I don’t mean to poignant with my posts but it just so happens that my second post coincides exactly one month after it happened. Now when I started this blog, I imagined that I would be blogging almost daily, if not weekly. But here I am, almost 2 good weeks since my first and only post wondering why what I intend does not match what I actually do.
Anyways, perhaps it’s for a good reason, anyhow I should start by filling in the gaps and holes as to what I have been up to.
As you can imagine, the first few days post event were pretty quiet, reflective, and simply sad days. I was sad, there was no point hiding it, everyone around me could tell I was sad, but luckily I had enough excuses up my sleeve to deflect their questions. But then I decided that I didn’t want to be sad. I don’t know why, but I do know that I woke up and said to myself, that this is crazy… I needed to do something that made me happy.
So here’s an account of what I’ve been up to the last couple of weeks.
Fiona comes to town.
“I will never be able to tell my kids about my life without telling them about you.” I said that to Fiona one night about 6 years ago when we were all hanging out in a place called Gas Works in Bangsar.
I remember she was so touched that she started crying, and then complained to Shane that I had made her cry. Anyways, she doesn’t even remember the night anymore, but the point of it is that she is one of the few people that I have known, and shared my life with for the longest time.
It turns out that she just happened to be heading to Singapore that first weekend after it happened and I couldn’t have happier. We had a blast hanging out for two days, but more importantly, I got to talk to her about what had happened and she had a very refreshing perspective on things.
I’ll spare the details of what we did cause she’s written about it already in her blog
Lady Gaga
This was probably the most exciting night I have had in a long time. Me and Jac started the night with dinner at Plaza Singapura before stopping by Carrefour to buy beer and breezers (Jac claimed she had a bottle opener) and then we hiked it up to Fort Canning Park. Given that we had priority entrance tickets, we could have got in immediately but no one else was there so we decided to just finish our booze outside.
Classic picture, the two of us sitting on the grass, drinking and watching the rest of the world line up and queue to get in. Oh and by the way, never believe Jac if she says she has a bottle opener. She had a device that was impersonating as a bottle opener, but wasn’t really. It took me about 15 mins to open each bottle and because of that I chugged ‘em down in half the time cause I was so frustrated and tired from the work out!
Anyways, when everyone finally got there we headed in and picked out spot in the crowd. I’ve been to many concert, usually in a stadium or a large hall, but I have to say that Fort Canning is the best venue that I have ever been to.
We made friends with our dancing neighbours. They were dancing non stop to the pre concert music and we were very entertained just watching them. Kat broke the ice by asking to take a picture with them and from then we were all mates for the rest of the night. Just literally minutes before Lady Gaga came on, Maya, or “Pink Earrings” as we called her before I knew her name wanted to go to the toilet and I volunteered to walk her through the crowd and back. Mind you we were right smack in the middle of the field and so it was quite a task cutting a path through the shoulder to shoulder crowd and back. But we made it back with literally 5 seconds to spare before the Lady made her appearance.
She opened with my favourite song, Paparazzi, and that was enough for me. I had had my fill. After the second song, Eva (who works for Razor TV and interviewed LadyG) called so say that she’d finished recoding all that she needed to and was ready to join us to party. So once again I cut may way out of the crowd and grabbed Eva near the entrance and then head back to where we all were.
We had a blast at the concert. Singing, dancing, drinking, jumping around. Very sweaty but exactly how a concert should be. Brilliant!
Afterwards, Jac suggested we all head to Zouk, and who was I to argue. We all headed down to Zouk and it just made sense to buy a bottle, and so we did and then the rest, as they say is history...
The entrance to Fort Canning
The view as you walk in
The stage
Our group for the night
Our crazy neighbours, they were heaps of fun
The Lady in full swing...
"What are you talking about?" My favourite American, Sam
Eva, Ross, Jac and Kat
Look who p-p-p-poker face!
At Zouk...
Last ones standing, at the time, haha!
AFOS in Sentul
That weekend, Paula, Kheng How and I headed to Jakarta for the Asian Festival of Speed that was happening at the Sentul International Circuit. Since we arrived in Jakarta by Friday evening, we met up with an old school friend of Paula’s, Joe, who took us out for a quick taste of nightlife in Jakarta. Simply put… I Like!
The next day it was off to the circuit as we started shooting links for Engine Block. I’ll be posting a link right here soon with details of that. I wrote about it for the Star but here are some pics from the album
Arriving at Sentul after a 2hr taxi ride
Shooting the opening sequence
Working the paddock
Paula and I on the pit wall
On the grid
She's got my mic, i had to stay!
Back to Back race weekends
We always love back to back race weekends… and I mean that with a tinge, no make that dollop of sarcasm. Nonetheless, I managed time to take part in the Legs and Paddles race on a Sunday morning. I first kayaked 5km and then ran 8km in 1h 26m 24s. My legs were jelly after sitting in the kayak for so long that I couldn’t even stand up after I finished. Lucky a marshal was close enough to catch me from falling.
I wish I had pictures from all my races, I never take any and since I often take part alone, I never have a buddy to take pics for me. Such a shame.
The next day, after Engine Block, Paula, Jac and I went out for quiet drinks. Suffice to say, it didn’t stay quiet for long. I finally made it home at about 2 o’clock… the next afternoon! Sigh… working the next day wasn't much fun and I should have learnt my lesson, but that Thursday there was a helipad party at the Swissotel and how could I resist not going?
Unfortunately once we got there we were told that the helipad was closed due to lightning. What an anticlimax. But it didn’t take long for the party to start. Once Lev was in the building and Ross joined him, I threw out my 10pm self imposed curfew and went with the flow. One bitten twice shy?
I spent the weekend juggling work and moving house. Lucky for me I have friends in the right places. Charmed my way into borrowing a car from Linda for the weekend. She gave me the a bright green Scirocco. What a sweet pair of wheels. Ah, I miss driving and just being able to go somewhere because you can. Had heaps of fun despite the stress of moving.
But I managed in the end. I’m blogging from my new place. It’s very therapeutic packing and unpacking. You learn to throw out the excess when you pack and then organise what’s left when you unpack… in some small way it’s like putting your life in order… well it’s kept me busy, and that all I can ask for at the moment.
“Some people are passing through and some are meant to stay. You only realize who’s who once they leave”
- from my conversation with Harish today
Of course I remember you saying that to me. I just can't remember which of our many drunken nights!
ReplyDeleteWise words from Harish and very true. I've always believed in this:
People come into your life for a reason, a season, or a lifetime. When you figure out which one it is, you will know what to do for each person.
When someone is in your life for a REASON, it is usually to meet a need you have expressed. They have come to assist you through a difficulty, to provide you with guidance and support, to aid you physically, emotionally, or spiritually. They may seem like a Godsend, and they are! They are there for the reason you need them to be.
Then, without any wrong doing on your part, or at an inconvenient time, this person will say or do something to bring the relationship to an end. Sometimes they die. Sometimes they walk away. Sometimes they act up and force you to take a stand. What we must realise is that our need has been met, our desire fulfilled, their work is done. The prayer you sent up has been answered. And now it is time to move on.
When people come into your life for a SEASON, because your turn has come to share, grow, or learn. They bring you an experience of peace, or make you laugh. They may teach you something you have never done. They usually give you an unbelievable amount of joy. Believe it! It is real! But, only for a season.
LIFETIME relationships teach you lifetime lessons; things you must build upon in order to have a solid emotional foundation. Your job is to accept the lesson, love the person, and put what you have learned to use in all other relationships and areas of your life. That's why it is said that love is blind but friendship is clairvoyant.