Science Centre Singapore - Transformers 30th Anniversary Exhibition

Science Centre Singapore 

Jurong East
West, Singapore
February 2015

The Transformers 30th Anniversary Exhibition celebrates 30 years of evolution of the much beloved and world-famous Transformers Series with its final stop in Asia at the Science Centre Singapore (SCS).

Encompassing a science-enriched narrative showcasing the Transformers from the time they appear in classic cartoons on TV to movie characters with CGI graphics beside real humans, the TF30SG exhibition also promises the biggest display ever of Transformer characters by both Hasbro and local collectors.

The bus that transforms?

 

It's a Decepticon in disguise!

Despite the size of the annexe, the designers of the Exhibition have creatively fitted in 8 exciting zones. Each of the zone has an encompassing storyline and is filled with exciting activities. Kickstart your journey with a mission card to unearth the inner workings of the Transformers!

Zone 0 - First Encounter

The Transformers have just crash-landed on Earth.Who are they? Where do they come from?

Protect or Destroy?

Zone 1 - Time Warp

Travel back in time to know the history and evolution of the Transformers through the ages...

 What is the AllSpark?

After the destruction of the Transformers' planet Cybertron, its life-source, a legendary cube, called the AllSpark, crash-landed on Earth, several million years ago. The Decepticons and their evil leader Megatron plan to use the power of the AllSpark to transform human technology into a new army of Decepticons, and take over the universe.

Seek out the AllSpark, feel its energy and study its glyphs

to decode its hidden secrets so that you may protect the Earth.

Grimlock ends this zone as one steps into the next zone...

Zone 2 - Devastation of Chicago

Combining the plots of two movies - Transformers (2007) and Transformers: Dark of the Moon (2011), the secret location of the All Spark has been discovered by the Decepticons. To prevent it from falling into the wrong hands, join the Autobots and their newfound human allies to transport the AllSpark to a new hiding place.

Optimus Prime heads the fight in his majestic stance...

Unbelievably, this 2m high creation is made from recycled auto parts...

He appears again in a 3D hologram viewable from any angle of the glass pyramid...

A fierce ensues, who will you side?

Zone 3 - Desert Skirmish

In the time of the Dynasty of Primes, the seven leaders of the Transformers race sought to preserve their race by finding a sun capable of providing the Energon to power the AllSpark. With an army of Constructicons, they built a Star Harvester to absorb the energy from suns. The Primes did not turn the Harvester on any solar system, as they had but one rule when setting out: Never destroy a sun sustaining lifeforms. The deactivated Sun Harvester was concealed in a pyramid, but The Fallen, a power-hungry member of the Dynasty of Primes, ganged up with the Decepticons to reactivate it.

The race is on to see which side locates the Matrix hidden within the desert...

The clue...

Go through a laser maze in your quest...

A line-up of the real-life cars that appear in the show...

The Rest

Mapping Prime using projection mapping techniques...

The Nemesis warship has crash-landed on Saturn's moon, and is now functioning as a secret HQ of the Decepticons. Megatron is plotting to revive the Protoform Decepticons that are in stasis on-board the ship. What is his next step?

What can we learn about his plans for the meteorites which landed on Earth from outer space?

How about the other artifacts recently discovered?

Activities for the young ones include scrap metal art, foam colouring, clay art, cardboard robots, posing for pictures with Transformers figures and a ball pit...

The Collectors' Showcase with rare collectibles...

Some from the earliest generations...

Some wearable...

Some mimicking other superhero characters...

Including comics...

There were some coated with a metallic sheen which gleamed under the spotlights...

The amazing fact about Transformers is that each and every figure is carefully CAD-designed to have parts that are cross-functional - both in Transformer mode and vehicle mode...

Collectibles and huggables on sale...

Trivia boards on "transformations" in science...

Wonder why Megatron and the Sentinel calls humans "puny"? Measure yourself against the 7-metre tall Optimus Prime and Bumblebee...




Take a photo with a walking Optimus here...


Exciting? Come to the Singapore Science Centre to explore in depth the other fascinating zones,
each themed to a specific concept in the Transformers storyline...

Hurry! The Transformers 30th Anniversary Exhibition ends on 01 March 2015. Tickets are at $30 for Adults and $22 for Children. Discounts and packages are available. For more information, refer to Science Centre Singapore > Exhibitions.

Transformers

More Than Meets The Eye!

This blog has been replicated from Merlion Wayfarer Goes Green,

your go-to online coverage for green issues and places.

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Bangkok Jam - Misleading Promotion, Unpleasant Staff

Marina Square

Marina Bay, Singapore 

09 February 2015

It was some time since we stepped into the Marina Square mall. Due to the renovation, there were few shoppers. The aircon was freezing cold. Despite the very attractive promotions, many of the shops and restaurants had few visitors.

Feeling a need for steaming hot food after some shopping, we opted for Bangkok Jam. Opened by Creative Eateries, this restaurant is located at the Level 2 dining zone near the Marina Mandarin exit.

This poster was what attracted our attention at dinnertime:

DINNER SPECIAL

50% off second main course

 

Hesitant about such claims, we clarified with the restaurant staff (lady in black uniform with long rebonded hair) that all the items under "Thai Classic Noodles", " Exotic Spaghetti" and "Aromatic Rice" were included. She even ran her finger down the column to indicate the coverage of the promotion.

Agreeable, the order was made. For a review of the food, refer to "Mini Portions, Intense Flavours".

When it came to the payment, we were shocked to discover the promotion was not extended to us. We queried on this, and were told that the items we ordered were not included in the promotion.

We were shocked. The long-haired lady in black was the same one that welcomed us at the entrance and later, took our order. We were positive that she knew that we were ordering based on the promotion. We tried to call her to verify with her, but she ignored us, being more interested to stay behind the bar counter to handle other tasks.

We had no choice but to contend with the cashier (lady in brown with long hair and spects). She did not seem to understand what we were saying and kept repeating that the promotion included only "fried rice" among the "Aromatic Rice" options.

Thinking that we had misread the Terms and Conditions of the promotion, we double checked the poster. These were the exact words:

• "Main Courses applicable to Thai Classic Noodles, Exotic Spaghettis and Aromatic Rice"
  [Yes, we had ordered 2 different Aromatic Rice dishes.]
• "Promotion only available at selected outlets"
  [Yes, this promotion is definitely available at this outlet.]

There was no mention that it was limited to any dishes. Among the list of dishes that the cashier had included as part of the promotion, some were also not featured in the poster. So why is it that the two dishes we ordered were excluded?

As we were leaving the manager came out and said "不好意思" and that she could not do anything, as it was part of company policy.

We are very upset by this experience - the promotion is misleading, the staff are unpleasant and unprofessional, and the food portions are small.

Afternote

Creative Eateries has responded promptly to this incident with an apology and has taken the necessary corrective action, including feedback to the staff at the Marina Square branch. 

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Bangkok Jam - Mini Portions, Intense Flavours

Marina Square

Marina Bay, Singapore 

09 February 2015

Attracted by this poster, we were drawn into the Marina Square outlet of Bangkok Jam.

To know more about the false claims in this poster, 

see "Misleading Promotion, Unpleasant Staff".

Our orders came within 10 minutes.

This was the Basil Rice with Beef option. Part of the "Aromatic Rice" options, it comes with an egg and is priced at $13.90 (excluding GST and service charge).

Infused with small chili padi and a thick sweet sauce, the flavours for this dish were intense, although a tad salty. The beef was tender and not overcooked, resulting in a pleasant palate. However, the egg was dripping with oil and dark at the edges, indicating the use of old oil to fry it.

This was the Green Curry Seafood with Rice, part of the "Aromatic Rice" list. Priced at $11.90 (excluding GST and service charge) for the Chicken version, a top-up of an additional $2 is required for the Seafood version, i.e. $13.90.

The Rice was a regular sized portion, about fist-sized. On the white plate, the pickled vegetables looked really sparse - with a thin strip of cucumber, some cauliflower and a single slice of carrot. The curry was really mini. Here's the size compared to the spoon that was part of the cutlery set provided with the meal.

As it can be seen from this angle, the width of the pot was barely bigger than the small head of cauliflower and could not even accommodate the spoon provided. With a price of $13.90, it was hardly any value for the price.

The curry was thick and aromatic. However, there was a sweet aftertaste, indicating the use of excessive sweetener, which did not taste natural. Despite the small size, the portions of seafood were somewhat adequate with 2-3 pieces each of cuttlefish, shrimps and fish slices.

All-in-all, it was a meal which was not worth its price, especially with the staff's unpleasant responses to the promotion. (See "Misleading Promotion, Unpleasant Staff")

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Insadong Korea Town - One Stop Korean Cuisine

Resorts World Sentosa

South, Singapore

 



 

After a hot and humid day, the Iced Honey Citron Tea is a welcome option. Faintly sour just to give the zest of citron (yuzu), the honey leaves a lingering sweet aftertaste.

 

Adorable face masks and bright colourful drawings adorn the pillars and walls to welcome diners into the friendly and well-lit restaurant...

 

Cosy layout of the eatery...

 

Kimchi Pajeong is a pancake-like Korean dish made from a batter of eggs, wheat flour, rice flour, green onions, and often other additional ingredients depending on the variety. In this case, the kimchi adds a touch of spiciness and removes a little of the normal oil taste.

 



 

For a carbo load, Toppoki rice cakes are a good option, especially when ladled with the typical kimchi-based sauce.

 



 

Insadong adds a local touch to the Korean dish of Ginseng Chicken Soup by adding wolfberries and chili slices. According to the owner, it took her quite a lot of convincing the Korean chefs for this move, but one in which she believes is necessary to acclimatize the dish to local tastes. Kudos!

 

Order kiosks with menus available in a variety of languages...


 

Bossam is marinated steamed pork, served with salad, kimchi, garlic and chili sauce. Due to the unique process of marinades and steaming, there is hardly any pork taste to the steamed meat. Wrap it in the cabbage and kimchi for a nice crunchy roll.

 



 

Traditionally from China, the spread of the Chinese cuisine extended to Korea due to its close proximity with Chinese border towns. In Korea, Xiao Long Baos are served steamed and in the Kimchi Soup fusion version.

 



 

The Pumpkin Spaghetti is cooked with a measure of cream sauce, preventing the excessiveness of the rich pumpkin taste. Definitely a dish that would not be out of place in an Italian restaurant as an antipasti.

 

Collection points at the end of the food hall denoting the type of cuisine for easy collection...

 

Another Italian touch is added with the introduction of the Cheese Baked Rice. With tender beef bulgogi slices, the Korean flavour is distinct and decidedly tasty.

 

A variety of other meats are available on the rotisserie counter...

 

Watermelon Soju is served with scooped out chilled water melon doused with a bottle of soju. Despite the high alcoholic content, the huge portion of watermelon ensures that it's not too heavy for non-drinkers.

 



 

When the Mushroom Beef Bulgogi Hotpot arrived, the ingredients were piled so high on an almost flat pan that it was impossible to stir or cook anything without dropping anything else. Fortunately, with the expertise exhibited by the Korean chef, the delicious dish was cooked just right.

 



 

To end off the meal, opt for a Mixed Fruits Shaved Ice (similar to an Ice Kachang loaded with fresh seasonal fruits) or a fragrant Red Bean Pancake.

 



 

Alternatively, savour the sweetness of a huge JCone ice cream...

 

Pose with one and you're bound to attract looks of envy!



 

Thank you for the Food Tasting!

 

 

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