From crowning a champion to rockin' on the Parliament lawn - wrapping the Formula One Final...

Family,
And a good evening to you from across the globe after another GREAT DAY in the Lion City.  So in a turn of events that will thrill all those of you who feel the blog has turned into a "running journal," you'll be happy to know that the Bull is officially hobbled and grounded.  The last 2 days have been nothing shy of pain EVERY TIME I take a step, and no amount of ice or Advil has staved off the stabbing pain in the ball of my left foot.  Dad, you will be happy to know that I've gut-divorced it as much as possible and even tried to run a few steps, but it's just not happening.  This probably means I'm a scratch for Sunday's 1/2 marathon, which means I'll be stuck on #19 until returning stateside.  Miller - this does not mean, of course, that I won't begin carb-loading for whatever February or March race that pits us head to head - it's never too early to get fat - just sayin'...

"Rubbin's Racin', Cole..."

What I will say is that, despite barely being able to walk and moving at about 20% of my normal speed, I AM STILL PASSING EVERYONE ELSE ON THE SIDEWALK.  Now someone help me please, as I MUST know - WHY DO PEOPLE HERE WALK SO SLOW?  Seriously, I've watched turtles with 3 legs move faster than most of the cats getting food at Vivo City.  I'm not asking for much, people - just show me that you have a pulse. 

Anyhoo, I digress.  Sunday was a GREAT day in the Lion City, as Singapore played host to the F1 Final.  It was a big race, as Sebastian Vettel (some German dude that drives for Red Bull Racing) could clinch his second straight world championship with a win over the field.  I was pulling for Lewis Hamilton, because, well a) he's the ad man for Tag Heuer, and b) he was the only driver I knew coming into the race (and I actually called him "Leonard Hamilton," so clearly I didn't really know the guy too well...).  We showed up in time for the driver's parade, which was actually really cool, as each driver goes round the track very slowing in an old school Rolls or Bentley.  We saw all the big names (as they were explained to me, anyway), and the cars were SWEEEEEEEET.  I did see a couple of Bentley's, but none of them sported the "Poffie's Girl" license plate.

 The race itself was AWESOME.  Seriously - the actual competition was way cooler than the qualifying.  We watched 15 laps with Emma and her fella Marcus (who's a HUGE fan) at one of the big turns (not the most famous turn, which is Turn 10 - "The Singapore Sling") before wandering over to the Esplanade Bridge, where we saw those guys absolutely FLYING.  Seriously, the noise was so loud that I had to push my ear plugs DEEP into my ears to avoid this splitting pain every time a car zipped by.  GC - it was ALMOST as loud as the night we went to that dance club Pascha in Victoria.  You remember that night, right?  The night you told me you'd "spot my cover charge" and then faked shock when the gal said "Cash Only" and I had to drop 80 quid?  Yeah, just thought I'd get that shot in there while I could...

The evening really was a blur, as the race went by REALLY fast (2 hours for 61 laps).  The second it was over, we were then treated to a GREAT fireworks display just off the Marina Bay Sands Hotel (which the announcer reminded us TIME AND TIME AGAIN cost 8 billion to build) which ran for about 15 minutes or so.  But since it's Singapore and everything runs like clockwork (of course, lah), the show stopped promptly at 10:15 because the MARQUEE event was kickin' off just across the way on the Parliament Lawn.  What, dare you ask, was more important than seeing Vettel crowned as repeat World Champion?  Why, LINKIN PARK LIVE IN CONCERT, OF COURSE!!!!  OH YEAH, BABY!!!!

"Everything you do to me, takes me one step closer to the edge..."
"SHUT UP WHEN I'M TALKIN' TO YOUUUUUUU!!!!!!!!"

Linkin Park gave a MASTERCLASS of a concert.  They played for 90 minutes straight, and they rocked ALL of their hits (save "Crawling" and "Leave Out All the Rest," but I'm not complaining).  Hitman - this concert was right up there with the O2 - talk about a great night out.  There was no mosh pit, but the crowd was electric and the band was blasting it out.  It was the last stop on the World Tour, and it really felt like they were leaving nothing on the table.  It was the perfect cap to a really perfect night and weekend in Sing Sing, and I must give the city full marks for putting on a GREAT spectacle - good atmosphere, great race, terrific bands - the F1 is something I would DEFINITELY recommend to anyone living here and to any racing fan.

Okay, that's all the news that's fit to print.  Chat tomorrow!

Love,

(Hop-a-long) Sam and Jenny