I guess F1 fever has brought out all the illegal racers. Heck, I just wish those guys would have some consideration for everyone in dreamland and head over to the empty roads at Tuas instead, at least the roads are wider and it's a virtual ghost town at night manned only by the occasional security guard; so no chance of hitting the odd HDB resident who might be wandering around with the restless family pooch... (the odd HDB dweller taking the dog out for a walk at 12 midnight to the wee hours of the morning is something that happens quite frequently in my estate)
Having never had an interest in cars or racing and since I did not bet on any of the racers, I cannot understand the Formula One fever that has hit this island. I mean, every time I've had the chance to see a race on the TV; it’s just a bunch of cars zooming around repetitively on the same piece of road. That kind of thing puts me to sleep real fast, the other thing is golf...truly a game that is NOT best enjoyed as a spectator sport.
Apparently, the fever has hit even the local aunties. That's right, I’m talking about all the middle-aged or little old lady housewives that are a common sight in any neighbourhood. I can't imagine all those aunties waving their hands and staring at cars whizzing around on the TV. But there they were lined up in front of a huge projector screen set up by a community centre to show the race to members of the neighbourhood. It was a literal party. I guess it must have been a slow gossip month. :P
Despite having a bad taste in the mouth from having watched bits of so many snooze-worthy races... I decided to tune in to the race anyway, just to see what Singapore looks like at night with a racetrack and to catch a glimpse of the really big event that was happening in this country... As a Singaporean I am naturally curious and it does give me something to talk about when I meet my fellow countrymen.
When I switched over to the races, there was tiny nagging feeling that an accident was imminent. I mean I have seen historical footage of some really bad crashes, but I don't expect anything to really happen. After all, one doesn't tune in to the races to watch people crash into walls.
Well, 5 minutes after I tuned into the race, I saw Nelson Piquet’s car smack into the concrete in front of the main spectator stand. I was shocked, but also relieved when the driver climbed out on his own. Well, after that, I became fascinated by the race. And certainly, the night did not disappoint with 2 other non-fatal accidents and racer Felipe Massa driving off from the pit in a hurry with the fuel hose he had violently yanked off dragging along behind him. Apparently the snooze-worthy sport had turned into something like grand drama in just a few short hours.
For a coverage of this event, read the following:
Article: Alonso wins drama-filled F1 Singapore GP
http://sg.news.yahoo.com/afp/20080928/tsp-auto-prix-sin-5820418.html
Well, this sort of confirms my longstanding theory that there's some kind of mojo circulating around this island that keeps this island interesting to the rest of the world. After all, rationally speaking how interesting can a grand prix event get? Even the newscaster remarked that they didn't expect the race to have "so much drama". Well, a comment from a member of the grand prix audience sort of sets the tone for the race.
"I hope that an accident happens... " he blurted out and then changed his statement a few seconds later.
Could the collective primal desire to see some kind of blood and gore drama have manifested the 3 accidents and all the drama that occurred at the tracks tonight? Experts and analysts looking back on the race will say that the accidents were caused by the tight city street turns and bumpy road. I don't know what the actual answer is, but I do know that quite a lot of people put money on the races down at the betting booth at City Hall. And knowing some gamblers here, I am sure they went to the local bomoh (ie. witchdoctor) to get some help in winning their bets.
I did learn one thing from this event. Unfortunately, like all my fellow countrymen, my interest is piqued only when something bad happens. Despite being separated from the circuses of ancient Rome by 2000 years of history and numerous incarnations, I'm still as susceptible to its attractions as anybody else. So much for being filled with "love and light" (incidently, a notion I have never felt much inclination for... but I'll talk about it another time) :P
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