Another Victoria's Secrets

Project Jewel

 
As if the current modern airport isn't enough, Changi Airport, Singapore, is building their 'Project Jewel' construction next to the existing Terminal 1, and a bridge will be built linking the Jewel to Terminal 2, Terminal 3 and MRT station. The Jewel is planned to be open in 2018 with five storeys above ground and another five under ground with a total footprint of more than 1.4 million square feet (130,100 square meters). 



Terminal 1 is undergoing a major overhaul to increase its capacity to 24 million passengers a year from 17.7 million. Changi Airport was named the World's Best Airport in 2014 by the World Airport Award--they apparently expect to keep the name, even better, by building the massive glass and steel structure that is being hailed as the terminal of the future, worth of £726 million.

Rain Vortex

A breathtaking 130 feet (39.62 meters) 'Rain Vortex' is expected to be the world's tallest indoor waterfall once it is complete. There will be four different gardens besides Rain Vortex, which will be located at the core of the complex and at night will transform into a light and sound show with special lighting effects.

Rain Vortex at night

Construction is underway on Singapore's Jewel Changi Airport, which will boast the world's tallest indoor waterfall, a large indoor park with native trees and plants, and walking trails, in addition to improve check-ins and transfers for passengers. By bringing elements of the outdoors inside, the round-shape terminal will be unlike anything that has been built before.


In addition to high-end shops and a 130-room hotel operated by YOTEL, the joint venture between Changi Airport Group (CAG) and CapitaMalls Asia has a big focus on nature with an aim of boosting Singapore's appeal as a stopover point for travelers. Designed by a team led by world-renowned architect Moshe Safdie.


Officials describe Jewel as an 'idyllic valley of verdant landscaping and waterfalls' where visitors can go for a hike in air-conditioned comfort. They said Jewel will be the first in Singapore to seamlessly integrate lush greenery with other attractions and facilities within the same building. It will house one of the largest indoor collections of plants in Singapore and one of its top attraction will be Forest Valley, a huge five-storey garden filled with thousands of trees, plants, ferns and shrubs.


Lee Seow Hiang, CAG's chief executive officer and chairman of Jewel Changi Airport Devt Pte. Ltd, said 'An important hallmark of Changi Airport's growth over the past thirty-off years has been continual change and innovation'.


Philip Yim, CEO of Jewel Changi Airport Trustee Pte. Ltd, said "Apart from distinctive design, Jewel will break new ground with its unique mix of attractions, retail and airport facilities, integrated in a way like never before to create a slew of different experiences in a single visit. It will be a place where Singaporeans and the world meet. For international travelers, Jewel will be an exciting tourist destination. For Singaporeans, it will be a playground near home where they can share many happy moments with their loved ones."

Jewel plan

Jewel section

by courtesy of Oom A.E. Pryana.

The Wieliczka salt mine is located 135 meters (443 feet) below the surface in South Poland. This site made the UNESCO world heritage list as far back as 1978, as well as proclaimed a historical monument by the president of Poland in 1994. The mine was built during the 13th century and was used to produce table salt from that time until 2007, which means it was operational for almost 800 years.







Today the mine is a bustling museum, which features dozens of statues, three chapels and a cathedral, all carved out of the rock salt by the workers of the mine. This salt deposit was formed almost 14 million years ago, according to geologists, and took about 20,000 years to form. The oldest statues had been enhanced by modern carvings by contemporary artists.







During World War 2, the Germans used this mine for all kinds of war-related industries. The mine reaches a depth of 327 meters (1,073 feet) and is over 287 km (178 miles) long. About 1.2 million visitors come to see the Wieliczka salt mine every year, to see the marvel that is the product of dozens of generations of miners, a silent monument to hard work, belief and the history of Poland.







The walls of the mine look like unpolished granite and come in various shades of gray. There is an underground lake in the mine, and it is part of the underground tour, which only covers 3.5 km (2.2 miles) of the 287 km long site. 378 steps on a wooden staircase will bring you to the 64 meters (210 feet) high level of the mine. An elevator will take you back to the surface after the tour is done.







by courtesy of Oom A.E. Pryana.

These people had lived dozens, if not a hundred, years in this world and have some messages for us young people how they do (did) it. If they can do it, why can't we? Grow up, be bolder!




















via growingbolder.com

As we just closed our book of 2014, we are opening the brand new pages of 2015 with great spirit and positivity. There were so many ups and downs, joy and pain, but lessons are learned and we need to move on. I spent the last six hours of 2014 with family. At first we had dinner with my sister's fiance's family at 6 p.m. then we carried on with mom's big family.

We said our prayers, toasted our sparkling wine and watched fireworks from around the Pondok Indah area. It was kind of an hour non-stop of fireworks so we got free entertainment from the third-story balcony. After that, Hizkia told us to write down our resolution for 2015 on blank paper to be kept and opened a year for now to see how much we'd accomplish. Let's see then!

May this year be better than ever!