Where have you gone?

Yes i know, that question is actually posed at me. It has been a while since my last entry. 2 months to be exact and so i finally decided to blog even if it mean just a short para or two.

Firstly, in the last 2 months i have set up a twitter account (sanjeevpalar) and since, have been using it to kind of share my thoughts, frustrations and exasperations almost instantaneously.

Also my beloved friend Rachel was wonderful enough to set up a Facebook Fan page for me, and i have to admit keeping those two platforms satiated has meant that i've really neglected his blog.

But in a way i think there's a silver lining to it all. Now i have two channels available for motor racing fans to share in my adventures and that incidentally frees up this blog for more personal expressions.

Haha, yes, i know that sounds all perfect on paper but will i ever get around to really putting to paper what's been going on in my life outside the realm of TV? well i guess we'll have to wait and see.

For now the biggest update i have for you is that i have finally made a commitment. It was a tough decision that i contemplated for quite a while, but in the end i felt that the timing was right and it was also a case of now or never.

And so i have committed to the Singapore FULL Marathon... yup all 42.195km.

The good news is that i won't be in it alone, Paula and Alex Yoong have signed up as well so we are all going to see how that pans out.

In the meantime, i just got back from an amazing time at the Spanish and Monaco GPs. Pics from the Monaco GP are on my Facebook fan page http://tinyurl.com/2av9opj

Enjoy

Malaysian GP... A work in progress

Tuesday

Was at Pavillion for the Lotus Racing Event. Forgot to use my camera there except to take this picture

Lovely Lotus Buds

From there, headed over to the Petronas Pit Pulse near KLCC. Saw Dina perform. Haven't seen her since the Malaysian Idol days. Good thing was that Mr Schumacher was on time and with him came Nico Rosberg, Ross Brawn and Norberg Haug. Jien was the emcee.

Dina under the spotlight

He came...

He interviewed...

He left...

It was a rather decent appearance. The crowd could have been better but i blame the rain. Those who were there were clearly delighted to have had the chance to see the legend. Pity they didn't have a change to get autographs...

New Man Malaysia

I know it's been a couple of weeks since the opening round of the Formula 1 season in Bahrain and i really want to blog about that experience as well as an amazing time i had at a small Spanish circuit in Almeria.

But while i get around to working out the words for those adventures, here's a very generous article that was published in New Man Magazine (Malaysia), March 2010 edition. Enjoy.

 

 

 

Welcome 2010

Alright, i know, i'm guilty. It happens. You create a blog, you start blogging and then one day you loose the mojo and your blog sits abandoned. Unattended. Deserted.

Well i fell into that trap. Yes, i did. of course i could come up with a millions reasons to justify my laziness. It was the end of the season, i was on holiday, backpacking in places so beautiful that the last thing i wanted to do was sit in front of a computer, i got back to work and got caught up with getting my life in order. I could go on, but i won't.

Let's just say i've got my second wind. The Formula 1 season is about to begin and i'm getting on a plane in a few hours. But before i head to Bahrain, i've got a detour to Almeria, Spain for an Engine Block assignment. Yup, the season is underway and i hope there will be many adventures in 2010.

And in keeping with the first posting of the year, i resolve to keep blogging about each and every one of them... as we say in TV land, stay tuned.

The Magic of Macau

My first real trip for Engine Block was to the 2006 Macau Grand Prix. Three years later, I decided that it was about time that we revisited the event and went back to one of the most historic races to be held in Asia.

Since there were no direct flights from Singapore, my cameraman Kheng How and I went via a night in Hong Kong while Paula’s busier schedule meant that she’d budget it direct to the island. Turned out that an ex colleague was also in Hong Kong that weekend and we all met up for dinner and drinks.

Wait.. do what here?

Hmmm... fish balls on a stick... nice

Dinner at the infamous Goldfinch restaurant where they shot the movie in the poster

The next morning and a ferry ride later, we were ready to start shooting around Macau before heading to the circuit. I think Macau is actually a very pretty place. It’s got well preserved Portuguese heritage and that also means excellent food!

At the World Heritage Site

 

It's all NOT in English...hungry

 

Well this turned out well... food was  excellent the entire trip

When we finally made it into the paddock, I instantly remembered why Macau is so special… and really, it’s all about the grid girls. Maybe it’s because even the strippers in Macau need a day job, so these grid girls have no qualms about wearing the skimpiest, skankiest and non existent pieces of cloth to get the job done… and by no means is this a complaint, merely an observation.

Tattoo marks the spot

 

"And shorty got low, low low low..."

 

Remember, it's still work!

When we eventually did get down to work, we went about interviewing the stories for the weekend, including Alex Yoong who was racing a Malaysian built Buffori around the street circuit. I also managed to grab Daniel Ricciardo who was racing in the F3 category ahead of his test with the Red Bull Racing F1 outfit.

With Alex in his dungeon pit garage

 

Might see Daniel in the F1 paddock in a few season

The highlight of the trip for me had to be completing my first ever bungy jump for the show…. It was all in the spirit of a race fan’s desire for an adrenaline rush. But jumping of the 233m Macau Tower was mind blowing! It’s surprising the thought process that you go through before taking a leap of faith. It took me a couple of attempts to muster up the willpower to override my natural sense of preservation and jump off, but once I was falling, all I can say is that it is the most blissful experience ever! I can’t wait to do it again.

A

All dressed up with somewhere to go

 

The "What was i thinking" moment before the jump!

No Macau trip would be complete without a visit to the casino and we headed to the Venetian. I managed to skim a couple of hundred from the blackjack tables and splurged it on dim sum. The best food is always free food.

Dim sum with Kheng How and Calvin

A couple of friends of mine from Hong Kong came over and we had a good night, enjoying a few drinks and chatting the night away. It’s strange that even though we all live in different countries and have different lives, common relationship chaos seems to be a common thread amongst most people…or maybe it’s just a case of birds of a feather.

Jessie and Charlotte's first visit to the paddock

The tables are turned on Paula

Whatever it is, a few drinks amongst good company after a hard days work is always welcome.