The Burj Dubai Inauguration

The Burj - currently the world's tallest building (over 800 meters/160 floors high) and serves as an iconic symbol of Dubai's economic growth and stature, was finally inaugurated last night in conjunction with the fourth anniversary of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed’s accession as Ruler of Dubai. A grand spectacle of choreographed sound, light, water and fireworks display was the highlight of the event.

Together with some friends, I went to see the show and squeezed our way through the huge crowd that gathered. We secured a spot in close range, but sadly, that may not have been a good idea, it was a struggle to take good photos and videos while in the midst of a restless crowd who couldn't keep still because of anticipation and excitement. Good thing my hubby managed to take good photos from a strategic place near his office. The fireworks display was very good, but a lot of people felt that it was too short, we were clamoring for more and even waited a bit longer, hoping there would be a part 2  or something... lol ...

Anyways, enough with the ranting and on with the photo posting, here goes...(click to enlarge)

 

If you want to see my captured video, head over to my personal blog - Reflections.

This is our entry to My World Tuesday. Take a peek at other people's world, check out their cool site HERE.

Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque, Abu Dhabi

Happy New Year to everyone! We do hope that you all had a blast celebrating Christmas & New Year, ours were just simple celebrations at home with good friends, but they were full of laughter and good memories.

It felt like ages since we last posted something here, and quite honestly, since we've neglected this photoblog for far too long, it felt quite uncomfortable even just to log in to Blogger.. lol... (we won't bore you with lengthy excuses because the reason for our absence is quite plain:  the demands of the offline world simply overtook us). A lot has happened these past few months while we were away from the blogworld and with these activities which kept us busy, photos-- really good ones were piling up, and it would be such a waste not to be able to share them, and a lot of our friends also have missed this photoblog. So here we are... staging a major comeback and making our presence felt again, so to speak.

For (2010) starters, allow us to share with you a series of photos we took during a recent visit to our neighbor city - Abu Dhabi. We're showcasing Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan Mosque which is absolutely breath-taking. Take a read on some of the facts HERE about this grand architecture and you'll be blown away. (Click on photos to enlarge).

 

 

 

 

 

the marble panels even have semi-precious stones

 

the columns have very intricate design, took a shot while art was walking in front of me

stunning craftsmanship on the marble wall, all women are required to wear the abaya (black national dress) before entering the mosque, so mariz had no choice...lol...

 

get ready for this shocker -- the mosque features seven 24-carat gold-plated chandeliers which were imported from Germany, all designed with thousands of Swarovski crystals. the largest of these chandeliers, which hangs from the main dome of the Mosque is considered the biggest in the world

 

the prayer halls and the mosque’s interior walls have decorative 24 carat gold-glass mosaic features

ablution area with beautiful skylight

Hope you enjoyed our first post for the year. We wish you all more blessings and abounding favor for 2010. Keep that camera clicking! Cheers!

Native Quarters

Native Quarters at Bastakiya, Bur Dubai

Check out other interesting monochrome shots at Monochrome Maniacs.

Fiery Water

I just love it when the sky makes beautiful reflections on the water, just like this one... it looks like the water was burning (hmm.. how crazy does that sound?).

Get wet at Watery Wednesday today...

Yellow Boat

Brighten up your day with other yellow entries at Mellow Yellow Monday.

Samal

Samal Island, Davao
July 2007

Get wet today by checking other entries at Watery Wednesday. Get mesmerized by photos with a sepia twist, check out Sepia Scenes.

Autumn Leaves

Visit other entries at Ruby Tuesday and feast you eyes on all things made beautiful with a touch of red.

Golden Dawn

Deira Creek, Dubai

Check out other fascinating skies and sceneries at Skywatch Friday and Scenic Sunday.

Romancing the Creek

View along Bur Dubai Creekside which sets the romantic mood for those enjoying a Dhow Cruise dinner along the creek.

See other interesting parts of the world at My World Tuesday. If you love red like I do, get your red dose from Ruby Tuesday, then head over to Watery Wednesday for a splash. Go and see the entries also at Wordless Wednesday which may leave you speechless. (Hmm, looks like I b-b-qued a lot of memes with this one shot).

Light Drapes

A shopping souk in Dubai Mall complex used (Christmas) lights together with soft Georgette-like tulle fabric to decorate its entrance area and hallways. This decor gave a very elegant and relaxing ambiance to the place. For some reason, I liked the photo even better in B&W than its original color, the mono gave the lights a better "starry" effect in the photo.

"Ribbon Flower"

I saw this tiny flower bud at Dubai Marina a couple of weeks back, so sorry I don't know it's proper name, but since it has ribbon-like buds at the center, I took the liberty of calling it "ribbon flower" (I wish there's a Google or Wiki image search specific to flowers and other species so I don't have to guess or invent a name next time).

Feast your eyes on other lovely flowers, visit Today's Flowers.

Gloom

Something about the tone of this photo makes me feel somewhat gloomy, I guess that's just the effect of an overcast sky, but I'm still loving the drama in this sepia shot.

Check out other moods and interesting captures at Sepia Scenes.

Burjuman

Burjuman Mall, Bur Dubai District

This very classy mall - just a 5 minute walk from our house, is quite famous among locals and tourists, having Saks Fifth Avenue as its mall flagship (the quintessential icon of New York taste and style, synonymous with high end fashion).

Most shops in Burjuman sell signature brand items that are comparatively cheaper compared to same brand Western located shops, but my particular favorite in this mall are the interiors! The interior details within the mall and its conjunct office tower are superb. The restaurant spot in the above photo is my favorite place here...I love the lighting, the aesthetic water effects, the palm trees and the ceiling and restaurant interior finish they used for this particular area - all very impressive details.

See other people's world, visit My World Tuesday.

Puffy Clouds

Al Rolla area, Bur Dubai District

Altocumulus clouds like these are my favorite, their puffy appearance are so reminiscent of cotton candy (makes me crave for one now...I couldn't seem to remember the last time I had one, it has been so long). Anyways, back to the clouds... I really enjoyed capturing this beautiful sight on one hot afternoon. While walking along the street, I saw this lovely building which I thought would add character when framed with the sky, I believe it did add a nice touch.

See other fascinating skies from around the world, visit Skywatch Friday.

Blue Green

Beautiful Boracay waters (Philippines)... this is the perfect spot for snorkeling.

Ghaf Tree

Ghaf Tree along Karama Street, Bur Dubai District

Sometimes referred to as the umbrella tree, Ghaf trees are ancient native trees of the Arabian peninsula, now designated as the national tree of the UAE. Numerous campaigns have been launched in the past years to spread awareness about Ghaf, but more importantly, the objective of these campaigns is to support the effort of preserving this endangered tree.

The indigenous ghaf (Prosopis cineraria) has been an integral part of the UAE's distinctive desert environment and the civilization that developed here. Ghaf is historically and culturally as valuable as it is ecologically. This wild tree can survive for hundreds of years with little water.

Sadly, a huge number of trees has dropped due to land clearance for development projects, over grazing, and excessive water extraction (isn't it disheartening how nature always takes a back seat to give way to urban development?). Thanks to the diligent efforts of concerned environmentalists, strict measures are now being implemented by the local government to protect surviving natural ghaf groves. Unauthorized removal of this endangered tree is now prohibited by law and hefty penalties are imposed on violators.

See other interesting stuff in different parts of the world, visit My World Tuesday.