Eye for an Eye

The London Eye was the largest observation wheel in the world at 135m.

Until yesterday!

Now, all eyes are set on the new Singapore icon.


8 years after the London Eye was launched on the bank of River Thames, we kiasu Singaporeans now have a giant ferris wheel we can call our own!

At 165m (~42 storeys high), the Singapore Flyer now officially takes over the London Eye to be the tallest observation wheel in the world. Talk about taking tourism to new heights! Yay!

For the past 2 years or so, since the ground-breaking ceremony in 2005, there has been much buzz around around the building of this uniquely Singaporean icon.

Well, when you think about it - not so unique after all, considering that there are a dime a dozen similar tourist attractions around the world.

In fact, do you know our neighbour up north has "beaten" us to it!

Called "Eye on Malaysia", it was unveiled at KL one year ago at the launch of "Visit Malaysia Year 2007".

According to sources online, the "last-minute" news to install the ferris wheel was announced barely one month prior to the launch. A contractor was even quoted as saying that the soil testing was done only in mid-Dec (2 weeks to launch)!!

Well, admittedly, the tourism folks at both ends have been working overtime. If you ask me, I won't be too surprised if our friendly neighbour caught winds of our plan for the Flyer and decided to steal our thunder! OK, petty thoughts, I know, haha.

Anyway, unlike ours, their 60m structure was reported to be "temporary", and reports have said discussions were ongoing as to whether the structure would remain a permanent fixture.

As you can see, each country is not only clamouring to add one such structure to its own skyline but also attempting to outdo the others in terms of height record.

Even as we speak, Beijing is planning a "Great Beijing Wheel" targeted for a 2009 opening. And yes, once completed at 208m, it will be taller than the Singapore Flyer.

The press has been abuzz about how this Singapore beauty has already received advance bookings for 1.5 million tickets for the first few months, way before it even started spinning. Really so good meh? $30 for a 30-minute ride, so that's $1 per minute. Hmm..


Anyway, just out of curiosity, I have compiled my own comparison here for the 3 observation wheels.

LONDON EYE

Launch: 2000 March
Height: 135m
Capacity: 32 capsules x 25 pax = 800
Duration of Ride (one cycle): 30 minutes
Price: £15
City View on a clear day: 40km
Set up cost: £75 million

SINGAPORE FLYER

Launch: 2008 Feb
Height: 165m
Capacity: 28 capsules x 28 pax = 784
Duration of Ride (one cycle): 30 minutes
Price: S$29.50
City View on a clear day: 45km
Set up cost: S$240 million

EYE ON MALAYSIA

Launch: 2007 Jan
Height: 60m
Capacity: 42 capsules x 8 pax = 336
Duration of Ride (one cycle): 12 minutes
Price: RM 15
City View on a clear day: 20km
Set up cost: RM 30 million


Here's a little additional trivia info:

The Singapore Flyer is designed by renowned Japanese architect Kisho Kurokawa, who has passed on October 12, 2007 at age 73. In Singapore, he designed Fusionpolis, Republic Plaza, and the Singapore Flyer. His other works include Amsterdam's Van Gogh Museum, and Melbourne Central, the shopping and entertainment hub behind the train station in Australia.

The London Eye was conceived and designed by a 2-person team who submitted their entry for a competition organized by the national newspaper to welcome the new millennium in London. Ironically, all entries were rejected and the competition eventually withdrawn. However, the husband-and-wife team believed they have something going for them, and decided to pursue their idea on their own, and the rest as they say is history.

Who would have imagined a simple idea of "reinventing" the wheel would be so loved and copied the world over!




3 Photos (above): Sky Dream Fukuoka ferris wheels at dusk, overlooking the Fukuoka Harbour and the Evergreen Marinoa shopping mall at Kyushu, Japan. Pictures taken 2006.

The Milky Way

For a moment, take a break from the stress of work life.

Without the use of simultaneous equations, see if you can find a way to determine the numerical value of "Sun" and "Moon" below :

Sun + Moon = 25
Sun - Moon = 5

P.S. This is a real mathematical question given to a primary one student at school! :o

Spelling It Out

Unless you have been hiding in a mousehole for the past 2 weeks, you should by now know that "Ratatouille" is the title of an animated movie about a RAT.

Now, if you have an animated movie about a BEE, how would you name it?

"Bee Movie"?

Yes! Haha, no kidding. This is the title of a new animation to be released by Dreamworks later this year.

How unimaginative, I thought.

Until I found out it was meant to be a play on the term "B movie". But then again, why would any reputable film studio wants to associate itself with a second-grade/low-budget movie?! Guess it's all in the name of good fun.

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Anyway, when I hear "Spelling Bee", a friend inevitably pops to mind.

He had a lot of fun in organising a sort of spelling bee game segment for the company a couple of years back. It was one of his first major projects he undertook as a fresh blood, and he generously contributed his enthusiasm and energy. I'm quite sure it has proven to be an invaluable lesson and a rewarding experience for him and those involved.

Still vivid in my mind were images of a bunch of us putting our heads together to think of the most ridiculously difficult words for the contestants to spell. Ha.. Those were the good old days indeed.

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By the way, ever wondered how the "Bee" got into Spelling Bee?

In other words, why is it called Spelling Bee?

Back in the old days, the word "bee" was first used to describe a social event, because people were sociable and busy as bees. The term evolved to describe people coming together for specific activities, whether work or play.

Gradually, there were husking bee, quilting bee, singing bee, etc.. and of course, spelling bee. So that was how it came about!

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Still on Spelling Bee, there is movie called "Akeelah and the Bee", released some time last year.

No, this is not a cartoon. It is about Akeelah, a bright young black American girl whose aspirations are stifled by the distractions of a poor environment. Fate somehow led her to represent her school in the Scripps National Spelling Bee. This spelling bee competition is highly regarded on a national level, and attracts the best spelling talents from across the country every year.

The film tells the story of how this 11 year old overcomes the odds, finds her calling, and eventually takes control of her own life. It also explores issues of education in the black community. The relatively unknown cast makes this movie surprisingly much more watchable than "Bee Season", another similarly themed movie starring Richard Gere and Juliette Binoche.

The black girl who plays Akeelah is a natural; she injects the right mix of vulnerability and gritty determination into her character. Despite her tender age, she manages to hold her own opposite Laurence Fishburne who plays her coach.

A simple story that should inspire and move you in some ways.

And who knows, you may even get to learn a new word or two. In fact, it is in this movie that I first picked up the word "Ratatouille", which I found out is a type of dish in French cuisine.

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Anyway, without the help of a dictionary, try looking at the list of 15 words below. How many words are mispelled below? No cheating.

- accommodation

- acknowledgment

- cemetery

- committed

- diarrhea

- embarrass

- harass

- mediterranean

- millionaire

- occurrence

- pastime

- questionnaire

- separate

- supercede

- vaccinate

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By the way, has it ever occurred to you that the word "FAMILY" aptly stands for "Father and Mother, I Love You"!! On the anniversary of this fateful day, let's remind one another to cherish life and people dear to us.

No. 33 is the Best

There was a recent survey carried out by the American-owned Travel and Leisure magazine to find out the best hotels in the world. The results for the Top 100 best hotels were released in its August 2007 issue.

Surprisingly, the top spot was taken by a hotel from Asia - Oberoi Udaivilas, from India!

Accordinding to the magazine, hotels in Asia have consistently scored high marks in past years, but this is the first time an Asian property has grabbed the No.1 spot.

Besides India doing its continent proud, Thailand also smiles its way to the top. Perennial favourite The Oriental Bangkok secures the No. 3 spot, trailing behind only Oberoi Udaivilas and Singita Sabi Sand of South Africa.

Being a proud citiizen of Singapore, always striving to improve and add more feathers to its cap, I naturally started to zoom in to find out where the country stands amidst the world's best.

The verdict?

Our country's best hotels stand at No. 33, 40, 77, and 91. They are Ritz-Carlton Millenia, Raffles Hotel, Fullerton Hotel, and Four Seasons Hotel respectively.

Compare that with how the other countries in Asia fare with their nation's best.

Our traditional competitor Hong Kong trailed 4 spots behind, with The Peninsula taking the No. 37 spot. Taipei's Shangri-La's Far Eastern Plaza Hotel stands at No. 79. Shanghai's Four Seasons Hotel stands at No. 97.

So, ok lah, it's really not too bad for a little red dot, right?

P.S. By the way, there is a Top 10 list for the World's Best International Airlines. Guess which airline maintains its No. 1 spot? No prizes for guessing it right :)

Always a great way to fly.