Hall-Reppens in Singapore

On Friday night, Rich and I got a call from our dear friend, Michelle Tan, asking if we would like to meet them at the Formula 1 Race. Rich had a call to make that evening, but told me to go experience the race.

Because it was late, and Singapore was insane with people attending the race, and road closures due to the race, I took a cab to the Fullerton Hotel to meet Michelle. I was really glad that I did, because the race had made an area with which I was very familiar virtually unrecognizable!

Michelle's husband, Ben, went home because he had just returned home from the U.S., and he was jet-lagged and exhausted. He gave me his lanyard, and I went through the metal scanner, and into the race area, where I met up with Michelle and her pilates instructor, Nadya, who was a delightful person.

The first thing I saw was a collection of vintage cars. There were Rolls Royces and Astin Martins. I always wished that I knew how to maintain a beautiful old cars like these. I would love to ride around in a piece of history - and feel like royalty!

We made our way to our seats in the grandstand, and watched the qualifying runs for a while. I have to confess that I am an American, and as such, ignorant about Formula 1 Racing. Nascar is very popular in America, but I don't even follow that sport. I thought that if I did, the race might mean more to me. But then Ron Howard's movie, "Rush" about a Formula 1 racing feud from the late 70's came out, and Ron said that Americans don't know this story, because they don't follow Formula 1. So, I'm not the only ignorant American!

I tried to take pictures of the cars as they sped past me, but frequently found myself snapping an empty frame; despite the fact that I had ample warning that a car was approaching due to the engine noise. After I finally caught several cars on camera, I turned my attention to the big screen, to watch the cars roar past Singapore landmarks. They also showed infrared pictures of the temperature of the tires, and that was really interesting. But after about 15 minutes of engine noise, Michelle, Nadya, and I had satisfied our racing appetite.

Nadya is a huge fan of the Korean band, BigBang, that was playing that night. Michelle and I were not familiar with their music, but wanted to be there for Nadya. There was a VIP viewing area in front of the stage, which the security guards tried to get fans to enter, but Michelle advised against it, because you would be trapped in that area at the end of the show. We spread the rain ponchos (that were in our $2 race survival pack along with ear plugs) on the ground just behind the VIP fence. As the time of the performance got closer, people started standing along the dividing fence. Because Nadya is such a huge fan, and quite petite, I asked a large man if she could stand in front of him along the fence. I explained what a BIG fan she was, but very small in stature. He could surely see over her without a problem. At first, my friends and I thought he was going to hit me, but after staring at me incredulously, he did let her stand in front of him. See. It pays to ask. The worst he could do was say no. But he didn't, and Nadya had a great view of the concert!

After watching the show for a few minutes, Michelle and I went off in the direction of the concession stands. We ran into Michelle's sister, Denise, and some of her friends. She and her friend, Kelly, had been given tickets that gave them access to the drivers' pit areas and a buffet of food made by many renowned area chefs. I believe those tickets cost $3000/day! They were now cooling off with water and beer. I took pictures of the prices at the concession stand. No matter what sports venue you're attending in the U.S., these prices will make you feel better about how much you're shelling out!

At the end of the concert, we met up with Nadya, and Michelle took us to her secret parking spot, and drove Denise and Kelly back to the Marina Bay Sands, and took me and Nadya home. I was surprised that the drive home was so easy, because there had been many people at the event. Maybe many people had taken public transportation. It was crowded on the roads, but not as crowded as after a Cubs' or Badgers game. It probably has lots to do with the $75K licensing fee to be able to buy a car.

All in all, I was glad that I was able to experience the Formula 1 Racing event in singapore, but I felt guilty because someone who knows Formula 1 racing &/or the band would have appreciated the use of my ticket more!

Some of the vintage cars...

...and more...

...and my car...

...and more cars.

2 fans with race cars attached to their hats.

Michelle and Nadya.

A car that I was able to snap as it sped by.

An infrared image showing the heat from the tires and Singapore structures.

Fans waiting for the Korean band, BigBang.

Fans waiting at the fence with the Marina Bay Sands light show in the background.

Fans and Downtown Singapore.

Nadya, getting ready for the show to start.

I loved the BigBang lights because they looked like crowns.

The lasers at the start of the show.

One of the food stands.

Panoramic view of the concession area.

Panoramic view of the area as the show was going on.

Less crowded part of the viewing area.

My Lanyard, which provided access to the race grounds, stands, and VIP band viewing area.

The Carlsberg bottle, filled with beer, sells for $50 at the concession area. Here it is compared to a pint glass.

Gardens by the Bay is the glitzier, man-made cousin to the Singapore Botanic Gardens. Whereas the Botanic Gardens have been a Singapore institution for over 100 years, the Gardens by the Bay, and the reclaimed land that they're on, weren't even there when I visited Singapore in 1998. The Botanic Gardens have majestic old trees, with trunks as big as 5 people. Gardens by the Bay have huge trees, too, but they are made of metal, with plants growing in them to create their greenery. The Botanic Gardens celebrate many different native flowers with particular gardens devoted to them, including the Orchid Garden and Ginger Garden. At Gardens by the Bay, the flowers are housed in air conditioned domes, and different seasonal flower shows can be brought in. If this sounds like I prefer the botanic Gardens to the Gardens by the Bay, that is not true. They are two different animals. I like the celebration of the native plants at Singapore's Botanic Gardens, but there were times when I would have killed for a little air conditioning as I walked through the gardens in Singapore's sweltering heat.

To celebrate the Mid Autumn Festival, Gardens by the Bay put up many different lit inflatables. Some celebrated Chinese heritage, while others depicted fairy tales. There was a whole selection of lit masks, as well as the zodiac signs, with the horoscope for the coming year. My favorite section, however, was the lanterns made by local artists and art students, using recycled materials. I wonder if they have a special pinterest site for that!

Rich and I planned to go to the Gardens by the Bay after he finished working on Tuesday. But, as is typical in Singapore, the skies opened up at 4 in the afternoon. When it was still raining at 6, we decided to skip it that evening. It became clear that Rich wasn't as interested in attending the Gardens as I was. With our imminent departure, I wanted to make sure to take in as much of Singapore culture and tradition as possible.

Late Wednesday afternoon, I boarded the MRT to get to the Gardens by the Bay. It was a beautiful, clear evening, and even slightly cooler than normal. In short, it was a lovely evening that Rich would have greatly enjoyed. But I hadn't asked him to come along, because it was clear to me that extracurricular activities on work nights were just not fun for him. The last thing he wanted when he got home at 8 PM, was to be dragged out again! So I hurried to the Gardens by the Bay, hoping to see all that I wanted to see, and still beat Rich home for dinner. I did not plan on the fact that many of the inflatables wouldn't be lit up 'til 7 PM. I rushed around and got all of my pictures, and even managed to beat Rich home, and have a beer waiting for him when he got there!