High enough to catch the eye
Time to dig out the Trivial Pursuit set, along with a Sharpie. Seems that the answer to the question which deals with the world’s tallest building needs to undergo an edit; the good folks down in Dubai are proudly celebrating the opening of the Burj, a mere 828 meters above ground level. Or sea level. In Dubai, the difference is negligible.
There’s been some interesting documentary footage about the construction on Discovery TV. There’s been some interesting documentary footage about the construction workers and their slightly better than slavery working conditions. Take your pick as to which one is more important in the greater scheme of things. I’m bemused that a country which has been backfilling the ocean with sand to get surface area has managed to build and sell some expensive real estate in these troubled times. Built in a zone with seismic activity and high winds, no less.
Actually, the claim that the tower is visible at a distance of 95 km forced me to get out the virtual map and ruler. If the tower had been constructed in the Magdalen Islands (also noted for having a lot of sand and surrounding ocean), I’d be able to stand on the cliff at East Point and see it. Now that’s my kind of tourism!
On a sadder note, the front page of my newspaper saluted the passing of Lhasa de Sela, three days ago. I’ve been an unconditional fan of her work since the release of her first album back in 1998. Not your average MTV babe. Her work never received the kind of exposure it deserved. I’ll keep her three albums in my personal rotation.
