The F1 Weekend

As you know, this weekend is the Singapore Grand Prix Weekend and everyone's delirious with excitement over this event especially with the main highlight of the Formula 1 Singapore leg of the race.

Well, everyone except me. Lol.

Friday, was the first day of F1 and in the morning I had to meet up with my final year project team and to report our progress to our supervisor.

We spent the night before beefing up our final report from 13 pages of about 2k+ words to 29 pages of 5900 words. Madness! And that's only 50% of our report!

Then I met up with Mr. Wonderful & friends. 

Contrary to belief, we don't have a fairy tale relationship.

We had an argument. Well basically me just wanting an argument for the sake of having one. Don't ask why, I was having a girl moment,but we made up the same day, after my aimless wondering around City Hall-Clarke Quay area.

We were having an early dinner at Ikea. (Meatballs!)

When Mr. Wonderful's Godma called saying she has a 3 day pass for two for F1!

I was of course deliriously excited putting an end to my apathy of the Singapore GP season.

Well, Mr. Wonderful couldn't make it for the second and last day of F1 cos of Air Force duties for F1, (national security you know?)

So we went on the first day! Which was Friday!

We immediately rushed down to City Hall, if you call taking a bus and a train rushing down.

We went in via Gate 3, and the total landscape change got me confused for awhile cos I did not recognise City Hall, at all. Until I realised I was actually standing on a road! Obviously closed.

Mr. Wonderful went in via express check queue but I have to queue with the bag check. Blah.

He went ahead to get ear plugs because even then, the current practice session was DEAFENING.

Once again, I have to say, I'm not a dedicated blogger. Didn't take a lot of photographs. I was in awe of my surroundings and pretty much caught up in the excitement of the party mood that's going on.

In case you were wondering where we were. Zone 4...

..with Grandstand Passes baby! Whoots!

Although, not exactly one of the exciting part of the track cos its a straight track, but well, an opportunity for drivers to overtake each other. Singapore, has one of the hardest track.

So within Zone 4, lots of amazing stuff going on.

At the LG tent while waiting for Mr. Wonderful. He went for a toilet break from one of those portable toilets that I absolutely hate.

Strangely, the toilets are a lot cleaner than expected. They have poor teenage staff making sure inside smells fresh and free of blockage. I'm pretty sure they won't be telling their grand kids they worked for F1. Lol.

Still, its pretty cramped. For guy its easy, he stands while peeing. For a girl, either we have to be skinny as a piece of paper or risk getting some sort of horrible disease.

Okay, I digress, as you can tell I fell very strongly about the use of public toilet. I'm very choosy bout the toilets I go to in school even. Lol.

At Double O tent ordering two cups of beer. Its either Hoegarden or Carlsberg.

$15 a cup, major rip off.

I am strangely attracted to Mr. Wonderful's hands, to the point that you can almost call it a fetish. Almost.

With my cup of beer. Okay lah, not bad cos its a tall cup at least. The tent selling Tiger beer, average sized cup for $10 but too much foam.

Mr. Wonderful outraged. He paid. Lol.

At LG Live! Stage at the padang. The temporary landscape revamp totally confused me.

Everyone waiting around for the performance 1 hour before it starts.. If you followed my tweets you would know. Too bad we didn't arrive in time to get the free passes into the fan area.

We decided to go to our seats since the performance won't start till later.

After rain + hot lights = major wilting from the humidity.

Cars lining up for the qualifying session.

Photographer with a really really huge..

 I'm jealous, cos I'm only a Semi-pro user, and hence the reason why there's not a lot of photos. Cos my camera does not work as well at night. Its a day camera.

They're starting! The Formula BMW qualifiers!

I tried taking photos with my camera's sports shooting setting but all I got was either,

An empty track or

Blurred images.

Other's trying to take a shot with their camera phone. I wonder if they had any luck at all??

Well if you're wondering why the cars look a lot like mini F1 cars. They are mini F1 cars, something like the Junior League of F1. And a Singapore based driver was racing in this qualifier, Richard Bradley! Frankly if Singapore boasts about having a Singapore based driver in the GP season, I'll puke.

Sometimes, all this boasting bout being first about this or that, or winning this or that is sickening. 

Being number one of this or top in the world of that, makes Singapore seems so sterile, being obsessed over being the best that one forgets the little joys in life. 

Isn't tiring if you look at it in that way?

Moving on, Richard Bradley placed 2nd in the qualifiers.

Then on to the concert.

Missy Elliot's concert performance!

All anticipating.

Waiting for her to come on stage.

Her dancers outlined by geen LED lights! Awesome!

I was too far away so I took photos of the Giant LED Screen!

She's in that silver box! Considering that this is a "free" concert, She still has props!

We were of course going crazy!

A short video of her entrance. Don't mind the screaming. :P Apparently the one cup of beer has had me somewhat let go of my inhibition a little bit.

This bad. For me, beer has the lowest alcohol content of all alcoholic beverages. Thank goodness I don't drink much.

She's the brand spokesperson for Adiddas. Love her jacket!

At this point I just took random photos, I was too busy dancing.

These photos are towards the end. Throughout the photos, she threw signed addidas sneakers into the crowd! I want one!

And at one point she went into the crowd. She actually changed for this, removing all jewelries for fear of being it ripped off her, especially her hooped earrings. I'm guessing this has happened before.

Well she had nothing to worry, Singapore fans are kinda well-behaved.

Halfway through while singing Work It. There was a power failure. She wasn't too happy about it but she put her fans first and you can't even tell if she was annoyed by it.

Towards the end she changed into a Michael Jackson tee.

She was introducing her dance crew who were amazing by the way.

Towards the end, she dedicated the last song in tribute to musicians who had died in the recent years like Aaliyah and of course Michael Jackson. She had as using our phones light the area in place of candles.

And she exited by going into a white box and magically disappeared when her dancer opened it up and showed the crowd. Looks like Missy Elliot has a poetic touch.

And its back to the F1 practice session.

We had earplugs on and we're on the way back to grandstand which was next to stage. Lol

How would I describe the sound of an F1 car streaking by??

Its DEAFENING as they pass us screaming.

Yes, Screaming.

We couldn't hear the commentary on the speakers.

Thank goodness I brought my humble Samsung MP3 player and tuned in to the dedicated radio frequency available only in the immediate vicinity of the tracks. Oh, and we used the noise cancellation ear piece I gave to Mr. Wonderful.

They're definitely a lot faster and louder than the lighter cars in the Formula BMW.

Above is the last photo from my camera before it ran out battery. D:

We then used my camera phone.  I know it was hopeless to even try and take photos of the cars so we had a bit of narcissistic moment. I love my green contacts! Too bad my parents don't agree. Conservative parents are stifling.

We didn't stay to watch all of the practice session. I seem to have sprained my back from all the dancing and jumping and watching the cars zoom by from right to left was making me dizzy. Lol.

We grabbed a burger, tried to beat the crowd by taking the Circle line only to end up walking back to City Hall cos the train broke down or something so by then, the session was ended and people were leaving.

Oh well, we were still the first few people to leave and it wasn't that crowded. Overall, really really fun! I'd go again next year!