It's Time

Some people still asked me about, why, on earth, out of the blue, I suddenly flew to Singapore to watch F1 live. Then when I answered "I seriously am now a fan of F1! Why would I spend so much to watch something I half like??", they'd give me a hint like, they didn't buy it.

Well here's the deal.

Several months ago, I was on the beginning stage of liking this sport. As a spectator, because no, I have no intention of being a racer -I mostly don't even have intention to drive my own car. When I knew that there'd be a Grand Prix in Singapore, I impulsively bought a flight because, well, it's just Singapore.

At first I didn't really have plan to buy the actual F1 ticket because as what I saw on TV, on those European circuits, people can actually watch the race on top of hills or by peeping through the circuit fences. So I said to myself, well, I should also be able to do this in Singapore, no? So I guess not buying the ticket seems fine. The plan was firm, until finally someone told me that there’s no way I could do that in Marina Bay STREET Circuit. Street. So no hills, no free peepholes, and again, it’s Singapore. So no free riders allowed.

Damn, no? And I knew the cheapest tickets were so off my budget. So, damn, yes? Is it my time to back out? I supposed to myself several days before my departure. Or should I go anyway, and only hear the voice of the engines from afar?

Well, God has other plans for me.

And that plan is called

IMAGINE DRAGONS

Pic's from here.

Yes.

They were there as a part of the show. As Singapore Grand Prix's guest star of this year, along with this new artist Halsey. I couldn't believe my eyes at that time. And just when I recalled my feeling, I'm pretty sure once I read their names, on the table of artists that will be performing on the RACE DAY -please note it, Race Day, not practice or quali, I subconsciously told myself that okay, Vick, you're so going to buy it.

And so I bought it.

And it became one of those memorable random shit I'm proud I did.

Because Imagine Dragons had always been a gig I was dying to go to. Along with Bastille, which apparently became the guest star of the qualification the day before -I swear my eyes almost popped out when I saw both names on the webpage, until I finally realized that they performed on different days. But guess what, on the night before the race, when I innocently visited Marina Bay Sands and decided to chill by the river for a moment, apparently Bastille was playing and the sound could clearly be heard from afar! And I bumped into "Flaws" which is my favorite song! I SWEAR I WAS THE LUCKIEST GUY IN THE WORLD OF MUSIC FANBOYING! AND I SWEAR THIS IS THE LONGEST SIDE SENTENCE I'VE EVER WRITTEN IN THIS BLOG. And attending a concert -well technically, TWO concerts- abroad had always been a cool stuff I was dying to brag about. Plus to be able to have it altogether with an F1 race in which I started to have this weird obsession within, damn, this was a major jackpot to me!

And Halsey turned out to be a thing. I heard some of her songs before, and browsed some more of her hits before my flight, and all of them were performed! DAMN! She instantly became a dear to me.

But of course the highlight was the main reason behind the ticket purchase. Imagine Dragons was epic. Their performances, their songs, their crowd –my first foreign crowd!– their energy, their STAGE ACT, the unique voices and screams Dan Reynolds made, the drum beats that almost blew my eardrums, the fire, the lighting, I swear every time they finished a song, I threw my usual curses and bad words in Indonesian, which made me a bit worried at first because some words were just too harsh for people to hear –plus I was there alone, with no friends so is it not weird to be excited and all swearing by yourself!?– but then, I remembered that it’s not home so people won’t know what I was saying so, I kept on swearing like an idiot.

Still can't believe this view. Never thought watching a concert in the
middle of a business district would serve this spectacular scene.

Obviously the fire thing were the Singaporean's doing, but it really matched the performance!

For that kind of performance, I'm willing to tribute more than just a round of applause.
Some appreciative cartwheels would do.

And this one's Halsey with Singapore's city sunset. Best scenery I ever seen in this country.

Fuck. Fuck. FUCK!

Pardon the language but to hell with that—I WAS AND STILL AM FUCKING EXCITED!!!

I swear I never had such great great deal in my life before. First double concert. First gig out of Jakarta. First expensive ticket I don't mind wasting because it was all worth every rupiah I spent—UNIVERSE WAS WITH ME ALL ALONG!

Well for this time, to hell with spending.

I've worked hard for the past six-or-so months.

I've been waiting for this particular band to come.

Obviously,

It's time

The Race I Can't Get Enough

It's been a while since the last time I posted about F1.

It's even been a while since the last time I posted anything here.

Am I losing interest in the series?

Hell. No.

I've just been toning it down a little so I don't spill my blog way too much -I do it on my Twitter account already so I guess that'd be enough. If you ask whether I am still watching the tournament or not, the answer is totally yes.

I was there by Spa during the Belgian Grand Prix. Of course I wouldn't want to miss that one: the race after one month of summer break which obviously, was anticipated. The race turned out to be a major comeback show with lots of twists including uncommon lineup -Vettel and Raikkonen almost on the front, Hamilton on the far back, Sainz's tyre blast, Ferrari clash, and on top of all, of course, the RED FLAG by Magnussen's huge crash, topped with Hamilton's podium despite his start from P21.

I was also there by Monza which race was, fine. A little bit boring though, compared to the preceding GP which served hell of a drama. But I saw Vettel again on podium so it was something refreshing especially because, of course, one of the Ferrari boys had to win in Italy.

Not to mention last week too—I was there in Singapore. Only this time, I'm saying it literally. As I actually flew there to my neighbor, wore my amateur F1-fan spirit on, hailed down to Marina Bay to get the ticket I bought online for

Singapore Grand Prix 2016

Pic's from here.

Fuck.

It was so spontaneous. I mean, most people would think, if I tell them that I watch the Grand Prix, that I had planned it way in advance, bought the ticket since like, last year, and prepared my ass off to come to Marina Bay. Turns out, no.

You knew how my interest towards F1 started. Rio Haryanto. Then I began to fall in love with the whole performance, despite the fact that Rio doesn't shine at all. But still, when I knew that they'd be racing in Singapore, I bought the flight despite all the works and bureaucracy I should be facing at the office, and despite the fact that Rio eventually stopped participating F1. And one more thing that was actually crazy was that I hadn't even bought the F1 ticket yet until a week prior the race, so yes, one word for all of this: fvcking spontaneous -well, two words?

Next thing I know, last week I was in front of Marina Bay Street Circuit already. Damn, the moment of truth. Even until that second—no. Even until this very exact second, I still can't believe that I actually did watch the race. But there I was, in front of Gate 3, stepping inside the edge of the road with Red Bull cap I just bought on my head, living the race air as if I'm one of those avid fans.

And speaking about the race, it went exactly as I imagined. Tough, tight, crazy stuff happened even just a second after the race started -that Hulkenberg crash was really something!- then the Kvyat v Verstappen duel oh, it made the mid-race much more alive the cameras couldn't even take their lenses off of those two. But of course the main drama happened on the leads, and guess what, it got more and more intense reaching the end of the race!

Oh yes, it was my idol Daniel Ricciardo, who was this close to win Singapore GP. He stayed at P2 the whole race, with Nico Rosberg ahead of him. Starting from lap 55 of 61, Rosberg, who hadn't switched tires, started to lose his pace and the 22 seconds gap between him and my brother -so Mr Ricciardo, if you ever EVER read this blog post, yes, I want me to be your brother- kept decreasing and decreasing. It was so fvcking intense, as it was only 2 seconds gap between them, but that damn Rosberg was really good that he could manage leading til the checkered flag waved. If only there was one more lap, Daniel could win. But hey, 2nd place's great! And the best stuff was, he gave a very very entertaining fight -you don't want to hear the story of me screaming and screeching in excitement during the last 10 laps of the game.

Photo belongs to Red Bull Racing's Twitter account.

Crazy.

And you know what made it crazier?
That this time I watched it all live.

Well it's not that I could get a clear vision of each cars and their maneuvers and what they did along the 61 laps, lol, of course not, I don't have that godly skill. I still got to see the whole race in one big screen, as if I was at home watching it with my TV.

But then again, I was there, just several yards away from those people I could only just see on screen this last 6 months. I was there among those people you could see from your TV during the GP. I was actually hearing the exact engine sound, witnessing the black-emerald colors of the Mercedes cars, blue-red-yellow sparks of the Red Bulls, raging vermilion figure of the Ferraris—I heard, and saw them all! Flashing before my very own ears and eyes.

And it's not just about the actual race itself that I still can't stop replaying from that night. It's the atmosphere too. Seeing all those F1 enthusiasts, from the hardcores to amateur ones like me, to those little rascals who only came for the concerts, sitting by the field like a picnic court, gathering with all these people to cheer and watch the race together, walking myself to and fro throughout the circuit to find spots that could get me closer to the cars, and those wonderful fireworks lit when Rosberg hit the finish line... Damn. Nothing failed me!

Even far from the place, like on my way from my hostel in Bugis to the venue in City Hall, the F1 mood was everywhere in the air! With people walking down to the circuit already wearing their lanyards, with all the trinkets of F1 from flags, banners, posters, inside the MRT, by the malls—even when I returned home, I still got to relive the race stuff because apparently my English roommate was also there to catch the GP and we kept talking and talking and bragging about the race... DAMN!

Whatever I did, it was all about F1. 

I don't know about those guys who's been watching Formula One their whole life. But I, clearly, I can't get over it. I can't get over Singapore GP and all its fantastic obscurity just yet. And I'm sure I won't be over it any time soon.

Because well,

For an amateur fan, it was

A memorable one

Red White

Independence Day?

Yes, that's the main dish.

But this year, it's beyond that.

It all started on last Sunday night.

Just when I thought the fun was over, giving the fact that weekend reached the end and Monday was coming, something amazing happened in England. Yes it was the first matchday of Premier League, and Liverpool was playing.

Against Arsenal.

At Emirates.

It was supposed to be uneasy for us. And I didn't expect much anyway. But since it was a big game, and it was the debut match for the whole season, I streamed to London anyway.

The drama was real. A real emotional roller-coaster. Penalty against Liverpool, but blocked. First goal by Arsenal, but the lads could catch up with more goals. Gunners leveled up their game with more goals, but eventually, Liverpool managed to survive 'til the end. And won.

Pic's from here.

I swear, it was a sweet night for me. And I swear I woke up with the biggest smile on the next day, despite it was Monday, and I had to go to work. But what made it "the biggest", was because on that Monday night, I was going to have another open trip which I hadn't done for so long.

Yes, just like last year to Krakatau.

It was a trip for Indonesia's day.

This time,

To Dieng

I know, it's a crazy view eh?

I was all excited. Plus this was my first time joining a non-sea trip. And, it was my very first time using an office day-off - I'M AN ADULT! And the 2-day-2-night trip itself, it turned out to be so incredible.

Rice paddies along the way, rolls of hills on top of the plateau, multi-hued lakes and awesome craters, ancient temples and insightful historical watchings, countryside people with their fresh routines, new friends sharing the same Indonesian-treasures interest, nice warm local specialties with mountainous weather, DAMN! I never felt a trip more Indonesian than this.

But the main show of course, was the one on the August 17th itself. When we trekked the 2600-meter-something mountain to have our annual patriotic ceremony, with flags waving everywhere and scenes of sick hillsides graced the background. And with the moment when "Indonesia Raya" was marched from all corners of the mountain, leaving back to reality was indeed a difficult thing to do.

They called it Puncak Sikunir

Well. Mesmerizing, huh?

But that was not it.

Just when I thought the fun was over, giving the fact that my wonderful trip reached the end and another working day was coming, something amazing happened again. This time, in Rio. Yes,

The Gold Medal

by

Tontowi Ahmad | Lilyana Natsir

It's a big thing for me. No, not because of the event. Not necessarily because it's Rio, and everybody is talking about that, and posting things about the athletes, that it became a big thing for me. No. I've been a supporter for Indonesian badminton since long ago. I even watched it when Hendra Setiawan and Markis Kido won their gold in Beijing 2008. I ain't any bandwagon fan who suddenly became interested in this sport just to swim along the stream.

So my love for them is real. And seeing them winning, seeing them getting back the gold tradition Indonesia didn't have in 2012 Olympics and on top of all, seeing them giving it all right on the day Indonesia was celebrating its Independence Day, it was too beautiful.

Pic's from here.

So intense, yet beautiful.

Full of all red and white things.

And you know what makes it more touching?

That all of these happened in just 4 packed days.

It overlapped, in the most delicate ways.

Thanks, Liverpool.

And I love you so much

Indonesia

M&Ms

You might not know but

Ever since Indonesia entered F1,
I kept following the tournament.

For the first round or two, it was still for Rio Haryanto of course. You know, karbitans euphoria. But finishing Chinese Grand Prix on week three, when I found out that Nico Rosberg had won 6 GPs in a row, I began to completely un-biased-ly enjoy the show.

It's apparently fun to see the race. Probably less nerve-wrecking than MotoGP where changes in positions can happen in just a matter of seconds. But Formula One has its drama too. I started to realize the true beauty of F1 when they did it in Monte Carlo. When Lewis Hamilton and Daniel Ricciardo spiced things up the shortest circuit. I remembered the time I screamed to my TV for what I saw, my subconsciousness told me

"Man, you've never been manlier than this before."

Best race I've ever seen so far, in my debut season.

But last night, another one came to my amateur sense.

Austrian Grand Prix

Pic belongs to F1's Official Twitter Account.

Too many things happened yesterday. From Rio Haryanto gained his best position ever -12th place- before an incident put the whole circuit in major rearrangement, to Sebastian Vettel's ironic car breakdown in lap 20s despite the fact that it was his birthday, to Felipe Massa and some other drivers having to leave the race unfinished when entering the last 10 laps.

There are some good news as well. Like Rio's Manor Racing teammate Pascal Wehrlein that finished in 10th place. It was a big stepping stone for a minor team like MRT. In fact, it was their first point ever in the tournament so reaching the end of the race, they were like all hysterical and exaggerated. It was so funny seeing the big drivers took it easy receiving their big wins, while these newcomers celebrated like crazy for a mere last position. But that's no wonder. Because it was, something really big. And hopefully this could make Rio fired up too.

However, the biggest drama, of course, happened during the fight on the last lap. Two Mercedes boys Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg were after each other for the first place, resulting in a disappointing collision between them. It was so unfortunate. The crash sent Hamilton to the first place in the podium, but Rosberg had to finish fourth due to some severe damage on his car. On some level people took it as Hamilton's unwillingness to let Rosberg win, so those Germans booed him pretty bad during his podium speech.

Phew.

Now that's the "true beauty" of Formula One I told you about. You got 22 drivers, each of which has the same chance to serve one hell of a great, unexpected performance. The top ones can fall with no further ado, or retire on lap 65 out of 71 -that sucks!- while the underdogs can suddenly be only stones away behind the pole.

So unpredictable. It's like, eating M&Ms off the pouch. You pick one, and whatever color you get, you'll enjoy it anyway because it offers the same damn delicacy.

No preference, no differences in taste.
Anybody can be your main entertainer.

The celebration for first position, and celebration for tenth.
Both pics belong to F1's Official Twitter Account.

Well, Mercedes and Manor.

It's obviously a great weekend for both of them.

But now, can you spot something pretty ironic?

That the one which ended up in the first place, on some level didn't enjoy their victory. Meanwhile the one which ended up in the bottom, celebrated and made it like they won the whole series.

Life's weird sometimes.

Even in the sweetest moments,

It can still go nuts

Iceberg

Hello, and welcome to the evening Neverland Sports Network.

I'm Vicky Amin, your smartass host that is actually incapable of talking sports.

Tonight I will be discussing on the ongoing international tournament UEFA Euro 2016, and some little snippets about the participating nation(s). Now let's begin!

Background image belongs to The Guardian.

Off to the first exclusive coverage, we have, of course, the football thingy itself. Now honestly, I missed all the group rounds because boy, I've been really damn busy the last couple of weeks. Doing work. That triple life I live, which I'm not planning to talk about right now. So yea I missed all the group matches, but still I got the updates from my timeline thanks to my fellow football-enthusiasts and George Lineker's talkative tweets.

Then drifting away a bit from sport, but still about Europe—we got the UK's off-EU referendum. Well I'm not the type of a politic lover here, but bite me, this one really fancy my arse. It's just so interesting how it all started, how it all affected the global life, and how it all unveiled many things many people had no idea about -such as how British people didn't even know that they were a part of EU, and how people couldn't differentiate between United Kingdom, Great Britain, and England.

Now with these two topics, I'd like to narrow it down.

To a simple one phrase, two nouns, three words:

Iceland and Wales

It's crazy how both amateurs performed. Looking back to their participation history in which they neither entered nor qualified, this one, the Euro 2016 series, can be actually considered as their first ever major tournament appearance. And both progressed amazingly throughout the tournament!

Iceland

Has been a bad-arse since the very beginning of the cup. Even long before it. It's funny how this underdog can be a killing hound, biting all other teams. Especially when they defeated England. The momentum was spot-on, as UK just announced their #Brexit and England had to walk out of the tournament as well. People started mocking England for being lost to a team that has "more volcanoes than footballers", whose second coach was a dentist -crazy trivias how could they find these out!?

But after all, Iceland is something worth considering about. Remember, they kicked Netherlands out even before the tournament started so, it's not just mere luck. Tomorrow, they'll be facing the host France. It'll be really alluring if they win the match -and I got a feeling that they'll do- because one, the host will be taken down by a newcomer, and two, the semifinal round of this Euro will be crowded with two amateurs—the other one being

Wales

Oh Wales. Ever since #Brexit broke the internet followed by the fall of England and Northern Ireland, people started making jokes about how both UK as a nation and UK as a collective of football teams exited Europe. They took Wales for granted, assuming that the tiny dragon would also fall respectively.

But now, what do we get? This not-so-popular team just beat one of European's top teams Belgium last night with a surprise victory—even their fans go wild and couldn't believe it. Well why not, they're the last hope for the UK to stay in the competition and prove that they exiting EU didn't affect anything in their football sense.

Well.

Iceland and the last nation yet to Brexit.

If both of them do meet in the final round,

It'll be as colossal as that classic time when

Titanic met the Iceberg

For more fancyarse views about football, log on to www.turntoneverland.com/booger.