Petronas Twin Towers

The Petronas Twin Towers (also known as the Petronas Towers or Twin Towers), in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia were the world's tallest buildings, before being surpassed by the Taipei 101. However, the towers are still the tallest twin buildings and office building in the world. Tower 1 was built by Hazama Corporation and Tower 2 by Samsung Engineering & Construction and Kukdong Engineering & Construction (both of South Korea). They were the world's tallest buildings from 1998 to 2004 if measured from the level of the main entrance to the structural top, the original height reference used by the US-based Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat from 1969 (three additional height categories were introduced as the tower neared completion in 1996).

Comparison with other towers

The Petronas Twin Towers were the tallest buildings in the world until Taipei 101, as measured to the top of their structural components (spires, but not antennas), took over the record. Spires are considered integral parts of the architectural design of buildings, to which changes would substantially change the appearance and design of the building, whereas antennas may be added or removed without such consequences. The Petronas Twin Towers remain the tallest twin buildings in the world.

The Sears Tower and the World Trade Center towers were each constructed with 110 occupied floors – 22 more than the Petronas Twin Towers’ 88 floors. The Sears Tower and the World Trade Center’s roofs and highest occupied floors substantially exceeded the height of the roof and highest floors of the Petronas Twin Towers. The Sears Tower’s tallest antenna is 75 m (246 ft) taller than the Petronas Twin Towers’ spires. However, in accordance to CTBUH regulations and guidelines, the antennas of the Sears Tower were not counted as part of its architectural features.Therefore, the Petronas Twin Towers exceed the official height of the Sears Tower by 10m, but the Sears Tower has more floors with occupied office space at a higher level.


History

Designed by Argentine-American architect César Pelli, the Petronas Towers were completed in 1998 and became the tallest buildings in the world on the date of completion. They were built on the site of Kuala Lumpur's race track. Because of the depth of the bedrock, the buildings were built on the world's deepest foundations. The 120-meter foundations were built by Bachy Soletanche, and required massive amounts of concrete.

The 88-floor towers are constructed largely of reinforced concrete, with a steel and glass façade.

Tower 2 was successfully completed by Samsung Engineering & Construction and Kukdong Engineering (both of South Korea). The builders of Tower 1, Hazama Corporation found a problem during the construction, the tower was estimated to lean 25mm on the ground with its own weight. While Hazama's work to fix the problem, Samsung and Kukdong completed their work. Finally, the Tower 2 construction team succeeded one month earlier than tower 1. Due to a lack of steel and the huge cost of importing steel, the towers were constructed on a cheaper radical design of super high-strength reinforced concrete. High-strength concrete is a material familiar to Asian contractors and twice as effective as steel in sway reduction; however, it makes the building twice as heavy on its foundation than a comparable steel building. Supported by 23-by-23 meter concrete cores and an outer ring of widely-spaced super columns, the towers use a sophisticated structural system that accommodates its slender profile and provides from 1300 to 2000 square metres of column-free office space per floor.


Highlight: Skybridge

The towers feature a skybridge (constructed by Kukdong Engineering & Construction of South Korea) between the two towers on 41st and 42nd floors, which is the highest 2-story bridge in the world. The bridge is 170m above the ground and 58 m long, weighing 750 tons. The same floor is also known as the podium, since visitors desiring to go to higher levels have to change elevators here.

The skybridge also acts as a safety device, so that in the event of a fire or other emergency in one tower, tenants can evacuate by crossing the skybridge to the other tower. However, the total evacuation triggered by a bomb hoax on September 12, 2001 (the day after the September 11 attacks destroyed the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City) showed that the bridge would not be useful if both towers need to be emptied simultaneously, as the capacity of the staircases was insufficient for such an event. Plans thus call for the lifts to be used if both towers need to be evacuated, and a successful drill following the revised plan was conducted in 2005.


 

Google map

I was playing with Google map just now. With the help of the satellite, I can find my house through Google map!



Moreover, when i search about china, lots of flash back suddenly flash in my mind. I still remember that when I'm 5 years old, I had a chance to travel in China (beijing and tian jing). My grandfather and grandmother were come from china, Tian Jing( next to Beijing). When I search from Google map, I realized that Tian Jing already constructed become a big city like Beijing. If I still have a chance, I must visit china again.

Miss PANDA very MUCH! CUTE!!~

25/10 MYF Review: Steven Curtis Chapman

Steven Curtis Chapman (born November 21, 1962 in Paducah, Kentucky, U.S.) is a Contemporary Christian musician.

After starting his career in the late 80s as a songwriter, Chapman has turned into one of the most prolific singers in the genre, releasing more than 20 albums to this date. As of 2007, he has sold more than 10 million albums and has 9 gold and platinum albums. Chapman has also won five Grammy awards and 51 Gospel Music Association Awards, more than any other artist in history.

Chapman is also a vocal advocate for adoption, along with his wife Mary Beth. Together, they have adopted three children from China and have started a charity organization called Shaohannah's Hope, which offers grants to qualifying families to help defray the cost of adopting, at home and abroad. He is also one of the members of Compassionart, a charity founded by Martin Smith (songwriter) from Delirious.

Death of youngest daughter

Chapman's five-year-old daughter, Maria Sue Chapman, was killed in a tragic accident on May 21, 2008.[ Maria was accidentally hit by her big brother Will, driving a Toyota Land Cruiser pulling into the driveway of their home in Franklin, Tennessee after coming home from a play audtition, according to Tennessee Department of Safety spokesman Mike Browning. Maria was pronounced dead upon arrival to the hospital.

The entire family was preparing to celebrate their eldest son Caleb's graduation from high school and their daughter's engagement just hours before the accident. A spokesman for the Tennessee Highway Patrol termed it "a terrible accident," and no charges were filed.

Maria was the youngest in the family, and one of three daughters adopted from China by Steven and his wife, Mary Beth. During the memorial service for Maria, in which Pastor Scotty Smith preached, the family expressed their faith in God and their love for each other.

In the aftermath of the tragedy, the Chapman family began to speak publicly about their loss and the role that faith played in it all. They appeared on Good Morning America August 6, 2008 at 7:00 am and on Larry King Live August 7, 2008 at 9:00 pm EST, 6:00 pm PT. Maria was buried in her flower girl dress as she along with Stevie Joy was going to be a Flower Girl in Emily's wedding in October.


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As usual, every Saturday night is the fix time for me to join Methodist Youth Fellowship (MYF). Today title was focus on "experience God". Sister Irene share with us about Steven Curtis Chapman and his adopted little daughter,Maria Sue Chapman.

Steven Curtis Chapman is a famous christian musician, who has released 16 studio albums, more than 20 albums total in his career, including two Christmas albums, several collections of greatest hits, and a live album.


His latest album was title as "This Moment - Cinderella Edition (2008)" There was a song name "Cinderella" was composed for his little daughter who had passed away in an accident.


"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything." James 1:2-4


Point of GROW

1) Grow to accept ourself.

Improve and appreciate everything in our lives. Don't blame other peoples that why this people got this and that talent but not me. Everyone have a very special characteristic and talent. It's just depend on how you use it.


2) Grow to accept whatever God allows to enter our lives.

-surrender and humble. In our life cycle, we always facing lots of problems and temptation. We can't runaway from it, but to facing it ourselves. There are lots of test in life, such as the case of Steven Curtis Chapman. We can't argue with it, but to thanks GOD for the test and temptation in life. This is one of the way to mold/ train us to grow up in the earth. This is one of the purpose for us to lives here.

I can't forgot what Steven Curtis Chapman said in the video that "many peoples look at our families is like very nice and wonderful christian family but we are the family that full of question. We facing all the question by FAITH. Besides, faith change to hope."

* when I'm reading the bible, I realized the following paragraph:-

"When tempted, no one should say,"God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." James 1:13-15



3) Grow to accept the lesson we need to learn.

-revised/ rethink the problems. Sometime when we facing the problems, we will do our best to solve it. After solve it, we just keep it aside without learning the lesson from the problem. That's why we need to revised and rethink and adapt in life.


4) Grow to accept God's help.


"keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said,


"Never will I leave you;

never will I forsake you."


So we say with confidence,

"The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid.

What can man do to me?"


Hebrews 13:5-6"

Movie Review: A Walk To Remember

Plot

When a prank on a fellow high-school student goes wrong, popular but rebellious Landon Carter (Shane West) is threatened with expulsion. His punishment is mandatory participation in various after-school activities, such as tutoring disadvantaged children and performing in the drama club's spring musical. At these functions he is forced to interact with quiet, bookish Jamie Sullivan (Mandy Moore), a girl he has known for many years but to whom he has rarely ever spoken. Their differing social statures leave them worlds apart, despite their close physical proximity.


When Landon has trouble learning his lines, he asks Jamie for help. She agrees to help him if he promises not to fall in love with her. Landon laughs off the strange remark, believing Jamie to be the last person with whom he would ever fall in love. After all, Landon has access to the prettiest and most popular girls in town; and between her shy demeanor and old-fashioned wardrobe, Jamie doesn't exactly fall into that category.


Landon and Jamie begin practicing together at her house after school. The two form a tentative friendship, and Landon learns that Jamie has a wish list of all the things she hopes to do in her life, such as getting a tattoo and being in two places at once.


During the play, Jamie astounds Landon and the entire audience with her beauty and voice. Landon kisses Jamie during the play, which was not in the script, and Landon tries to get close to Jamie, but she repeatedly rejects him. It is only after a mean joke played on Jamie by Landon's friends that Jamie agrees to get to know Landon after he punches out Dean and shuns Belinda (his friends who played the joke) and takes Jamie home. The two pursue a relationship. He takes her out to dinner and dances with her, something he never did for anyone else. When he discovers that Jamie has a wish list, he sets out to help her accomplish them. One memorable date had Landon taking Jamie to the state line. He excitedly positions her on the line in just the right way, and when Jamie asks him what he's doing he tells her "You're in two places at once". Her face lights up with joy, as she realizes that Landon set out to make her impossible dreams come true. One evening, Landon asks her to find a star for him with her telescope. When she asks why she is for looking it, he replies, "I had it named for you." She embraces him and whispers "I love you" to him for the first time.


Jamie finally tells Landon that she has terminal leukemia and has stopped responding to treatments. Landon gets upset at first. Jamie tells him the reason why she didn't tell him because she was moving on with her life and using the time she left but then Landon happened and she fell in love with him. Jamie starts to break down as she says to Landon "I do not need a reason to be angry with God." and she flees.


Jamie's cancer gets worse and she collapses in her father's arms. He rushes her to the hospital where he meets Landon. Landon doesn't leave Jamie's side until her father practically has to pry him away. Jamie's father sits with Jamie and tells her that "If I've kept you too close, it's because I wanted to keep you longer." Jamie tells him that she loves him and her father breaks down.


Landon continues to fulfill various wishes on Jamie's list, such as building her a telescope so she can see a comet. Through this process, Landon and Jamie learn more about the nature of love. The movie ends with Jamie's death, but only after the couple are married in the same chapel as was Jamie's deceased mother, the event that topped Jamie's wish list. Landon himself becomes a better person through Jamie's memory, achieving the goals that he set out to do, like she did.


Four years later, Landon visits Jamie's father. It is obvious that Jamie helped him to focus and become a better person. For example, he reveals he has finished college and been accepted to medical school; prior to meeting her he had no plans for life after high school. He tells Jamie's father that he is sorry he could not grant Jamie's wish to witness "a miracle" before she died. Her father says "She did. It was you".



Background

The inspiration for A Walk to Remember was Nicholas Sparks' sister, Danielle Sparks Lewis, who died of cancer in 2000. In a speech he gave after her death in Berlin, the author admits that "In many ways, Jamie Sullivan was my younger sister". The plot was inspired by her life; Danielle met a man who wanted to marry her, "even when he knew she was sick, even when he knew that she might not make it".Both the book and movie are dedicated to Danielle Sparks Lewis.



Comparisons to novel

While there are many similarities to the novel by Nicholas Sparks, many changes were made. On his personal website, Sparks explains the decisions behind the differences. For example, he and the producer decided to update the setting from the 1950s to the 1990s, worrying that a movie set in the 50s would fail to draw teens. "To interest them," he writes, "we had to make the story more contemporary." To make the update believable, Landon's pranks and behavior are worse than they are in the novel; as Sparks notes, "the things that teen boys did in the 1950s to be considered a little 'rough' are different than what teen boys in the 1990s do to be considered 'rough.'"


Sparks and the producer also changed the play in which Landon and Jamie appear. In the novel, Hegbert wrote a Christmas play that illustrated how he once struggled as a father. However, due to time constraints, the sub-plot showing how he overcame his struggles could not be included in the movie. Sparks was concerned that "people who hadn't read the book would question whether Hegbert was a good father", adding that "because he is a good father and we didn't want that question to linger, we changed the play."


A significant difference is that at the end of the novel, unlike the movie, it is ambiguous whether Jamie died even though during the 1950s cancer meant death. Sparks says that he had written the book knowing she would die, yet had "grown to love Jamie Sullivan", and so opted for "the solution that best described the exact feeling I had with regard to my sister at that point: namely, that I hoped she would live. In the novel, Landon's father is a congressman, but in the film he is a cardiologist who helps Jamie with her illness. Due to his career, he had enough money to pay Jamie's home medical attention.


Smaller differences also exist, such as when Jamie gives Landon her mother's book in the movie, she says "Don't worry, it's not a Bible". In the novel Jamie does give him her mother's Bible with her favorite passages underlined. Also, although Jamie is described as having blue eyes and blond hair in the book, Mandy Moore has gray eyes and brown hair.



Cast

• Shane West as Landon Carter
• Mandy Moore as Jamie Sullivan
• Peter Coyote as Reverend Sullivan
• Daryl Hannah as Cynthia Carter
• Lauren German as Belinda
• Clayne Crawford as Dean
• Paz de la Huerta as Tracie
• Al Thompson as Eric
• Jonathan Parks Jordan as Walker
• David Lee Smith as Dr. Carter


Soundtrack

1. Dare You To Move - Switchfoot
2. Cry - Mandy Moore
3. Someday We'll Know - Mandy Moore, Jonathan Foreman
4. Dancing in The Moonlight - 2001 Remix Toploader
5. Learning To Breathe - Switchfoot
6. Only Hope - Mandy Moore
7. It's Gonna Be Love - Mandy Moore
8. You - Switchfoot
9. If You Believe - Rachael Lampa
10. No One - Cold
11. So What Does It All Mean? - West, Gould & Fitzgerald
12. Mother, We Just Can't Get Enough - New Radicals
13. Cannonball - The Breeders
14. Friday On My Mind - Noogie
15. Empty Spaces - Fuel
16. Only Hope - Switchfoot

Wish I can have all the planet shakers albums.....

My favorite christian band, Planet Shakers. I can't explain why i like them so much. May be the way they lead Praise and worship, may be the song lyrics or may be they are ROCK! Just like them very much.

Theory Of Structure Bridge Project, 23/10/08

Way Back into Love by Hugh Grant

Intro:
Gtr.2
E| 13--15--17--18--17--15--10--13--13--13--15--17--18--15--10--15--15--|
B|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------------------------------------|

E|--15--15--15--13--11--10--8--15--15--15--15--13--11--10-10--11--10--8--|
B|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------------------------------------------|

1st verse
Gtr.1
Bb        Gm
I've been living with a shadow overhead
Bb             Gm
I've been sleeping with a cloud above my bed
Cm     Bb F
I've been lonely for so long
Cm                         Bb       F
Trapped in the past, I just can't seem to move on

2nd verse
Gtr.1
Bb          Gm
I've been hiding all my hopes and dreams away
Bb               Gm
Just in case I ever need em again someday
Cm    Bb F
I've been setting aside time
Cm                    Bb      F
To clear a little space in the corners of my mind


Chorus
Gtr.1
Bb        Gm              Eb        Bb
All I want to do is find a way back into love
Bb            Gm                        Eb      Bb
I can't make it through without a way back into love
F        Eb F
Oh oh oh


3rd verse
Gtr.1
Bb                Gm
I've been watching but the stars refuse to shine
Bb             Gm
I've been searching but I just don't see the signs
Cm          Bb          F
I know that it's out there
Cm              Bb         F
There's got to be something for my soul somewhere

4th verse
Gtr.1
Bb       Gm
I've been looking for someone to shed some light
Bb                Gm
Not just somebody just to get me through the night
Cm         Bb  F
I could use some direction
Cm              Bb         F
And I'm open to your suggestions


Chorus
Gtr.1
Bb        Gm              Eb          Bb
All I want to do is find a way back into love
Bb            Gm                        Eb        Bb
I can't make it through without a way back into love
Cm
And if I open my heart again
Cm      F
I guess I'm hoping you'll be there for me in the end

Instrumental
Gtr.1
Bb-Gm-Eb-Bb

Gtr.2
E|------6-----6-----8-----6-----6------|
B|----6-----6-----6-----6-----6---6----|
G|--7-----7-----7-----7-----7----------|
D|-------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------|

E|------6-----6-----8-----6-----6------|
B|----6-----6-----6-----6-----6---6----|
G|--7-----7-----7-----7-----7----------|
D|-------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------|

E|----10------11------10-----10------|
B|-------8-------8---------8----8----|
G|--8-------8-------8----8-----------|
D|-----------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------|

E|----10------11------10-----10------|
B|-------8-------8---------8----8----|
G|--8-------8-------8----8-----------|
D|-----------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------|

Verse 5
Gtr.1
Bb                Gm
There are moments when I don't know if it's real
Bb                    Gm
Or if anybody feels the way I feel
Cm              Bb         F
I need inspiration
Cm                           Bb F
Not just another negotiation

Chorus
Gtr.1
Bb        Gm              Eb          Bb
All I want to do is find a way back into love
Bb            Gm                        Eb        Bb
I can't make it through without a way back into love
Cm
And if I open my heart to you
Gm
I'm hoping you'll show me what to do
Cm
And if you help me to start again
  F
You know that I'll be there for you in the end

Instrumental
Gtr.1
Bb-Gm-Eb-Bb

Gtr.2
E|------6-----6-----8-----6-----6------|
B|----6-----6-----6-----6-----6---6----|
G|--7-----7-----7-----7-----7----------|
D|-------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------|

E|------6-----6-----8-----6-----6------|
B|----6-----6-----6-----6-----6---6----|
G|--7-----7-----7-----7-----7----------|
D|-------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------|

E|----10------11------10-----10------|
B|-------8-------8---------8----8----|
G|--8-------8-------8----8-----------|
D|-----------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------|

E|----10------11------10-----10------|
B|-------8-------8---------8----8----|
G|--8-------8-------8----8-----------|
D|-----------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------|

E|------6-----6-----8-----6-----6------|
B|----6-----6-----6-----6-----6---6----|
G|--7-----7-----7-----7-----7----------|
D|-------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------|

E|------6-----6-----8-----6-----6------|
B|----6-----6-----6-----6-----6---6----|
G|--7-----7-----7-----7-----7----------|
D|-------------------------------------|
A|-------------------------------------|
E|-------------------------------------|

E|----10------11------10-----10------|
B|-------8-------8---------8----8----|
G|--8-------8-------8----8-----------|
D|-----------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------|

E|----10------11------10-----10------|
B|-------8-------8---------8----8----|
G|--8-------8-------8----8-----------|
D|-----------------------------------|
A|-----------------------------------|
E|-----------------------------------|

then...
E|--13--15--17--18--17--15--10--13--13---|
B|---------------------------------------|
G|---------------------------------------| 2x
D|---------------------------------------|
A|---------------------------------------|
E|---------------------------------------|

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm learning "way back into Love" just now.

I like the lyric and melody very much!

Actually, I've downloaded this song a long time already and just keep it aside.

Suddenly, hear my housemate listening this song. Cool, it's so nice!!

I quickly run to his room and ask him sent me the song he listen just now.

I just realized this is a song from a movie....

don't know the movie title yet, but feel like it's a very nice and romantic movie.

Must figure it out!

Bassist in Kuantan methodish church, last sunday, 19/10/2008

I love to play bass guitar very much!!
The songs tittle for last sunday :-

1) mengejar hadirmu

2) 你配得/ni pei de

3) 你是弥赛亚/ni shi mi sai ya

4) 全能圣洁主/quan neng sheng jie zhu

5) 我的神,我的父,我的磐石/wo de shen, wo de fu, wo de pan shi

I can't say I can play very well that day, but I do my BEST already.

It's not only play for the church members but the most important is to play for GOD and to worship HIM.

I'm so glad that I can become the bassist last Sunday. This is the first time I play bass for sunday service in kuantan methodish church and I so proud of it!

yeah, I still need to improve it!! IMPROVE IT!!

I get my MYF T-Shirt already.....!!

The original design by myf






























After waiting for a few months, LASTLY, i get my MYF T-shirt!

I'm so surprised when i saw the design of this shirt. SO CUTE!!

Behind of the t-shirt showing a little boy who is praying to GOD.

Yeah, pray is the most important thing we need to do DAILY and also the best way to communicate with OUR HEAVENLY FATHER!

Besides, one verse is taken from the bible "Trust the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding" Proverbs 3:5 AMEN!!