Ice Art a Hot Hit with Singaporeans

“It’s freezing!” Not exactly words one would expect to hear in sunny Singapore, but the same words were on the lips of every visitor to the Ice Art exhibition.

The exhibition is housed in a huge warehouse located near the Marina Bay Sands hotel, and although most wouldn’t think twice before walking past the nondescript location, those who venture closer will find themselves pleasantly surprised.

As Singapore’s first ice sculpture exhibition, Ice Art certainly sets the bar high – 25 ice-carving experts were flown over from Harbin, China to create exquisitely detailed clear and coloured ice sculptures from 450,000 kilogrammes of ice blocks.

25-year-old Angeline Teo has not visited the exhibition, but admits she is looking forward to doing so. “It’s the first time I’ve heard of such a thing in Singapore and it’s something special. Being someone who has never seen real ice sculptures, I think it would be a very nice experience, definitely something to try.”

But what prevents the experts’ masterpieces from melting, especially in Singapore’s unique mix of humidity and heat? The Ice Art exhibition has a clever solution – they use advanced refrigeration technology from Germany to cool the room, bringing the indoor temperature to a low of -15 degrees Celsius.

The extreme difference in temperature means that visitors are bundled like brightly-coloured Eskimos, having loaned winter coats from the registration counter outside.

But the extreme cold also raises the question: Will Singaporeans take it well, or will it be too cold for them?

According to Angeline, the cold won’t be a problem.

“I think the older people might avoid it because they might think it’s too cold, but to young people it’s a one-time thing, so we might as well give it a try. I think it’s a good idea to pay for this experience instead of forking out thousands of dollars to fly overseas to experience cold weather.”

Agreeing with her is 31-year-old Ken, who visited the exhibition with his girlfriend. The bank accountant said: “It’s an interesting event to have in Singapore, since it’s hot and sunny here most of the time.”

But he adds that some improvements can be made: “I think it’d be great if they could expand the exhibition and make it bigger, maybe add more sculptures.”

The Ice Art exhibition is located at Sheares Link, Bay Front Avenue, and is open from 10am to 10pm daily till May 2014.

Week 4 Tutorial Assignment

It’s the battle of the computers: Which is the better choice between a Macbook or a Windows computer?

When asked, most students revealed that they preferred using Macbooks for various reasons – some said it was because Macbooks were rarely vulnerable to computer viruses, while others said they liked how much easier it was to operate software such as Adobe Photoshop and InDesign on the Macbook.

Temasek Polytechnic alumni member Eric Sim said he would choose using a Macbook over a Windows computer any day because “it’s more convenient, especially since I'm a designer. Most of the products I own are Apple products, so it’s better to have a computer that completes the whole set since it’s easier that way.”

Temasek Polytechnic alumni Eric Sim.

Common reasons cited for choosing a Macbook over a Windows computer were because a Windows computer was “slow” and wasn't as “convenient” as a Macbook. However, many also agreed that a Windows computer was more user-friendly as compared to its rival.

Pharmaceutical Sciences student Aaron Chooi said: “It depends on what you are doing, but I like using Windows for group work and projects because it’s a more streamlined platform especially when I want to use software like Microsoft Power Point.”

Temasek Polytechnic student Aaron Chooi.

In this video, Temasek Polytechnic student Ryan Molanen explains why he prefers to use a Windows computer over a Macbook.

(Apologies for the bad quality of the video)

And here's a picture of Ryan with his Acer laptop:

(I don't know why all of them decided to strike cutesy poses.)

7/11 Tutorial

Olympic Torch successfully blasts into space

Expedition 38 Flight Engineer Koichi Wakata of the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency, Soyuz Commander Mikhail Tyurin of Roscosmos and Flight Engineer Rick Mastracchio of NASA smile and wave as they hold an Olympic torch that will be flown with them to the International Space Station ahead of the Sochi 2014 Winter Games.

(Image Credit: NASA/Bill Ingalls)

NAPFA Tests to be taken in alternate years from 2014

Singapore students will go through the National Physical Fitness Award (NAPFA) test in alternate years instead of annually from 2014.

The Ministry of Education has announced that Singapore students will take their National Physical Fitness Award (NAPFA) test in alternate years instead of annually from 2014. Students will take the test in Primary 4 and 6, Secondary 2 and 4/5 and Junior Collage (JC) Year 2.

(Image Credit: TODAY File Photo)

Protesters gather in Bangkok against amnesty bill

Thousands of protesters are seen gathering in Bangkok, Thailand to protest a controversial political amnesty bill.

(Image Credit: @MGegs on Twitter)

Also...

Hacktivist group Anonymous has hacked into the Twitter and Youtube accounts of Ridhwan Azman, a local actor who criticised the organisation and its attempts to stage a virtual protest against the Singaporean government on November 5th.

This comes after the hacker collective threatened to deface and shut down government websites in protest of new licensing rules for online news outlets.

Transcript of the video:
"Greetings Ridhwan, We have seen that you have been dissing the legion. Also, claiming that we are a joke, in all attempts to trend such is now nothing but inactive accounts. What you thought was a joke is now real. 

Additionally, To all social media public figures who have been given your status thanks to your supporters, we are not involved nor do we intend to take part in your business, however, should you cause us harm or intend to be provocative we will most certainly retaliate. We are watching, expect us."

Assignment 1: The Heavy Truth about Acai Berry Diet Pills

Visit any website today while surfing the internet and you might come across an advertisement promising effective and natural weight loss. Clicking on the ad will direct you to a website for diet pills claimed to be made from the extract of acai berries, which are well-known antioxidants.

An example of an advertisement for the diet pills.

The website also features review after review of both men and women who are supposedly satisfied with the diet pills after finding them effective for fast weightloss – one review claims the consumer shed almost 16 kilogrammes within a month, while another says over 30 kilogrammes were lost over 2 months.

The reviews also say the diet pills are a “natural fat loss product” made entirely from natural ingredients including guarana and ginseng, and are appetite suppressants that don’t require consumers to make major changes to their diets while taking the pills.

Examples of satisfied consumer reviews of the diet pills 

Sounds good? Don’t get too tempted, says dietician Derrick Ong. “It’s been a popular supplement in the past one or two years. I went to have a quick look at the berries, there’s no actual weight loss proven from eating them. They increase metabolism which is good for people who are overweight, but I don’t see anything for weight loss.”

Acai berries are known for their antioxidant properties as well as their ability to strengthen the body’s immune system, and are believed to help prevent diseases such as heart disease and cancer. However, they have not been scientifically proven to aid in weight loss.

Moreover, Mr Ong stresses that the best way to effectively lose weight is still the tried-and-tested method of eating healthy and exercising.

“When it comes to weight management, there’s no one magic ingredient, it’s all about eating right and exercising. I would be sceptical, quick fixes are not sustainable and I don’t think they work in the long run.”