Daily Lesson from Life 01 October 2008

01 October 2008 - The 1st day of 4Q2008! We are already 3/4 year through!! As I looked back on the 2008 Resolutions made, I am glad to report that I am on track with most of them!


"Monaco's answer to Dubai? Architecture giants Norman Foster and Daniel Libeskind are leading the race to build Monaco's answer to Dubai. -Wed, Oct 01, 2008 AFP

MONACO - ARCHITECTURE giants Norman Foster and Daniel Libeskind are leading the race to build Monaco's answer to Dubai, officials said on Tuesday. The Mediterranean tax haven's ruler Prince Albert II invited bids in 2006 for a multi-billion-euro artificial peninsula the size of 20 football pitches, jutting out into the sea from below the world-famous Monte Carlo casino.

A playground for the rich and famous going back decades, the extension plans underline the tiny principality's determination not to be left in the shade by the wealthy Arab emirate of Dubai or far-eastern gaming paradise, Macao.

Dubai launched its own multi-billion dollar project to create an artificial coastline back in 2001. The 'Palm' islands, once complete, will host luxury hotels, apartments and shopping.

Details of bids for Monaco's new cape, which would host 275,000 square metres (three million square feet) of housing and tourist facilities, as well as a flagship new public building, have been kept jealously under wraps.
Estimated at between five and 10 billion euros (10 to 22 billion Singapore dollars), the project would add 10 hectares to Monaco's territory of two square kilometres"

Besides the Palm Islands, Dubai is also building the world's tallest building. Taller than the existing tallest building in the world by a wide margin too! The excesses are unimaginable in my opinion but they are considered revolutionary and visionary and daring and bold!

The lessons for me are:

1. hardware is easier to build and amass, it is the software that will make the hardware work well. Maybe I should say: People are the ones who will pay all these pay for themselves! I am not sure if human beings are made to live in a truly sky high housing!;

2. the unprecedented building frenzy in Dubai is scary as there is this blind faith that: as long as we can build a newer, fancier, largest, and tallest mansions, the people will come fill them up! I am not sure if this will play out as envisioned. Of course, I will be faulted as 'frog in the well and not able to think BIG!';

3. I wonder how much of the money is spent on education and ensuring Dubai is not totally dependent on foreign labour across ALL classes of work. Not just the blue collar construction workers but all levels of skills that they need to make the largest, tallest, fanciest, newest buildings work!

I shall wait with great anticipation to see if this greatest experiment will produce the right fruits. Otherwise, it will be the world biggest waste of resources. Painful to even think about it!!