Javi's 3rd Birthday in SG - F1 Grand Prix

The next day we had breakfast at a food court just beside our hotel and then Javi went to play at the hotel playground.

We then took our baths and made our way to Orchard to meet up with Ariel. At Orchard we got to see Darth Vader hehe.

Then we went inside the Apple store at Orchard.

Ariel treated us to lunch at Song Fa Bak Kut Teh at The Centerpoint. It was so yummy, even Javi ate so much! I think he finished a full bowl of rice all by himself!

After eating lunch, we went to Gate 3 of the F1 track (rode the MRT at Somerset station and then went down at City Hall station). Whiled away time at Raffles City and saw these photo exhibit. Dyan palang kinilig na ko hahaha!

We entered gate 3 of Zone 4 because we only got Zone 4 walk-about tickets on race day.

When we got inside, we were just in time for the Ferrari Challenge. Apparently there are two pre-races before the F1 grand prix race. Javi enjoyed watching the cars zooming past us.

Hinahabol nya ng tingin yung cars

After the first race, the rain poured. We had to take shelter and because Javi was becoming restless, we let him watch Youtube videos.

The Porsche race was delayed for 30 minutes.

This was infront of the Esplanade

During the race we transferred places because we wanted to scout where to watch during the F1 race. We went across the Espalanade which was also near the food stalls.

After the Porsche race, we ate early dinner, freshened up and went back to the first spot we went to. Here's a map of Zone 4 and a legend of where we stayed at
1 - Ferrari race/ F1 race
2 - Porsche race
3 - Porsche race
4 - parade of drivers

Unfortunately, it rained just before the race started. I'm thanking God, we were seated beside a Pinay, #TitasofManila, because she held the umbrella beside us so that Javi won't get wet, she lent us her jacket when the hard rain stopped but Javi still needed to be covered. I would have had a very hard time carrying him (because he fell asleep before the race started) if it weren't for that Tita. So thank you very much, Tita! We were standing up the whole time we were watching. When I was getting tired, I left the viewing area and tried bringing Javi to the area where we could sit down comfortably. I had to change his shirt because he was soaking wet with sweat because it was so humid! So yeah it woke him up. He insisted to go back to the viewing deck to watch the race afterwards.

haha sorry had to put it here to commemorate this day

So yes, we didn't even see the two Ferraris at our corner. Good thing there were practice laps so that time we saw them. But during the race, we didn't even see the cars! (They crashed on the first corner!)

Umuwi man kaming talunan, masaya pa rin coz we got to experience the race. Next time we'll save up so that we can watch the qualifying session as well.

The next day (our last day in SG), we didn't really have anything in our agenda. We just had lunch with Ariel at Bugis.

With his Lego car

Then it was time to bid SG goodbye!

Where to Stay in Singapore: Marina Mandarin

Last September, I went on an overnight business trip to Singapore. We were there the weekend before the F1 grand prix. Okay, I knew all along that our trip was very near the race but I totally forgot when we got there. As in nawala sa isip ko na the next weekend na yung race and naka-setup na pala yung roads as early as that week. Freaking excited!!! I was so kilig when I started seeing grandstands and barriers for the race along the roads. Much more our hotel was right along the race track!!! Waaaah!!!! Hay naku should have taken advantage of the business trip and went on the race weekend itself hahaha. Just kidding! Was actually the one who told my colleague not to on the race weekend itself as hotel rates and plane fare are surely to be higher than usual. So anyway, here are photos of my room from Marina Mandarin.

My room's view was not ideal if you're there to watch the grand prix as it was facing the pool and not the race track. But I was able to do a walk-about on the parts of the race track around the hotel.

This was the view form the hallway outside my room looking down on the hotel lobby

But first this is me freaking out on the cab on the way to our hotel hahaha!

So here's the route that I took when I walked, from our hotel I went to the Stamford grandstand and walked going towards Esplanade and then Marina Square and the back of Mandarin Oriental and then walked along Marina Bay and then crossed Esplanade to go back to Marina Square and that's where I crossed going back to Marina Mandarin.

Stamford Grandstand

The back of the Bay Grandstand looking over Marina Bay Sands

Bay Grandstand with Mandarin Oriental, Pan Pacific at the back

Turn 17 going to turn 18

Sayang the stores were still closed. Wasn't able to buy any merchandise!

Karting

For our annual division retreat, our team went karting at Go-Kart, Park Square. You know how I love Formula 1, but the excitement really didn't occur to me until we got there, until I saw this.

I actually remember feeling nervous the moment I woke up on that day. My thought was what if I need to know how to drive for karting? I initially thought it's like bump cars but that morning I was so scared of driving. I've learned how to drive a car but I never really drove for myself haha. I always have someone to drive for me so either that or I commute. Anyway, I only got excited when I saw F1 references on the karting area - checkered flags, photos of F1 drivers, the track. Instantly I knew this would be fun. First thing you need to do is register on their computer and then they will take your photo. After that we were briefed on how it will all go. First was we were grouped into 8 individuals per group. Each group is given 12 minutes to practice. The flags were also discussed to us. I was part of the first group and I was the slowest! And I blame it on the kart that was assigned to me hahaha. Because I'm short, I had a hard time keeping my foot on the gas pedal. My kart would always stop the minute I lift my foot from the gas pedal. And because I was slow, I was always blue flagged hahaha! And they don't just wave the blue flag, they will wave it and point at you telling you to get out of the way!!!! Hay, after this I feel for Naraine Karthikeyen. I have a new found respect for all the drivers. It's not easy to be a race car driver!

And then based on our individual times, we were grouped into 7 groups of 3/4 individuals per group. Then it was race time! The winner will be the group with the most number of laps in an hour. And each driver is only allowed to drive for not less than 9 minutes and not more than 11 minutes at a time. So each driver will drive twice in a span of an hour. This part I enjoyed because I didn't have a hard time driving the kart. But but but I was still slow. Good thing my teammates were good drivers. We finished 5th and not kulelat hahaha (We were 7 groups). And they were very supportive! They never let me feel that I was the slowest hahaha. They always tell me after my drive that I did a good job. My female teammate even told me some tips because she was the first one to drive for our team, we had time to discuss on what are the speed corners and where are the braking zones. Naks! Well, not really that technical but she really did gave me some useful tips. Our team's strategy is that I will be the last one to drive for the first and second run so that we can limit the seat adjustments - both my teammates are 6-footers so the kart had to be adjusted when I go for a drive. On my first stint our team was number 1 (this is after the drive of my two teammates). I was doing well until all the drivers caught up with me. And since I was slow and I was trying to defend my position they kept on bumping my rear. One of my colleagues bumped me too hard that my kart hit the barriers, my helmet flew. My kart wouldn't start after this. I had to ask the marshall if instead of replacing my kart, my teammate will instead start from the pits with a new kart which is what we did. I think we were 6th when I was replaced by me teammate. My teammates again were able to catch up but after my second stint, we ended up as 5th. Most of the teams had a different strategy, their last drivers were the fastest one so that they can catch up with all the other teams. I wanted us to do the same but both my teammates were like, "It's okay, don't worry, we'll do okay." Which is actually a good thing because it took the pressure off my back. I was relieved that we were 5th. I thought we were 7th after my second drive. Whew!

Now onto the photos (mostly photos of me since I don't have permission from my colleagues to post their photos here hehehe...

Suiting up

Oh yeah I'm feeling it!

That's me again keeping that fast car behind me hahaha!

Waiting for my turn

My supportive teammates!

Here are the winners

All of us! We enjoyed karting!

Weeeee!!!

Urban Karting Manila
Level 7 Park Square 1
Makati City

2 + 1 = 3

Source

Congratulations to the youngest triple world champion, Sebastian Vettel! He won three drivers' championship in three consecutive years! And he's only 25!

This year's F1 season was tight race between the drivers. Sebastian only started winning races one after the other at the second half of the season. And with only 13 points ahead of Alonso going into the last race (Brazil), anything can happen. Since the last race is in Brazil, I wasn't able to watch the qualifying live. I only knew about the results the next day (Sunday) when I woke up. I was a bit disappointed that Vettel was only P4 but I tried being positive and thought this is where he needs to be to win the championship. Alonso was P8 but was later on promoted to P7 when Maldonado was handed a 10-grid penalty. When Sunday night came, I was sleepy by 10pm so Miya and I went to sleep. But before the race started, hubby woke me up to tell me the race is about to start. I was too sleepy so I told him I won't watch it anymore. But a few minutes after midnight, Miya woke up for her feeding. That's when I heard on TV that Vettel is now P16. What the heck happened?!!? That surely woke me up. So after feeding Miya, I went downstairs to Joema and watched the race. It was lap 9 when I joined him and Vettel was P6 by that time. I had to ask him why Vettel was at the back of the grid when I heard it. Apparently there was an accident at the start of the race. It was a phenomenal race. I thought every single driver was at their best. And I must say this, I'm not a fan of Button but after the race I now think that he is a good driver. He can manage his tyres well and he drives well in the rain. I'm not going through the race lap by lap because you can read about it here and here.

I had a lump in my throat when the camera showed the Red Bull crew celebrating Vettel's victory. I was holding back tears! I was so so happy for him and for the entire team (Red Bull sealed the constructor's championship in Austin). All their hard work had paid off. They were extremely happy. I was also touched that they are really and genuinely happy not only for the team, but for Vettel. Christian Horner hugged Vettel so hard and so many times when they saw each other. Haaay...bromance at its best hahaha!

Here's to more championships!!!

Weekend: Downs and Ups

After blogging about my sick daughter last Friday, it turned worse. Around 4pm, our yaya texted me that Miya's temp was at 38.6 so she gave her Calpol. After a few minutes, Miya was vomitting. I immediately went home. I arrived past 5pm and she was still weak from all the vomitting. I carried her and asked, "What's owie?" She pointed to her head and her mouth. She was still feverish then because she threw up the meds she took earlier. For about an hour, she would throw up once in a while sometimes just saliva and nothing else. She was so kawawa. I was broken hearted. I smelled like vomit but I didn't care. I took care of her. I gave her a sponge bath and then after an hour we gave her meds again. She was feeling a bit better afterwards. She asked if we can go upstairs na, so we went even if it's not yet sleeping time. I thank God, she was better almost immediately after. When Joema got home, she's almost her usual self. After a few more hours, she was okay already. I also called her pedia just to make sure. He told us to give her round-the-clock meds and bring her the next day for check-up. Since Joema was in a hurry to go home, he wasn't able to passby the pedia's clinic to list Miya down for the next day's check-up. On Saturday, we had to wait for almost two hours before she was checked by the pedia. Thank God, she was not ill anymore. There was a toddler in the clinic who was sick, she was so matamlay, I feel for her.

Playing at the pedia's clinic while waiting for her turn

That Friday night, we had to forego a dinner with some friends because Miya was sick. We had to cancel our plans for the weekend because we weren't sure if she'll be okay during the entire weekend. Good thing, the doctor said it was viral respiratory tract infection and she wouldn't be sick any more. True enough, she was well enough after (well, even before the check-up).

So for dinner on Saturday, we asked our friends if they could dropby our condo to have dinner with us. One of Miya's ninongs is home from Singapore during the weekend. He hasn't seen Miya since she was born. At first, Miya didn't want to come near him. But later on with some bribery, she softened up to him hehe. You know what he used to briber her? Pizza! The moment she saw the pizza delivered to our unit, she was calling out to him "Ninong! Ninong! Kiss!" even volunteering to kiss him hahaha!

with Ninong Bud

Sunday was my mom's birthday. We ordered from Amber's (their crispy pata is the best) and bought cake for her. Miya, of couse, sang "Happy Birthday" to her Yaya - that's how she says Lola or sometimes it's Yoya. My mother was more than happy.

Happy birthday, Lola!

All in all, the good trumped the bad. Even Vettel had a good weekend (he finally won another race this season and in Singapore no less!). How was your weekend?