Expect the Unexpected!

Last night, Singapore hosted the very first Formula 1 night race. Every F1 fan in the world has been awaiting yesterdays race. Being Singapore's first race, everyone was expecting many of surprises. And surprises were what the drivers and spectators received. The predicted rain never arrived, overtaking was not as much of an issue as one by one the drivers realized that they could overtake. The inaugural Grand Prix is arguably one of the most exciting race of the 2008 season.


Fernando Alonso on making history by winning the Singapore Race.

Together with his mechanical crew, Fernando managed to clinched his first F1 GP win of the 2008 season. However, things were not looking so bright and cheery at the Ferrari garage. With Kimi crashing out and Massa whipping his fuel tube and crew member around the pit lane. It seems that the RED team did not leave Singapore with good memories of the race.



The Pit members play a very vital role in every race. each member is designated a role and he must be totally alert of what needs to be done. From the tyre changers to the lollipop man. each individual needs to be constantly aware of his surrounding. He also has to communicate with the other members of the crew during that 5-10second pit stop. In yesterdays race, we witness a major mis-communication in the Ferrari pit. When the Lollipop man signaled Massa to go, the fuel man was not ready to release the fuel tube thus, causing Massa the lead and eventually the race.
This also occurred in another garage not too far away from the Ferrari's; Renault Driver David Coulthard also faced a similar scenario, however he was able to brake to prevent one of his crew member from flying.

Similar actions like a simple thumbs up or eye contact is crucial at the pit lanes. Being Surrounded by noise from the roaring engines and screeching tyres of 20 F1 race cars, every crew member should take up comm101 and learn more about non verbal cues. Sometimes the driver just points to his helmet and a crew member knows that its his job to wipe it.
All these tiny actions may seem insignificant. But without them, i think any f1 team will end up in MASSa DESTRUCTION! What say you?

Pictures: ChannelNewsAsia.com and guardian.co.uk

Love is in the Air

A few days back, the United States of America host their 60th annual Prime time Emmy Awards. With each award came the prestige and the honor, rewarded only to the very best in the acting scene in USA.



From the television and pictures, the number of marriages and break ups in the HOLLYWOOD world is almost impossible to count. Almost everyday you hear about actors and actresses getting together, breaking up, filing divorces and dating. Such things are so common in Hollywood that make me wonder, on what grounds and reasons do these people get together for? What are the foundations for this relationships?



Unlike Singapore where love is a BIG problem. apparently big enough for the Government to set up a Social Development Unit (SDU), Hollywood stars seem to have no problem find their partner, or should i say partners. Building a Dyadic relationship is never easy. From the Initiation Stage, where the couple meet, to the Bonding stage ( marriage ). They are lucky there is no need to head down to the Termination of Relationship Stage. But being so busy with their work schedules how do stars maintain such relationships?

Time is definitely one big factor I feel is essential to build a relationship. Without it, an enormous uphill task awaits you. However these actors have proven me otherwise. they seem to have no problem building their relationship on fame and fortune. In fact, Im really puzzled on what these Stars build their marriage on. Like Beckham and Posh Spice, they seem to have a really healthy marriage going on. One of the rare few.

What do you think keeps hollywood stars from breaking up? Are they relationships as simple/complicated as ours?

All Photos: Matthew Imaging

Congratulations Singapore!

http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/singaporelocalnews/view/376199/1/.html

Yesterday Singapore paralympian made history by winning the country's first GOLD medal in the paralympic games in Beijing. Coached by former world champion Ang Peng Siong, she rised above all and went for glory. Beating her nearest opponent by 7 seconds, Pin Xiu become the first ever Gold Medalist in Singapore. Congratulations Singapore! And like all the sports people in the country, she received a sum for money for her achievements.



Which brings me to the issue I would like to bring up. "Why is there so little coverage on the paralympic games"

Shouldn't the world see how awesome this people are? As compared to the 6 extra channels that Starhub provides on top of channel 5 and Channel Us coverage, almost 20 hours a day, the paralympians receive air time summing up to 1 hour a day on Channel 5. I personally feel that we should learn to appreciate what these athletes are doing. when Singapore was playing China in the table tennis finals, there were countless advertisements to seek support from the country. Even PM Lee had to push back the National Day Rally. And yesterday i only found out about Pin Xiu's Gold medal accomplishment through the daily highlights. Just because these people are disabled does not mean that they deserve lesser than us.

I feel that Singapore should learn to be more supportive to their citizens or rather to their representatives. What Say You?

Many people, one nation, one singapore!

I just read this entry in the forum of the Straits Times regarding the "Middle Class" Permanent Residents (PR) that are working in Singapore. Ms Chan states that the difference between PR or foreign workers and expatriates is that PR does not earn a good 5 digit salary. She is unhappy about the fact that PRs are "invisible" and yet they have to do what normal citizens do like paying taxes and needing to go for National Service when the male PRs turn 18. She is truly unhappy about some of the policies that the government has brought forth and hopes to that a change for the better will occur in the near future.

http://www.straitstimes.com/ST%2BForum/Story/STIStory_275631.html?vgnmr=1



However, the point of this entry is not to listen to the whining or the "shortfalls" of the government. The reason for this entry is about the diversity that Singapore is achieving through the constant inflow of foreign workers. Just walk down Clarke quay on a Friday night, u will be surprised to find foreign friends almost everywhere. With the additions of so many different races to our small and cozy country, Singapore prides herself as a multi racial country. In my opinion i feel that with so many different nationalities in Singapore, this is provides an excellent opportunity to expand our horizons. We should grasp this opportunity whenever we can. Be in school or at work or even while in public places to learn more about how different people behaves in the same situation. Also it is really interesting to see how different people interpret things differently. Already in Singapore, different races have different reactions to the same scenario what more people from other national backgrounds. We can learn about the approaches they use to organize their thoughts and how they perceive information. We can observe the reactions of others just by carefully taking note of their actions

for instances when i was travelling in Taiwan, i was really amazed by the way they abide by the "rule" that you should keep to the right on the escalators. Back in Singapore, although some of us practice this, not everybody does it. This is only one for the many differences i have observed.

Apart from that, i recently had the privilege to bring a Turkish friend on a one day tour around Singapore. apart from showing him the numerous choices he had in the food courts and hawker centers, i had the chance to learn a bit about his culture and "adventures" when he is back home. What struck me the most is when he asked, "what are the cultural NOs in Singapore?" well. I really couldn’t answer him. Could someone point that out to me? I truly believe that Singaporeans have learnt to accept different races so willingly that we gladly adapt to their actions.

Imagine if Singapore just had only one race. How ignorant will we be?

Music and Lyrics

Every day as I leave my house to begin my journey to school, I make sure that I well equipped with my Ipod. With it, I am confident that i am able to battle the monotony of the trip to school, or to wherever I am headed to. As many of us know, music is no doubt a form of communication. It is not only a outlet for the musicians to express their feelings but also a way for them to send a message across to the listeners - their subtle persuasion.



Last weekend, I read about BAYBEATS 2008, this "concert" is held annually at the Esplanade. Looking deeper into each of the performances, we will actually find the five canons embedded strategically in every song performed that very night. From Writing the song (invention) to the purpose (style) , (arrangment) of the music and lyrics, to the way the song is played (delivery) up till how the band moves and dance on stage that very night,so as to ensure that their item will continue to echo in the memories of their fans, are in fact based on the 5 canons.
As the hundreds of fans shout and scream as their favourite bands appear one by one on stage, the music and atmosphere makes the 5 canons seem almost insignificant.

Performing up on stage is somewhat like giving a presentation. Only thing that the presenters holding musical instruments always look much cooler. Like the 4 approaches identified in the Modern Era, music utilizes all of them, from the canons of the (classical), to music that toys with your emotions/behavior (psychological), the aesthetic/(belletristic) and finally the emphasis on the delivery with both the verbal and non verbal(eloucutionary)

As much we try not to mix what we study with the simple joys in life, we cannot deny the fact that what we learn is and will always be an important part of our everyday lives.

Welcome!

hey all, Welcome to my blog. please comment on the posts that i have raised up!

Thanks alot!
jerms