And My Heart Will Go On and On...

OK, enough with the reference to Celine Dion's song, My Heart Will Go On.

It was my first field trip with the Journaling Club to the Art and Science Museum in Singapore. The museum was a great place to actually know more about the history of pivotal moments in history. The last was Genghis Khan, now it's the Titanic.

It was priceless knowledge I gained. The place was beautiful to visit not only for a tourist, but also for Singaporeans to know more of the Titanic experience.

Remember what happened to the Titantic many years back?

Yes it sank. It was really sad. Actually, it was designed to be sturdy enough so it could easily navigate the North Atlantic’s rough seas.

On May 31, 1911, a crowd of more than 100,000 gathered to watch Titantic's launch. At 12:13 pm, a red rocket streaked into the sky and the hydraulic triggers holding Titantic in its dry dock were released. The sliding way beneath the ship, greased with 22 tons (19.958 kg) of tallow and soap, offered no resistance as it glided gracefully into the River Lagan, amidst the congratulatory sounds of ship sirens and a general gasp of wonder from onlookers on both sides of the river. Although she was now in the water, Titantic was far from complete. The interior was not finished and the engines, boilers, propellers and four funnels awaited installation. Finishing Titantic would take another 10 months.

As the finest ship ever built, Titantic surpassed even the wealthiest passengers' expectations of opulence. The design for the first class cabin was magnificient. Everything was actually all craftsman’s work. There was an abundant closet, private bathtubs, hot and cold running taps, and room service offered. It boasted a total of 750 seats with  each ticket costing between a price range of $2500 to $57,200.

The bollards, used to tie the Titantic, were made of massive steel posts. The pier utilised 4-inch thick manila ropes. Originally, these bollards were located at the stern on the third class poop deck but upon sinking, they broke off and were later recovered sepearately from the seabed.

The most interesting part of the trip was when I touched the icebergs, and the freezing waters of the North Atlantic in the Iceberg Gallery. I learnt that the iceberg that Titanic had hit had formed on the night of April 14, 1912 due to the salt seawater freezing at a lower temperature.

Amidst the interesting discovery, I was saddened by the disaster that caused 1117 lives. Most of them died not from drowning but from hypothermia, a rapid mental-physical collapse that lowered the body temperature at a rapid speed. I felt sorry for their families.

We left the Art and Science Museum with heavy hearts.