Leaning tower my butt!

Leaning tower of Abu Dhabi makes Pisa sit up straight

Matt Kwong mkwong@thenational.ae Online forum: what buildings, other than the Leaning Tower of Pisa, could Abu Dhabi emulate?
The National - News
06 Jun 2010

Italy’s Leaning Tower of Pisa may tilt necks, but Abu Dhabi’s Capital Gate puts a new slant on edgy architecture. Guinness World Records officials this week named the 160-metretall UAE landmark as the “World’s Furthest Leaning Manmade Tower”,...read more...


This story appeared this week. It was said long ago that they would be applying for this record. Actually I think it is a great shame the an icon like the Tower of Pisa is displaced in the record books by what I believe to be a sham. The tower is not “leaning” at all in the truest sense. I have had some involvement with this project last year so I am aware of it’s internal construction. I have made a crude drawing below (sorry - I did fail technical drawing at O level!)....

This is the tower....

...and below shows how the internal “core” of the building is in fact perfectly straight. The floor areas just build out to either side giving the impression that it is leaning. What a swiz!!

OK, I it’s a crap drawing, it’s not going to be an exact replica of how it is done, but you get the idea. I think it is a cheek to take the record away from Pisa - and I think the Guinness Book of Records should reconsider.



Wow

I reckon you would see at least one of these in Yas Marina........

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-1284892/The-17million-yacht-comes-supercar-quick-going-them.html

Frankie's

We decided to try Frankie’s tonight, The restaurant owned by Frankie Dettori and Marco Pierre White. In Abu Dhabi it is in the Fairmont Bab al Bahr hotel next to the Shangri La hotel. There is also Marco Pierre White Steakhouse next to Frankie’s which we will have to try another time. It was a nicely presented restaurant and the service was good, but not excellent. I was expecting it to be more expensive, which was a pleasant surprise (c.50 Dhs - under a tenner - for a pizza). The hotel looks very good, with a nice stretch of beach looking out over the water to the Grand Mosque.

Highlight of the evening was watching the restaurant staff nudging each other and calling out the kitchen staff to eye up a lady (?) who had virtually the whole of her tits out on display! Very amusing.........

Abu Dhabi housing

Interesting article on the Abu Dhabi housing market......


http://www.abudhabiweek.ae/city-latest/1-news/2537-the-rise-of-the-condo-?campaign=wizemail&dm_i=7PM,6BL4,28XWR7,FN6B,1

Triple Play

Many of the homes in Abu Dhabi are now served by a direct fibre optic connection, right into the villa or apartment. In the UK Virgin claim to have a fibre optic service, but in reality the fibre only comes to a termination point in the street somewhere and from there it is good old copper that has been in the ground for probably 40 or 50 years that is delivering the broadband service.

I have a fibre router (from Huawei - a Chinese manufacturer) on the wall of my apartment, rather like this one....






The fibre connectivity allows Etisalat (one of only 2 telecoms companies in the country) to provide “Triple Play” (voice, internet, TV - all IP) over a single connection, with high speed internet services. So, as they had an offer on which included all the World Cup footy for free (!), I decided to upgrade to 30mbps triple play. They have been and installed it, although the TV channels have yet to appear. The internet though, isn’t bad.... here is a screen shot of the speed test...




So, nearly 23 meg over my wireless network. Not bad!

You can get faster from some providers at home, where the internet market is much more mature - and for much less money too. It will cost c.£100 a month for triple play. Fortunately, my work will pay the broadband costs, some makes it doable.

I’ll let you know how I get on with the TV.......