Size and Perspective

History Channel is the only station I watch on TV. Okay, I am also partial to the Cartoon Network, but beat me, I never tire of Tom and Jerry. National Geography, I like also.

The History Channel is one great channel that I will never ever tire of watching. It kinda make you relive past times like the making of the Pyramids, the conquest of Alexander, the fall of Pompeii, and those Dog Fights, cool as in WOW! Two nights ago, I've watched the Battle of Manila and saw how the residents in Manila lived during the war. How did some people die? They die because they are always in the line of fire. They watched as if it is just a movie. They are in front of it. So much for that.

Now, one more thing I like about HC is the description of size. How large are the Pyramids? How high is the Zeus statue? How long is the Great Wall? The Forbidden City? To tell you frankly I don't see it. I mean, this thing is this big it says and though I could imagine it, I don't kind of "feel" it. So the question lingers on my mind.... How big is "BIG"? Size and perspective, got to know.

Let's see I got Google Earth here. And browsed for the Parade Ground which is fronting our office.


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Above is the Parade Ground of Clark Freeport Zone (do pan to center the image) . And it measures about 900 meters on the long side and 280 meters on the short side. Here's how it look "upright".

It takes about 20 minutes to walk its perimeter I was told and someday I would try walking it too, clockwise, so I could meet those joggers and walkers who somehow by freak of nature, jogs and walks it counterclockwise, never meeting and just seeing each others behinds.

Now, why's it that I put that picture above? Look at the picture below.

Know what that is? That ladies and ladies' men is the Forbidden City of China. It measures at 961 meters by 753 meters. One of the greatest structures ever made, and this is the one which triggered me to find out how big is "big" in a good perspective. How's that?

Here...

That yellow outline you see is the perimeter of the Parade Ground in comparison with the Forbidden City's. That about size it up doesn't it.  Let's make another way to look at it.

tah daaahhnn....

About three Parade Grounds could fit inside the Forbidden City.

Walk it?