Day 8- The final destination

Delhi

Today, we back to Delhi. From the tired night train, I can feel that my body is truly exhausted. In order to continue for the last day trip, my mind has to prepare for the next step. India trip is not easy, you have to ready for the next destination, avoid from being cheat. Although the whole journey is tired, but I’m really experience what is enjoy, depressing and anxiety. India is a country that gives me the comprehension of appreciating.

Red fort (Lal Qila)

The Mughal citadel of power carved in red sandstone dominates the cityscape on the way to Old Delhi. It houses the Diwan-e-Am or public audience hall of the emperor, the Diwan-e-Khas or private hall, the Rang Mahal (queens’ palace) with the royal bath (Hamams) and the exquisite Moti Masjid or Pearl Mosque. A sound and light show traces the history of Delhi through the ages in the evenings.

The walls of the fort extend for 2km and vary in height from 18km on the river side to 33m on the city side. Shah Jahan began construction of the massive fort in 1638 and it was completed in 1648. Shah Jahan never completely moved his capital from Agra to his new city of Shahjahanabad in Delhi because he was deposed and imprisoned in Agra Fort by his sly son Aurangzeb.

Since Independence, many landmark political speeches have taken place at the fort and every on Independence Day (15 August) it hosts the prime minister’s address to the nation.

The public space in Red fort

In most of the India Fort, they consist of Diwan-i-Am and Diwan-i-Khas. Diwan-i-Am is the hall of public audiences where the emperor would hear disputes from his subjects. Diwan-i-Am is the hall of private audiences where it constructed with the white marble, was the luxurious chamber and the emperor would hold private meetings.

The majestic fort gate leads the visitors to the central court.

The entrance of the fort.

Jama Masjid

This stunning mosque is the largest in India and the final architecture magnum opus of Shah Jahan. Construction of the mosque began in 1644, but it wasn’t completed until 1658. It has three gateways, four angle towers and two minarets standing 40m high, and is constructed of alternating vertical strips of red sandstone and white marble. The mosque’s courtyard can hold a mind-blowing 25000 peoples.

Seriously, the fake guides that insist to charge the admission fee is really annoying. Besides that, we can feel the pressure from the crowd of the people. The bazaar in front of the Jama Masjid is one the most terrible place that I never meet.

Even though the architecture in Jama Masjid is truly incredible, but the peoples there have no manner and the moral behavior has been broken. This is due to the cheating in bazaar and how they steal other’s people things.

The overview of Jama Masjid

The adventures bazaar.

Train got burned in the Delhi railway station.

The most memorable experience in the last day trip is the accident in Delhi railway station. Since our trip is in the critical period where Mumbai had been attacked by the terrorists, the incident in railway station made us feel anxious. In the train station, I can see the Indian is in the normal mode- they didn’t even look like nervous. In contrast, it seems like normal condition. Finally, we moved quickly to the hotel and ready for the night flight.

I will always....

Tuesday December 30, 2008

Student wins RM73,000 for project from international foundation

BY NELSON BENJAMIN

http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2008/12/30/southneast/2898818&sec=southneast

JOHOR BARU: Student Wendy Teo Boon Ting, 24, year-long research paid off when her work was recognised by an international foundation, which awarded her USD$20,000 (RM73,000).

She walked away with the prize money after her project was picked as the winner under the next generation category for the Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction Awards.

Her project was on flooding and water pollution involving the Suzhou Creek in Shanghai, deemed as one of the most polluted rivers in the world.

“Now with this prize money, I will be able to do more research on other projects in Malaysia,” Teo said at the award presentation ceremony in New Delhi.

Teo who hails from Kuching said that the project was part of her thesis for her digital architecture degree at her university in Taiwan. She is now pursuing her masters.

“I spent one year doing the research on the river in China,” Teo said, adding that she had won several other awards before and all her prize money went to her studies and research.

Teo was among two Malaysian teams, which won prizes at the event which involved about 5,000 entries from 90 countries.

There were 15 entries from Malaysia alone.

Making the country proud: Teo explaining about her project to Ralapanawa (right) at the awards presentation event.

The other Malaysian team, which won the Next Generation encouragement prize comprised five students from Universiti Technologi Malysia (UTM).

Team leader Ho Ching Keng, 21, said that he and his team-mates never expected to win as they only found out and submitted their project few days before the submission date.

“We really worked as a team to ensure our project was finalised and submitted on time,” he said, adding that their project involved a shading mechanism to grow trees in urban areas surrounded by buildings and also in harsh conditions.

“ We gained a lot of experience through this and are determined to continue working harder,” Ho said, adding that competitions such as this promoted teamwork.

A total of USD$270,000 (RM972,000) worth of prizes were presented to ten projects that showed future-orientated and tangible approaches to urban renewal and development, energy efficiency and affordable housing.

Holcim Foundation management board chairman and CEO of Holcim Limited Markus Akermann said that the foundation, which started five years ago, was set up to bring into focus the many opportunities and benefits of adopting sustainable approaches within building projects and processes.

Holcim Malaysia Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Mahanama Ralapanawa who was present at the event congratulated both teams and hoped more teams would take part in such events in the future.

The Swiss-based Holcim Foundation for Sustainable Construction conducts the competition in parallel across five regions of the world.

The competition aims to promote sustainable responses from the building and construction industry to technological, environmental, socioeconomic and cultural issues.

Ahh...

I'm so sorry because of zero production of my post....I'm too busy...it is true..
After came back from the award ceremony from India, I have to prepare for the Kansas exchange program. Now just came back from Malacca, and 5 assignment is waiting for me.....

Not only that, I will take part in 3 competition and ready for the internship in May. I have so many plan..I'm ready to share all my experience later....promise...

All the best to all the architecture students in Malaysia...Busy is extraordinary to our future.