Arabian Days and Arabian Nights

It’s been a while since my last posing but I have been extremely busy. As the motorsports season draws to an end, there seems to be more to do. Actually we are ending the year on a high, with a few road trips that require a great deal of planning. This post is about one such trip, to Abu Dhabi.

As a prelude to the Formula 1 season finale, the Yas Marina circuit decided to invite select member of the media over to see the circuit for themselves and more importantly, to experience a ride around the circuit in a two seater car.

I’ve never been to the middle east and was pretty curious as to why dozens of people flock there and come back raving about the lavishness of the place… it’s a desert for goodness sake. But once I arrived, I immediately understood.

We were put up in the ultra lush Emirates Palace. Now I have stayed in some very swanky hotels, but I must admit, this was establishment truly lived up to it’s name. It wasn’t a hotel, it was more like a palace, as the pictures can prove.

The Emirates Palace

The corridor leading to my room

My fabulously lavish room

Perfect tub to soak in after a long day at the circuit

The organisers were aware that many of us might not have had an impression of the capital of the UAE so they organised a heli ride for us. And I have to admit, there’s no better way to get a sense of a city then by flying over it… awesome!

Valen, Our Pilot, Me and Tiff

Ferrari World, next to the circuit... will be ready next year

The most famous landmark, the Sheikh Zayed Mosque

The food in the middle east was very meaty. I love my meat, but even I got a bit sick of eating so much of it.

Bread stuffed with delicious meat and a plate of vegies

Valen enjoying a smoke indoors, yes, it's totally legal

The highlight of the trip was a two seater Formula 1 ride around the Yas Marina circuit. Former F1 driver Martin Brundle was my driver and he did a magnificent job of putting me through the G-forces that a driver experiences. I could go on and on about this but check out this video instead.

Since there were no flights back the following day, we had the day to ourselves and made full use of it by lounging around the hotel, enjoying it’s private beach and pool before heading on a desert safari.

This was probably the most authentic middle eastern experience that I could ever have hoped for. We started off by sand bashing, which is basically driving our 4x4s up, down, over and across sand dunes as the sunset around us. I was just a passenger but I could tell that it takes a lot of skill to do this right. Our guy was great and was really taking us for a ride!

After a quick stop at a camel farm, we headed out to our “oasis” in the middle of nowhere. It was so great to get out of the city cause I finally felt that I was in a desert. Surrounded by sand under the stars, Valen and I rode a camel and then attempted to sand board down a the dunes. It’s almost like snow boarding but on sand. After two unsuccessful tries, I finally got it right and flew down a sand dune but getting sand down my pants in the process.

Sand bashing

Free falling

Snowboarding in the desert

The buffet at our oasis was great and once again we piled on the meat. Post dinner entertainment was none other than a belly dancer… and in the middle east, a belly dance actually comes with a belly! At least ours did. It was hard to appreciate her moves when I was fixated on her jiggling tummy.

After entertainment, we moved to a nice area with cushions to chill and smoke sheeha under the stars. The guys switch off all the lights and we leaned back, smoked, starred at the starts and just enjoyed the moment.

Our entertainment

Sheesha under the stars, just before the lights went out

It was brilliant to just lie on the sand and stare up at the Arabian sky. As a kid I’d read Arabian Nights a hundred times and had always wondered imagined what a night in the desert under stars would be like… and finally, I got to experience it. The sky was beautiful, the stars were plenty and the silence of it all was extremely calming. I wish I could have lied there for hours longer.

I would highly recommend this for anyone travelling the same way. I’m not one to fall for tourist trips but this experience was definitely a highlight.

It’s hard to escape the impression that money is coming out of the ground in Abu Dhabi. Everything is so lavish, from the malls, to the hotels to the buildings to just about everything. But sadly, it’s quite apparent that there is a caste system. Emirati, Caucasian, and then everyone else, with Asian minorities at the bottom of the food chain. But I guess most countries start off that way, even Malaysia, except that we put the Caucasians above our own people.

Strangely, there’s nothing like living in complete luxury to help me realize that it’s the simple things in life that truly make me happy. Maybe that’s just me.

Surreal Singapore Pt 2

When last year’s Formula 1 rolled out of town, I was left with brilliant stories from my friends who had had the best party of their lives. And there I was thinking how lucky they were that their work didn’t revolve around covering the actual event so that they could fully enjoy whatever wild adventure the city threw at them.

This year, I decided that I wanted in. I didn’t want to spend another year just working and not really experiencing the full effect of Formula 1 in my city. And so I did, and what a ride it was.

I pick up this posting from where I left off, the Friday before the Grand Prix.

Fuel Party

We spent most of Friday night in the paddock covering the post practise interview sessions.

The view from the TV Compound

The last turn before the start finish

It had been a long day and to be honest, the events of the past nights were slowly catching up on me and I was thinking of hitting the sack early. But an old friend, Joanna was in town and we’d spent the day texting trying to meet up. Finally, at about midnight she said she was in New Asia Bar and Jac convinced me that we should head out for a while at the very least. Since I hadn’t seen Joanna in years, I gave in to Jac’s persuasive ways and we headed to the Swissotel.

After quickly freshening up, we used our Red Paddock passes to get us in New Asia with no problems. Upstairs I met Joanna and a few guys from KL. We were on the dance floor when Jac spotted Maya. What a small world.

I chatted with Maya for a while but since everyone wanted to head to the Fuel Party, I said goodbye and joined them. The Fuel Party was at the National Musuem and we were prepared to pay to get in. Just as we got out of our cab, a random stranger asked us if we wanted tickets and we gratefully accepted.

It turned out that his tickets were VVIP tickets and we had access to the most prestigious piece of real estate in the place. Inside we met more people, including Tiff, Uday and Debbie from work, Jill and Jeanette and a few more.

Our free tickets

The scene inside the National Museum

Party time

Me, Tiff, Joanna & her friend

Sarita, Jill, Jeanette & me

No Doubt was partying right there as well, minus Gwen, but still. It was a great night, and I was so glad I didn’t follow my instinct and headed home early.

No Doubt just meters away from where we were partying

Samantha Ronson was great on the decks and Lindsay was partying in a sheltered corner, it was awesome!

Samantha Ronson on the decks

The girl has talent, music was awesome

Pre Quali BBQ

After stopping by the office and sorting out the qualifying show, I stopped by Lev’s place for his pre quali BBQ lunch. Was hungry and the food was excellent. Embarrassingly met Ashley for the second time (I somehow don’t recall our first meeting at Brix) and we chatted and caught up.

Our host, Lev who grills a mean chicken

Was great meeting Ashley again :-)

Headed down to the circuit and grabbed Karun for our pre qualifying show, which went smoothly enough.

Karun and I

Working the press scrum, grabbed Liuzzi

Beyonce made an appearance and Lewis gave her a garage tour

After quali and once the post session interviews were done, we headed out to the official F1 After Party venue, Stereolab, which was organised by Tamara Ecclestone.

The entrance to Stereolab

For some reason, I was so bored there and was glad when Jac suggested we go and meet her friends at Wine Bar, outside Zouk. Headed there for a couple of easy drinks and a massage, and then called it a night. Still had a big day ahead of me tomorrow

My masseuse

Raceday

So the big Sunday finally rolled in and I was all psyched for our biggest F1 show of the season. Today it was Alex in the paddock with me and we went about with our throws and interviews. The big news was that Alex was named by Tony Fernandes to be apart of the new 1Malaysia F1 Team and so we included a significant part of that into our show.

Raceday with Alex

Grid Girls

The highlight of course was the on the grid interviews. Fernando was great, but the other big boys were hard to get. Went to the end of the grid and they boys were much more willing. Worked my way back up to the front before we had to leave 15 minutes before the start. On the way out, I saw Tun Mahathir and quickly grabbed him for an interview about the new Malaysia team, which was aired in Sportscenter Malaysia. I’d interviewed Dr M when he was still Prime Minister and it felt nice to be able to do it once more.

Alonso just before the start

The other Ferrari driver, Fisichella

Will I Am and Nicole heading to the McLaren garage

Interviewing Tun Mahathir

The rest of the night was spent watching the race and waiting for the drivers who crashed out to appear for an interview.

We finally finished at about midnight, and Paula had secured a table at New Asia Bar for us. On the way there got a call from Sarah Ann, the grid girl who was holding the British flag next to Lewis Hamilton’s pole grid spot, and I told her to join us. She asked if she could bring a few friends and I said “Of course!”

It was great to be with the team after such a massive weekend. Steve Dawson, Paula Malai Ali, Alex Yoong showed up much later, but essentially we all had a drink together and it was great to unwind.

Also met Dom, from Channel V who turned out to be a massive fan of my work. Felt nice to get a bit of kudos from people within the same circles.

Spent a lot of time, and money here over the week

Sarah Ann, me and Sarah

Our Dream Team, me, Steve, Jac and Paula

Love the view from up here

Before I knew it, it was 5 am and since we were in the VVIP area upstairs, no one wanted to come and tell us that the place was closed… finally I think we noticed that we were the only ones there and so the five of us who were left standing did the only thing that we could have.

We left and headed for dim sum supper. Sarah had a favourite place that she insisted we head to and I wasn’t about to argue.

Breakfast in Geylang

By the time I got home, the sun was rising and it was about 7am, just enough time to catch a short nap before heading into the office for Engine Block at 10am!

Ah Singapore, I now know we can be friends.