now beat this

i guess you've seen it from an on-line article today: the very first billion-dollar home being constructed in mumbai, india. yup, you read it right. not just millions. but billion as in 10-digit figure just for a residential building.

well, if you're the 5th richest man in the world with 43 $billion worth like mukesh ambani, you certainly wouldn't mind shelling out not just one billion - but close to two billion dollars - to have your dream house constructed.

the forbes article said the inspiration came when the wife, nita ambani was in the spa of the mandarin oriental in new york sometime in 2005. with a view of the central park and the asian interiors of the spa, the picture made the madam concoct the ultimate dream of a dream house.

and when you've got billions of dollars at your disposal, you can almost ask anything money can possibly buy just to turn your dream, no matter how outrageously over the top it is, to something tangible.

and what would 2-billion dollars give you for a house? a 27-story building constructed to the minutest whimsical detail you could ever ask for.

the first 6 floors would be parking area. meaning you gotta have at least 5 dozens of cars to fill up what could be a big area of emptiness. that doesn't look good for a palatial home.

there are 9 elevators to take you up to the living quarters where almost anything shimmering, glittering and exhorbitantly expensive decorations occupy almost every space.

somewhere in the middle of the structure are four-floors of open atrium where there will be flowers and gardens to mimic a more natural habitat. and the top floors are for entertaining guests against the backdrop of the mumbai metropolis and a panoramic view of the arabian sea.

the first time this building was featured in an article (i think that was forbes also), i've read some reaction particularly the comments of some moralists who say this is a mindless display of wealth in an area like mumbai which is more associated to it's slum areas rather than the wealthy suburbs. to me, it's not really an issue. so it may stick out like a sore thumb among the seas of rust-eaten roofs of houses (same view you get when landing on manila). but hey, if the guy chooses to build it there, it's his choice. it's his money anyway.

what i have issue though is the building itself. coz no matter how ostentatious the insides of this building might be, i simply can't appreciate the architectural design. aesthetically, it doesn't look 2-billion dollar worth to me. okay, it looks unique. but it certainly doesn't look easy on the eye. it's more like a building right out of a mad max movie. or those cheapy-cheapy sci-fi movies.

i've long proclaimed my insane dream of becoming a millionaire and building my very own dream house. and if i've got 2 billion-dollars to spend, it certainly wouldn't look as geeky as this one. ah, well.... like what i said, it's his money!

anyways, i just wonder who will step up to the plate and put a challenge to this opulent lunacy. if you're on the forbes' top ten billionaires, you wouldn't let yourself be peeved by your co-billionaires grabbing the title for the priciest this and that. i'm sure you'd have to do something more outrageous and more expensive. heck... you've got the dough... so roll it!