Me, Myself and the Sun

Me, Myself and the Sun
Mabul Island, Sabah, Malaysia

Thursday, December 26, 2013

Travel Log III: Singapore's Trip 2011



~Entering the Dinosaurs World~

Dinosaurs are a diverse group of animals of the clade and superorder Dinosauria. They were the dominant terrestrial vertebrates for over 160 million years, from the late Triassic period (about 230 million years ago) until the end of the Cretaceous (about 65 million years ago), when the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event led to the extinction of all non-avian dinosaurs at the close of the Mesozoic era. The fossil record indicates that birds evolved within theropod dinosaurs during the Jurassic period. Some of them survived the Cretaceous–Paleogene extinction event, including the ancestors of all modern birds. Consequently, in modern classification systems, birds are considered a type of dinosaur—the only group which survived to the present day.[1][2]
Dinosaurs are a varied group of animals. Birds, at over 9,000 living species, are the most diverse group of vertebrates besides perciform fish.[3] Using fossil evidence, paleontologists have identified over 500 distinct genera[4] and more than 1,000 different species of non-avian dinosaurs.[5] Dinosaurs are represented on every continent by both extant species and fossil remains.[6] Some are herbivorous, others carnivorous. Many dinosaurs have been bipedal, and many extinct groups were also quadrupedal, and some were able to shift between these body postures. Many species possess elaborate display structures such as horns or crests, and some prehistoric groups even developed skeletal modifications such as bony armor and spines. Avian dinosaurs have been the planet's dominant flying vertebrate since the extinction of the pterosaurs, and evidence suggests that all ancient dinosaurs built nests and laid eggs much as avian species do today. Dinosaurs varied widely in size and weight; the smallest adult theropods were less than 100 centimeters (40 inches) long, while the largest sauropods could reach lengths of almost 50 meters (165 feet) and were several stories tall.
Although the word dinosaur means "terrible lizard," the name is somewhat misleading, as dinosaurs were not lizards. Rather, they were a separate group of reptiles with a distinct upright posture not found in lizards. Through the first half of the 20th century, most of the scientific community believed dinosaurs were sluggish, unintelligent, and cold-blooded. Most research conducted since the 1970s, however, has indicated that dinosaurs were active animals with elevated metabolisms and numerous adaptations for social interaction, and many groups (especially the carnivores) were among the most intelligent organisms of the time.
Since the first dinosaur fossils were recognized in the early 19th century, mounted fossil dinosaur skeletons or replicas have been major attractions at museums around the world, and dinosaurs have become a part of world culture. Their diversity, the large sizes of some groups, and their seemingly monstrous and fantastic nature have captured the interest and imagination of the general public for over a century. They have been featured in best-selling books and films such as Jurassic Park, and new discoveries are regularly covered by the media.

For more info just click link below:





~Entering WATERWORLD~
Waterworld is a 1995 post-apocalyptic science fiction film. The film was directed by Kevin Reynolds and co-written by Peter Rader and David Twohy. It is based on Rader's original 1986 screenplay and stars Kevin Costner, who also produced it. It was distributed by Universal Pictures. The film was the follow-up project to the last collaboration between Kevin Costner and Kevin Reynolds, who previously worked together on Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves in 1991.

The setting of the film is the distant future. Although no exact date was given in the film itself, it has been suggested that it took place in 2500.[1] The polar ice caps have completely melted, and the sea level has risen many hundreds of metres, covering virtually all the land. The film illustrates this with an unusual variation on the Universal logo, which begins with the usual image of Earth, but shows the planet's water levels gradually rising and the polar ice caps melting as well until virtually all the land is submerged. The plot of the film centers on an otherwise nameless antihero, "the Mariner," a drifter who sails the Earth in his trimaran.

Waterworld was released to mixed reviews, despite being moderately successful at the international box office. The film's release was accompanied by a tie-in novel and video game, and also three popular themed attractions at Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Studios Singapore and Universal Studios Japan based on the film, called Waterworld: A Live Sea War Spectacular, which are all still running as of 2011.

More info just click below:



Live performance...





Watch out the splashing!! You can get out from here with wet cloth!!





Great stunt!







~My Far Far Away Land~





Inside here is 4D Shrek. You can experience real situation in a wagon, on a horse...fun for kids.



Cute Puss Doll :)





I bought 2 Mugs from USS (As collectible items)





Should wear like this...hehe (She is beautiful...I like her legs)



Madagascar!!!











Travel Log II: Singapore's Trip 2011




Yeah..In front of the main entrance...Pose sekejap. Tak pergi USA pun, pergi SINGAPORE pun jadi. At least try to go in ASIA before you going to AMERICA or EUROPE.


Hollywood street...


 Here, you can easily catch a mascot BUT ada timing yang betul, bila mascot ini keluar. Berpusu-pusu orang bergambar. Hugging lagi...


Booth cenderahati. Hanya SD3.00-5.00 sahaja. Murahhh!!! Yup, try to convert in MYR. Berapa?? That time conversion SD1 equal to MYR2.40.


 Ancient Egyptian. Memang panas terik kawasan ini. Sangat panas. Very hot and humid. My skin burn!!



 Is this The mummy of King TUT??

I found this article  in this site :

The Mummy's Curse
by Jimmy Dunn writing as John Warren

When, in November of 1922,  Howard Carter discovered the Tomb of Tutankhamun in the Valley of the Kings on the West Bank at Luxor, the world was really very different than it is today.  It was not a time of instant, live television coverage by investigative reporters.  Rather, the world of media still belonged to newspapers, and information traveled much more slowly, and less reliably.  It was a more superstitious time, and the media was fully adjusted to take advantage of the attribute to sell their publications. It was a time when reporters often simply made up facts in order to sensationalize their stories, and in print, people believed them.
The treasures that Howard Carter discovered in Tutankhamun's tomb were factually sensational, and so the media went into a frenzy covering the event, and the world paid attention.
In late March of 1923, a novelist named Mari Corelli (Mary Mackay) published a warning that there would be dire consequences for anyone who had entered the sealed tomb.  Perhaps this revelation was inspired by the fact that on the day Howard Carter opened the tomb, his pet canary was swallowed by a cobra.  Cobras, as the goddess Wadjet, were the protectors of the Pharaoh
Lord Carnarvon financed Howard Carter's explorations. He had been in poor health for over 20 years following a motoring accident.  When he died of pneumonia in Cairo on April 5th, 1923, only a few weeks after Mari Corelli's warnings,  newspapers and other media throughout the world simply went crazy. As often as not, they made up the facts as they went along. Even Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes and himself a believer in the occult and at this time a very popular writer, announced that Lord Carnarvon's death could have been the result of a "Pharaoh's curse".
It was said that at the moment of Lord Carnarvon's death, the lights went out in Cairo (an event that is still not uncommon today), and that back in England his dog, susie, howled and died in the same instant. These reported events are difficult to prove or disprove.
However, other facts were simply invented by the press.  One newspaper printed a curse reportedly found in the tomb:
"They who enter this sacred tomb shall swift be visited by wings of death."
There was no such curse, but there was one inscription found on an Anubis shrine that stated: "It is I who hinder the sand from choking the secret chamber.  I am for the protection of the deceased". This was correctly reported to the public, but one reporter added his won words to the inscription: "and I will kill all those who cross this threshold into the sacred precincts of the Royal King who lives forever."
In addition, newspapers appear to have arbitrarily killed off many of the people surrounding the tomb's discovery.  According to one list, 26 people associated with the find died within a decade of its discovery.  In reality, only six people died during this first decade, while many others lived to an old age.
For example, the curse should have laid squarely on the shoulders of Howard Carter himself, but he lived another 17 years, dying just prior to his 65th birthday.  Yet he had spent about a decade working in the tomb. Others likewise lived long and fruitful lives.  The following table provides the names and information of others involved in the discovery:

Name
Died
Age
Function
Comment
Adamson, Richard
1980+
81+
Guard who slept in tomb

Benedite, Georges
1926
69
Louvre representative
Died of heat stroke
Bethell, Richard
1929

Carter's personal secretary
Died in London
Breasted, James H.
1935
70
Univ. of Chicago archaeologist

Bruyere, Bernard
1965+
80+


Burton, Harry
1939+

Photographer
Highly involved in project
Callender, A. R.
1939

Assistant to Carter
Present at all tomb procedures
Capart, Jean
1947
70
Belgian Archaeologist

Derry, Douglas
1969
87
Cairo University anatomist
Analyzed Tut's mummy
Engelbach, Reginald
1946
58
Cairo Museum

Gardiner, Sir Alan
1963
84
Philologist
Handled all written material in tomb
Hall, Lindsley F.
1939+

Draftsman
Present at all tomb procedures
Hauser, Walter
1939+

Draftsman
Present at all tomb procedures
Herbert, Lady Evelyn
1980
78
Daughter of Lord Carnarvon
Entered tomb when opened
Kuentz, Charles
1939+



Lacau, Pierre
1965
92
Egyptologist
Intimately involved - all operations
Lefebvre, Gustave
1957
78
Cairo Museum

Lucas, Alfred
1950+
79
Chemist for Egypt Government

Lythgoe, A. M.
1934
66
Metropolitan Museum (NYC)

Mace, Arthur C.
1928

Metropolitan Museum (NYC)

Winlock, Herbert E.
1950
66
Metropolitan Museum (NYC)

1997
87




Origins of the Mummy's Curse

As many might believe, the mummy's curse did not originate with the discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb.  One researcher (Dominic Montserrat) believes that the tale of the mummy's curse actually originates during the 1820s with an English author and a bizarre theatrical striptease act where state mummies were unwrapped. The show, which took place near London's Piccadilly Circus in 1821, seems to have inspired a little known novelist named Jane Loudon Webb to write a fantasy book called, "The Mummy".
This book was set in the 22nd century and featured an angry, vengeful mummy who came back to life and threatened to strangle the books hero.  Then in 1828, a children's book called "The Fruits of Enterprise" was published that had mummies set afire by explorers who used them as torches to explore a mysterious Egyptian pyramid.  Of course, the mummies were portrayed as looking particularly vengeful.  In 1869, the concept of the mummy's curse became clearer when, Louisa May Alcott, the author of Little Women, wrote a short story called "Lost in a Pyramid: The Mummy's Curse".
In this tale, an explorer again uses a mummy as a torch to brighten the interior of a pyramid.  He discovers some seeds in the pyramid, and carries them back to America.  His fiancee decides to plant the seeds, which then grow into grotesque flowers.  Upon their wedding, she wares one of the flowers and inhales their scent, sending her into a coma as she becomes a living mummy. Other novelists also developed stories along the lines of the mummies curse, both in England and America over the next 30 years.
Even as late as the 1970's the curse seems to have remained active. While the exhibits were on tour and in San Francisco, one policeman guarding Tutankhamun's gold funerary mask claimed he had a mild stroke because of the curse.  A judge dismissed this claim, but visits around today's internet still provide some wildly inventive information. Some web sites allude to the fact that, by 1969, only two members of the original excavation team had avoided the curse.  Of course, being some 46 years after the tomb's discovery, even the youngest professional  members of the team would have probably been in their seventies or beyond!
But then again....
We are well aware that dead bodies have the capacity to spawn infections that can be very dangerous for the living.  It is very possible that ancient grave robbers, entering tombs shortly after the pharaoh's death, may have been exposed to diseases, and thus died from their crimes. This indeed could very likely have lead to an ancient belief in the "mummy's curse". In fact, the ancient pharaohs went to great lengths to protect their tombs, and would have probably been happily inclined to help spread such beliefs.
Today, archaeologists wear protective gear when unwrapping mummies.  In 1999, Gotthard Kramer, a German microbiologist from the University of Leipzip, suggested that there might be some truth to the mummies curse.  Studying 40 different mummies, he identified several potentially dangerous mold spores. He believes that when tombs were first opened, fresh air could have disturbed these spores, blowing them into the air, and perhaps, creating health problems.

The Curse as a Blessing
In reality, the curse of the mummy probably did more good then harm. Many early movies were made about the curse, in addition to the widespread media coverage. Even today, movies continue to be made with at least an underlying sense of the curse.  All of this has bought several revivals of interest in Egyptology to the world, and there is no doubt about the blessings that the curse has bestowed on Egypt's tourism industry.
Even Tutankhamun himself might have been pleased with the discovery of his tomb.  The ancient Egyptians believed that their souls were kept alive when their name was remembered, and this has been ensured.

Resources:

Title
Author
Date
Publisher
Reference Number
Complete Tutankhamun, The
Nicholas Reeves
1990
Thames & Hudson, LTD
ISBN 0-500-27810-5
Masterpieces of Tutankhamun
Silverman, David P.
1978
Abbeville Press, Inc.
ISBN 0-89659-022-4
Tomb of Tut.ankh.Amen, The
Howard Carter
1927
Cassell & Company, Ltd
ISBN 0 7156 3075 X
Treasures of Tutankhamun
Metropolitan Museum of Art
1976
Metropolitan Museum of Art
ISBN 0-87099-156-6
Treasures of Tutankhamun
British Museum
1972
Thames & Hudson Ltd
ISBN 0 7230 0070 0
Tutankhamun (His Tomb and Its Treasures)
Edwards, I. E. S.
1977
Metropolitan Museum of Art; Alfred A. Knopf, Inc.
ISBN 0-394-41170-6
Tutankhamun's Jewelry
Edwards, I.E.S
1976
Metropolitan Museum of Art
ISBN 0-87099-155-8


Last Updated: June 22nd, 2011




 Very expensive. Only here we can find HALAL FOOD!!



Wait for my PART III....

Travel Log I: Singapore's Trip 2011

My daily schedules is SO PACKED! Constrain of time, juggling from work to study and so on everyday, every weeks and every months for the past 4 years.
I LOVE seeing new places and new people...learning and experiencing. At least we can broaden our mind when we sees other cultures and heritages.
These photos is back-dated. I join a trip to Singapore on May 17th, 2011 (Wesak Day for Malaysia's Calender) and cost me a very reasonable price (RM299). A fullhouse of UTMSPACE's students with their family and I am alone (Lone Ranger)...we head to Singapore from Kuala Lumpur by Coach (BUS).

Early in the morning roughly around 8.00am, MERLION PARK the first destination. Taking few photographs around that park.




Let read its HISTORY
Fullerton Road, at the junction of the Anderson Bridge and Esplanade Drive
The Fullerton Waterboat House
Often overshadowed by the neo-classical majesty of the Fullerton Hotel, the Fullerton Waterboat House is a gem of a building. Perched at the corner of Fullerton Road and the Esplanade Drive bridge, little is known of the elegant stone structure that has a gently curved facade. It is believed to have been the office of the Master Attendant – the first of whom was Captain William Lawrence Flint, brother-in-law of Sir Stamford Raffles. From his vantage point on the harbour, the Master Attendant had a clear view of all harbour activities of which he was supervisor. He was in charge of registering all water-going vessels and cargo, collecting anchorage and port clearance fees, as well as providing fresh water and firewood. For a time, the building also served as a post office for early settlers. With the advent of steamships in the 1840s, most port activities, particularly international trade, relocated to Keppel Harbour, and the Fullerton Waterboat House took over regional trade, providing fresh water to incoming ships until the 1990s.
Posing time!!!


 I wish next time in Singapore will go to Sands Skypark!!!


Credit to my friend, Police Officer Mr. Shafiz because allowed me to upload his daughter photo...sooo cute little girl!!


The "Sharp Shooter" they called for DSLR owner....


But our truly intention is UNIVERSAL STUDIOS SINGAPORE!!! Yeahhh....i got the ticket entrance!!


Our entrance to our advanture....

Wait for my PART II chronicle....