Around The Old Town

The family discovered a new place to hang out (just as we are a couple of weeks away from moving to the capital waaah). It is called the The Old Town and it is adjacent to the Burja Khalifa in Downtown Dubai. Between the modern designs of The Address Hotel and the worlds tallest tower, you will find old Arabian architecture in The Old Town.

We've been to the place a few times the other year. But the pull of The Dubai Mall was irresistible (with its aquarium, fountain, and The Fashion Avenue) that we always find ourselves among the thick crowd of mall goers. We think we have had anough of TDM for now but we're glad that we need not look further for a place to hang out because The Old Town is exactly what we were looking for - quiet, elegant, relaxing, and yet you still get the sight of The Dubai Fountain and Burj Khalifa.

I share with you my shots:

The drive way to The Palace, The Old Town

World-class dining. At the far end is South Africa's famous The Meat & Co.


Starbucks and Caribou Cafe customers get these view at The Old Town.

An entry for

Circular Building in Abu Dhabi

On our way to Abu Dhabi last Friday, I was able to take photo of one of the most-talked about structure  in the world. This is Aldar HQ, stands 23 storeys high and framed with steel. It is the first circular building built on earth. Unfortunately, I will never be able to set my foot inside because this is not a hotel. It is an offiice for property business.

Aldar HQ, Al Raha Beach, Abu Dhabi

A scene that will last until April.

Textile Exhibition by Ajman University Students

Our shoe-shopping trip over the weekend for Andreas brought us back to Dubai Mall.The grand atrium greeted us with students' Art Exhibition from Ajman University. I share with you today photos from Zone 1 called Textile Exhibition. There were about 50 designs on display. Here are my top picks.

I like anything vintage and elegant so this was my favorite. Actually i had been playing an idea long ago that when we get to design our dining set, i want the family initials etched or embroidered or carved (whichever works) on the headrest of the dining chairs.

Again, the old soul in me reaches out to something you will see in old English houses =).

I would really love a stool like this on my dresser hihi.

And lastly, I chose this because I am a big fan of wood works and country-style homes.

The exhibition runs from April 7 to April 16. If you will be lucky like me, you get to meet the artists as well. As i went back to my favorite design to take more photos in different angles, two students approached me and and one said that the chair was her design. Obviously, I was delighted!!

Rosa Parviz Moulaei informed me that the calligraphy is Persian which means Pray for Peace. The Iranian worked on her piece for three days.

I really feel bad but I lost this student's name. She is a third year at the AUST. Her project called, The Victory in leather and dark wood makes for a regal living room decor.

An entry for 

Maktoum's old house

During the Eid Holidays, we strolled down the Heritage Village in Shindagha. We chanced upon Sheikh Saeed Al Maktoum's old house and being the curious family cats we are, hubby, Andre and I entered after paying AED2.

The old huge house has been turned into a museum. Inside the rooms were framed pictures of the old Dubai. There were also stamps and old coin collections. It was interesting but i was a little disappointed too. I was expecting to get a glimpse of the Royal Family's bedroom, their wardrobe, the exquisite curtains, everything about their past. Hubby chuckled. You were expecting shoe displays like those of Imelda? Exactly.

Anyway, i took lots of pictures but these are i guess the most interesting.

Dubai used to be sustained by the pearl diving community.
This is one of the pictures of their early divers.
They clip their nose and wear cotton clothing to protect their skin from jellyfish stings.

Most people wil think this is the current Crown Prince Hamdan.
But this is actually the father of Hamdan in his teen years
- Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum.

This is the miniature version of the heritage house.

I just soo wish they displayed earlier pictures of Princess Haya too.

weekend snapshot # 29

A glorious Sunday to everybody! I share with you my snapshot of the tallest man-made structure in the world. I took this pic after visiting the huge shopping complex just beside the supertall skyscraper.

The Burj Dubai

The budget for Burj Dubai is US$4.1 billion. It will house residences designed by the famed Giorgio Armani. The height is currently 707 meters and the projected height is still being kept a secret. Based on this height, the total number of habitable floors will be around 162.

Thank you so much for the visit! I am excited to see all your WS entries as well. Have a fabulous week ahead!

weekend snapshot #4

Among our favorite things to do on weekends is to visit some theme parks. Yesterday, Hubby and i with some of our friends drove to Mushrif Park. This is the largest park here in Dubai around 15 km away from the city. The most popular part of Mushrif is called the World Village. Here you can see some miniature model houses representing Arabic and foreign architectural sytles. Let me show you some:

traditional Thailand House

traditional Netherlands House

traditional Arabic House

traditional English House

traditional Burma House

There you go now, hope you enjoyed my entry. Thank you for visiting and till next weekend!!!!

book your holiday future!

Some of my friends (both personal and online bloggers) have asked about the Burj Al Arab, the Palm, and the Burj Dubai if they are indeed real projects or just a concept. Yes, they are very much real projects like i have posted in my Kero's Journal.

And if these projects have amazed you, wait till you hear these three concepts that will blow your imagination. It's one of the best things living in the Emirate. You wake up everyday to a new nature defying project hehe.

The Apeiron Island Hotel (concept/Dubai)
The seven-star hotel stands 185 meters high and boasts over 350 luxury apartments suites with its own private lagoon, beaches, restaurants, cinemas, retail shopping, art gallery, spas, and conference facility for you to. The $500million hotel will be accessible by water (yacht) and air (helicopter) only. 'Apeiron' hotel gets its name from Anaximander’s 6th century BC cosmological theory.

The Hydropolis Undersea Resort (concept/Dubai)
Dreams, however fabulous, this project remains unfulfilled since its launch four years ago. Without the cash to support this $500 million, 10 star underwater hotel, Dubai can lose the title 'first' to China. The hotel has been designed with this base that 60% of our surroundings is water. The 1.1-million-square-foot of area offers you a shopping mall, ballroom, island villas, restaurant, high-tech cinema, a missile-defense system for your security 60-feet underwater and 220 theme suites. The petal-like retracting roof is designed to organize open-sky events. Hydropolis is about to take shape 20m below the surface of the Arabian Gulf, just off the Jumeirah Beach. The land belongs to His Highness General Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai,

The Diamond Ring Hotel (concept/Abu Dhabi)
Little is known The Diamond Ring hotel is to be located in Abu Dhabi. Little is known about this conceptual project, but if the picture are something to go by, then this hotel rocks!

highest in the world

Every morning, i see the top of the city's soon to be landmark rising higher and higher. So it was hardly a surprise that Dubai owned the tallest self-supporting structure in the world last week. The building is called Burj Dubai. In Arabic, "Burj" means tower.

About a month ago, this project also hit the local newspapers for being the tallest high-rise building in the world. Of course, some countries like Bahrain and China are up to the competition so that the official height remains secret. The total height of 880 meters is subject to change for Dubai to be ahead of the game. However we have been given picture of how the building will look like when it is finished. Like this:

Nice to know facts about the Burj Dubai:

• Burj Dubai will become the world's tallest building, along with the world's tallest man-made structure when it is completed.

• The triple-lobed footprint of the building is based on an abstracted desert flower native to the region.

• The tower will be situated on a man-made lake which is designed to wrap around the tower and to provide dramatic views of it.

• Engineers working on the design considered installing triple-decker elevators, which would have been the first in the world. The realized building will use double-decker elevators.

• The top of the building will contain a public observation deck and a private club above that.

• The highest residential floor will be level 109.

• An observation deck will occupy the 124th floor

• This is the first world's tallest building since prehistoric times to include residential space.