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padang

Mithun Divakaran with Rick Astley Singapore F1

Singapore: Day 6 – F1 Saturday (Rick Astley, Shakira and Shaggy concerts)

Date: September 24th, 2011

Today started real slow. Got up… I don’t know when, had breakfast at the hostel and just chatted with the other guests staying at River City Inn.

I only stepped out in the afternoon to meet up with my friend Aimee and her fiance for lunch. After much pondering, we sat down at a seafood restaurant on Boat Quay.

Alex Presto Aimee Marie boat quay lunch Singapore
Alex and Aimee
Alex Presto Aimee Marie boat quay restaurant
Don’t remember what the conversation was about
Haven lobster seafood restaurant Boat Quay Singapore
Haven Lobster & Seafood restaurant is where we sat
Mithun Divakaran spring rolls chopsticks Singapore
Feasting commenceth!

Mithun Divakaran Alex Presto Chinese lunch Singapore

Aimee Marie Alex Presto lunch Boat Quay Singapore
This was just the appetizer
Chinese chilli fish Boat quay Singapore
We had this fish next, which was alright
Singapore chilli crab Boat Quay seafood restaurant
I finally got to eat some Singapore chilli crab — pretty much the city state’s most famous dish
Singapore chilli crab after
Had it with some white rice. It was yum.

It was a nice lazy lunch as I was in no hurry to enter the F1 circuit and didn’t care much for collecting today’s Fanzone passes like I did yesterday. I felt relaxed with tummy full and sipping on chilled beer. Well, relaxed until the bill came. I knew the chilli crab was pricey but I was willing to pay for it beforehand. The fish you see above cost SG$88 (Rs. 3,400) — which we felt was a ripoff as it wasn’t even that tasty! It was the price we had to pay for making the mistake of not finding out the cost before ordering.

Alas, we paid our SG$300 (Rs. 11k/$240/€180) bill — the most expensive meal I’ve had on this trip so far.

Seafood restaurants Boat Quay Singapore afternoon
I wouldn’t rate where we ate as the best in terms of taste. I’m sure there must be better in Singapore, or even here at Boat Quay.
Alaskan king crab forum seafood Singapore restaurant
The Alaskan king crab — way, way more expensive than what I just ate
Mud crabs Alaskan aquarium Boat Quay Singapore
Plenty of seafood available here — but given the location, expect to pay way more than inner Singapore

Victorian London Pub Penny Black boat quay SingaporeI parted ways with Aimee and her fiance, and made my way in to the F1 circuit.

Singapore parkour boys practicing
Some boys were doing a bit of parkour practice
Singapore boys parkour jumps Marina Bay
I wonder if these guys come here every weekend. Felt like asking them if the building’s management objects to this French import being practiced here.

It was 4:30pm, but I still walked straight to the Padang grounds to see if the Fanzone passes were still available.

Padang ground F1 Saturday fanzone Singapore
Guess what! They still had a few left 😛

Trouble is, I didn’t know what to do to pass time now. There was nothing on the schedule for Zone 4 I was very keen on witnessing, except for the Rick Astley gig.

Alfero gelato ice cream Singapore gp

Singtel booth F1 Saturday Singapore
The SingTel booth was busy as ever
Singtel booth formula one car simulators Singapore GP
I felt like having a go at one of these simulators but you needed to sign up a form first. Thought I’d do it later.
Taking underpass to Esplanade theatres Singapore
Decided to take the underpass to get to the Esplanade side of the track

Way to Esplanade theatres underpass

Basement parking The Esplanade theatres underpass Singapore
Quite a basement

Esplanade theatres escalator lobby Singapore

Singapore F1 circuit Esplanade view
This is in front of the Esplanade
Singapore F1 Esplanade drive zone 4 stands
The JK Racing first race was taking place
Esplanade drive Singapore F1 race stands
I walked to the stands

JK Racing Saturday qualifier race Singapore gp

Esplanade drive F1 stands zone 4 Singapore GP
They have quite a few viewing platforms here
Singapore skyline JK racing Saturday race
Since it’s an elevated platform, the views are better

Viewing stands Singapore F1 Esplanade driveSingapore Marina Bay Sands hotel view from Esplanade drive

Walking to Theatres by the Bay Esplanade Singapore
I walked to where Rick Astley was going to be performing
Colours by the Bay Esplanade Singapore
You have bars and eateries by the Esplanade Waterfront
Panda suits Esplanade restaurant Singapore
As seen at a restaurant here
Zone 3 Bay grandstand seats Singapore F1
This is the end for Zone 4 ticket holders, that over there is the Zone 3 Bay grandstand
Sunlight ray through clouds Singapore Marina Bay
Good weather today

Singapore marina bay skyline from Esplanade bay

Man sleeping Marina Bay Singapore afternoon
For some, it was quite a relaxing setting
Amphitheatre by the bay stage Singapore
It was 5pm
Apmhitheatre by the bay concert stage Singapore
The Rick Astley gig was in an hour’s time
Amphitheater by the bay seating Singapore
But I still sat down to reserve myself a good spot
Amphitheatre audience Rick Astley concert Singapore
…because by 6pm, this was the scene
Marina Bay Sands skypark observation deck Singapore
I took out my 70-200mm zoom lens
Merlion park evening Singapore
I would be using this lens throughout the concert
Rick Astley band backup singer Singapore concert
By 6, the band got on stage
Rick Astley band playing Singapore concert
The music began…
Rick Astley entering stage Singapore F1 concert
…and from the side of the stage walked a man with a deep baritone voice

You can watch the video of his entrance here.

Rick Astley Merlion Singapore concert
Rick Astley began the concert with his number 1 hit “Together Forever”
Rick Astley singing Singapore concert Marina stage
Rick Astley still had his distinct voice — which sounded great even at age 45
Rick Astley fan Singapore concert
The 80’s pop idol posed with fans while he sang
Rick Astley winking Singapore concert
Rick had a fantastic sense of humour too
Rick Astley drinking water Singapore concert
Like when he complained about the heat in Singapore and really wished he had some cold beer
Rick Astley looking at watch Singapore GP concert
Poor Rick wonder how much longer he had to be on stage in this humidity, because the organizers denied his request to serve him alcohol on stage. The audience booed.
Rick Astley fan giving beer Singapore concert
But then came this damsel, with a glass of beer, to Rick’s rescue!
Rick Astley drinking beer Singapore concert
Relief
Rick Astley beer bottle Singapore concert
The organizers finally relented and gave Rick some beer… in this bottle. Which Rick and the crowd agreed looked like something else 🙂
Rick Astley concert audience Singapore F1
Even though not everybody in the audience was familiar with Rick Astley’s songs, it was still a fun atmosphere
Rick Astley with back up singer Singapore concert
Heck, even I only knew “Together Forever” and his biggest hit “Never Gonna You Give You Up”
Rick Astley on stage Singapore F1 concert
After all, had it not been for an internet prank, Rick Astley wouldn’t have seen a resurgence in popularity

That prank being the “Rick-roll”. Basically it works like this: “Hey, check out this amazing video of me doing the splits while juggling!” And if you opened that link to watch the video, you just got “Rick-rolled”.

Rick Astley singing Singapore F1 grand prix concert
The British singer entertained us for over one and half hours, despite the heat!

Rick Astley ended his concert with the song everybody knew (okay, some still didn’t — they probably don’t spend too much time on the internet I presume). He even brought on a special guest for “Never Gonna Give You Up”…

Rick Astley Eddie Jordan drumming Singapore F1 concert
… racing supremo Eddie Jordan on drums!

(You can watch the final performance of Rick Astley’s set here)

Rick Astley Eddie Jordan Singapore concert
Eddie left the stage, and so did Rick soon after

It was a fun concert. Rick Astley knew the cheesiness of his 80’s pop music in today’s times but he didn’t mind indulging in the campiness of it all. After the concert, as I packed my bags, there were many middle-aged women in the audience who all spoke of how young they suddenly felt seeing their teenage idol perform. Rick Astley was a nice addition to the Singapore GP’s entertainment line-up.

Rick Astley tshirt Singapore
The Rick-roll internet meme has inspired clothing prints too
Rick Astley band backstage Singapore concert
Rick Astley was busy with photographs
Rick Astley with fans backstage Singapore gp
Rick then posed with a lot of fans/random people in attendance

Here’s a brief video I took:

I was pretty close to him and I just wanted to shake Rick Astley’s hand and tell him he still sounded amazing, but there were more ‘real fans’ eager to have a few seconds with him, so I stepped back, let them take my place and I walked back to the F1 circuit.

Marina Bay Sands ArtsScience museum at night panorama
The guests staying at Marina Bay Sands could watch the race from the Skydeck
Marina Bay Sands skydeck watching F1 Singapore gp
Though at that height the F1 cars must look like slot cars
Esplanade Drive standing platforms Saturday night Singapore gp
The Saturday practice session was going on
F1 car barricades Singapore grand prix
This was the Esplanade Drive straight stretch
Petronas F1 car Singapore GP race
I tried my best to freeze frame but these were F1 cars — it’s no joke how fast these things go on a straight stretch
Esplanade drive barricaded track at night Singapore F1
But I got to see how the professionals photograph an F1 race. You see that section to the right?
FIA photographer taking photos Singapore F1 race
There’s an opening, through which authorized photographers can take photos
FIA photographer taking photos Singapore gp
Like so!
Singapore F1 night race Esplande drive track
There’s also better lighting where he’s taking photos from — and no barricades covering the view
Marina Bay Sands at night from bridge Singapore
Odd looking building, but looks impressive at night none the less
ArtScience museum at night Singapore Marina
The ArtScience museum
2011 Singapore F1 crowds Esplanade drive
I decided to head back to the Padang grounds
Singapore F1 track Esplanade Drive
The practice session had just ended
Esplanade theatre dome Singapore at night
I went back to the Esplanade theatre to take the underpass

As I took the escalator down to the basement parking, I saw a familiar looking man taking a photo of a blonde woman posing with one of the security men.

Rick Astley taking photo Singapore Esplanade
🙂
Rick Astley Mithun Divakaran Singapore F1
So, in the end, I still got to shake Rick Astley’s hand and compliment his voice. Mithun Divakaran, officially ‘Rick-rolled’ in Singapore!
Singapore gp Saturday crowd
Everybody was heading towards the Padang stage for Shakira’s performance
Shakira concert Padang stage Singapore gp
I didn’t rush, I already had access to the Fanzone anyway
Singtel Singapore F1 Shakira concert stage
I didn’t bother trying to get too close to the stage today
Shakira Singapore F1 Saturday concert
The sexy Colombian singer hit the stage just after 8:30pm
Shakira band performing Singapore gp concert
Shakira had a pretty big band to back her up
Shakira jumbotron Singapore concert
Quite straight away, Shakira got down to ‘business’ — much to all the whistles from the audience
Shakira Singaporean girls concert Singapore F1
During her performance of “Whenever, Wherever,” Shakira brought up on stage a few Singaporean girls
Shakira hip dancing on stage Singaporean girls F1 concert
And she taught them how to shake their hips

Shakira Singaporean girls Singapore F1 concert

Shakira guitar on stage Singapore F1 concert
Despite her visual appeal, there’s no doubt Shakira has a myriad of talents. She even performed a mellow(er) version of Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters”.
Shakira on the ground drummer Singapore F1 concert
But it wasn’t long before she was back to writhing about on stage and doing chest thrusts
Shakira dancing Singapore F1 concert
Lots of flamenco and belly dancing
Shakira music singing Singapore F1 concert
Shakira sang a lot of her Spanish songs, which I didn’t mind. I figured she was saving her English hits for later.

Shakira sexy Singapore gp Padang concert

Shakira dancers Singapore F1 concert
Shakira went through a couple of costume changes

Shakira stage visuals Singapore F1 concert

Shakira silhouette Singapore F1 concert
Another dress change later…
Shakira belly dancing Singapore concert
… Shakira returned to perform the first song I ever heard from her — “Ojos Asi”. It still ranks as my favourite Shakira song!
Shakira on stage Singapore concert
Shakira got a lot of love from her truly global audience

Shakira singing Singapore concert 2011Shakira concert screen visual Singapore gp

Shakira bending belly dancing Singapore F1
More sultry dancing
Shakira singing Singapore F1 concert
… and then back to singing
Shakira Hips Don't Lie performance Singapore F1 concert
When it came time for “Hips Don’t Lie,” we didn’t get Wyclef Jean but a guy who looked like him to sing the “Shakira, Shakira” bit
Shakira Waka Waka visuals Singapore concert
As soon as this came on, everybody cheered… because we knew what time it was
Shakira waka waka dance Singapore concert
“Waka waka” time!
Shakira waka waka concert Singapore F1
Even though the 2010 World Cup is more than year over, this song remains wildly popular
Confetti Shakira concert end Singapore F1
It was the last song Shakira performed

As Shakira left the stage, her latest hit “Rabiosa” came on the speakers — which sucked, because I expected her to perform it, in either English or Spanish! She didn’t perform many other hits like “Did It Again” or “Objection (Tango),” so it wasn’t a full fledged concert. Who knows, maybe Shakira had to be at some other event.

Singtel booth simulator car Singapore
I decided to try out the F1 simulator at the SingTel booth
Waiver liability form Singapore F1 car simulator
But first I needed to sign a liability form — just in case anything happens (to me)
Singtel F1 car simulator Singapore gp booth
Fortunately I got in just in time. It was 10:30pm and they closed the booth.

The experience in the F1 car simulator was alright. You go around the Singapore Grand Prix track and experience the bumps, the breaking and the jerks that one experiences (when you drive badly :P).

Cameras people thronging samba dancers Singapore
As I left the SingTel booth, there were many clamouring to take photos of some dancers
Samba dancers at Singapore F1
It was a group of Brazilian Samba dancers
Brazilian samba dancers Singapore F1 performance
It wasn’t easy to photograph the girls. They were moving fast and many men were in front of me.
Brazilian samba dancing Singapore F1
So I just took overhead shots the best I could
Brazilian samba dancers Singapore F1
I had never seen hips being shaken so violently before! Forget what Shakira did on stage, this was the real deal!

For someone who ranks witnessing the Rio Carnival pretty high on his travel wishlist, it was a good experience to see real samba dancing in all its exotica. It’s like the organizers didn’t want to leave anything out as far as world-class entertainment went!

I had dinner from the circuit itself and went back to the Padang grounds for the final act in Saturday’s concert line-up.

Singapore Formula 1 Padang main stage
The artist closing out Formula One Saturday was none other than…
Shaggy Singapore F1 Saturday concert
… reggae star Shaggy(!) “Singapore, remember me?!”
Shaggy singer Singapore F1 concert
“No? Awww… come on!”
Shaggy concert Singapore
‘Mr. Bombastic’ performed all his hits from the 1990s including “Summer Time” & “Oh Carolina” before moving on to his 2000 singles “It Wasn’t Me” and “Angel”
Shaggy concert Singapore F1 2011
But as with all rap/urban artists, half the time it was shouting instructions: “Wave you hands!”, “Put ’em up!”, “Say ho-O!”, do this , do that! Ugh.
Shaggy mic in pants Singapore F1 concert
The way he ‘sang,’ it was as though you could sense his frustration about being ‘not so cool’ anymore
Shaggy backup singers bored Singapore Saturday concert
“Oh just give up Shaggy”
Shaggy reggae band Singapore F1 concert
He did try his best to energize the crowds
Singtel Singapore Padang concert Shaggy
But I had no energy left. It was another tiring day for me and I left the circuit past midnight.
South bridge lights at night Singapore
I walked back to the hostel and called it a night

Tomorrow was going to be the big day — the Sunday race, and Linkin Park!


Next posts:

Singapore 2011: Day 7 – Little India, F1 Sunday race, Linkin Park concert and Avalon Club

Leaving Singapore, and discovering certain truths about this famous city state

Previous posts in the series:

Singapore 2011: Day 5 – Chinatown, F1 Friday (Charice, Seungri and GD&TOP concerts)

Singapore 2011: Day 4 – Marina Bay Sands Casino and views from the SkyPark observation deck 

Singapore 2011: Day 3 – Bukit Timah and Singapore Botanic Gardens

Singapore 2011: Day 2 – Jurong Bird Park and… *ouch!*

Singapore 2011: Day 1 – Landing a second time; walking around CBD

GD&Top Singapore F1 Friday concert

Singapore: Day 5 – Chinatown, F1 Friday (Charice, Seungri and GD&TOP concerts)

Date: September 23rd, 2011

Here we go, my F1 weekend begins! Oh wait… I had to shift hostels first.

I really enjoyed my stay at WoW hostel, and today I had second thoughts of checking out and moving to the other location I had chosen (to be much closer to the F1 circuit). But since it was too late to cancel the other reservation, I collected my deposit and they wished me well. I told them I would definitely stay at WoW Hostel again, if I were to return to Singapore. (I seriously would, I really liked the place!)

Pedestrian overbridge New Bridge road Singapore
I took the MRT and got off at Clarke Quay station, which is housed under Central Mall
New Bridge road Clarke Quay Singapore
New Bridge Road, Clarke Quay is walking distance from here
Central Mall Clarke Quay Singapore mobile photo
Crossed over to the other side
Central Shopping Mall office building Singapore panorama
Central Mall is pretty huge
Hong Kong street Singapore
The hostel I needed to get to was on this street
Hong Kong street hostels Singapore CBD
Quite a few other hostels in the area (The above were all taken on my phone)
Rucksack Inn River City hostel stairs building entrance
I arrived at the building which houses River City Inn… and I had been warned it’s a few flight of stairs up
Stairs to Rucksack Inn River City Inn Singapore
You pass another hostel – Rucksack Inn, which is very popular
Rucksack Inn hostel walls Singapore
Above Rucksack Inn, on the 4th floor, is where River City Inn is located

I was tired! The staff at River City Inn greeted me with a glass of water (I’m sure it’s a common gesture now, with each guest appearing tired upon first arrival). Footwear must be kept outside, which I did, and I then entered the hostel to check in. First impressions? Very nice! Looked new, clean and well maintained. I had reserved a single bed in the 24-bed mixed dorm room, which cost SG$32 (Rs. 1,261/$25/€19) a night.Yes, it cost way more than WoW Hostel, but you’re paying the location.

Other than that, the hostel looked nice and it was the usual facilities. Complimentary breakfast and wi-fi, two desktop machines in the ‘living room,’ a decent kitchen with all the requisite quick-meal facilities, a large screen TV, XBOX 360 — and pretty much all the furniture is IKEA! 🙂

I would have shown you photographs of the interiors but the staff told me they didn’t allow anyone to take photos of the hostel. Oh well.

River City Inn Rucksack hostel building Singapore
The yellow building on the right is where River City & Rucksack Inn are housed
City Backpackers hostel Clarke Quay Singapore
Bang opposite is another hostel — City Backpackers
City centre backpackers hostel Singapore
Another one
Central shopping mall Singapore
Given you have a large shopping mall and an MRT station a short walk away, the location isn’t bad at all
Gamehaven building Singapore
Went around the block
Rucksack Inn 2 Hongkong street Singapore
Rucksack Inn has another branch in another lane

Team Exotic street racing car Civic SingaporeRestaurants clubs Hong Kong street Singapore

Pavement South Bridge road Singapore
I was on my way to the Gate 4 entrance of the F1 circuit
Clarke Quay South Bridge road Singapore
Cross the road and you get to Boat Quay, in just 5 minutes from the hostel

South Bridge Singapore afternoon

Singapore river Clarke Quay afternoon
Down the river is Clarke Quay
Singapore river cruise boat afternoon
One of the River Cruise boats

Clarke Quay underpass Singapore

Singapore parliament road
Passed by the Singapore parliament

Singapore Rolls Royce Phantom black

Singapore school girls walking cbd
I walked towards the Gate 4 entrance, which was a right turn from up ahead
Queue Gate 4 Singapore GP Friday afternoon
It was only 2pm, and gates weren’t going to open until 3… so I sat and waited
Friday queue Singapore F1 gate 4 entrance
There was a reason why the queue was this long an hour before the gates opened
St. Andrews cathedral Singapore lawn
I patiently waited

At 3pm, the gates opened and people were slowly allowed in. First a security check. They saw my bag full of camera equipment and the staff asked me whether I was ‘Press’ — I said ‘no’. They still requested that I go up to the Press registration counter and sign a declaration saying I will not sell these photographs, to which I replied “sure”.

Once past the security check, I quickened my pace of walking. So did everybody else. Then as soon as I reached the Padang grounds, I ran — and so did the others!

Singapore F1 concert stage friday Padang grounds
You see, the reason why so many of us queued up so early is because they were handing out FanZone wristbands, so that we could get inside an enclosed section much closer to the main stage
Padang lawn Friday afternoon Singapore GP
Luckily I managed to get mine, and so did the others who queued early — most of whom were VIPs* (I’ll explain later, they’re not *really* important people)
Padang grounds Singapore gp Friday
Phew, well worth coming early for — but now I needed to grab something to eat
Singapore F1 Friday Padang tents
I tried looking for the ‘Press’ tent, but couldn’t find it. Honestly, I wasn’t even too bothered to look for it, I wasn’t going to sell these images. Heck, I’m writing about a September 2011 event in January 2012!
Padang stage Singapore F1 Swissotel Stamford tower
It was past 3pm and I hadn’t eaten yet
Singapore GP Padang grounds way out
I went in search of food
The Cenotaph war memorial Singapore
The Cenotaph War Memorial
Hawker food stalls Singapore F1 grounds
Ahhh, food!
Shawarma doner kebab Singapore F1 food stall
Ahhh, shawarma!

It’s expected food and beverages inside such events were going to be pricey but what to do, I was hungry. So I paid the SG$10 (Rs. 390/$7/€6) for the roll  — the most I ever paid for a shawarma in my life, ha ha! (I grew up in the Middle East, so I’m used to having paid only a tenth of that)

Official F1 merchandise stalls Singapore Grand Prix
Checked out the booths
Official merchandise Fanvision stall Singapore GP
Plenty of official merchandise on sale
Singtel booth Singapore GP
SingTel is the title sponsor of the Singapore F1, so they had a massive booth

Esplanade park way to Theatres by the bay Singapore

dbl 0 bar stall Singapore gp
Make-shift lounge bars

Singtel Singapore F1 Padang tree

Tan Kim Seng fountain Padang Singapore
Tan Kim Seng fountain

Esplanade Theatres by the Bay parkEsplanade park Singapore gpEsplanade drive theatres underpass bridge Singapore

Esplanade drive bridge Marina Bay Sands
You can walk under this bridge to get to the Theatres by the Bay
Esplanade Drive Singapore
Esplanade Drive is a part of the F1 track — and thus closed from public use for an entire week
Classic Alfa Romeo drivers parade cars Singapore F1
On display were the classic cars the Formula 1 race drivers were going to be driven around the circuit for the Drivers Parade before Sunday’s race
Classic Mercedes drivers parade cars display Singapore GP
Very classy line-up
Classic Triumph car display Singapore Grand Prix
They mention which car is assigned to which driver

F1 Drivers Parade classic cars display Singapore

Singapore gp zone 4 photographers platform F1 Friday
Ah, my people
Singapore GP BMW safety car F1 Friday
It was nearing 4:30pm, the Porsche Cup Asia practice session was about to start
Maybank UOB Capitaland hq buildings Singapore
I took out my 70-200mm zoom lens
BMW safety car start of Friday race Singapore F1
The safety cars were doing the rounds
Photographers F1 Friday zone 4 Singapore gp
The cameras were ready as the sound of the car engines grew louder
Porsche Carrera cup Asia practice session Friday Singapore
Here they come!

Singapore grand prix Porsche cup race fridayPorsche Carrera cup Asia practice Friday Singapore grand prix

Porsche Carrera cup Asia practice Friday Singapore F1
I decided to walk to another viewing point
Porsche Carrera Cup practice lap Fullerton Hotel Friday Singapore gp
Mind you, I was still behind barricades. You can’t simply walk closer to the circuit.

Porsche Carrera cup practice lap crew Friday Singapore gp

Singapore gp security briefing panorama
I had enough of cars zipping past, so I moved on

Singapore pillar Esplanade park

Asian civilizations museum gate 5 exit Singapore gp
I exited the circuit area
Walking out of F1 circuit Singapore
I was going to meet my friend Aimee now

Singapore river pedestrian bridgeStraits Publishing building SingaporeBoat Quay Friday afternoon SingaporeBoat Quay greenery singaporeBoat Quay bird statue sculpture SingaporeBoat Quay schoolgirl studying Singapore

Steps Uob building lobby Singapore
I waited for Aimee at the UOB building
Singapore blue sky cloud UOB building
Remarkably, I got sunshine today!

United Overseas Bank UOB building lobby Singapore

Aimee Marie cheek Singapore
After catching up with Aimee, a visit to the ATM
Society bar CBD Singapore
We set off on our walk
Great Eastern building Singapore
Great Eastern building
Walking to Chinatown Singapore
Aimee was going to take me to Chinatown

Towards Chinatown Singapore

Indian temple Pagoda street Chinatown Singapore
Even in Chinatown, there’s an Indian temple and a mosque

Blue building Chinatown SingaporeSmith St Chinatown food street Singapore

Chinatown food street Singapore
Chinatown food street
Chinatown classic architecture old buildings Singapore
Like Little India, and Kampong Glam, Chinatown has its share of retro architecture
Buddha Tooth Relic temple Singapore Chinatown
Aimee took me to this temple, the most famous in Chinatown it seems
Buddha tooth relic temple entrance Singapore
The name of this temple? Buddha Tooth Relic temple
Aimee Marie buddha tooth relic temple door Singapore
Seemed like a nice place to take photos of Aimee

Buddha tooth relic temple front entrance Singapore

Aimee Marie Buddha tooth relic temple incense Singapore
There is a dress code, so they give shawls at the entrance to cover up

Buddha tooth relic temple prayer hall candle glasses Singapore

Buddha Tooth Relic temple main prayer hall Singapore Chinatown
Inside, it was rather impressive
Buddha tooth relic temple prayer hall god Singapore
Go read up on the ‘Sacred Relic of the tooth of Buddha’ — it’s quite an interesting story
Buddha Tooth Relic temple prayer hall Buddha wall Singapore
Very impressive design
Buddha tooth relic temple prayer hall Singapore
This temple is in fact a newly built one, opened only in 2007

Buddha figurine tooth relic temple SingaporeBuddha tooth relic temple prayer hall god statuettes SingaporeBuddha tooth relic temple hall door Aimee SingaporeBuddha tooth relic temple back prayer hall SingaporeBuddha tooth relic temple small prayer hall SingaporeBuddha tooth relic temple idol statue SingaporeBuddha tooth relic temple wall figurines SingaporeBuddha figurine tooth relic wall design Singapore

Buddha teeth relic temple back exit Singapore
We left the temple

Chinatown hall Singapore

Chinatown market stalls Singapore
Aime and I then walked through the Chinatown bazaar

Chinatown stalls market Singapore

Chinatown market Singapore
We had the urge to have some ice cream — bread ice cream in particular

Chinatown market classic buildings painted SingaporeChinatown pillars glass roof SingaporeYellow building Chinatown Singapore

Water chestnut juice vendor Singapore
Couldn’t get the kind of ice cream we were looking for, so we just had juice. I chose water chestnut – because it sounded weird, and I never had it before. It tasted okay though.

Aimee and I took the bus back to Central mall, as I wanted to reduce the weight of my camera bag by offloading equipment I didn’t need.

Aimee Marie freezing Singapore bus
It was very cold inside the bus
Bridge road evening traffic Singapore
Even though the distance wasn’t much, I experienced Singapore evening traffic today. It took some time to cover around a kilometre distance.

After giving our feet some rest at the hostel, we headed towards Boat Quay.

Boat quay inner road evening Singapore
It was 7:30pm

Boat quay back alley night Singapore

Boat quay friday night restaurants Singapore
It was Friday night
Boat quay friday night crowds bars Singapore
The bankers and officer goers of Marina Bay were all out filling up the bars and eateries
Singapore river at night boat quay
We sat by boat quay
Mithun Divakaran Singapore river boat quay
Look, Mithun!
Bread ice cream vendor Boat Quay Singapore river
And we finally got bread ice cream!
Bread ice cream boat quay Singapore
I had durian flavoured ice cream
Aimee Mariee bread ice cream boat quay Singapore
Yay
Boat quay pier Singapore at night
Kids jumping in?
Boat quay pier boys jumping into river statue Singapore
Not really
Fullerton hotel Singapore river bridge at night
I still had some time before I needed to get back inside
Aimee Marie peace sign Singapore
So we goofed off in front of the camera

Mithun Divakaran Fullerton hotel SingaporeAimee Marie fists Singapore

Aimee Marie Singapore skyline at night
One final shot against the backdrop of Singapore’s famous skyline

Aimee and I said our goodbyes as she had to go meet her fiance and I had to head back to the Padang grounds.

Gate 5 tunnel underpass Singapore F1
I went back to the circuit

Pedestrian tunnel Singapore

JK Racing practice Friday night race Singapore F1 Fullerton
The JK Racing practice session was going on
JK Racing Friday practice lap Singapore GP
Nothing exciting, until…
JK Racing car crash Singapore grand prix
… this guy crashed!
Singapore gp racing crash F1 circuit
Didn’t see the others cars race past until this car was lifted off the circuit and all the debris cleared
Singapore gp food court crowds Friday
I walked past the many hungry attendees
Singapore F1 concert Padang grounds Friday
The concerts on the main stage were about to begin, and lot of people had already gathered
Singapore F1 crash on screen
But since I already collected my FanZone band, I could walk straight up close to the stage!
Charice band playing Singapore F1
As the noise from the JK Racing series subsided, a band began to play
Cameras recording Charice concert Singapore F1
Who was it for?
Charice stage Singapore F1 Friday concert
Philippine songstress Charice!
Charice singing Singapore F1 Friday concert
The many Filipinos in attendance surely showed the Glee-star some love
Charice singing Singapore F1 concert
She belted out her hits “Pyramid” and “One Day,” and even sang her (then) upcoming new single “Louder”

Charice eyes closed Singapore F1 Friday concertCharice on stage Singapore F1 Friday concertCharice jumbotron screen Singapore F1

Charice band dancing dougie Singapore F1 concert
Charice and her band even took a dance break to do the “Dougie”
Charice performing on stage Singapore F1 Friday concert
Charice also sang covers of other popular hits like Jessie J’s “Price Tag”
Charice powerful singing Singapore F1 Friday circuit
She maybe pint-sized, but her voice packs in quite a punch!
Charice on stage Singapore F1 circuit
Amazing singer — and a good show by her!
Singapore grand prix Friday race Jumbotron
After Charice’s performance, the Friday practice lap took place

Marina Bay Sands night sky light ray Singapore

GD&Top concert crowd Singapore F1
Plenty of fangirls (VIPs* mostly) were awaiting the main acts for Friday’s concert. I didn’t go too close to the stage as many had already stuffed themselves as close as possible and I didn’t want to be in the midst of girls screaming their lungs out. Trust me, it’s not fun!
Stage rig lights Singapore F1 concert
The lights were ready
GD&Top balloons Singapore grand prix concert
The balloons were ready
GD Top fan sign Singapore concert
The fans… you get the idea
YG Entertainment DJ GD&TOP Seungri concert warmup Singapore F1
A DJ came on and began spinning some hip-hop jams, and then some 2NE1 — so we knew it was YG** time!

Past 11pm, the lights dimmed and the DJ introduced the first BIG BANG member to hit the stage…

Seungri dancers Singapore F1 Friday concert
… and VIPs screamed as loud as they could when Seungri hit the stage!
Seungri Big Bang performing Singapore concert
Seungri kicked off his performance with “VVIP,” from his debut EP of the same name
Seungri singing Singapore F1 concert
Seungri obviously didn’t have too much material as his solo effort had just came out earlier in the year
Seungri perfomance Singapore gp concert
But he still performed his best

Seungri logo on screen Singapore F1 concertSeungri performing in Singapore F1 concert

Seungri back up dancers performing Singapore F1 concert
Seungri ended his brief set with his big solo hit “What Can I Do”
Seungri sweating Singapore concert F1 Friday
Imagine dressed up in a suit and dancing under the stage lights in Singapore humidity!
Seungri funny face Singapore F1 concert
Feel free to caption this. Only thing I could think of was “Pew, pew.”
Seungri VIP crown light Big Bang Singapore F1 concert
We were well warmed up for the next act!

And when those two other boys from BIG BANG hit the stage — oh man, the screams!

GD&TOP kpop concert F1 Friday Singapore GP
GD & TOP leaped on to the stage and began their set with “Intro,” the first song on their album
GD & Top korean pop Singapore F1 concert
For those who don’t know: G-Dragon (Left) and T.O.P (Right) are two popular members of the hugely successful K-pop boyband BIG BANG, and as the sub-unit GD & TOP, released an impressive album in late 2010.
T.O.P Big Bang member Singapore Formula 1 concert
T.O.P, the really good looking member of BIG BANG
G-Dragon Singapore F1 concert
G-Dragon, the talented song writer and composer of BIG BANG — and one of the richest idols in S. Korea!
GD and T.O.P dancers Singapore concert F1 Friday
For all his hip-hop swagger, I couldn’t help but laugh when G-Dragon would speak to the crowd in his limited English by saying something like “… you want to make crazy?!” 😀
T.O.P Big Bang member formula 1 concert Singapore
T.O.P on the other hand wasn’t too hyperactive
G-Dragon YG dancers Singapore F1 concert
They performed other great songs from their album like “Knock Out” and “Oh Yeah”

GD & Top performing Singapore F1 concertGD and Top VIP crown Big Bang Singapore concertG Dragon Big Bang leader Singapore GP concert

G-Dragon T.O.P Big Bang Singapore Formula 1 concert
The boys spoke to the audience briefly before ending their set with everybody’s favourite “High, High”!
G-Dragon T.O.P Singapore concert formula one
Eventually a sweaty G-Dragon took off his overcoat and sunglasses
Seungri T.O.P Big Bang members Singapore F1 concert
Seungri then joined his group mates to close out the show with (what I believe) was a Big Bang song

Given what a tumultuous year 2011 was for Big Bang – with Daesung’s involvement in the rather unfortunate car accident  and G-Dragon’s drug ‘scandal’ – it was still quite a thrill for me that I got to see 3/5th of Big Bang. If only Taeyang could have been there as well, because the K-pop concert only lasted around 45 minutes in length — Seungri and GD&TOP’s performances included.

Oh well, in some ways I was glad it was over — I was completely drenched in sweat! I was so hot, and my arms were aching as I struggled to hold my heavy Canon 7D with the even heavier 70-200mm lens mounted. I took photos the best I could.

I also managed to record some video but if you plan on watching it, I suggest you turn down the volume…

The bass was just too damn loud! I wasn’t even that close to the stage or the speakers, but even from where I was standing, my rib cage was trembling with every thump! I looked up YouTube for other fancams and most of them weren’t any better.

Clarke Quay at night river bridge Singapore
I left the Padang grounds and walked back to the hostel
MICA building at night window colours Singapore
It was well past midnight

Clarke quay Singapore river at nightI initially thought about reading a fan account of the K-pop concert but my body was just so damn tired after the long walks today and the heat at the concert. I had dinner, took a nice bath and just laid in bed.

And to think this was just the first day of the F1 weekend!

*VIPs are what BIG BANG fans call themselves

**YG Entertainment is the company BIG BANG is under


Next post in this series:

Singapore 2011: Day 6 – F1 Saturday (Rick Astley, Shakira and Shaggy concerts)

Singapore 2011: Day 7 – Little India, F1 Sunday race, Linkin Park concert and Avalon Club

Leaving Singapore, and discovering certain truths about this famous city state

Previous posts in this series:

Singapore 2011: Day 4 – Marina Bay Sands Casino and views from the SkyPark observation deck

Singapore 2011: Day 3 – Bukit Timah and Singapore Botanic Gardens

Singapore 2011: Day 2 – Jurong Bird Park and… *ouch!*

Singapore 2011: Day 1 – Landing a second time; walking around CBD

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