I know we’re all facing tough times now, exams nearing, sleep hours decreasing, stress levels increasing, suicide rates possibly increasing (kidding!) but please don’t start fights or dumb rumors about fights. I don’t think it does any good, but if you do intend to start a fight, let us know so we can set up the camera and do a full video coverage =) Peace!

Ok, what we saw was more of a meteor teaser than a shower… =.=

300 meteors per hour = about 5 meteors per minute… it was supposed to be like that… but we ended up with… almost nothing! Below is an anecdote of how our night went.

Stomachs filled with McDonald’s, it was 3.30am and we were ready to begin our stargazing mission. We made our way to the 6th floor balcony of Central Library, the highest point in NUS (that we had access to) and also the least lit, optimal conditions for stargazing! We were right outside the reading area, still packed with muggers, who seemed unaware of the shower. Or well, they probably were but couldn’t be bothered.

As Daniel and I began setting up the camera, with hopes of getting some great shots to post up here, a Chinese couple walked by us, and within seconds, I heard them shout “WO KAN DAO!”. At the very same time Daniel went “WOAH!! I JUST SAW ONE!”  Well, I missed it, and the next hour kind of went on in this same manner. As the hour went by, Daniel, whose eyes are apparently more sensitive and observant than mine, saw a total of 8 shooting stars and I ended up with just 3.

If you’ve seen a meteor, you would know how short it lasts, a split second, so it was nearly impossible for us to capture a shot of the elusive meteors. The night was particularly cloudy, and the lights illuminating from the Singapore Port weren’t of much help either. It says on channelnewsasia.com that Singapore Scientist’s reported a total of just 14 visible shooting stars between 4.30 to 5.30am. So there you go, it was indeed a disappointing night for stargazers in Singapore.

Even so, it was good to see some fellow students taking a break from their grueling mugging sessions to witness the stars. It felt even better seeing some students taking a tip from our previous post and camping out at Love Park to catch a glimpse. Check out the picture!

Sorry for the crappy picture, Daniel’s camera is not fully functioning and we here at RDA are currently too broke to get a new camera.

All in all, the experience was not so bad. I managed to witness 3 shooting stars, which is rather an achievement, seeing that I’ve never seen any before. Or maybe a good way to see this is, I only got jinxed thrice. Haha! If you didn’t know, it’s a Chinese superstition that a person will get cursed upon seeing a shooting star! This means Daniel was jinxed EIGHT times! Damn…. On the other hand, in Western culture, one is supposed to make a wish upon seeing a shooting star! HOW IRONIC! Which culture do you stand for? Your choice.

“The Leonids ([ˈli.əˌnɪdz] lee-uh-nids) are a prolific meteor shower associated with the comet Tempel-Tuttle. The Leonids get their name from the location of their radiant in the constellation Leo: the meteors appear to stream from that point in the sky. The 2009 display peaking on November 17 may produce more than 500 meteors an hour. This is not enough to rate it as a meteor storm which has over 1,000 meteors an hour.“

So for those in Singapore, I believe that we should be able to see the meteors on the night of Nov. 17. It is reported that the most intense outbursts will occur during the early morning hours of Nov. 18, between 3-5am.

And if you’re free, stop by the Japanese Gardens and hang with The Singapore Science Center and The Astrological Society of Singapore (TASOS) as they hold an event in conjunction with this. More details here: http://astronomy.sg/archives/563

Secondary and JC students are also encouraged to join the Leonid Camp (by AGASTRO) at East Coast Park as they camp out with the stars tomorrow night. More details here: http://astronomy.sg/archives/561

NUS students, seeing that it is now the Reading Week, I doubt anyone of you are going to go out of your way to view the shower. So to make the best out of what we have, I believe the best spots to view a shower would be the darkest places, and in NUS, that would probably be the “Love Park” (the park right behind Central Forum). So take a break from the mugging, and take the chance to view something spectacular.

PS: If you’re Singaporean Chinese, avoid informing your parents and more importantly, your grandparents, as it just came upon me that the never ending list of Chinese Superstitions also includes getting cursed/jinxed upon seeing a meteor or shooting star.

Tonight is officially the first reading week nite, and the library on level 6 is getting full compared to last week. We will cover the latest news of what’s happening in central lib.

Nite O:

The trash bin was full when the sun rose. And the other trash bin around were also full. But look at this trash bin closely…

Yup, a lecture note. I guess someone just couldn’t take it anymore.

Stay tune and see what other unexpected random s**t we can find during reading week.

Just to remind you, one fine nite last semester during reading week, Spidey came and rescued about 200+ students who were stuck with their lecture notes and books in the library. Thank you, and God bless you Spidey! We hope Spidey or another hero will come rescue us again this semester. (For those who didn’t know about Spidey’s appearance, check this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eoTUNfjFCcA)

Teddy Bear Exihibition

Event Dates: 21st-30th Nov. 09

Time of Event: 9.30am-6.30pm

Venue: Mint Museum of Toys

Ticketing: S$15 Adult, S$7.50 Children (2-12 yrs old) & Senior Citizen, FREE for Children below 2 yrs old.

Come on guys, don’t miss this random exhibition where you can see 6 unique masterpieces of… yes, you got it right: Teddy Bears.

You guys won’t get disappointed with the Teddy Bears. Those Teddy Bears are vintage and award-winning Teddy Bears!! Damn, even Teddy Bears can win awards!!

The Teddy Bears can be found in Mint Museum of Toys which is located in 26 Seah Street, just behind Raffles Hotel.

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Okay… now something exciting:

Singapore Reggae Music Festival

Catch the first Singapore Reggae Music Festival at the end of this month! Reggae artists from the US, UK, Jamaica, Africa and Southeast Asia are coming to the little Red Dot. You name them: Beenie Man, Buju Banton, Bushmen, Cocoa Tea, Kai-jo Brothers, Krazee Kulture, Jiang Liang, Ras Muhammad, Rita Marley and Shaggy! Yes, Mr. Bombastic will be performing and bring that Caribbean feel to Siloso beach!!

Do the math: Reggae + beach + girls in bikini = wild Caribbean beach party!!!

Event Dates: 28th Nov. 09

Time of Event: 7pm-6am

Venue: Siloso Beach, Sentosa

Ticketing: as of now, it’s $78. On event day, S$88.

For more info, go to: http://www.singaporereggaefestival.com/

Welcome to RED DOT AFFAIRS, where you will get notifications on almost anything in Singapore.

Well, being Final Year Students, we’re actually just gonna start with NUS. But as this site progresses, we will move on to things revolving around this island.

Beware: it may be just some random… but exciting s**t that is happening in this little Red Dot.