Dinosaur: Dawn to Extinction Exhibition '14

20 July 2014, Sunday

Hey guys! Today we'll be blogging about the Dinosaur: Dawn to Extinction exhibition going on at ArtScience Museum, Marina Bay Sands.

We know it's quite late to be blogging about this since the exhibit is closing on 28 July 2014, Monday. However we still want to blog about the exhibit as we think it is really something worth going to. To anyone whose going to the exhibition, we highly recommend taking the tour as more interesting information will be revealed that is not on the descriptions. If you like, you can go for both Mandarin and English tours as certain information will only be revealed in either tours.

Anyway, when visitors enter the exhibit, they will be greeted by 4 Herrerasaur replicas and their animated silhouettes.

The exhibition is arranged in a way that as visitors proceed through the exhibition, they will be experiencing the different time scale - the Precambrian Era, Paleozoic Era, Mesozoic Era and the Cenozoic Era. The different areas are designed to portray how earth was like during that era.

In the Precambrian and Paleozoic Era the surrounding wall panels is blue in color as 650 million years ago, the only living thing were micro-organisms and everything lived in the sea. Slowly they develop form and shape. However, all the creatures then had no eyes to see. It was until later on when eyes develop that the predator and prey relationship began forming. Many creatures also developed self-defense mechanisms like hard shells to protect themselves. There is an Interactive zone here where visitor can see how life looked to the creatures with their compound eyes (vision like fly etc). As more time passed, the creatures also started developing limbs and so, more creatures started living on land.

Moving on to the Mesozoic Era. By this time, there were many Dinosaurs around. However there wasn't much vegetation around. At this point the guide will teach visitors how to identify crocodile-like reptiles, dinosaurs and mammal-like reptiles.

If we are not wrong, there is a replica of a Mama Exaeretodon with two baby Exaeretodon lying in front of her. The guide revealed that the placement of the mama and babies together in this way was because that's how the fossils were positioned when they were found.

Moving on, there will be a huge replica of the Lessemsaurus. There will be another smaller dino replica beside and the two seems to be in combat. Near by, there is a little walk-through area for visitors to experience how the smaller dinosaurs lived. If you are sharp, you will be able to smell a very nice smell towards the end of the path.

Moving on to the next area, visitors will be in the Cretaceous period. Look back people! As there will be a 'ghostly' image of a dinosaur which means it didn't survive to the Cretaceous period. There will be a huge picture of a long necked dinosaur looking away. 

The guide had explained that the picture was drawn deliberately so that the dinosaur's face couldn't be seen as when the fossils were found, the head was missing and the tail was missing too. The artist had no idea how the dino looked and the length of the tail, hence the picture was drawn in this manner. In this area there are many dino replicas too like the Elvis Presley Dino (due to the head).

T-rex T-rex T-rex!!!

Moving on, there will be a huge Skeleton replica of the T.Rex with a smaller robotic T.Rex showing how the dino actually moves. The T.Rex actually moves very slowly as opposed to what many will think.

Over the years of not using its arm they have evolve into such where their hands are "Redundant"

Then visitors will arrive at the area where Dinosaurs are extinct. The area will show the different theories on why they became extinct. The three most plausible reasons (there's some evidence) being meteorite crashing to earth, rising sea levels and volcanic eruptions.

Then we come to the Cenozoic Era where visitors will be greeted with a beautiful model of how life was then. Visitors can play ISpy there and try to spot as many creatures as possible. It is really a beautiful scene.

Then the exhibit will come to an end to our present day. There are interactive activities in this area.

After visitors are done with the exhibit, they will proceed to the store to buy photographs and other Dinosaur merchandise. We highly recommend visitors to buy the Dinosuars Dawn to Extinction book as many stuff in the exhibit is covered in the book. Also, by having this book, visitors will be able to relate back to the exhibit even when it's gone. They used to have a Dinosaur Pop-Up book for sale but it seems to have been sold out... It's a pity as it was an amazing book. Lucky Miao 2 went to the exhibit a month ago and managed to get a copy. It was sold at $69.90 at that time due to GSS.

The exhibition's opening hours is from 10am-7pm (Last admission at 6pm). If you are a Singaporean, you can show your IC and get a discount.

For more information of the exhibition. 

On overall, the exhibition was interesting with all the big skeletons and replicas. However, we would've like to seen some flying and underwater creatures/dinos... Anyway, grab your tickets today (literally) before the exhibit is closed! Also, lookout for the different dinosaur replicas scattered around MBS (there's Dino poo somewhere in the ArtScience Museum)…

Check out more of the pictures taken at the exhibition here.

Halloween Horror Nights 4 Preview

HALLOWEEN HORROR NIGHTS 4 PREVIEW

24 July 2014, Thursday, 6pm - 8pm

Let’s start our very first post with a bang with a review of Minister Jonah Goodwill’s Inaugural Celebration!

Yes People! It’s almost that time of the year again. The time when the ghosts and monsters come out to scare the hell outta ya….. HALLOWEEN (not the 7th month)!!!!

 We really enjoyed the event which was ‘by invitation only.’ We are really glad to be apart of this experience, so thank you RWS for giving us this opportunity to participate in this event. We got invited to the event by participating in the voting election. The candidates were Mr Jonah Goodwill and Mr Walter Bale.

Apparently, THE PEOPLE HAVE SPOKEN. 

Congratulation Minister Goodwill for winning the election.

Roll-Royce
(Plate number SJV188H)

Watch the video to see what happened during the the inaugural celebration.

 Let us give you guys a peek to what’s going to happen in this year’s HNN. 

Watch the video to see the HHN Creative Directors' presentation. 

This year, the main story for HHN4 is about the newly elected leader of the Common World, Jonah Goodwill actually being a demon from hell terrorising the world.

Watch the official trailer 

This year, there’s going to be 4 haunted houses, 4 scare zones and 444 scare actors. Yeah, believe your eyes, you didn’t read wrongly. There’s 4 haunted houses, 4 scare zones and 444 scare actors (Superstitious?)!

Haunted Houses:

1. Mati Camp

Related to this year’s main theme of Jonah Goodwill, this haunted house is set in a military camp. This camp is placed under the control of Jonah Goodwill’s evil general where he devises ways to torture the unlucky souls in the camp. Apparently there’s going to be some hanging, cannibalisation and more. Some of the events happening in this haunted house is inspired by local urban ghost stories in army.

2. The L.A.B

This haunted house is alien-themed, capitalising on all the tales and claims of aliens visiting, abducting and procreating with us humans. In this house, there will be alien-head-human-body aliens and human-head-alien-body aliens.

3. Jing’s Revenge

The story for this haunted house is such that a girl called Jing didn’t like school and here peers didn’t like her either so she committed suicide and is back to haunt the school. The setting for this haunted house is based on the pre-war mission schools. Apparently there’s going to be a self-writing chalkboard.

4. Jack’s 3-Dementia

This haunted house is about Jack the evil serial killer clown. He is an original character created in around year 2000 for Halloween Horror Nights. This house is going to be the first 3D Haunted house in Singapore. The 3D effects will be created with Chromadepth 3D paint so when visitors put on the 3D glasses there will be the 3D effect. Also, contrary to traditionally dark haunted houses, this haunted house will be brightly coloured since Jack is a clown.

Scare Zones:

1. Demoncracy (New York)

Demoncracy is the city where Evil Minister Jonah Goodwill will reign with his demon minions. There will be cracks on the floor with bubbling lava and souls trying to pull people in with them. There will be many stunts happening in this zone and it is hinted that there will be a special performance that will happen at anytime, without warning. Demons might be scaling the walls.

2. Bogeyman (Sting Alley)

This scare zone is in the alley connecting New York and Sci-Fi City. This time it will not be the typical Bogeyman story as the little kids (devilish kids) will conspire with the Bogeyman to scare the visitors. Beware of the nooks and crannies in this alley.

3. Canyon of the Cursed (Egypt)

Visitors will be transported back to the Wild West, to a 1864 frontier town in Texas. In this town, expect undead zombies, dead horses, american Indians and gun shooting around. Expect blood to fly and spill.

4. Scary Tales (Jurassic Park)

Fairytales with a twist. Your favourite heartwarming fairytales are being twisted into scary tales. For example, Rapunzel is not going to have hair and Little Red Riding Hood will become the huntress instead of the hunted (Are we the hunted?).

This  year, the Pantages Hollywood will also be doing something special instead of the normal performance. They will be featuring Jack’s Nightmare Circus where Jack is looking for the new star for the circus. He will force the auditionees to perform extreme acts so there will be contortionists and various daring acts. The main highlight of this show will be Gordon Gamsby, the world record holder for bizarre things.

This year's merchandise are:

Miao 2 & Miao 1

"Overall, the celebration was on word - WOW!!!! It was an amazing and immersive experience especially when a man was set on fire (So I set the world on fire~). The realistic setting and acting from the people involved really pulled us into the story. "

After the event, we proceeded to Loui’s NY Pizza Parlor for dinner buffet. 

There was a very long queue and we didn’t manage to get the cupcakes with the halloween decorations (we only got the gummy worms). 

However we are quite upset and disappointed with some of the people who took the halloween decorated cupcakes. Some just took the halloween decor off the cupcake and left the uneaten cupcake on the table for the staff to clear. Seriously its such a waste. People may think that we 'didn’t eat the grapes so we say it’s sour’ but we wouldn’t say anything if the cupcakes were eaten. 

TidBit: There will be a opening show at 7.30pm every HHN

The dates for HHN4 is as below. 

You can go to www.halloweenhorrornights.com.sg for more details. 

The website will be updated weekly. Currently tickets sales have started and there is an early bird promotion, $60 for each ticket. So hurry and grab your tickets soon.

"We are quite excited to go for HHN4. We think that out of all the haunted houses, we would like to go for Jack’s 3 Dementia the most. From what was revealed, it really seems interesting and awesome (everything is awesome~). We are also quite keen on visiting Scary Tales and see how our childhood bed time stories are twisted. Actually scratch that. We are quite excited to go to all the scare zones as they seem very interesting."

"The only thing we are not too keen on is going to the L.A.B as aliens doesn’t really seem horrifying. It seems more scientific like going to a science museum…. Well, we’ll hold our horses and not pass judgement until we’ve actually experienced the house…. Look out for our HHN4 review when the time comes…. " 

Until then…..