomatoe sauce bread (specialty in Barcelona!)...need to dig out my volcabuary book to list out the names again...

Felipe, Mariona, we need your introduction to the food, again!

Modernisme

2007-03-18T16:08:00.000+08:00

no, modernisme IS NOT modernism. it's a movement began in Catalan, particularly the city of Barcelona. Ruta Del Modernisme, or translated as "Route of Modernisme" is indeed true to its name and is flanked on both sides with buildings and architecture which are representative of the movement. On Passeig de Gràciaeven, even the floor tiles, hexagonal in shape, forms a beautiful pattern that puts most cosmopolitan city in shame.

one of the important belief of such movement was that a society could be changed by art.

a very noble ideal....

questions: do people still have ideals in the time we are in?

http://www.flickr.com/photos/adlab/420068943/

Hola! Me encata esto.

2007-03-04T14:07:00.000+08:00

been planning for this trip for quite a while, and the fact that having some friends to visit in Barcelona further reinforced our decision making Spain our choice for our trip.

The idea was to spend two weeks in Spain, flying out from Hong Kong to Bacelona, making our way through Spain by trains or by flights, and eventually reaching Madrid as our final destination in our trip.

though we have spent some years in Europe in our previous years, we have never travelled to Spain before, despite having done some research on the country from guidebooks like the Lonely Planet, Eyewitness Travel, Spain has remained a country not so familiar, tapas, football, bullfighting, Gaudi, Dali, Piccasso...but what is it really like, the country and its people?

it's about time to find out.

upon arrival, one most striking difference was that I NEED to wear my sunglasses during most of the day becaue of the low winter sun, which reminds me of why my city of birth has denied us of the much needed sunshine!

you can visit our flickr page for more photos on the country: http://www.flickr.com/photos/adlab/

museum on the street.

2007-01-30T09:02:00.000+08:00

another scene at Lee Tung Street, Wanchai, Hong Kong

if you want to study the history of a city, the best to do, other than spending days and nights at the library to read thru books is to visit it, walk the streets, taste the local food, study the buildings in the vicinity. well...this is how you would do when you visit any European cities. The buildings define the character and stand as a silent witness to the history of a city.

on the other hand, to catch up with time, it is also inevitable to redevelop the city especially when the pace of the economy is moving so fast...

hang on, is that really the case?

can the preservation of the city fabric coexists with the new developments?

Disappearing City

2007-01-14T10:27:00.000+08:00

always wonder why do we need to tear down so much of our old district. from the economic perspective, this might be the easiest way of getting revenues for the government. the people were furious with the tax increase, value added tax...and the politicians went hysterical when the slight mention of the cutting of social benefits was heard...now there is a limitation as to how the government can generate revenues for all the social expenses, and one such way is to sell off land to the developers, thereby receiving land premium in return, creating more jobs by demolishing what is there, and building something entirely new through the employment of different trades of the construction industry. Of course, even if the selling off of the land is inevitable, the government can still organise architectural competitions in order to find the best solution based on a design perspective rather than purely from the financial point of view.

on the other hand, when we are complaining why the government has to tear down one after another old city fabric, we also have to ask ourselves, are we prepared to do more?

you can not create something out of nothing, it is about how much you are willing to trade.

***fictional writing below***

another sleepless night...

for weeks, the city has been under a blanket of haze, whether these were the result of consecutive days of high humidity or an omen of things to come, i did not know.

days ago, found this letter inside the mailbox addressed to a former occupant of the apartment i stayed. yes, a real letter! these days, what one would normally find in the mailbox were only bills that you ought to pay months ago, promotion leaflets telling you how slim you ought to, or from apparent charitable organization demanding you to pay up in order to save lives from the third world (only that if they didn't print the leaflets in colour, God knows how much they would have saved!). so to find a letter in the post box with handwritten writings came as a surprise.

there were a few things peculiar with this letter. First of all, the letter was addressed to, as mentioned, a former occupant of the apartment, which to my knowledge, was a loner for most of his life, and most important of all, was assumed dead years ago. I had limited deatils of the story, but rumours has it that during a trip to the mountains, he fell off the cliff, and nobody heard from him since...and that was twenty years ago. the other intersting aspect of this letter was that it did not have the sender's name but only an address. the address was in an old part of the city, deserted many months ago, and waiting to be taken down. yet, the postmark was recent, and more importantly, i have not seen handwriting of such calligraphic quality for a long time. if you held the envelope close enough, you could almost smell the distinctive character of the ink. and while doing so, there was the presence of a slight hint of light, ever so faint, but sweet perfume.

with the envelope in hand, i pondered on what to do with this. to send it back to the post office would only mean throwing it into the incinerator as it was a known fact that those building were to be torn down soon.

i decided to pay a visit to this place.

grabbed my torch and overcoat, i left my apartment in the middle of the night...

the day the clock stopped

2007-01-06T10:53:00.000+08:00

on 12th November 2006, after serving for almost half a century, the Star Ferry Pier was to be closed down, soon to be demolished and make way for new roads, more commercial ventures.

while not trying to deal with the political issues here, there's always the question of whether the demolition can be avoided, and instead of an entirely new project, like our counterparts in the rest of the world, maintain part of the structure, and transform it to some other use. Financially, the startup cost would definitely be more, but it is exactly these city fabric that defines the character of our city, and in many overseas examples, they become some very succesful self-sustaining projects.

a trip on the Ferry was always a nice break from the chaotic city life, and to some, almost an everyday habit. now that the new pier, modeled in a very much "fake" exterior, is shifted so far out, its significance to the city and its dwellers will never be the same.

more photos can be found in our http://www.flickr.com/photos/adlab/ site.

passing of the Firedragon

2006-12-25T09:48:00.000+08:00

despite living in Hong Kong for more than 30years, quite poorly informed of the local customs during traditional festive seasons. one such is the firedragon dance in Tai Hang, Causeway Bay, Hong Kong during the mid-Autumn Festival.
there's this huge dragon, carried by dozens of strong men, meandering through the streets of Tai Hang.
found some info from the Hong Kong Tourism Board here. but as usual, very superficial and lack substance.
the atmosphere was good, and it's good to see there's still so many people out to witness such an event that apparently has been passed on for over a century.

the roar of the engine

2006-12-16T15:53:00.000+08:00

the main purpose for our trip to Shanghai was for the F1, and largely due to Michael Schumacher's last appearance in the Shanghai Circuit as a F1 driver before his retirement. whether he is the greatest driver of all times remains debatable, but his presence undoubtedly add plenty of drama in the motorsport.
It was our first time to any F1 circuit, and for the Shanghai circuit, it's about one hour drive from the city centre. we did not get our tickets before coming to the city, and it was quite lucky that the hotel managed to secure a pair of tickets for us eventually at the original price.
the price? really quite expensive, almost 3 times than a ticket to the 1st round World Cup...

expecting the venue to be full of souvenir shops and eating outlets. yes, they had it, only that perhaps even the organiser did not expect a literal full house, the food ran out before the event began. we only managed to grab a few bottles of softdrinks before entering the spectator stand.
the tickets we got for the mainstand was perhaps the closest one can get to the track. Our first time to see the F1 cars in such close proximity, and whats even more pulsating was the deafening roar of the V8 engines!!!

the anticipating crowds played a crucial part in the game. supporters from the Renault and the Ferrari teams were each waving their huge flags. All dressed in either blue or red, it was a race that was crucial to Ferrari in catching up with the current race leader. (of course we know now who's the champion)

Schumacher won in the end after a hard fought battle.
a truly inspiring race!
never give up, as long as the race is still on, there's always a chance.

single move, millions follow

2006-12-11T12:58:00.000+08:00

Shanghai, at night, quite a lot of place to hang around to spend your seconds and money. so, Shanghai is probably one of the richest city in China, and definitely one with the most amount of construction in recent years. However, while there are brand name flagship stores here and there, just round the corner, one can find a local noddle shop selling a bowl of noddle in five yuans. maybe most cosmopolitan cities are like this, an almost schzophrenic phenomenon, the richest and the poorest coexist in a not so harmonious way.

the night we were in Shanghai was the night before the Shanghai F1 Gran Prix. Half expected the city would be filled with motor racing fanatics or tourist from all over the world, after having a hairy crab meal, we went down to the Xin Tian di area for a stroll, a very tourist spot where one can mostly see non-chinese customers. down the road, across the street was an official Ferrari Store. went in, took a look, got out without casting another glance - a thousand yuan for a polo t-shirt!!! yet, there were dozens of customers inside, picking the right merchandize, more than ready to dig into their pockets.

need a drink, and not far from it on ma-dang road was this place that shone like a crystal in the dark. Liuligongfang Museum, no windows visible and only a small entrance on its side, mysterious yet tempting. we went in without a second thought.

saturday night, and for this place of such size, the were only 2-3 tables with customers. right, the drinks were not cheap, iced lemon tea can set you back for almost a hundred yuan, but if it's here, there ought to be a customer base, a market, in order for it to survive. but throughou t our two hours stay at the place, the servers definitely outnumbered the served.

nice interior, couldn't have done it better myself. the place was a museum by day, and a bar by night, showcasing hundreds pieces of Liuli - the art of glass.

not a place to miss too, inside the toilet. multiple reflections when one is attending one's private business.

single move, millions follow!

Shanghai, Art Biennale

2006-12-05T00:26:00.000+08:00

during the month of October this year, we took a short trip to Shanghai for the weekend. was my first visit to the city, amazed by the number of highrise in the city, the amount of good food available, the price of how some of the restaurants were charging...but best of all, it was time for the 6th Shanghai Art Biennale.

some wonderful works by local chinese and international art community.

still have rooms for improvement, but is already an eye opener.

farewell, berlin, farewell, WorldCup 2006!

2006-11-27T08:57:00.000+08:00

Italy became the champion; Zidane got sent off in possibly the most controversial way; Klinsman led Germany to 2nd runner up, none could have predicted that before the tournament; England once again flopped...

a successful tournament all in all, looking forward to the 2010 South Africa World Cup!!!

here ends our trip to Germany, phew! time to move on.

mitte, Berlin

2006-11-27T08:56:00.000+08:00

in what was the former East Germany, Mitte has come a long way since the unification of the 2 countries.
lined with designer shops, cafes, bars and interesting inner courtyards, this area worth at least a few days of exploration, and definitely not during a Worldcup when one's mind was still pondering on who entered the last 16!

managed to find some interesting links to this area:

http://uinic.de/berlin-mitte/en/index.html

as it was effectively the last full day of our trip in Germany, we only managed to spend a short few hours in the district which did not do the place justice, before rushing off to Postdamer Platz again for the live coverage of the final group game of France.

give us another reason for revisiting Berlin in the future...

neighbourhood playground

2006-11-27T08:52:00.000+08:00

even in a cosmopolitan city like Berlin, there are parks and playgrounds almost everywhere. spoke with a German friend, and it appears that the German governement is doing a lot to help developing the kids. if you look at the innovativetoys still being produced today, products from Germany still top the list. (No, we are not talking about video game consoles! that is a totally different category!)

looking at a playground next to the hotel where we stayed, most of the structures were built and finished with the most natural form of materials, timber. there's no hi-tech swings, or mechanical fittings, but just the good old treehouse with planks and walks, fashioned in a high adventure setting. and there's no safety matting, but just sand, foilage, or cork.

your kids won't learn unless they have a few bumps and scratches, fall to the ground and learn to pick themselves up again.

deutsches historisches museum - I.M.Pei

2006-11-24T09:10:00.000+08:00

The museum is housed in the Berlin "Zeughaus", or the arsenal, the oldest building on Unter den Linden. Not only has it an extensive assortments of artefacts detailing the German History, it also has a vast collection of weaponeries, from the early ages through to the 2nd Worldwar. Through the courtyard in centre leads to the new extension, completed in 2004, designed by chinese born, american architect I.M.Pei.

Nice use of materials and manipulation of space.

but, somehow found the public space inside this extension, largely for circulation and waiting, was more impressive than the actual exhibition space inside. which brought the question of which is serving and which is served...

the winding staircase, with its transparent enclosure, was a nice touch to the exterior elevation, but to me, its purpose remains a mystery...

United Buddy Bears in Berlin

2006-11-23T08:30:00.000+08:00

on unter den Linden, not only were there the Deutsche Guggenheim Gallery, Staatsbibliothek, the Neue Wache, the Zeughaus, but also tons of Buddy Bears at the Bebelplatz.

there were altogether 142 of them, from different country, painted differently, and have travelled as far as Hong Kong and Tokyo back in 2004 and 2005.

more info on www.buddy-bear.com

quoting from the inside cover page of the special publication for this event:

"Peace cannot be kept by force. It can only be achieved by understanding." - Albert Einstein

sunset in Berlin

2006-11-05T23:46:00.000+08:00

at the time of writing, the trip to Berlin was already five months ago, but the images i saw, the taste of the food, and the smell of the air, still hangs vividly at the back of my head. seems so near, yet so far.

any experience is memorable because there comes a time when the trip ends, the break overs, and it's time to return to the more routine daily life. but it is exactly because of its limited duration that we would treasure it. when you can have everything you want, there is nothing more you want...

the dinner at the Tele-Cafe was at a surprisingly reasonable price, quite a contrary to what i would expect from a tourist destination. the view was stunning, as the cafe provides a panoramic view in a revolving movement.

only another full day left in Germany before bidding farewell!

Fernsehturm revisited.

2006-11-05T19:41:00.000+08:00

very much the one and only landmark you can not miss in Berlin. after leaving the museum island, it was getting late, and although the sun was still not set, after a day's walk of some of the greatest museum, it's time to sit down and have a proper dinner. better still if we could catch the setting sun at Berlin.
the metal sphere was only like this during the WorldCup, at other times, it's simply a sphere with steel cladding.
took us about another half an hour or so on foot to reach here while passing the Alexanderplatz on the way.

Pergamonmuseum - Ishtar Gate

2006-11-05T17:59:00.000+08:00

Its name owes to the housing of the famous Pergamon Altar in the main hall. This museum is separated into three independent collections including those of the Greeks & Romans, the museum of Near Eastern Antiquities and the Museum of Islamic Art, results of German extensive archaeological expeditions during the 19th and the early 20th century.

It was quite amazing how could works of such immense scale could travel so long a distance and rest finally here in Berlin. In particular, the Ishstar Gate from Babylon really was an exhibit that one must not miss.

Babylon, a city which once stood in the present day Iraq, was considered one of the most important civilization in ancient history. The hanging garden of Babylon is still being regarded as one of the Seven wonder of the world.

But another piece of history which is probably even more well known was the Tower of Babel - man's attempt in equalling the power of God. while not trying to get too religious here, the reaching of the heavens, or the playing the role of God are not something that is too unfamiliar to us in present days. With advancement in genetics, nanotechnology, robotics, cloning...aren't we, in a unified sort of way, trying to create the Tower of Babel in a way?

Just one side note: for an exhibit as important as this, the exhibition hall was surprisingly bare, and lack proper consideration in bringing out the essence of the Ishtar Gate. I was thinking, if only I could be the designer for the hall, can i do it with greater effect?

a break for lunch.

2006-11-05T17:26:00.000+08:00

after leaving behind the Altes Museum, it was already after two in the afternoon, and knowing that we will only have time to visit one more museum for the day, as we walked along the am Kupfer-Graben, we stopped by an Italian restaurant just before reaching the Pergamon Museum and had our lunch.

as said earlier, it seemed that while you were in Berlin, it's way easier to find italian cuisine rather than authentic German food.

Altes Museum

2006-11-04T09:39:00.000+08:00

right in front of the lustgarten, the Altes Musuem holds collection of Greek & Roman antiquities, and is a piece of beautiful neo-classical building, with an overwhelming portico held up by 18 Ionic columns.
the bronze figures of Castor and Pollux are featured at the corners of the central building.

Neues Museum

2006-11-03T09:11:00.000+08:00

during our visit in the summer, the Neues Museum was under a large scale renovation. heard on the news a few days ago it was officially reopened in November. the renovated museum will have on display collection of Egyptian Art and of those from early history.
incidentally, stumbled onto a site on Museums+Collections which has some useful information on the museums in Berlin.

o, Nefertiti, will come and pay you a visit the next time we visit Berlin again!

Alte Nationalgalerie - the gods

2006-11-02T08:17:00.000+08:00

there were many pieces of scultptures worth writing about, but to do so will take months to do it, and what's better than go and visit it yourself? so we shall keep the description of the place to a minimum, and hopefully, our pictures and writings are good enough to arouse your interest at the place.

this sculpture was located near the entrance to the galerie, and with so many to see but so little time (we later found out that apart from a full ticket which allows you to go inside all the museums located on the museum island, there's also another ticket which allows you to visit the place over 3 days, which if you have the time, is definietly worth buying), we skipped the description.

but who can he be?

the eagle, and the God-like character who's chained to a rock, looking up at heaven with a sign of defiant?

who else other than the great Prometheus?

Alte Nationalgalerie

2006-10-30T23:49:00.000+08:00

completed in 1876, this building housed a collection of fine arts, particularly of the German Romantic Period as well as some of the finest collection of 19th century sculptures.

One important work is "The Island of the Dead" by Arnold Bocklin which was located on the upper floors. standing there staring at it, there's a mysterious force seemingly pulling one from reality to the picture world, all is silent, except the sound made by the boat gliding through the dark, placid water, signalling an ominous destiny.

what lies ahead? there was not a clue except the distant cries from ravens deep in the woods...

stepping back in time - the road to Museum Island

2006-10-27T08:24:00.000+08:00

other than works by masters of the contemporary era, Berlin has a number of old buildings dated back to the 1830s. the Museum Island is one such area which hosts such. Taking the S-bahn and getting off at the Hachescher Markt, it's only walking distance in reaching the Museuminsel. Records suggested that this island might well be the cradle of Berlin's history, and settlements began at 1244 at this very island.
what could be better than housing some of the finest museum in Berlin?

there are 5 musuems on this island, the Alte Nationalgalerie, the Altes Museum, Neues Museum, the Pergamonmuseum and the Bode Museum.

Daimler-Chrysler building

2006-10-23T15:13:00.000+08:00

pls correct me if i've got this one wrong. believed to be designed by Renzo Piano, this building is situated at the Postdamer Plaz. like the control tower of an intergalatic spaceship, just wondering the type of functions held inside this space?

a massive lawn adjacent (from the look of it, quite manmade) to this long building which can be nice place to take a nap during those long, lazy afternoon.

neue nationalgalerie

2006-10-21T22:31:00.000+08:00

designed by one of the most important master of modern architecture, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, this nationalgalerie expressed the essence of "less is more". the generous headroom, an entirely transparent skin, together with the bold structure are all the elements that made up this piece of powerful architecture.

he died in 1969, and this was his last work, a monument to modern architecture.

the dividing wall

2006-10-20T23:56:00.001+08:00

the wall that once divided the east and west now becomes a statement of the past, marking an eventful era of the past.

how many blood has shed?
how many dreams were shattered?
how many families were separated?

all those are history now...
and you can bring a piece of history home from the Checkpoint Charlie museum at EUR 7.00 for a piece of the wall...

welcome to democracy.
welcome to consumerism!

inside the jewish museum

2006-10-17T16:01:00.000+08:00

if you were awarded to design for a museum, what would you do? check the possible future exhibits and design a space that would suit these items? a more universal space which can suit all kinds of exhibition? or disregard the exhibits, and design a space that can speak for itself even without the exhibits?

sometimes the decision is not for you to make, but a request from the client. architects are mere mortals, and we do have limitations.

when i was in the Jewish Museum, i had the strange feeling of mismatch between the vessel and the exhibits. with the Museum exerting a solemn, and heavy air, the exhibits were without emotion and sometimes even lighthearted...

nothing wrong with that, maybe it's just me...

how the space was designed and how the windows were positioned was quite amazing.

jewish museum

2006-10-07T09:07:00.000+08:00

an eyecatching piece of architecture by Daniel Libeskind. (the hyperlink takes you to his own website, which has a simple but interesting layout which is worth visiting also) "Between the lines" the theme used throughout in this project by the architect, to reflect the tensions of German-Jewish history.

from exterior to interior, there were numerous intrigue space to explore, how the planes met, where the lines were drawn, and how is a volume of space accentuated by depriving the space of light except at the apex of its height...

the museum alone is definitely not a piece to be missed if one is ever on the German soil. the exhibition gives a good account of the jewish history in the territory, however, there's some mismatch in the tone of the presentation of the exhibits and this piece of architecture.

folding all over

2006-10-06T00:40:00.000+08:00

time to talk about the hotel we stayed during our visit in Berlin.
The Q! Hotel in Berlin, winner of numerous interior design award, took what's wall and what's floor to a new dimension.
for the furnitre, floor finish, wall finish, or even ceiling finish, they were all covered with the same material, marmoleum floor covering by Forbo, and gave a seamless continuity where one can no longer distinguished the difference between one face from another.
the price is for one night is high, not unexpected considering the hotel is frequently visited by fashion desingers, celebrities.

definitely worth a visit if u can spend a night there, and btw, the breakfast they served is excellent!

flashing facade

2006-09-26T23:50:00.000+08:00

in any major cities, one sight one can not escape is the use of state of the art LED lighting. its lifespan long, able to produce spectrum of colours, and can even orchestrated into a light show with proper programming. the problem is, while our cities become increasingly more colourful, our sense becomes more numb as we are losing our feelings towards some of these vibrant but meaningless pixels.

so when we saw this SPOTS installation at The Park Kolonnaden complex at Postdamer Platz, were instantly attracted to it. so it doesn't have colour, but its simplicity made the message stood out. the system apparently employed DALI (Digital Addressable Lighting Interface) system and able to capture images and redisplay them on the facade. interestingly enough, it is using none other than ordinary fluorescent tubes, the magic lies in the electronic control gear (ECG).

postdamer platz at night

2006-09-23T09:26:00.000+08:00

during the worldcup period, if you couldn't book a ticket to enter the stadium and watch the match live, or that you didn't want to stay in the hotel to watch the tiny television, the best place to be, if you were in Berlin, was the Postdamer Platz.

you paid for an entry fee so that you could get a seat at the atrium where the huge television screen was. the price included food and drinks and were not overpriced, something we appreciated a lot. Germany was serious and focus in the events they organized, and they seldom use it as a marketing tool to extract money from visiting tourist.

the place was in fact a cluster of office buildings and entertainment venues, masterplanned by Hilmer, Sattler & Albrecht, the buildings themselves were the works of a number of different architects including names like Renzo Piano, Helmut Jahn, Richard Rogers, Arata Isozaki...etc.

the roof feature added the sense of volume in this space and was lit up with floodlights of various colours, a night marvel in itself.

despair

2006-09-19T08:20:00.000+08:00

perhaps one of the most controversial race on earth, the Jewish population has endured some of the most frightening experience during the WW2.

one can read books, watch movies, or even visit historical sites related to the holocaust, but how close could one imagine or even attempting to understand the fear, hopelessness, despair that the Jewish people experienced?

went into the Memorial to the Murdered Jews around 3pm on a sunny weekday, at the height of the WorldCup fever, yet, once you entered the orthogonal laybirith, with the floor undulating in unexpected ways, and the concrete columns suddenly towering over you at the heart of the installation, the chill that sent thru your spine, so many people around you yet you can not see them, hearing voices muttering but not knowing their whereabout, one was suddenly catpulted back to a dimension where there was no hope, and the future was bleak...

other than a piece of work by Tadao Ando in Himeji i visited years ago that gave me such a strong impact, this installation has hit home a sensation that can not be described in words...i was speechless, and felt that i was among the Jews, waiting to be escorted to the path of utter darkness...

this is the power of architecture.

the murdered jews...

2006-09-16T14:17:00.000+08:00

maybe due to the kind of media exposed to, or never have been to one of the built works, or indifference to his architectural philosophy in relation to the complexity theory, never particularly liked Peter Eisenman's works.

after visiting the memorial of murdered jews in Berlin, however, have somehow changed my attitude towards his work.

there's a certain delicate treatment to the seemingly unimaginative rows of upright concrete slab. from a distance, it was overwheming due to its sheer size, and monumental solemness. but it's only when you enter this concrete maze, then you realize it's more than what one could anticipate...

leading to nowhere...

2006-09-08T09:21:00.000+08:00

there was a whole lot of architecture to be seen close to the Brandengurger Tor, and any attempt to see all in one day would simply spoil the marvels. it was a hot day, and we were dying for a drink, walked past this building, not knowing what it was, but could see a bookshop, a bar and some funny looking installation through the curtain wall on the front. unlike some of the buildings nearby (as it was already 5 in the afternoon), the doors were unlocked, we entered, and found out this was actually the akademie der kunste. not that we didn't know it exist before hand, but our main objective after visting the Brandengurger Tor was actually the Memorial to the Murdererd Jews. so discovering the akademie was a pleasant surprise.

there was an exhibition going on with large scale installations, some rather interesting works. but it was this staircase which caught my attention most...

of this building, everything seems to be very architectural of the contemporary era, steel staircase, angled glass, white walls, self-leveled flooring, slanted furniture...and suddenly, saw a staircase which was totally unsimilar to any of its surroundings, something from another moment in history...made me wonder was this all that remains from its previous incarnation, or was it a replica of somewhere inserted into this space?

took the steps, heard sound from above, anticipating an encounter of of an unusal kind...

Brandengurger Tor

2006-09-07T00:50:00.000+08:00

what once stood in East Germany and overlooking the many events happened before the removal of the Berlin Wall, this Neo-classical structure, modelled after the Athenian Propylaea, with Victoria, the goddess of victory, driving the Quadriga.

located at the end of Unter den Linden.

there was a very useful tourist information centre just by the side of the gate which has ample information on architecture, but watch out for the date when it is closed!

light & transparency

2006-09-03T11:31:00.000+08:00

the massive mirror fixture, apart from giving some very nice reflections through its tilted angle fixings and becoming the central focus of the enclosure, serves another purpose of bringing in the natural day light through to the assembly hall below.

the glazed roof of the hall, which is transparent for the public to look into, perhaps symbolize the transparency of the government...but while you can see inside, you can't really hear what's going on inside, a bit ironic...

while expecting the details to be hinged of joints, and allow the fixings to a certain degree of movement, was surprised to see most are welded joints...

Reichstag, New German Parliament

2006-09-02T15:34:00.000+08:00

designed by Foster and Partners of United Kingdom, this piece of architecture easily top the list of must visit site in Berlin. it's free of charge to get in, but due to all the security check, expect to queue outside for a bit before you are eventually admitted into the premises.

once inside, the elevator will take you to the roof of where the iconic copola is. there is plenty of information regarding the background of this project listed in the architect's homepage.

the day when we visited was at the height of summer, and this glass structure was in fact not air-conditioned but relying on stack effect and natural ventilation through the openings on the screen. was it effective? of course not as comfortable as a fully air-conditioned building, but comparing to the heat on the street, this was not so bad.

2 parallel running ramps encircle the inside skin of this architecture and can take you all the way to the top, which is opened to the sky, uncovered! quite a surprise.

this place deserves another entry to talk about.

Marie-Elisabeth-Lüders-Haus

2006-08-26T09:35:00.000+08:00

while the taxi in Berlin is of reasonable rate, and the S-bahn and U-bahn are both efficiently run, it is expected of the general public that plenty of travelling are to be done on foot, and it often has signs saying 400m to Point A, 300m to Point B...etc. which is good for urban dwellers who are so lack of moderate exercise anyway.

on the way to the Reichstag, there's a route which took one along side the river Spree. Clean, institutional architecture set the backdrop for the walk.

we had some difficulty in identifying this project as not many books or literature covered it. apparently it housed the library and reference section for the Chancellery nearby.

architect for the project is Stephan Braunfels.

Fernsehturm in the distance

2006-08-26T08:35:00.000+08:00

one of the landmark in Berlin, the Fernsehturm in the Mitte area.

my first thought was that any spy movies must have a go at this TV Tower especially in the 70s, as it does give a certain aura of that time. The mainbody has the look of a football, most probably 3M stickers being put on for the 2006 WorldCup.

incidentally, the TV tower was built between 1965 to 1969 by the GDR (German Democratic Republic), or better known as, East Germany.

and that certainly gives you another motive to visit it.

this picture was taken when we just got off the S-Bahn Friedrichstr station on our way to Reichstag.

from Leipzig to Berlin

2006-08-24T13:19:00.000+08:00

the journey lasted for about an hour.

once out of the station, either side of the train opened up to a vast field of greens. occasionally came in to view were the wind turbines.

as common to the very essence of daily life, Germany is meticulously conscious on the energy efficiency and green issues: escalators come into life only when a person approaches; lights dimmed down or switched off when no one is in the corridor, actuated most probably by motion sensor and dimmable energy efficient T-5 fluorescent tubes; parking meters are operating on solar energy. the people as well as the country are well aware of energy saving issues and utilizing alternative energy other than fossil fuels.

in contrast, while claiming as World City, Hong Kong is quite backward in energy concerned issues, just how many buildings were designed to tackle the punishing heat of the summer sun other than using an even more powerful air conditioner to cool down the air? the excessive light shows, which are burning the valuable fuels everynight, to signal that the city is prosperous, advanced, that we bring light to darkness, water to the desert, what cost there is to the environment?

China is catching up in an extremely fast pace in terms of car ownership, and is in the process in striking a new deal with the Venezuelan government on the supply of petroleum...

are we heading the right directions?

the lighted window

2006-08-22T00:04:00.000+08:00

the weather changes according to different seasons, mirco climates, radiation of the Sun, reaction forces between planets, or as far fetched to the vibration of a pair of butterfly wings.

can it be accurately predicted, presumably yes in theory, if you have a way to store in all the data that is happening in the universe, from Time-Zero to the moment you want to know the result. But if we accept that the universe is infinitely large, then things happened at all corners (or will there actually be corners?) of the universe needs to be recorded on a machine that has infinite capacity...

"tempermental as weather", that's how we describe the mood of a person which is unpredictable.
the question is, is a person's mood really unpredictable?

many years ago, saw a documentary by QED of England, citing a person was charged with murder, but defense claimed that the man on trial was subjected to a chemical spillage, and the chemicals he inhaled affected his brain, therefore, his decisions and subsequent actions. guilty or not was a legal issue, but suppose we understand the effect of such chemicals and how it will affect a person's mind, can we then, theoretically, predict the mood of a person if we understand all circumstances, actions affecting that person before he/ she swings into a certain mood?

why am i writing this?

affected by the picture in front of me.

why was there someone still working at the height of the WorldCup fever?

thousands of possibilities were already crawling towards the window...

one of final pictures we took the night before we leave Leipzig the next day.

after the storm

2006-08-20T11:40:00.000+08:00

once again, the universal rule of duality that exists. if you have not experienced the fury of the storm, how could you appreciate the calmness that comes after? if there is no darkness, how could there be light?

for knowing the sweet taste of victory, one must have fallen in countless battles before...
Nature operates the antagonistic yet symbiotic duality like clockwork, so how could we expect our life could escape from this universal rule?

if you are not prepared to get hurt, how could you ever gained the experience you need and search for that Holy Grail in your life?

slightly off topic, but am just annoyed by individuals who moaned all day in their armchairs, complaining that their talents were not recognized, or that opportunities never knocked on their doors, when in fact, they ought to get up, fist tightened, and go out to battle in the storm...

blackness engulfing the land

2006-08-20T10:21:00.000+08:00

no wonder Germany is filled with so many fairy tales...
the skyline was transformed within minutes, storm gathering from the east, spreading like wildfire through the forest, and turned the sky into pitch black in the blink of an eye...

City Hochhaus

2006-08-16T00:25:00.000+08:00

for individuals who are used to life in the cities, especially Tokyo, Hong Kong, Shanghai, New York...etc, the city high rise did not strike too much of an impression. however, located at the top of the building is the Panorama Restaurant serving quality fine dining and literally provides a panoramic view of the city. and it is exactly because there is a lack of highrise nearby, the expansive views at the top was simply breathtaking.

quite ironic...

we witnessed the dramatic changes of weather like those described in a fairy tale. will talk about it in the next post.

Petersbogen, time travel

2006-08-14T23:37:00.000+08:00

a new piece of construction, claimed to be "...Leipzig's most architecturally modern passage..." according to the City Guide.

while Petersbogen was indeed quite different from its surroundings, its architecture was not unfamiliar, lined with shops on either side, the walk was less captivating than the Madler Passage UNTIL one reached the end with the Neues Rathus suddenly towering in front.
it felt as if we were inside a time travelling machine, arrived at a time of ancient romance, ready for an adventure once stepped outside...

Maggi Kochstudio at Petersbogen

2006-08-14T00:34:00.000+08:00

Madler Passage

2006-08-13T12:54:00.000+08:00

located along in an unconspicuos spot the Grimmaische Strabe just off the Markt lies the fully covered shopping arcade, most likely built pre-war, but just how long ago? need to find some more info on this.

the interesting bar Mephisto and restaurant Auerbach’s Keller are both worth visiting.

legend also has it that touching the foot of Faust's statue at the entrance of the passage can bring good luck...but at what cost? like that in the legend of Faust and Mephistopheles?

the Markt, a momentary pause

2006-08-12T11:20:00.000+08:00

maps folded in hand, we were exploring the area in an unplanned sequence. venturing into areas which attracted our attention. in contrary to city like Berlin, Leipzig has retained almost in a complete package buildings of similar era. if it were not the presence of the amount of tourists on the streets, one could have catapulted back to a time centuries ago.

...

could hear faint music resulted from the tender hands on a seasoned piano. i looked up, could not find where exactly the music was from, but it appeared that it must have been the top floors as while all windows were shut, there was one which was slightly opened, as if to let the music to escape from the dark interior.

there was no more noise on the pavement, not a single soul to be seen, all was quiet, not even the clouds were moving, the scene was frozen in that instant.

the melancholy melody continued to flow through the air.

i hesitated and wondered if i was meant to venture to the heart of where the music was and greet this mysterious figure in the dark...

Leipzig museum der bildenden künste

2006-08-07T13:46:00.000+08:00

huge museum for arts, and an intricately designed building facade.
but mark these words even if you never thought you need to know the German language:

Montag geschlossen.

meaning, Monday closed.

well, that provided us with another reason to return to Leipzig in the future.

Zentral Stadion, Leipzig

2006-08-06T07:59:00.000+08:00

quite a piece of stunning architecture. this stadium was integrated into the former stadium, and to reach it, one must travel across a vast piece of greens, climb the steps over the hill, and then, there it was, like a piece of alien spaceship landed on a crater.

the red devils in Leipzig

2006-08-01T13:33:00.000+08:00

though not exactly the most exciting match of the tournament, it did show that one moment of carelessness, victory slipped away.
the Korean supporters (a.k.a. RED DEVILS)were possibly one of the most popular football crowds from asia. with the heart pounding drums, coherent chants, and always supportive gestures, its a view to hehold even if you are not a Korean.
the match ended at 1-1 between France and South Korea, and it was rumoured that Zidane, after receiving his yellow card, and sawing his team leveled at the final minutes after being subsituted, kicked a hole in a locker door in the changing room...

velvet, chiffon & caviar

2006-07-28T23:29:00.000+08:00

booked through the internet for two nights at the Radisson SAS hotel, Leipzig, a town in the Saxony area, an important centre for the publishing community and book trade.
checked in, hunger striked. went down to the lobby lounge and ordered some quick food. simple sandwiches, refreshingly tasty.
lying back on the velvet cushions, glancing out towards the large viewing windows towards the town centre, the contrast between hasty crowd and the light music, wrapped around with chiffon finished interior, was simply too comforting.
on the manual in the restaurant next door, they have salmon, truffles and caviar, suggested to be accompanied with wines of a specific brand and vintage...all without a price!
i thought the air dried beef sandwich was enough to keep me happy for the day.

wind sculpture

2006-07-28T09:42:00.000+08:00

these metal profiles became animated objects whenever there's a breeze.
wind, something you can't see, but you can feel its presence.
small intervention, dramatic effect.

Leipzig, HBF

2006-07-22T12:43:00.000+08:00

was the largest Railway station in Germany before the opening of the Berlin HBF. finely decorated with immense level of detailng.
with light luggages, we were preparing to take a taxi to the hotel we were going to stay, the SAS Raddison. Upon presenting the address to the driver, she replied that the distance was so close that she advised it's better off for us to travel there on foot, especially under such a lovely day.

it took us some 20 mins to get there from HBF.unusal for people who live in Hong Kong, getting used to sheltered walkways, and air conditioned space. but itwas a healthy walk, and good to breathe some fresh air.

HBF, Berlin

2006-07-18T13:15:00.000+08:00

DB, HBF, abbreviations that one will see when travelling form city to city in Germany. Deutsche Bahn, the German railway network, is probably one of the most efficient system on Earth (maybe at a neck to neck tie with the JR Japan Rail). During our trip, we need to make a journey from Berlin to Leipzig, a former East German city, and what's better than travelling on a train running at over 180 km/h yet enjoying over a glass of Pilsner !! what's more important was that you can actually book your ticket in advance with DISCOUNTS! reserve your seats, and even print out your own tickets!!! comparing that we still need to pay extra (about 10% more) here in Hong Kong when you book tickets to the movie thru the internet, you know there is something seriously wrong with the city here in Hong Kong.

DB has a really helpful website in English which can guide you thru step by step.

as for the Berlin Hauptbahnhof, which was just recently opened in time for the WorldCup 2006, its scale was simply ...massive! with the dozens of platforms interweaving in all directions, the skylight above, and the numerous shops lining either side on different levels, it just felt like inside a huge robotic castle, expecting to see androids, cyborgs everywhere.

will post more photos on this later.

btw, a day to remember! we finally have more than 1000 viewings since opening!

the red glows...

2006-07-16T10:10:00.000+08:00

on stepping out of the liftcar, what was visible was none other than a faint glow of red light, subdued music of pure instrumentals broadcasting in the background. the only clue that we have reached the designated floor was thru the illuminated digital number on the call panel inside the lift.

turning our heads and checking our orientation, we noticed that all walls were painted in white, no extra inch of cosmectic decoration, the only colour was coming from the thickly woven carpet in red under our feet.

the instant we made a further step, the corridor suddenly came alive, as if inside the intestine of a gigantic dormant creature, woken up by adventurers venturing in. panels affixed to walls started to glow until the entire windowless corridor was filled with an intense crimson red.

we made our way past the corner and arrived at the door, pulling out a small, black twig from my pocket, given to us by the tall, charming blonde a moment ago, and placed it near the door handle, without touching, a click was sounded, and the little indicator lamp on the door turned from red to green.

we turned the handle and entered...

yes, the hotel we were staying for the night....
it's name?
Hotel Q!

German cuisine - Lubitsch

2006-07-13T00:00:00.000+08:00

located at no.47 Bleibtreustrabe, we did not stumble onto this restaurant accidentally.
didn't have a clue as to which restaurant to go to for our first dinner in Berlin, we decided to consult the highly informative "Style City - Berlin". Being in Charlottenburg the whole day, in order not to travel too far, we had a few choices, finally we picked the Lubitsch, not only for its reputation, but also because one of the owner is an art dealer, Volker Diehl...to kill two birds in one stone.
the place was not difficult to find at all, located in a quiet neighbourhood, the warm, soothing interior lights announced its presence.

not a large restaurant at all, accommodating maybe a dozen tables. finely decorated interior with a team of friendly and reassuring staff. the chef, Florian Maria Schymczky, has a strings of famous fans, including Prince Charles and the late Helmut Newton.

picked the chilled tomato soup as a starter...refreshing and simply delicious!

Swiss Hotel, the statues

2006-07-10T00:06:00.000+08:00

not far away from Kranzlereck, still on Ku'damm...

Kranzlereck - Helmut Jahn

2006-07-08T19:30:00.000+08:00

In Kurfurstendamm, we came across a number of unique buildings, and one which stood out from the rest was definitely the Kranzlereck (Kurfurstendamm 18-21). the sharpness at the wedge shaped definitely caught the wandering eyes.

the curious thing was that the most outstanding part of the building did not serve a specific function, like a decorative architectural feature. not very German, the thought crossed my mind...

the building was designed by Helmut Jahn, a German architect, studied under Mies Van de Rohe, and later settled in Chicago in the 60s.

the church in blue

2006-07-08T09:17:00.000+08:00

next to the Kaiser-Wilhelm-Gedachtnis-Kirche is this octagonal concrete church, designed by Architect Egon Eiermann. it presented itself as a stark contrast to the original church, while its modernist appearance might not appeal to all, due to its lack of transparency on the outside (to be more precise, the external wall is in fact fitted with thousands of patterned blue stained glass, but it just doesn't reveal to you what's inside), it possess a mysterious attraction to curious eyes.

once inside, the setting was simply overwhelming! right in front is a golden figure of Christ, created by Karl Hemmeter, in a background of glowing blue grid.

we have today all the technology on LED to create special lighting effects, but this piece of architecture relies on nothing but the natural light and the stained glass facade, and yet its effect is one of the most stunning in terms of a contemporary interior of a religious building.

to create such effect, the artificial lighting in the interior is dimmed to the minimum, for without darkness, one can not feel the presence of light. the antagonistic duality exist, one can not live without the other.