BMW Sauber F1 Team

Oh yes! Formula 1 is back in Kuala Lumpur. With that, most car manufacturers or sponsors are displaying their cars/products through various promotions/events. The main F1 event, the Malaysian Grand Prix leg, will be on from 6-8 April 2007 to be held at Sepang International Circuit, 45 mins drive from the city centre.
I was at one of them yesterday evening. At the courtesy of BMW Sauber F1 Team with Petronas of Malaysia, the petrol supplier to the team. BMW Sauber has set up a Pit Lane Park in the vicinity of KLCC Park which was walking distance from my office. A slow stroll with another colleague to the Pit Lane Park under a windy weather was perfect.
Scheduled to open at 7pm, we were there by 6.40pm and a sizeable crowd was already there. By 7pm, an estimated crowd of about 100++ lined up to get in.
We were provided with 2 ear plugs and a tag. FYI, the tag has no special privileges.

That was how close we could get our hands on it. As we made our 2nd round later, due to more people, you could not step in too near or even touch it.
A specially built paddock lounge for BMW owners & invited guests. This paddock lounge will be the place to be, besides the F1 track in Sepang, to view the F1 race on Sunday.

Unfortunately, the paddock is only opened to BMW owners on the race day. Find some BMW owners who would be staying at home on Sunday and borrow their BMW car keys to obtain entrance. Yeah, a car key is all you need to get in.

The pit stop challenge! Everyone was given a chance to feel the intensity during a pit stop.
Without fail, I got my hands into it as well. Partnered a reporter, I was tasked with taking the wheel out and putting the next wheel in so that my reporter mate could drill the cap back on. False start on the first time as the timer was not switched on. Finished first though.
On the 2nd attempt, we did even faster and finished ahead but the other 3 tyres were changed at a much slower pace. The end timing was 10.7 seconds. The announcer said that we will destroy the team's chances with that timing. If you are able dip below 10 secs, you'll be given a certificate.
A virtual challenge was available. Didn't really like it but the fastest lap on the clock during my time there was 1'40" by a foreigner. The top 3 performers' name would be displayed at a scoreboard. The whole game structure was designed and sponsored by Intel.

The BMW Safety Car.
Close-up photo take on the vehicles that would go for a spin later on.
A scaled-down Formula One car that would be driven by Nick Heidfeld later.
Chris Pfeiffer's bikes. Chris is a renowned street bike performer.
This place was initially a car park but was turned into this pit lane liked area.
Time passes by. Forced to wait till 9pm for the performances. Caught hold of the Petronas Twin Towers, the world's former tallest structure, now placed 2nd. Further to the left was the KL Tower (or Menara KL).
That was how delicate & serious they were in tuning the car prior to a simple performance.

Out came the Formula One car driven by Nick Heifeld.
Only a few spins here and there, good enough to cheer up the crowd of about 220 at the grandstand. Further down the lane, there were about another BMW/Petronas 200 guests. Lining at both sides of the lane was about 100++ people. The ear plugs were good as the engine roared at a high decibel.
Chris Pfeiffer soon came out with his outstanding stunts/tricks. Here, he braked at an instant. Can't catch a good photo as the phone cam doesn't have a faster shutter speed.
Chris was burning his bike's back tyre to the thrill of the crowd.
A three-wheel bike? He spun so fast that that was what I caught. Chris, being a professional rider, has won the Streetbike-Freestyle in the recent Indoor World Championship held in Zurich, Switzerland.

Post-mortem discussion on the car's performance? Nick, in the centre, was quite a short guy.

The setback in this big event was that the night's programme was not known till it was announced much later. Good thing Wednesday's night event was from 7pm-11pm. That too, I have to be there till 9pm for a half an hour performance. Imagine coming on the next few days where it starts from 3pm-11pm, how would one know when the cars be given a spin around. Do I have to be there from 3pm-11pm to wait for it to be announced?

Tags: Sports, Formula One, F1, Malaysia Grand Prix, BMW Sauber, Petronas, Pit Lane Park, KLCC, Petronas Twin Towers, KL Tower, Menara KL, Nick Heifeld, Chris Pfeiffer, Intel

Moses and Jesus

A burglar broke into a house one night. He shined his flashlight around, looking for valuables, and when he picked up a CD player to place in his sack, a strange, disembodied voice echoed from the dark saying, "Jesus is watching you."

He nearly jumped out of his skin, clicked his flashlight off, and froze. When he heard nothing more after a bit, he shook his head, then clicked the light on and began searching for more valuables. Just as he pulled the stereo out so he could disconnect the wires, clear as a bell he heard, "Jesus is watching you."

Freaked out, he shined his light around frantically, looking for the source of the voice. Finally, in the corner of the room, his flashlight beam came to rest on a parrot. "Did you say that?" he hissed at the parrot. "Yep," the parrot confessed. Then it squawked, "I'm just trying to warn you."

The burglar relaxed. "Warn me, huh? Who in the world are you?" "Moses," replied the bird.
"Moses?" the burglar laughed. "What kind of people would name a bird Moses?" "The kind of people that would name a Rottweiler, Jesus.
Tags: Jokes, Funny, Humor, Parrot, Moses, Rottweiler, Jesus

World's Oldest Blogger

News just got around that a blogger from Australia could be the oldest blogger in the world right now.

Introducing Olive Riley who has just posted 11 postings in her blog, The Life of Riley, as of today.

Reading: World’s oldest blogger at 107! - Susan Loone (Like what Susan has mentioned, nobody is too old to blog and blogging is the "in thing" now just like how email or sms has its own revolution)

Tags: Olive Riley, The Life of Riley, Blogger, Oldest, Australia

Zee Cine Awards 2007

Of late, the Indian movies industry prefers to hold their awards show in Malaysia. Good work by the Ministry of Tourism in drawing such an event to Malaysia and it augurs well for the Visit Malaysia Year 2007 at the same time. This time it's the Zee Cine Awards 2007 that was held on 2 April 2007 in Genting Highlands.

Click here for Zee Cine Awards' winners.

Previously, the GIFA Awards was held in Dec 2006.

Tags: Movies, India, Indian, Bollywood, Zee Cine Awards, Ministry of Tourism, Visit Malaysia Year 2007, Genting, Entertainment

Vladimir Putin's Plane

Vladimir Putin - the Russian supremo. The President's office has commissioned an Ilyushin 96-300 jet to be re-designed and re-fitted at a cost of £10m (approx. RM68m). At this rate, it has already been mentioned that it's a ludicrous price and even leaving the USA's VIP airplanes way behind.

Malaysia also will be getting their latest toy, an Airbus A319 Corporate jet. Bought at a price of between US$40m to US$45m and to be re-furbished at a cost of US$10m by Jet Aviation in Switzerland.

As for Putin's jet, a Bristol based company, Diamonite, has been awarded the contract.








Gold-plated taps and shower in the bathroom.
Silk-covered walls in the plane.
Upholstered leather seats equivalent to those leather seats in an Aston Martin car.

Reading: Firm to refit Putin's plane - BBC News
Reading: Putin's Plane - Luxist
Reading: Putin's Plane with a Midas Touch! - Luxury Launches

For more photos, click here.

Tags: Vladimir Putin, President, Russia, Ilyushin 96, Diamonite, Gold-Plated, Silk, Aston Martin, Luxury, Airbus A319, Jet Aviation

Google TiSP

Google TiSP (BETA) is a fully functional, end-to-end system that provides in-home wireless access by connecting your commode-based TiSP wireless router to one of thousands of TiSP Access Nodes via fiber-optic cable strung through your local municipal sewage lines.

All you need is a simple kit from Google and gather some simple installation steps and there you are!

As such, you could plug your wireless access gadget in whichever toilet bowl or better still, while doing "your business" you could just connect a wire straight to your laptop and get some entertainment while sitting on your throne.

If you are still unsure on how it really works, leave a message.

Tags: Google, Google TiSP, Technology, Wireless Router, Access Nodes, Fiber-Optic, Sewage

Quilt of Holes

Before each of us laid our lives like the squares of a quilt in many piles; an angel sat before each of us sewing our quilt squares together into a tapestry that is our life. But as my angel took each piece of cloth off the pile, I noticed how ragged and empty each of my squares was. They were filled with giant holes. Each square was labeled with a part of my life that had been difficult, the challenges and temptations I was faced with in every day life. I saw hardships that I endured, which were the largest holes of all.

I glanced around me. Nobody else had such squares. Other than a tiny hole here and there, the other tapestries were filled with rich colour and the bright hues of worldly fortune. I gazed upon my own life and was disheartened.

My angel was sewing the ragged pieces of cloth together, threadbare and empty, like binding air. Finally the time came when each life was to be displayed, held up to the light, the scrutiny of truth. The others rose; each in turn, holding up their tapestries. So filled their lives had been. My angel looked upon me, and nodded for me to rise.

My gaze dropped to the ground in shame. I hadn't had all the earthly fortunes. I had love in my life, and laughter. But there had also been trials of illness, and wealth, and false accusations that took from me my world, as I knew it. I had to start over many times. I often struggled with the temptation to quit, only to somehow muster the strength to pick up and begin again. I spent many nights on my knees in prayer, asking for help and guidance in my life. I had often been held up to ridicule, which I endured painfully, each time offering it up to the Father in hopes that I would not melt within my skin beneath the judgmental gaze of those who unfairly judged me.
And now, I had to face the truth. My life was what it was, and I had to accept it for what it was.
I rose and slowly lifted the combined squares of my life to the light.

An awe-filled gasp filled the air. I gazed around at the others who stared at me with wide eyes.
Then, I looked upon the tapestry before me. Light flooded the many holes, creating an image, the face of Christ. Then our Lord stood before me, with warmth and love in His eyes. He said, "Every time you gave over your life to Me, it became My life, My hardships, and My struggles.
Each point of light in your life is when you stepped aside and let Me shine through, until there was more of Me than there was of you."

May all our quilts be threadbare and worn, allowing Christ to shine through! And so ye are blessed! God determines who walks into your life....it's up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let go."

When there is nothing left but God that is when you find out that God is all you need.
Tags: Christianity, Inspiration, God, Angel, Jesus Christ, Quilt