Bonus Post: I'd rather build the metro
At about roughly this time next year I'll be starting university to work in STEM. (Yeah, it's just as scary as it sounds.) Right now I'm in Dubai and I get to admire all of the beautiful skyscrapers and the way they, well, scrape the sky.
That got me thinking. If I manage to make it to the end of university, I'd have the ability to work on projects like skyscrapers or even the tallest building in the world. But the thing is, I think I'd rather build the metro.
Designing the tallest building in the world is ambitious. People remember the name of that tallest building, they recognise the outline of it, they want to visit it. (For goodness sakes, the names of the engineers who built the Eiffel Tower are carved into its side. They will be remembered forever.) The world's tallest building will be in books and across the Internet and stamped in history with a giant rubber stamp of "REMEMBER ME."
The thing is, it isn't going to do anyone any good. Sure, some tourists will be able to take the elevator to the top and enjoy the view or an hour or two, and some rich dude in a suit will make a good few dollars. Offices, hotels or stores will pop up in the building.
No one is going to remember the metro. It is simply a tool to use, not something to admire. It is how to go from point A to point B. The thing is, though, it helps people. It's cheaper than using a car in a lot of places and when it has a good design and is easy to use it can make someone's whole day go smoother (as I should know from the past three and a half weeks of traveling Europe's metro systems). It gives everyone the power of being able to move freely in a big city for a relatively low price.
At the end of the day, I'd rather improve people's lives and be forgotten than set some records and be remembered forever.
Would you rather build the skyscraper or the metro? (Of course, no hard feelings if you're a skyscraper kind of person :-) )
That got me thinking. If I manage to make it to the end of university, I'd have the ability to work on projects like skyscrapers or even the tallest building in the world. But the thing is, I think I'd rather build the metro.
Designing the tallest building in the world is ambitious. People remember the name of that tallest building, they recognise the outline of it, they want to visit it. (For goodness sakes, the names of the engineers who built the Eiffel Tower are carved into its side. They will be remembered forever.) The world's tallest building will be in books and across the Internet and stamped in history with a giant rubber stamp of "REMEMBER ME."
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| Ok, sure, you can't actually see the names of the engineers in this particular picture so it doesn't really help me make my point, but I promise they are there and I should never need an excuse to put a picture of the Eiffel Tower on. |
The thing is, it isn't going to do anyone any good. Sure, some tourists will be able to take the elevator to the top and enjoy the view or an hour or two, and some rich dude in a suit will make a good few dollars. Offices, hotels or stores will pop up in the building.
No one is going to remember the metro. It is simply a tool to use, not something to admire. It is how to go from point A to point B. The thing is, though, it helps people. It's cheaper than using a car in a lot of places and when it has a good design and is easy to use it can make someone's whole day go smoother (as I should know from the past three and a half weeks of traveling Europe's metro systems). It gives everyone the power of being able to move freely in a big city for a relatively low price.
At the end of the day, I'd rather improve people's lives and be forgotten than set some records and be remembered forever.
Would you rather build the skyscraper or the metro? (Of course, no hard feelings if you're a skyscraper kind of person :-) )
I agree, you should never need an excuse to post pictures of the Eiffel Tower. :) I love the point you are making in this post! Metro people might not always be the most well known, but they certainly make big differences in the lives of others. Also, the pictures in this post are beautiful. And that's awesome you want to be a civil engineer. Good luck with school! :D
ReplyDelete-Bailey
I almost think I should post pictures of the Eiffel Tower in every post, just because :)
DeleteYeah, some people aren't well known, but I think if you can help people then it's worth it. And thank you! It's a bit scary but I'm sure it'll be fine. Thanks for commenting, Bailey!
There's a beauty in the "ordinary" that we sometimes forget. I think I fall into the same camp as you; I'd rather build the subway.
ReplyDeleteGood luck with the civil engineering. That's a little crazy and a lot awesome:)
Yes, and unfortunately while not many people would appreciate the subway as much as the world's tallest building I think it's more helpful so I'd be willing to be unknown to make life easier for others.
DeleteThank you!
That's really admirable. Best of luck with your choice! Don't forget to enjoy your gap year :)
ReplyDeleteThanks! Don't worry, I won't. I'm not quite ready for the world of homework and exams yet. Thanks for commenting!
DeleteThis was so deep. *nods* And I really like your perspective. I think I would be much quicker to want to design the metro, although, if I had a choice aside from those two options, I would love to design living spaces that are peaceful and spacious and homey but beautiful, if that makes any sense. *nods* I think it's really cool that you want to become a civil engineer. I hope you have a great time in Dubai! (Meanwhile, I'll just sit here stewing in my jealousy.)
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing!
Why thank you :) I see your point, but I'm not very good with the interior design stuff so feel free to take that job. Thanks, it was really fun.
DeleteWell, unfortunately not anymore but I was at the time I wrote this.
ReplyDeleteHAVE THE BEST TIME IN CHILE!!!!! That's so cool. I must go to the subway in Santiago. (That makes me slightly nerdy but that's ok.) And I actually liked the London metro, I thought it was much better than the one in Paris.
Thanks for commenting!!!