D-Day 2 (Circuit Gate # 2, Singapore Flyer, Mustafa Shopping Center)

September 28th, 2008 - After a wholesome experience the previous night, I woke up early around 5:30 AM and started going through the pictures and videos on my camera. Some wonderful memories to take back.

The Agenda today was to head to the Singapore Flyer which is within the Circuit Park, watch the race, do some late night shopping and head to the Airport to catch our flight at 7:30 AM. Let me tell you where I was put up. I was put up at my friends 3BHK flat at Bedok, Block 201, North Avenue 1. It was bang opposite the MRT Bus Interchange and 2 Mins walk to the Bedok MRT Train station. Bedok itself is 15 Mins from the Changi Airport. Last time when I was here, I was put up at the North Bridge Road which, was in the middle of downtown. The place had an Indian Restaurant (Asha's) which is open 24 hrs, can you beat that in a foreign country? There was also other local eateries in the proximity, overall a very ideal location

We got all dressed up and got ready early by 8:30 AM so we decided we will go to the Mustafa Shopping Center to do a "quick" shopping spree and then head to the Flyer, the plan was to come back home and then go. We also carried the Flyer tickets with us just in case, the shopping got delayed, we could go straight to the Flyer.

We took the MRT Train from Bedok and got down at Outram Park and then switched trains and got down at Farrer Park (this station is closest to Mustafa's). We didn’t have breakfast back home so we decided to head for a popular eatry (Indian, Veg) close to the station called Komala's. They served all the local Indian delicacies from North to South. We ordered a south indian meal consisting of dosa, idli, wada and north indian meal puri bhaji. Topped it with chai/coffee. Ah! Nothing like an Indian breakfast in the morning :) That binge my friends cost $ 4 SGD, not bad at all. Now while we were talking over b'fast, it struck us that we cannot go directly to the Flyer coz the Flyer was within the Circuit Park and we didn’t carry the Circuit Access cards, f*** what a dumb thing to do. We had no choice but to make this shopping quickly and get back to the house.

I know what I wanted to buy and headed straight to the Watches section, oh if you want to know more about Mustafa's, click here. I wanted to buy a pair for my mom and dad. After looking for 5 Mins, the saleswoman showed a piece I liked; it was the Reaction Collection from Kenneth Cole. It came with a 2 year International Warranty and cost $ 286 SGD. I thought it was a good one and bought it. Here's a peek...



My friend bought some souvenirs and so did I and we headed back home via a cab. Changed in to different gear and headed to Gate # 2, that was the closest point to the Singapore Flyer. The time was 12:00 PM and our Flyer flight was at 12:30 PM. Now comes the biggest shocker (I should have paid attention when I was researching), the Circuit Gates wouldn't open before 1:00 PM and the Flyer flight was at 12:30 PM. We tried reasoning with the Security guys but to no avail, we lost all hope of getting in on time. I saw a old couple trying to get in as well and we got together and asked the F1 guys to help us out. They gave us the Singapore Flyer Hotline and asked us to request the Flyer guys to postpone the flight. The old guy called and managed to convince the Flyer guys, they wanted to know the Confirmation #, and while the couple had them handy we on the other hand had boarding passes that had the Ticket #and not the Ticket Booking Confirmation #. The Flyer guys wouldn’t budge and it was ridiculous, that's when the JESUS phone (aka iPhone) came handy, I browsed the Internet, logged in to my mail and retrieved the Confirmation #. Phew...F*** unbelievable. We thanked the couple and planned to meet them an hour later at 2:00PM

We had an hour’s time before we could pass the gates and take the Flyer flight so we decided to roam around and check out the Hotels in the vicinity. In one of the atriums inside the hotel, they put out a F1 model car and people could sit inside for free and take pictures or play games. We registered but the queue was long and I had to settle for a pic that had the car minus me. Check it out...

It was time to take the flight on the World's highest Giant Ferris Wheel overlooking the island of Singapore and the Circuit. We entered the main building and took some pictures in the lobby and then entered the capsule. Surprisingly, there was no mad rush (as I would have expected during a F1 event) and we had the whole capsule to ourselves, it gave us a fantastic 360 degrees view. We saw all the important landmarks in all its glory and the Circuit view was fabulous, for a view like that from the Flyer during race hours, you will have to shell out $ 4000....damn but what a view!

We got down from the Flyer in 30 Minutes and it was a total paisa vasool.

We came out of the building and walking by the pathway we saw what looked like a Turn behind the barricades, it was Turn 5 just behind the Paddock Club and it was not occupied (the time was 2:30 PM...and the race was at 8:00 PM). Hell, we wanted to occupy it immediately but we were also feeling hungry, we tried to find something in the proximity but were disappointed, all the eateries around the Paddock club was for the elite and there is no way we could afford it so we had to make our way back to Gate # 7 from Gate # 2 and try something there...

Walking back in the blistering heat, with a fu**al pair of shoes was not easy. En-route Gate # 7 we saw the Aston Martins getting ready for their version of street race. The organizers had arranged for Aston Martins and Porsche street races as a prelude to the F1, not a bad idea, it was a definite crowd puller. We headed to the same McDonalds restaurant we had dinner last night and now had lunch. It was satisfying and full.

We started making our walk back to T5 and prayed it will be free to occupy...the crowd had started to build up and it was highly unlikely that we could get a best spot. The time was 4:30 PM. Lady luck smiled on us and we got our best spot, I didn’t budge until it was time for the Final Race. We saw the Aston Martins and Porsches and I had never seen them in their race avtaar so it was very exciting to see them rev up and race. Finally, it was time for the Grand Finale; the first event had the drivers parade on the race track. Now though we had loudspeakers in and around the circuit nobody heard of the parade and we didn’t get to know until the first car came on the track. I captured Alonso and Hamilton on the cam and couple of others. It was nice to see them in flesh ;) I can go back home and boast I have seen Alonso you know, he doesn’t have a great haircut :)

Next, I could hear the cars starting to rev up...T5 was close to the starting point (only behind us) and one by one they came down the track like a Hurricane. Watch this....

Leading the pack was the pole position winner from last night, the Brazilian Ferrari driver, Felipe Massa. His lead was looking good and he continued that for the first 2-3 laps. Then came the first shocker for the night! Nelson Picquet Jr., Alonso's buddy had crashed his car on the barricade, that gave way for the first Safety Car to come out and that slowed down everybody including Massa, Alonso was already going to pit to change his tyres from soft to hard and he got an advantage moving out faster than others. From thereon it was all going wrong for Ferrari and all going right for Renault. Massa dragged the gas hose and knocked down one of his pit guys coz he signaled him to go too early, Kimi crashed just 4 laps before the race was over and the Ferrari dream to win the first night race was shattered.

Nothing to take away from Alonso though, he was careful all through and maintained his lead and deserved to win, from 14 to Podium is a remarkable feat indeed. If luck smiled on him tonight, I think he was ready to take it, don't we? Well there comes the end to the most exciting, exhilarating, adventurous and thrilling Weekend of my life. I Love Singapore! :) Oh! I Love Formula 1 :)

Watch the Official Video Preview of the race...unbeliveable scenes at the Ferrari pit stop.



The race was over around 9:45 and people started to disperse, again had to walk out to catch a taxi back home. The MRT Train Station (City Hall) was at a distance and I had no plans to take long walks, not after waiting for 4 Hours + 90 Mins of race time. F*** the queue to take taxi looked like an Indian temple with devotees standing to offer their prayers, I prayed myself to move the queue a little faster but it was not to be. It took 45 Minutes to get a cab. While I was waiting, I saw the most expensive club gates of Amber Lounge, man they had 3 artifical waterfalls sliding down inside their club? Which club have you seen that before? And the ladies standing...waiting to get in were from a different world (Europe to be precise). pure extravagance, the tickets to the Amber Lounge was between 5-7K SGD. Man...some people really know how to party

We got home and again I crashed and my legs were so fu****g sore from all that standing, I refused to move my ass an inch from the bed. My friend however wanted to make most of his first trip to Singapore and headed with my host to an Open Air Market in Geylang Sarai for a quick flea market shopping experience, I have heard about it but I just didn't have the strenghth to go there. I stayed back and had dinner and waited for my friend to arrive, he came around 1:30 AM. We got ready and moved out of the house around 2:00 AM to the Airport via Mustafa Shopping Center. My friend still wanted to shop, I can understand, theres so much to take away. For me, I'm taking back unforgettable memories of the city and its inaugral Formula 1 race.

We thanked our host for the wonderful hospitality and hopefully we will meet him again...sooner than later. Took a cab and headed to Mustafa's. Again, I just picked up a packet of chocolates for the guys back in the office and thats about it, my friends on the other got some stuff for his family, we moved out of the shop by 4:30 AM and reached the Airport, did our clearanace and waited to board the plane. I saw the Singapore GP Merchandise Store and picked up 2 race t-shirts, it cost me $ 86 SGD. Gates open, we walked in, got seated and then comes another chic this time next to my friend but the same thing happened, "I need to sleep" ya well, I have heard that before ;)

Just minutes before landing, I picked up the KrisFlyer In-Flight Shopping Catalogue and browsing through the pages, I found an Official F1 Perfum going for $ 50 SGD. It had a free keychain to go with it. It was very attractive and like all attractive things, I bought it. Another first for me, In-Flight Shopping ;) Here it is..

The plane reached on time, again early but I got a rude shock when I stepped out of the Airport, no fu****g taxis to avail. Go to this place, that place, take a coupon, what the f*** was going on? I cant believe the Govt. has the nerve to say they are going to make this place "Shanghai". They cant even have Taxi Stops at the most important place in any city, the International Airport. Then there is the fu****g traffic, it took 3 Hours to reach home. Plane landed at 10:00 AM and reached home at 1:00 PM. Man...felt like flying from First Class to Third Class

Anyways, that's a wrap on this Post and this Blog. Like I always say "You make choices and you dont look back". Not everything went the way we wanted on this trip (like my fu****g shoes and the sad Megadance Party) but on the brighter side it was a dream come true to go back to Singapore in 9 Months and attend one of the World's Most Dangerous and Expensive Sport known to man, the Formula 1. This was my first one and I promise you today this will not be my last one. Amen

Thanks for reading.