Skip to main content

Worlds Tallest Tower

Dubai, United Arab Emirates
An image of a turquoise door popped-up on my computer screen, [Incoming video from 1740 Tsavorite Lane]. Magically, his front door opened and Hercule Peridot appeared on my monitor. As always, he was impeccably dressed; a fine silk vest, and dashing gold necktie. His lean, congenial, smiling face radiating from my screen.

Sensationnel, how in the world does he do it? I thought. He is always dressed to the T.

“Adamas Bontemps, how are you my boy?”

“I’m better than ever Peridot, and you?”

“Fine, absolutely splendid. Have you considered the trip to Dubai?”

“Yes, I’ve been reminiscing about my last adventure there.”

“Your thoughts?” asked Peridot.

“You mentioned visiting a Pearl dealer but . . . ” I hesitated a moment, “I’m wondering?”

“Yes?”

“Have you made plans for our accommodations yet? I asked.”

“Well, interesting that you ask.” said Peridot. “I’ve narrowed it down to three possible hotels; The Emirates Tower, The Burg Khalifa, or The Burj Al Arab. Do you have a preference?”

“That’s quite a sophisticated range of choices.” I said.

“Only the best - retirement suits me well,” said Peridot.

I could see Peridot pour a glass of wine from a small carafe his desk. Settling into his luxurious leather office chair, he took a sip of wine, dabbed his mustache with a napkin, cleared his throat and began; “Are you aware of the provenance of these particular hotels?”

Short on time, I quickly responded before Peridot could launch into one of his extended lectures. 

“As a matter of fact I’ve visited two of your three choices; The Burj Al Arab, and The Emirates Tower. They are magnificent!”

It was early evening, the conversation with my colleague about visiting Dubai to examine Pearls had piqued my interest. My last trip to the Emirates of Dubai had been over eight years ago.

While tapping my chin, I wondered just how much Dubai had changed?

Instinctively I grabbed my phone and engaged Siri, “What is the Burj Khalifa?” I asked.

“Let me think about that.” was her response.

“This is what I found.” said Siri. Within seconds my iPhone displayed the following; 

Burj Khalifa (2,717 feet)
Dubai, United Arab Emirates
163 floors
Construction cost $4 billion (U.S. Dollars)
Completion Date, January 2010.

With a quick motion, my office chair rolled to the bookshelf behind me. Scanning the titles I pulled the book Emirates Towers. My last trip to Dubai I was invited to visit a dear friend who worked for a diamond consortium. His office was in the Emirates Towers, completed in 2000. Decidedly one of the most stunning architectural highlights of the Dubai skyline. At that time it was the tenth tallest hotel in the world at 1,0000 feet; now ranked 61st.

To provide some perspective; One World Trade Center in New York stands 1,792 feet tall. The Willis Tower, formerly the  Sears Tower is 1,450 feet. The Empire State Building at 1,250 feet. Wow, the Burj Khalifa is over twice the height of the Empire State Building.

With a melancholy expression on my face I smiled as I examined the souvenir Emirates Tower shaped key that sat on my desk.

“How things have changed.”

Peridot’s voice brought me back to the present. “Splendid, that settles it then, we will stay in what is now the Worlds Tallest Tower - The Burg Khalifa. Pack your things my boy, next week we leave for Dubai!”

To be continued . . . 
Labels:
Location: Dubai - United Arab Emirates

Comments

Post a Comment

Most Popular of All Time

Truth for Sale

This episode is inspired  by Elton John & Bernie Taupin On Memorial Day, I took my first bike ride  since the accident , seeking proof that my legs, lungs, and nerves still remembered the road. The morning air carried that familiar Southern California mix of ocean haze, exhaust, eucalyptus, and sun-baked asphalt. My tires hummed across pavement I’ve ridden for years. Somewhere between the steady click of the chain and the rhythm of my breathing, Elton John and Bernie Taupin’s The Captain and the Kid found its way into my ears. There’s a strange kind of magic when the cadence of a ride syncs perfectly with a song you know by heart. Suddenly, the music and lyrics stop being background noise and become a lens. And through that lens, the road started talking. I've been cycling on this road some, Can't help feeling I've been showing my friends around. I've seen it grow from next to nothing, To a giant eatin’ up our town. Called up the tealeaves and the tarots, Asked the...
Post a Comment
Read more

Epictetus, Ego, and Acronyms

In this episode, Destroy Communication, One Three-Letter Acronym at a Time This week, I want to explore a deeply relatable, universally feared workplace character: the "know-it-all." Now, I’m not pointing fingers here. If we are being completely honest, we have all played this role. We've all uttered some version of, "Yes, absolutely, that aligns with our strategic objectives," while our internal monologue is screaming, "I don't even know what the objective is, let alone the strategy." What got me thinking about this was a chapter in Ryan Holiday's book, Wisdom Takes Work . Holiday leans on a powerful piece of Stoic truth from the ancient philosopher Epictetus: "It is impossible for a man to learn what he thinks he already knows." It's a brilliant quote that strikes right at the heart of the human ego. You can't learn what you already know, and you certainly can't learn what you pretend to know to save face. Though to be ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Breaking the Script

In this episode, The Art of the Short-Circuit. We spend a surprising amount of our lives on conversational autopilot. You see it everywhere. At the hardware store. At the post office. In office hallways, where two people can exchange greetings, discuss the weather, and continue on their way without either one actually hearing what the other said. "How are you?” "Good. You?” “Busy." “Yep." It's less of a conversation and more of a system check. Most of us aren't being rude. We're just moving fast. We have emails to answer, meetings to attend, errands to run, and a hundred other things competing for our attention. Before long, our interactions become little more than verbal lane markers helping us navigate the day. I like to break the script. When I run into someone, instead of the usual greetings, I'll ask: "What's the good word?” The reaction is almost always worth it. You can practically see the gears stop turning. People pause. They blink....
Post a Comment
Read more

The Yellow Legal Pad

In this episode, the Art of Refiring July 1st is staring me in the face, less than two weeks away. For years, retirement seemed like something that happened to other people. Suddenly, it's on my calendar. I've been thinking a lot about the dreaded "R-word" lately. Not because I'm worried about having enough to do. Quite the opposite. What fascinates me is this strange paradox: Why does retirement make so many of us nervous, while having a job—even one that regularly drives us crazy—somehow feels comforting? Let's be honest. Most of us spend years complaining about meetings that should have been emails, reply-all disasters, impossible deadlines, and that one coworker who insists on microwaving leftover fish in the breakroom. Yet when the idea of walking away finally arrives, we hesitate. I think I've figured out why. A career isn't just a job. It's a highly structured coping mechanism. For forty-plus years, somebody else has basically decided what I...
Post a Comment
Read more