my F1 2008 weekend

Display at Concourse area, Suria KLCC

Petronas Malaysian Grand Prix

21-22-23 March 2008

It has been 10 years since the first F1 race in Sepang International Circuit, Malaysia.
How time flies!


Me and my dear sweetheart, true to his nature, waited until the last minute to purchase tickets for the race. I've been nagging him endlessly about it but I strongly believe he is getting immuned to my nagging.

We knew the exact block and row that we wanted but the ticket outlets and agents seem not to have those seats. So, Thursday afternoon, I called the KL Sentral Sepang International Circuit office to query about our selected seats. Turned out they cannot check the availability. The person I spoke to told me to call their main office at Sepang itself.


Called Sepang office and I enquired about my selected seats and just as I suspected, they do not have them either and do not know which agents may have them.

Bummer!

Hah! But here's the twist -

"Akak, my supervisor has tickets where you want but they are complimentary tickets. Not for sale. But if Akak want, my supervisor says that he's willing to sell it."

"Oh really? Is this for real?"

"Betul Akak. It is exactly like the normal ticket except that it states "Complimentary. RM0.00"."

"Hmmm... How much?"


"Akak, you know how much is Crystal right?"

"1200."


"Ya. This one I'm giving for 950 each and Akak can get PA1 parking at 100 as normal."

To be honest, I was sold when she said parking PA1. It is almost impossible to get PA1 parking tickets. PA1 is right opposite the main entrance. That would save lots of leg work in the hot sun.


"Hmmm... mmm.... if I want, I have to go to Sepang to get it from you?"


"Ya Akak but like I said, it's complimentary; not for sale. So Akak please call me when you get here."

"Alright. I'll do that if I decide to buy them from you."

Erm, so I commited an illegal ticket purchase.

Oh well...

We missed Friday 21st March 2008 free practice.




Saturday 22nd March 2008, Hunnie and I left at noon and an hour later was at Sepang.

It was perfect weather to be out actually - overcast and windy! But still very humid.

At the Welcome Centre and Mall Area

The three teams I watch out for - BMW Sauber, Vodafone Mclaren Mercedes, Ferrari - and in that order

After the Qualifying session

Grid Positions:

1. Felipe Massa - Ferrari

2. Kimi Raikkonen - Ferrari

3. Jarno Trulli - Toyota

This was after the McLaren pair were penalised for obstructing those in their flying lap.

Sunday 23rd March 2008, sis and I left early around 10am knowing from previous experiences the massive traffic jam that will await us if we left any later.

I was trying to get something autographed by Nick Heidfeld but the queue was too long.
Snapped a picture instead.

Some pits


Driver's Parade


At the starting grid before the race. It looks really crowded in pictures and on TV. But in real life, it's not that bad actually. All the bustling looks quite subdued in real life.

Poised to go for their warm-up lap:



The five red lights go off and there they go... Vrrrooommm.....


Round,

and round

and round

and round they go...



After 57 laps, the podium finishers were:

1. Kimi Raikkonen - Ferrari
2. Robert Kubica - BMW Sauber
3. Heikki Kovalainen - Vodafone McLaren Mercedes



Woohoo!
My team got second!
Not very impressive but BUT it was the first podium finish for the team sponsored by Petronas and how fitting on its 10th anniversary.


What a fun weekend!

Saturday, 08 March 2008

A date to mark one of the significant points in my adult life – the very first time I am exercising my voting rights as a Malaysian.

The date would have been sooner if I was allowed to vote in the last election in 2004. However, I was informed then that I could not vote because apparently, I registered late thus my name was not in the name list.

When it was announced that elections would be held on the 8^th of March 2008, campaigning began. It started slowly, gradually with this person, that person saying this and that.
But two weeks to the date, campaigning was in full force and how can you tell?
By just looking around.
There was a sudden burst of flags, banners, buntings, pennants at every nook and corner.

It was war of the flags.

It felt like a carnival - who can put more, who can put higher, who is more creative in making some sort of shape or arrangement using flags and pennants...

Sheesh, these people are defacing public amenities. Not to mention the mess that will be left behind.

While I was in Australia, I managed to witness an election there. No such thing as flying flags of any party. Campaigning was done in such an orderly manner. Every contesting party had airtime over the TV and radio, and printed media to convey their messages. Advertisements on TV were replaced with short clips of each parties’ leaders promising this and that and at the same time, taunting, mocking and even bluntly insulting the other parties’ manifestos. It was hilarious and fun!

To me, the media must be apolitical, much like the armed forces, to deliver unbiased views, promises and even lies untainted direct to the general public.

Come Saturday morning, I was up early. Actually, I could hardly wake up that morning but I had to. I wanted to get it over and done with.

I dread the thought of trying to park the car with all the crowd and the long queue in the heat.

7.45am I was at the school already.

7.55am I was queuing. I was 4^th in line. Weather was cool after the rain the night before and overcast. Perfect weather to be out.

Voting was supposed to start at 8.00am and in true Malaysian fashion, they allowed the first three person into the classroom at 8.10am.

Less than a minute later, I walked into the classroom, IC at the ready.
Upon checking my name, one orange-coloured ballot (for Parliamentary seat) and one mustard-coloured ballot (for State seat) were torn from a booklet and handed to me.
Behind a paper booth I went and with the provided pencil, marked one X for each, folded the papers, and dropped them into two transparent plastic boxes for the different seats, placed in the middle of the classroom.
It took less than 3 minutes all in all.

8.20am I was back home and back into bed!

And the results are:

Parliamentary Seats

State Seats

In a map:

BN lost five states to the PKR-DAP-PAS coalition.

Being in Selangor, I was startled by the results.
I did not expect Selangor to fall to the alternative party. I thought BN would have won, marginally though.
But lose and with such a huge margin?! Tsk tsk tsk…

I am anxiously waiting in anticipation to witness how the new ruling state governments will bring change to their respective states. I am thrilled and at the same time apprehensive of their ability to deliver to everyone’s expectations, to deliver what they promised.

Winning is one thing, a huge thing no doubt, but delivering is another thing, a daunting thing and to me, the most important thing.

Yes, we needed change but with no experience ruling, I wonder how the PKR-DAP-PAS coalition are going to work together with their clearly different ideologies.

It is going to be an interesting, good or bad, 4-5 years to come.

Sunday morning with the election results out, Selangor/KL felt quiet to me.
I just felt as if everyone was slumped in their chairs, in disbelieve of what had just happened not 24 hours ago.

Or could it be the lull before the storm?

Oh well...

Que sera sera
Whatever will be, will be
The future’s not ours to see
Que sera sera

Harry Connick Jr. - Oh My Nola

8.30pm 4th March 2008
Harry Connick Jr. and his Big Band
'My New Orleans' Tour
Dewan Filharmonik Petronas

Review in a word: Excellent!

What a great night out.

I’ve heard of Harry Connick Jr once awhile and knew that he was a singer and actor in movies and theater but as usual, never paid attention. I am very selective. Hmm, severely selective actually.

Anyway, all these years, his music was not inline with my taste. I believe jazzy, big band tunes are for the older people or for the young ones with old souls. I am without a doubt, a new soul. I started with the teeny boppers tunes, boy bands with their catchy tunes and adorable cute faces and dance moves which when looking back now, Eeks! So tacky! I was into main stream pop, the likes of Christina Aguilera, Mariah Carey (still a fan of both though) and the like but now I have graduated to swing, jazzy big band, a little opera, and oldies – a true sign that I am getting old. Sighh…

The only sign of any musical “culture” in my childhood is that I love orchestras. That was after being forced to learn classical piano at eight. Yes, forced! Which kid likes sitting in front of the piano practicing scales and arpeggios over and over and over again and the three pieces for piano exams? What a bore and way too much hard work… Oops, digressed. Releasing some angst there.

Aaanyway, back to June – “June” for Junior. He mentioned in his CD sleeve that most of his family member calls him June.

When I caught wind that June was performing here for his ‘My New Orleans’ tour and most importantly at our impressive Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, I gauged that it is a show not to be missed.

So I went a hunting for his latest album, Oh My Nola, of which this tour is based on. Many stores do not carry it but found it I did. The record went spinning on repeat for the pass two weeks to get me into the mood. I must admit that listening to his album, I was thinking to myself “What is so striking about this fella anyway?”. His vocals are good and music, good too but that’s just it, good. Not great.

That was until yesterday!

Listening and watching him perform live, I had a ‘lighted light-bulb above my head’ moment when it dawned upon me the reason why he has been around in this business for the pass 20 over years. Listening to him on record doesn’t do him justice by a mile. In my opinion, if an artist sounds better live, that shows real talent because on record, sounds can be edited. Live – you get what you hear, imperfections and all, good and bad.

I have been lucky so far. First with Sean Ghazi, then James Morrison and now Harry Connick Jr. All of them sound a good deal better live.

Harry is an entertainer through and through. He is able to deliver his songs flawlessly and engage the audience with him. His Big Band was most impressive too. All together, on stage, there were twelve of them with Harry mostly on piano. A guest of his, a trombonist, made an appearance for about 20 minutes then left. So it was mainly the twelve of them playing their hearts out. It was spectacular! What I also enjoyed watching was the camaraderie between him and his band. Good stuff!

What he said at the beginning of the show was so very true – if a performer is not having a good time, the audience can feel it. Harry was having a good time because the audience were too.

When I bought the tickets, the lady at the box office said that it was going to be a one-and-half-hour show without intermission. But it was actually close to two hours and what a fantastic way to spend two hours on.

I thoroughly enjoyed it and to those who will miss it, what a shame.