To Asia!

I had a long, much needed chat with Kev at the airport. He was coming down from the wedding and still having issues with dickheads at work, but I was glad to hear his solution to drown out the needless words directed at him. Whenever I’m on the phone with someone at the airport, the plane comes too quickly and I was soon saying goodbye to Kev so I could get on my flight to Singapore.

Having not done a shred of research into what I would do in the country, I spent the flight reading my downloaded Lonely Planet Guide and dotting my offline map with points of interest, like where the entry gates to the F1 track were and the hostel where I’d be staying.

When I landed, it was nearly midnight and I was ready to find a bed. The greenery of Singapore hit me even before I’d left the airport with walls of plants staged about the place giving it a nice feel.

I used “Grab”, Singapore’s equivalent of Uber, to get a lift to the hostel and though I was initially a little wary of the unfriendly driver who didn’t say a word as I got in the car, he soon became chatty. When he asked where I worked, I said Tesla because I didn’t want to try and explain SLAC to him. He lit up at that and explained how expensive it was to own a car in Singapore and then the hoops to jump through to get a driver’s license. He said I must be rich to have afforded tickets to the F1 race. When he asked if I was married, I said no. I was 26 years old again and working at Tesla!

After doing a block around my drop-off point, I found the door to my hostel in Chinatown and followed the instructions emailed to me to find my way inside. Despite the stupid hour of the night, I was grateful to find an Asian lady up and about so she helped me to get situated. I was also grateful for the lower bunk and air conditioning. When I first entered the hot building, I feared I may have made a grave mistake but blissfully, the bedrooms were cooled.

Singapore Marathon

It was Thursday so there would be no track activity today (or so I thought), so I had the whole day to get acquainted with Singapore and explore a little. I figured I should be organized and get myself a train ticket so I started there. When I booked my hostel, all I’d cared about was that it was walking distance to the track so the fact that it was right at the door of a major subway station was a huge bonus.

I descended the escalator and ventured to get a tourist train ticket at the service desk. Through broken English, the lady told me I needed to pay cash and it sounded like way too much money but so I went to the ATM machine. I was glad I brought two cards because the first was rejected. With a line at the ticket window, I left the tourist ticket until later, feeling a little like an idiot traveler who didn’t know what she was doing.

Back on ground level, I wandered through Chinatown desperate for some brekkie. A found a place but it was a struggle. Despite it being nearly 10am, the place was dead – was much more of a late night bustle I guess. With a full tummy I had a look inside the Buddha Tooth Temple where there was a LOT of Buddhas and some serious chanting going on. There were tables outside laden with dishes of rice and all sorts – a special day celebrating something but not a regular event.

Across the way from my rooms, I visited the hostel’s front desk and paid for my room. A whole $206 SGD for four nights – on a grand prix weekend – wow. Towel rental also cost me $2. Now I was off for a real stroll.

I visited another temple at the end of Chinatown, taking my shoes off to go inside and marvel at the pastel colors covering every inch of it.

The next temple let you keep your shoes on! I didn’t try to understand the significance of any of these places, just took in the scene and appreciated the architecture. They were all active places of worship, some busier than others.

I wandered on with a general idea of making it to Marina Bay Sands and the temples were soon replaced with high rises. Once I got to Marina Bay, it was lunch time on a workday and so the atypical professional was out and about sustenance or having a smoke on the sidewalk. Smoking is still a popular thing in Singapore but you’d never see a cigarette butt on the ground.

Nearing the Marina Bay Sands mall, I saw a beautiful dome glass building on the water. Thinking it must be a museum, art gallery or fancy restaurant, I was shocked when I discovered it was an Apple Store! I went into the shopping mall, through a tunnel and up an escalator just to have a look inside and it was typical Apple. Of course they needed to be inside a glass dome on the Singapore marina.

I wandered the shopping mall a while, enjoying the cool off in the air-conditioning and saw signed for Sky Park, the viewing platform atop the hotel. I thought I should definitely do that. I hopped onto the Wifi and discovered that a booking is required and with all the sunset and evening spots booked out, I slotted in for 3pm.

That gave me a few hours to wander through Gardens by the Bay. It was just across the road from the hotel but I took the roundabout way, not quite finding how to get to the overpass that bypassed the busy road.

At the entrance to the gardens, I resisted the temptation to buy tickets for stuff and just wandered in. I was so glad I hadn’t paid up, there was plenty to enjoy for free. I walked to the north part which is quiet but has some interesting statues and installations.

As I headed south, I came to the real “meat” of the gardens. The “Super Trees” were beautiful from the ground – no need to pay to go up to the top of them.

They are wonderful structures that reminded me of something out of Avatar. The purple steel framing was the support for a wonderful array of plants that grew up the frames to form a tree-shape. While they look amazing, I couldn’t help thinking how much better they will appear when the man-made frame is no longer visible.

A bit further on I found a row of animal statues that seemed like the creatures of Pride Rock lining up to pay homage to Simba, their new king. It was never-ending and with each statue touching the next, with water creatures and land animals alike, it was as if the animal kingdom was in harmony.

After wandering throughout the place, I had enough time to do one of the two climate-controlled domes. I chose the Flower Dome. The Cloudy Forest also looked cool, but the 3D Avatar Experience add-on made it seem gimmicky. I paid $40 SGD for the experience of the Flower Dome and it was well worth it. For a start, it was air-conditioned!

The orchard garden was the current theme and they weren’t kidding. My new boss at SLAC is a gardener and specifically prides herself on nurturing orchards so I couldn’t help but think she’d be in heaven seeing so many healthy ones in abundance.

They had gardens from all over the world (including the Aussie bush and a typical Arizonian desert) but the thing that took my breath away the most was the sculptures made from drift wood. They were dotted throughout the entire dome in the form of deer, a snake, owls and most impressive, I giant dragon. It looked so simple to just put pieces of driftwood together to make these incredible shapes but how to do it?!

With my Sky Park appointment coming up, I was happy to find the elevated walkway back into Marina Bay and had time for a quick bite in the food court before heading up the towers. My ticket was scanned and I was soon in an elevator packed with sweaty people to the top of the iconic building.

The first thing that took my breath away from the platform was the boats stationed outside the harbor. A sign told me that this is the busiest port in the world and I believe it. There must have been hundreds of them! I thought of Kev on his tug boat. They must have an army of tugs just to manage this lot.

I feel like my F1 weekend started here because I got my first look at the track. I was surprised to see Dad’s grandstand still present because that section of the track was now gone, I thought due to construction, but it appeared they’d just forgotten to put the turns in. It looked weird to have a 5,000-seat grandstand facing away from the circuit.

I followed the twists and turns and tried to figured out exactly where I’d be and knew that I had to find a way to see this view at night. Camping out up on the platform wasn’t an option (that would be a five-hour wait) so I thought I’d have to try my hand at the Singapore Flyer (the giant ferris wheel).

After admiring the view, I started looking down with purpose and noticed that the footbridge leading over to the Singapore Flyer was open. I saw a few people walking across it in either direction so figured if I head down to street level and crossed over, I’d be able to get to the Flyer.

Having been on my feet all day, I took the opportunity to sit for a while in the shade and look out at the port, getting my money’s worth ($35 SGD) for my viewing experience. Then, it was on to my next mission.

I wandered along the footbridge I’d seen from on high, walking through what would become an entrance gate for the track action tomorrow. As I reached the other side, I was met with fencing and a guy having an argument with a track official about letting him through.

There was no way to the Flyer from here. But then, the angry guy started walking under the road bridge that led towards the Flyer and the track. A few others were lingering about and we all followed his lead. We stepped gently over the rocks and on the other side, found ourselves inside the track.

We joined other members of the public so there were obviously other holes in the fencing at this early stage in the weekend so no one bothered about us being there. I didn’t quite know exactly where I was but it was the last sector of the circuit.

When I made my way around to Turn 5, I saw a huge crowd gathered and found out I was at the Paddock entrance! Everyone was hanging out to spot drivers.

As if to prove the point, Valtteri Bottas got out of a black SUV and sauntered into the Paddock. All I had to do was kill time for my night time Flyer ride so I happily stuck around. The security had some weird requests, like not wanting us to stand on the grass, and definitely not likely it when I sat down on a concrete block. No sitting! If you are a real fan, you will stand!

I had a great time. I saw Rachel Brooks and Karun Chandok of Sky Sports, Rosanna Tennant from F1TV, Stefano Domenicali, Joe Saward (no one asked for his autograph). Then drivers really started showing up, starting with Lance fucking Stroll. This crowd was diplomatic, it didn’t matter who it was, they were going to get mobbed. Even Franz Tost got stopped for autographs and gave a guy a hug.

Nico Hulkenberg’s hair looked blonder than ever but I really lost my breath when Daniel Ricciardo walked into view. Daniel, who’d been thrown back into the paddock after half a year out, Daniel, who wouldn’t be driving in Singapore due to a broken hand but Daniel, who showed up anyway because he knew I’d be here! I didn’t move. I let the mob mob him and stick phones in his face. I just stood there and watched. That’s my guy! His smile was as big as ever and he didn’t seem phased by the brace on his left wrist. Daniel Ricciardo walked right by me. I think I experienced “swooning” for the first time!

Not long after that, security got smart and started putting barriers up so I figured the fun was over.

I was near the Singapore Flyer so I went past for a recon. Yes it was open for business, no a reservation wasn’t required, no we’re not sure why there’s no one here. I could tell them why, because everyone in here had snuck in!

I treated myself to an ice cream and sat down to rest on a grassy knoll by the pit lane entry before the last corner. The sun was slowly going down and my legs were happy to be static for a while as TV and audio checks started happening. Lights came on and I could smell the brakes of the safety car as it pulled into the pit lane after doing inspection laps of the circuit.

Once the lights came on and it was getting dark, I had a sit in the grandstand and watched the TV as they did a bit of fake commentary for the safety car that kept touring the circuit. I was joined in the stands by working crews taking a break and other superfans like myself who were enjoying the pre-race atmosphere.

Now that it was dark enough, I made my way towards the big wheel. I stood in a line for only twenty minutes before being admitted to a pod with only six people. I met Mariella, another solo traveler, because I commented on her Haas hat. Turns out she’s a friend of Pietro Fitipaldi and I was happy to hear her report that it would be Pietro’s last year hanging around as a Haas reserve drive. He was going back to racing full time in a different series. Good for him.

Mariella was in town for the 2049 conference that was all about Bitcoin and by the end of our ten minute conversation, she was telling me I should work for her company Dimo because they badly needed engineers and that I could work remotely from anywhere. Hah! She also told me how I could live in Mexico full time like she did. As long as you had a regular pay check you didn’t need no visa!

I was on the wheel to enjoy the view and enjoy it I did. What a great view of the circuit all lit up! These were the shots that I was used to seeing on TV so it was amazing to see it in real life. Looking straight down into the paddock, I could tell Max Verstappen was doing media because a mob of camera men followed a guy dressed in black until he came to a standstill outside the Red Bull garage.

At the end of the ride, Mariella was asking advice on how to get to Marina Bay Sands so I told her about the under-the-bridge route and said goodbye. Unfortunately that was a no-go and I found her there getting rejected as I tried to make my way back. Security was onto us now. We walked together where we were told to go and when she peeled off to go to a subway station, I stayed on the streets and took the long way along the marina around to the Merlion.

I got to the foot bridge opposite Marina Bay Sands right on 9pm which happened to be the right time to enjoy the Marina Bay light and laser show! None of this was planned… It seemed like Singapore’s version of the Bellagio fountains in Vegas and sorry Singapore, you’re not as good. It’s more of a far-field experience and too far in the distance to really appreciate the water choreography. It also went for twenty minutes which was a bit long. Still, it was a massive show with lots of lasers and stuff, so cool.

The Merlion was a beautiful sight. Another center piece of the Marina Bay, I didn’t know it had this artsy side to it so I stayed a while to take it in.

Everyone else it seemed, was just determined to get a good photo of it. The amount of peace signs and selfies going on was just bonkers!

It was getting late now and I was desperate for dinner. I was walking back towards Chinatown now and though I dipped into Las Pa Sat, a big indoor food court, the hot soups and noodles just didn’t appeal. The outdoor street markets were similar to what I’d experienced in Malaysia for the grand prix there, but it was just too hot and busy.

And so I walked and I ended up finding a quiet little nook of a restaurant on the edge of Chinatown. I originally sat outside, but soon moved inside and though the air-conditioning was weak, it was better than the sweat-fest outside. I had some very oily but delicious fried food and my $5 beer was in a bottle big enough to fill two glasses.

Full and exhausted, I had myself a cold shower and slid into bed in my air-conditioned room, managed to see that I’d walked a full marathon around Singapore and it was only day one.

Chance Meeting

I’d had enough of greasy food so before I left the hostel (and the internet), I found myself a place where I could get an Acai bowl. It was a grand prix day, but the beauty of a night race is that you have all day to do other things before the track action gets underway!

I enjoyed the walk to a metro area and was stoked to find that the mall where I found my Acai bowl had an outdoor shaded eating area right across from my favorite building in Singapore. I’d spotted it yesterday but lost sight of it and now I got to sit and take in every feature of it. Similar to the super trees I’d seen yesterday, the building was coated with greenery that had filled out nicely, but still had a ways to go to cover the supporting framework.

My wandering began from there. The Baba house I’d read about was closed (bookings required) so I ventured across a busy road to get to a train station. Underground, I talked to a man at a service desk and he informed me that tourist passes weren’t available at this station. Bugger. But then, he asked if I just wanted to buy a normal pass. It was only $5 and I could load value onto it like a local. Yes please! That was a way better deal than the $30 flat rate charged for the punter’s version. I’m not sure if he was breaking the rules, but I happily handed over my cash. Then I asked him if I could catch a bus over to Little India. When he asked why, I said because I wanted to see where I was going instead of being underground! He pulled out his phone and gave me some directions then I was on my way.

Back up top, I read some signs and figured out what number I needed. When the bus pulled up, it was a double-decker. Perfect! I enjoyed the view from the top floor as we drove through traffic eastward bound.

When we got close to Little India, I got off after the bus turned away from my destination and followed my feet up Emma hill towards a castle. The castle was a fail thanks to the serious looking fencing and signage the didn’t encourage visitors. Maybe it was the prime minister’s house?

Back down the street, it was obvious when I was in Little India. Indians everywhere! The streets were tight and the markets spilled out onto them. Every other person had a red dot between their eyes and the number of scooters went up.

There was a beautiful white temple complete with golden domes (straight out of Aladdin) in the center of the hustle and bustle and though I tried, I was denied entry. Today was a men-only day at the temple!

I walked the allies looking for a breezy spot to have lunch but I eventually gave up, not wanting to sweat it out over a hot curry and left India behind. I was heading slowly towards the track now and the number of McLaren hats and Red Bull shirts in the crowd steadily grew.

I found a great lunch spot in the Duo tower and enjoyed the Wifi to call Dad for an update. I took my time with my chicken teriyaki bowl, knowing this would be my last time in air-conditioning for the day.

With gates open, I was ready to start my Singapore F1 experience. I crossed the road and found a HUGE queue for entry at Gate 1. This was not a good start. The heat was overpowering as we were snaked through a maze of fencing. Those without bags walked right past us but I didn’t envy them. I had my water bottle and snacks stashed inside my backpack and my handy transistor radio!

I got talking to an Aussie couple in the queue and found out they’d paid thousands for their tickets so I was happy with my $700 seat price. Once I was in, I relished that feeling you get when at an unfamiliar track. Friday is the day to wander.

I came up on the Porsche paddock track entry point at an opportune time and waited to see them roll out onto the circuit. Just before they roared past me, I looked across the track and saw Checo in the paddock area. First Dani and now Checo? It was going to be a good weekend.

I watched the Porsches at the inside of Turn 2 for a bit. There were no crowds yet and no TVs on this side. I’m glad I hadn’t gone cheap and opted for Premier Walkabout tickets because the measly platforms on which you could stand weren’t much better than the view from the ground.

When I came upon my first information stand, I enquired about the broadcast channel and they told me they weren’t offering that this year. No! I didn’t believe the teenager who told me this so I asked at another info booth but got the same answer. Oh, but you can download the app and pay to listen in to the action! Assholes! That would be money down the drain because trying to stream anything during the race doesn’t work because there’s too much internet traffic. Sorry about the $15 Dad.

Off to the fan zone and people were already seeking shade. It took me a while but I eventually found a water station and what a joke it was. It took about 3 minutes to fill a bottle and they should have had fifty of them  around the circuit. Not just a few. People were going to die in this heat.

I posted up leaning on a wine barrel at bar near the fan stage waiting for the driver meet and greet to kick-off. As driver interviews always are, it was very wah-wah, but the crowd got excited when hats were thrown to them and it was handy that Lance Stroll didn’t bother to show up.

Still awaiting track action, I moved with the crowd and scoped out the track walk entry point for  later in the night. There was no F1 Outlet offering cheap and out-dated merchandise like I’d grown used to from Austin and many of the shops had already sold out of umbrellas and XL kids t-shirts (the only shirts cheap enough to be of interest to me).

Time to get into my grandstand, there would be no sneaking in at the Singapore GP. They had three people posted at each entrance and they wouldn’t even let me in at the wrong entrance. Once into he grandstand, I didn’t even bother to find out where my seat was, I wandered the length of the pits at about the same pace as those doing the uitwalk.

Within minutes I saw Ted Kravitz of Sky Spots. I swear I have an eye for him because I’ve seen him every time I’ve been in a pit grandstand. I posted up across from the Red Bull garage and watched a girl take selfies for no less than half an hour in front of me. Then, just as free practice 1 was about to get underway, she fucked off. A real fan obviously.

It was great to watch pit stop practice and I spotted Checo in the back of the garage before the session got started. I was sitting facing the sun and I was hoping that halfway through FP1 I’d be in the shade but that didn’t happen until the very end of the session.

It’s great to sit in the main grandstand for practice because there’s so much activity and just so much noise! I didn’t pay any attention to the TVs along the pit building, but just watched the action in the pitlane.

The loudness of the tires hitting the rumble strip through the last corner was an indicator of how fast each car was going.

Halfway through the session, I gaped with my mouth open at people trying to find their seats in the more than half-empty grandstand. People actually argued with each other about being in their seats! Just sit down guys! There’s F1 action happening and you’re looking at ticket stubs!

There was just so much to be excited about. Williams were sporting a fantastic new livery that would look even better under the lights.

Still not willing to give up, I thumbed through all the frequencies on my transistor radio. No joy.
With the session at an end, everyone was on their feet with their phones in hand to film the practice starts. I just sat back and enjoyed the noise. As everyone left the stand, I moved down the circuit to sit across from the Aston Martin and Haas garages to watch the TSS series practice session. It was nice just to look into the F1 garages and see what was going on.

The sun was setting now and with a few hours between sessions, I wandered back over to the Fan Zone to watch some team principals get interviewed. Not normally something I’d be that interested in but I had time to kill and James Vowles was going to be in attendance and I’m a fan of his.

Posted up at my wine barrel, the crowd was noticeably thinner than it had been for the drivers and as I waited I looked out into it. There, in a bright orange shirt, was a face I thought I recognized. I wasn’t sure, but I started moving towards him and then I saw his wife. Now I was sure!

I asked Phil if he remembered me from the Malaysian GP five years ago and yes he did. His wife Emma did too! Phil was quick to point out that we should be ashamed of ourselves to have not coordinated better and I agreed but then we were just so happy to have found each other! We had James Vowles to thank because they wouldn’t have bothered being at the stage either if it wasn’t for him.

Phil and Emma are Brits that have made the pilgrimage to the Singapore F1 race for most of the years it’s run since 2014.

After listening to the interviews, we made our way back to the pit grandstand where they were also seated for the first night F1 session. Of course, we had to enter at our specific spots so we split up and then joined again at their seats right on the start line (they’d chosen them specifically).

With our prime position, I was ready for the practice starts this time and as soon as the checkered flag came out, I grabbed Emma and we stood at the front of the grandstand for a good look. They roared away right in front of us and I could feel the rumble through my feet.

The cars were noticeably quicker since they were doing their qualifying simulations and I was noticeably more animated because I had people to get excited with. Phil and Emma are proper fans too so we had a blast.

Our priority now was to get onto the track. I’d read the fine print at the bottom of the track map stating that the track would be open to spectators following the final session to encourage pedestrian traffic flow. With this being my only opportunity of the weekend to be in Zone 1, I couldn’t miss it and Phil and Emma were just as keen.

We found a crowd gathered at the spot I’d scoped out earlier and we were soon let out onto the main straight. This was epic! It was only Friday!

There were bits of rubber already dotting the track and we walked slow. Especially past all of the pit garages where the crews were packing up for the night. Unbelievable that you can get this close all for the price of a grandstand seat!

By the time we got to the final corner, the crowd control was out in force with a line of people holding hands and trucks behind them hitting their horns, “Beep! Beep!” Keep moving!

As we walked backwards along the track, we tried to keep our bearings and imagine the cars coming through at speed. Wow. Just wow.

Once off the track, we found ourselves behind a grandstand where the buildings were lit up and someone had made a nice art installation using colorful strings and lights to spell Singapore Grand Prix from two different angles.

Now out of the track, it was well beyond midnight and we were all hungry for dinner. I followed the “locals” now as Phil and Emma knew the area well. Circle Quay appeared to still be in full swing but once we got past the first busy section where drinking was the only priority, we found ourselves a quiet Indian restaurant on the water to continue catching up and get some delicious food into us.

We swapped stories from the past five years as we ate and kept shaking our heads at the improbability of us finding each other in the zoo that is an F1 weekend. We were interrupted only be an old lady walking below us on the rocky bank of the marina to post up and feed the huge fish and turtles with a huge bag of bread. It was too much even for them.

After capping off the night with some deep fried ice cream, we hugged, said goodbye and walked in opposite directions. We made plans to meet up tomorrow in Zone 4 after the track action and hoped for the same luck we’d enjoyed today since I was without a SIM card and therefore unreachable without Wifi. Old school!

I enjoyed my fifteen minute walk home, putting my head on my pillow somewhere around 2am. Today was only practice!

Fast Cars and Great Music

I panicked a little in the morning having lost my shoes, then I remembered that you had to leave them outside the room. I was getting used to an older bunk mate unpacking and re-packing her belongings in the early hours of the morning so her rustling didn’t bother me too much before I properly woke up around 9am.

I tried for an acai bowl in a nearby shopping mall but had no luck. I did find the local bouldering gym was busy though! When I was back on the street and saw a 197 bus coming, I just got on. Breakfast could wait until later. I got off at the science park which was clearly a Monday to Friday type of place but persevered looking for the trailhead. Construction was in full swing so it meant I had to take the long way round but I eventually found my way into Kent Ridge Park. I was at the base of the park so I took a set of stairs up to the top.

I followed the signs through the heavily forested area to the canopy walk.

The timber walkway wove high through the trees for barely a half mile then dropped down into Hort Park. Still following signs, I was excited to see a knife and fork symbol. I was bloody starving.

Hort Park opened up into a community garden, a bunch of open spaces and a community center in the middle which was hosting some markets and a kids event. There were a few restaurants around the center and I tried my luck at the Garden Eatery. The sign at the entrance said reservations only, but they posted me up at a table by the window. I didn’t see anyone get in after me so I’d been lucky.

Presented with a QR code on the table to order, I flagged someone down to order my breakfast. You really have to have an internet-connected phone to survive in this country. I enjoyed a shamefully American-style breakfast while I watched the park goers wander by me.

With a full tummy, I kept walking on towards the Henderson Waves. Another suspended walkway, this one of metal construction, I was much higher up now and got my first view of the “suburbs” – high rises as far as the eye can see. It was scary to see so many apartment buildings disappearing off into the distance.

The wavy part of the walkway was very cool and apparently a really nice sight at night but the architecture alone was inspiring.

The last section of the walkway was closed so I took some stairs down, then climbed a big hill to get to Faber Point. There were great 360 degree views up here and I could see the cable car going over to Sentosa. I was making things up as I went here, but decided it would be worth my while taking the cable car over to the theme park island.

Underneath the lookout point, there were some fantastic textured wall pieces displaying Singapore’s history and I strolled around to look at them all. They told a great story of how the trade port became a bustling hive of multiculturalism that then became a driving force of technology.

At the cable car station, I walked up to the ticket window only a few minutes before a huge tour group showed up. It meant I had a whole car to myself to the Harbour Front Station. My cable car perched atop the skyscraper for a moment while picking up a family of three, then we carried on over to the island.

Sentosa island had a very “resorty” feel to it with tourists wandering around with ice creams and cold drinks, strollers a-plenty and signage pointing every which way. I had a look at a map and would have appreciated a brochure or something, but I figured I’d follow the signs to the beach then walk along it to the opposite end of the island.

I tried my best to navigate through tunnels of construction for twenty minutes then gave up. I got turned around three times and just couldn’t figure out how to get anywhere of interest. I backtracked and took the island cable car to the beach end.

From the ride, I saw people riding a downhill kart track and got a bit of FOMO until I saw how slow they were going (one kid was having to push himself down the road to get going). I saw bungee jumpers dunk their heads in a pool of water, crossed over a zip line and saw the hundreds of container ships out to sea beyond the beach.

This was tourist central. I’m sure people come from all over the world to Singapore and isolate themselves on this island. Not my cup of tea. Off the cable car, I walked to the beach and tested the water temperature. Bath water. I couldn’t figure out just why it was deserted. It was a weekend and there was nobody around. It felt weird.

The sky was getting black out to sea and I started feeling excited for a wet qualifying session but didn’t dare hope for too much. Speaking of such, it was time to head to the track. Wanting something to cool off, I grabbed a Frosty from a 7-eleven and regretted not waiting in line for the local coconut drink but it did the trick.

At the visitor’s center cafe on the way out, I bought two sandwiches and stuffed them into my backpack – they’d be my trackside dinner.

Now feeling like a seasoned traveler, I took the cable car back to Harbour Front, then got straight onto the subway for a train ride to the circuit. Here I found all the people! City Hall station was a hive of activity with thousands of people going every which way. And me, just another cog in the wheel.

I was at gate 3 today and there was no queue to get in. The bag check was more thorough than yesterday but still not enough to catch my sandwiches.

The Stamford grandstand was right in front of me so I snuck in to take a look. This would be my Sunday seat. I had to convince two different people just to let me take a peek! I stayed up there for the Porsche race.

I was thoroughly excited that this was going to be my spot for tomorrow. Not only was Turn 7 at the end of a long braking zone, I could see the other side of the circuit through some fencing as the track came back on itself. Brilliant!

I was tempted to stay in position for the practice session but thought, no, I should take in the view from my proper grandstand. Out of Stamford and into Padang, it was yet another grandstand facing the setting sun. I went straight to the top to take advantage of the breeze blowing gently from behind the grandstand and that kept the temperature at a manageable level.

The practice session was busy and it was good to admire the Williams Livery some more but the cars really did look their best when they were under lights.

I was glad to not be watching the race from here. It was a short straight without any serious acceleration or braking and definitely no overtaking potential, but it was a good spot for practice.

As soon as the session was over, I skipped over to the Downtown stage where Meg Mac was halfway through her set. Why they would have a band playing during an F1 session is beyond me and while I’d been tempted to see Meg from start to finish, I was here as an F1 fan so that came first. I hadn’t missed much. The crowd was sitting down!

The small stage and the smoke machines didn’t feel right in broad daylight, but Meg sang her heart out anyway. I posted up near the front and swayed to her songs. One girl was having a great time dancing and went up frequently to touch hand with Meg much to the chagrin of the sole security officer who was taking his job seriously.

Finally everyone was off their feet for her last song and I was so glad I’d got to enjoy the last part of her set. She’s an amazing voice.

Never a dull moment at the Singapore grand prix, Kings of Leon were due to start only fifteen minutes after Meg Mac. While everyone else was filling up with beers and shit food, I walked over to the Padang stage and settled in midway through the crowd. There were a few thousand people gathered but nothing too crazy.

I wouldn’t say I’m a huge fan of Kings of Leon, but I appreciate them more now. They’re a group of attractive men (just my type) that have some great sound. They played their classics and some songs I didn’t know that pulled at the heartstrings. It was a massive stage so they had the full-on light show with big screens but it was the front man’s voice that carried over the crowd. What a show. Of course, when the guitar riff of Sex on Fire played out, the crowd went wild and me with it. We all bounced along to their biggest hit and yelled it out at the top of our voices.

I was feeling pretty happy to be in Singapore as I meandered out with the rest of the crowd. There was still a qualifying session to be run! That was the first time at an F1 event where I’ve enjoyed entertainment between the sporting entertainment!

I took up my spot in the grandstand (not my actual spot) and dug into my sandwiches as I waited the forty-five minutes until Saturday’s main event. I did at least locate my seat this time thinking that the stand would fill up but it never did. I had to move a couple of times to vacate other people’s seats, but I stayed up high with a good view of the TV.

This was when the F1 weekend really gets going. Cars flat out for the first (and only) time during the event. It was a dramatic session with talk of penalties for Max Verstappen but he didn’t need them. He’d be starting only sixth!

The crowd was getting riled up and the Ferrari fans were happy for a Carlos pole position. I was just happy.

I didn’t rush to leave the grandstand at the end of the session and let the crowd move around me as I watched the post-qualifying interviews.

When I descended from the stands, I let my body flow with the mob. Post Malone was the headline act for tonight and I had zero interest in sticking around. I knew Phil and Emma would be getting onto the circuit from the start-finish straight at this point and I realized there’s no way I would be able to meet them. We’d said to meet at the Singapore Airlines tent a ways back from the Padang stage but I knew that would be at least an hour wait with a high unlikelihood of success. Plus, I was knackered.

I meandered out of the circuit and walked the same way home as I had done the night before, though this time not needing dinner. I stopped at a 7-Eleven on the way for a yogurt dessert to cool me down a little as I walked.

Back at the hostel, I watched the post-qualifying show and there was no mention of any penalties. Typical FIA.

Let Me Entertain You

The packing lady was defiant this morning despite a polite request from the girl bunked above her to please turn off the light. Once she left, the rest of us in the room shared our misery over a laugh at her ridiculousness. Most of the times I’d come back to find her asleep in a chair in front of the lockers as if guarding her wares or allergic to lying down flat. It meant I woke her up most times to get to my stuff but that wasn’t my problem! Oh, the joys of Hostelling.

It was race day and I was already exhausted from the kilometers walked, the sweat dripped and the excitement had. I had to pace myself. I ate my leftover fried rice and last night’s yogurt for breakfast in bed while re-watching qualifying. Thanks to the lack of broadcasting at the track, it had been hard to follow exactly what went on.

I was out the door around 11am and started at the train station to top up my pass. It only had 70 cents left on it so I’d been right in thinking I’d nearly used it all up!

I crossed over an overpass and while waiting for a bus I bought myself a donut, sprinkles and all. I had considered going out to the world-famous Singapore Zoo but decided that would be too much so stuck to my usual walking around neighbourhoods. I was headed to the eastern district today and while I didn’t seem to be in touristy areas, I got to see how Singaporeans live.

I passed by the most modern temple I’d seen yet and followed a covered walkway that seemed to be a major thoroughfare for the locals. After passing by another train station, I was amazed at the crowds of people picnicking not really in a park, but along the walkway underneath the shade of the train line. Who needs trees for shade when you have concrete towers! Everyone was sitting in close proximity on plastic sheets, playing music, eating, doing karaoke and generally having a good time. It was mostly women and the men who were dotted throughout looked like they’d rather be doing the same thing but in the air-conditioned comfort of their homes. This is obviously the weekend thing to do.

I walked by a few more temples, these ones looking older than the first but the colors just make them wonderful.

After a failed attempt at an acai bowl, where I could order takeaway but not sit and eat inside their indoor seating area (weird), I found myself at colored terrace houses.

My first touristy landmark of the day, they looked completely out of place being in Asia. In front of one of them was a car with matching paint!

All walked out, I was ready for a bus back to the track but my pass wouldn’t work. I only had a $50SGD note that I wasn’t about to give up and the driver couldn’t explain why my pass wasn’t working. Bugger. I tried not to be too frustrated as I felt sweat trickle uncomfortably down my back but just stated towards the nearest train station where I could top-up.

I took a different route, but ended up back at the train station where all the picnicking was happening. I was rewarded for my extra miles with the wind and faint drops from a blackening storm that made the day go dark for a few minutes.

At the train station, I asked for help at the information desk and I was informed that I needed to have at least $5 on the pass to get a ride. Well, for whatever reason it had worked with only 70c before! No worries, I topped up and was soon on my way.

Knowing the area now, once I got off at City Hall station, I stopped in at the mall for some pastries from a French patisserie (my track dinner for later) and sat down at a Macca’s to really fill up before the race. It was great to sit and watch the fans stream in with all their gear on.

Still wasn’t too busy at the gate, I was straight through and sitting in the Stamford grandstand in time for the first track action of the day, a TSS race. For the record, Section A5, Row 15, seats 14-16 are prime position for the best TV and track view. That’s obviously where I spent the rest of my afternoon!

The TSS was a good race with a couple of safety cars and close racing action.

Time for a toilet and water break and I need to mention just how fancy their portable toilets are. A sink built in to the toilet that produces clean water when flushed!

I was happy to sit down again for the Porsche race and with my collared shirt and the sun at my back instead of in my face, I was feeling pretty good about things. The Porsches made a pretty impressive roar as they wove between the buildings and you could hear them doubling the clutch as they downshifted during their approach to Turn 7.

Now for some more music entertainment, an Aussie favorite of mine, San Cisco, was up at the Downtown stage. At least everyone was standing up for this gig. The three-piece were straight into their set and the front man had plenty of banter, commenting on the invisible punter barrier enforced by security and the fact that they’ve become a bit of a “sports band” having played the AFL grand final and now this. They’re not upset about it!

Happy to have heard them play their “Doo-doo-doo-doo, dah-dah-dah-dah-dah” song, I left early to catch the driver’s parade. I have my priorities.

It’s always great to see the driver’s wave as they drive past sitting atop classic cars. Even better was that Lance Stroll didn’t show up after his crash yesterday. I really hope I witnessed the beginning of the end of his career. I found out later that he wouldn’t be racing at all he was too sore and the car too broken from his barrier excursion.

Hoping to be watching the launch of another driver’s career, I cheered especially loudly for Liam Lawson. While I would have preferred to see Dani waving back at me, a Kiwi replacement for the Aussie is a pretty good deal and he was having a good shout.

I laughed at George. Always trying to hard with his sunglasses on and leg up on the convertible like he’s posing for a photoshoot.

And then came the Marshall’s dance! These guys were having a great time moving about in their formation to give us a laugh. They performed three times in front of different grandstand sections just to make sure we all saw their skills.

There was absolutely nothing on between 6 and 8pm so I just sat and watched the track TV as the sun set and the lights came on. Slowly the grandstand filled up and I held my ground in random seat assignment. When the formation lap came, I couldn’t believe I was still in position and with a spare seat next to me!

It’s lights out and away we go! Carlos Sainz in the lead! That’s right, someone that isn’t Max! It stayed that way the whole race and good for Carlos. It was easily the best race of the season because it was the only one not won by Red Bull and though Carlos lead from start to finish, there were scraps up and down the field. Tsunoda retired on the first lap right across from us and Bottas suffered the same fate mid-race.

The ending was epic in every sense. Not only were the top four fighting it out, Liam Lawson, Checo and Albon were just as close and since they got absolutely no TV coverage, I was happy to be following it live!

A pair of fat guys did come up to claim their seats at about half-distance, but the girl next to me with two beers in a tray had apparently been stood up by her friend so she let me take her vacant seat. I didn’t feel bad because she wasn’t a real fan. She was there for the Instagrams, taking video after video instead of enjoying the racing.

The crowd was enthralled throughout the whole race, especially in the dying laps and when the checkered flag fell and fireworks lit up the sky, we were all cheering for the same thing. IT WASN’T MAX!!!!! HOOOORAYYYYY!!!!!!

I was beside myself with joy. What a race to be at! What a place to watch it from! Liam Lawson scored points! MAX DIDN’T WIN!!!!!!!

People starting streaming out of the stands but I stayed until the fireworks became smoke, the champagne was sprayed and the two retired cars were taken away on trucks. Thanks Singapore. What a race!

Everything else from this point onwards was going to be a bonus. With Robbie Williams taking the stage, I knew I didn’t stand a chance at getting in to watch him but the stage was on my way out so it was worth a shot.

I had an opportuni-pee (queue wasn’t too bad) then moved like a snail with the crowd to get over to the Padang stage. I’ll give the Singaporeans credit – they do crowd control very well.

As I came out from the underpass, I could hear Robbie Williams singing, “Let Me Entertain You” and caught a glimpse of one of the giant TVs showing him running across the stage. The sound was electric.

The crowd was so thick and the ground so flat that you couldn’t even see the tops of the TV screens, let alone the stage. I figured it would probably bet best to just stand back and listen but it’s always better with an eye show to compliment the sound!

That’s when I noticed some people sitting on top of a dumpster at the back of the crowd. I thought, what a great idea, then saw a vacant dumpster on the other side. Now, this is Singapore so of course the bin was squeaky clean. With no one standing behind the thing, I propped myself up to sit on top and found I could see the TVs clearly. No stage, but hey, this was more than what most people had and they’d probably been stationed here for hours!

A girl soon joined me and she took it upon herself to stand up on the bin. I’d decided not to because I figured it would catch the attention of security and get me thrown off but if she was doing it, I wasn’t going to miss out. Well! The view now! I could see the stage, the TVs and wasn’t looking through people’s elbows who were holding their phones up to film ENTIRE songs.

Woohoo! Me and the other chick danced along to the classics, then we got shut down because a drunk girl tried climbing up and nearly tipped the bloody thing over. Security put us back on the ground, but I sat back up after five minutes. He had moved on to more important things.

That was good enough until the next great song came on. Called “Move Your Body”, how could I resist? I’d gotten away with so much at this point that if I was asked to leave, I would happily leave. The other girl felt the same way. Not long after, I helped a guy up and he shared my bin and danced shamelessly in the same style as me – keeping my feet planted for solidity.

We happily spent the rest of the gig like that through “Kids”, then “Rock DJ”, the inevitable thank you and goodnight that was followed by “She’s the One” and “Angels”.

He told us that 50,000 people had come to his show and he surprised me by getting quite personal and talking about his struggles as a performer and drug addict. He thanked the crowd in general for helping him through the worst times just by showing up. “Thank you for helping me, when you didn’t know you were helping me.” Oh, Robbie.

We got properly kicked off the bin halfway through Angles and I got down no worries. I’d had way more than my fair share of fun. I heard Robbie say goodnight and moved gently amongst my fellow race fans towards the exit.

It was a breeze getting out because they just opened the circuit at every possible point! I savored my twenty minute walk home munching on a pastry I still had and humming “Let Me Entertain You” through a very quiet Chinatown.

It was 1:30am when I got home but it took me a long while to get to sleep I was on such a high.

Airport Race

I’ve never been so happy to have 15+ hours of sitting ahead of me!

I was up at 8am to a nearly empty room except for the bloody packing lady still doing her thing. I showered and packed then ventured into Chinatown to shop for some souvenirs. I’d made the connection that all the I love Singapore merchandise bore my initials, SG, so I was keen for some personalized swag. Nothing good was open though, so I hit my bus stop pastry shop and returned to the hostel to eat breakfast. I didn’t want to sweat too much before getting on a plane so an air-conditioned room was my friend.

I still had plenty of time but figured I might as well head to the airport. I checked out using the QR code by the door, made sure I had all my shoes with me then trained it over to the airport. It was my longest train trip yet requiring a connection at the Sunday picnic spot so I was glad to not be under pressure.

At the airport, the check-in line was just starting to form so I joined it. I was flying into LA via Taipei and I figured if I checked in early, I might get a seat near the front to give me a good chance to make my LA connection. Unfortunately they weighed my roller bag and made me check it in. Damn it! I’d got it on every single flight so far and now I was being turned down! Oh well, the challenge was on.

I had money to burn so I shamelessly paid $15SGD for three key chains (could have got 20 for that price in Chinatown) that bore my initials. As I was wondering around looking for my gate, I realized I hadn’t been through security yet and had a mini-panic, then realized it all happened at the individual gates.

I had a nice long chat with Mum while I waited, then suddenly it was time to board. I was traveling with Starlux airlines (whoever they are) and wow do they have nice planes! Very comfortable seats and so spacious! I was happy for the window seat and did some blogging, knitted a little and watched a great documentary about Federer and Nadal putting on a tennis match in South Africa. After putting on a climbing show, it made the five hour flight go quickly.

Now the five hour lay-over to get through. I started by walking the whole of Taipei airport and didn’t find much of interest. They’d done their best with themed gates celebrating Taipei’s famous landmarks, but it was 7pm in the evening and I struggled to find something to eat!

I managed some Taiwanese KFC just before closing time then watched some F1 post race show on my phone while knitting and charging my laptop in prep for the next flight. I was happy to have finally mastered the purl stitch!

Over at the gate, the flight looked full and it was delayed by twenty minutes. Not helping my chances with the connection! I was one of the last on the plane and happily slid into an aisle sea with an empty seat between me and the window guy, Sam. Sam is a gay guy from LA who’d been visiting his boyfriend’s family in Taiwan. We swapped stories and he was just the loveliest man with the loveliest smile.

Turns out there were 50 empty seats on the flight. Nothing in the entertainment interested me (typical) so I switched between blogging, reading (still on Seabiscuit) and sleeping. The ten hours went pretty quickly. When writing about my trip, it was easy to get lost, especially when listening to a playlist of the music I’d just heard over the weekend.

When we landed, I checked my phone and saw that my connecting Southwest flight from LA to Phoenix was delayed by 15 minutes. I might just make it! I had everything staged to run and as soon as the seatbelt light turned off, I was that ignorant person that jumped up.

Me and an American black guy made friends at the first class curtain because we had similar goals. He was trying to get back to Denver to his kids and had only half an hour to make his flight. I at least had forty-five minutes.

Once the first class passengers had filtered through, we pushed the curtain aside and were off! I was happy to be wearing my Tevas because I ran. Oh my, did I run. Every corridor was long and after every corner was another long corridor. My friend was running a short ways behind me, but we were running together.

Border patrol was deserted so neither of us knew where to go. After trying our luck at the digital things, a lady waved us over and sent us through. It was my first time using my green card for entry into the US but I didn’t have time to enjoy the feeling. She scanned my passport, swiped my card, then I was off again.

More running and bags were already on the carousel when I got there. A good sign.

It took twenty agonizing minutes for mine to appear – that’s what I get for checking in so early in Singapore but I’d already staged a trolley and got directions from someone at how to get to Terminal 1 from Terminal 4. I threw my bags onto the trolley and ran for it. I got outside and turned left. I was grateful for the width of the sidewalk and the late hour (9pm) that meant it wasn’t too busy.

People graciously moved out of the way as I yelled “Excuse me!” and “Sorry!” As I blasted past.

Inside Terminal 1, I searched for a security entrance and a cleaning lady pointed me back the way I’d come towards some escalators. I ditched the trolley now and when I hesitated in my run, the cleaning lady was still watching me and yelled, “Keep going!”

Up the escalated and I found the security checkpoint. There was only a dozen in the queue but they let me by.

I then had the most thorough pat-down of my life after going through the body scanner AND they pulled my roller bag aside. I put my shoes back on as the lady started opening the bag and of course it’s tightly packed so I’m thinking it’s all over. She didn’t like the look of my tin of Milo so I told her to just take it and did she know where gate 18A was?

She caught my urgency and zipped up my back, letting me go on my way, telling me to turn left and that gate 18 was the FURTHEST away. Ugh!

I couldn’t slow down now. I kept my sprint up as I counted up the gates. My backpack was slung over one shoulder now and I was sweating through my jumper but I didn’t mind how stupid I must have looked.

As gate 18 came into view, my heart sank. The gate was empty and clearly closed. As my slowing momentum carried me forward though, I saw that it was gate 18B and just to the left of it was 18A with a dozen people there still lining up to board. No way! Relief!

I stripped my jumper off and recovered my breathing. With shaky fingers, I let Deb know that I’d be home tonight. She’d been watching me on Find My the whole time, haha.

There were 143 seats on this plane and only 50 of them were occupied. Nice. That meant I didn’t have to bother anyone with my sweaty body. I got a can of water from the flight attendant as I got on, chucked my bag up top, sat back and just breathed.

I’d done it. The whole trip, everything I wanted to do I’d done. My best friend is happily married, Melbourne is still not the place for me but at least it’s got a nice synchrotron, I got quality time with my parents, I got quality time with my Minis and I went to an F1 race in 2023 that Max DIDN’T WIN!

14 – 18 Sep, 2023.