The Weekend in Singapore : FRIDAY

Its been almost a week since ive been back to work. However the memories of the amazing weekend still are fresh in my mind. It all began with a last minute decision to go to Singapore just before departing from KL. I had been trying to figure out a way to get to Singapore from KL and had been contemplating air and ground options.

However my dear brother presented me with an option of tagging along with a friend of his who was gonna get to Singapore by road. I jumped on the option and confirmed the same with him. On a friday - I had called Vikas Rathi and comfirmed that I would meet up with him at bout 2.30pm. and then depart for Singapore.

As usual i was late in leaving the hotel and was wondering how I was to get to this place called Subang Jaya. The hotel guys did me a favour (id love to think otherwise) and called in a cabbie. Little did i realise that since this was a 5 star hotel - they had called in a LIMO TAXI (no guys it wasnt a LIMO). I thought to myself - 2 days back i had travelled to this place further than Subang jaya and i got there in 35 RM so this should be lesser distance but slightly more expensive to 35 RM should be fine but I paid that freakin cabbie 60 RM. This guy drove like a maniac. Or were the roads so good to drive like that. Zipping out of KL was quite a breeze given the traffic that i had seen in the last 3 days or so. The road seemed longer and longer. It never seemed to end. However I got there only at 3pm. Looking for this guy wasnt as hard. I had told Vikas - look out for a guy with luggage. Didnt think there would be others with luggage around. Bingo - Found our man in 5 minutes. The usual introductions took place. Vikas and Devasheesh (D'singh) introduced themselves. Luggage stuffed in the boot and there we were ready to hit the road.

Couple of wrong turns, Vikas (pronounced as Vykers (R is silent)) didnt think so and we lost something like 15 minutes in the traffic. D'Singh however enlightened Vykers on the short cuts he never knew of. So there we were enroute to Singapore. I was told this journey was bout 375 kms. and i was saying to myself - atleast 4 hrs or more. I had carried my left over WALKERS COOKIES (Really gooey and full of chocolate) and not to forget my packet of Chocolate milk. The initial discussion revolved around the usual - whose doing what - who studied where - whose married - whose not - whose got kids - how old etc etc. Every now and then reference was being made to GANJI (my brothers nic from the IIM days i presume). How GANJI's record (of about 3hrs 19 mins door to door) from KL to Spore was there for the taking. (I sincerely hope moms not reading this post or - NITIN - uve had it).

We were all deprived of good hindi music on the way in to Spore. We managed with a bit of Micheal Jackson CD and a bit of MIX FM on the radio (which by the way is one of the best radio stations ive heard in a long time). I pretty much dozed through the first 1 hr of the drive and woke up during a routine pit stop. PIT STOP - generally considered to be for loading the tanks, we stopped to empty out tanks. Dont know if everyone who has been to the IIM smokes, but i think its true. They all smoke. D'singh and Vykers had their share of Cigarettes during this pitstop. We also bought some chips (Pringles - Cos they are made by P&G), some twisties some coated fried peanuts and some Cashews. By this time we had wiped out the stock of the amazing cookies. While D'singh had water, Vykers had Coke and I my packet of chocolate milk.

Driving through the next hour and half was fast and furious. Ive noticed one thing. No one honks in Malaysia and Singapore. As Vykers put it - if you want someone to give you way - all you gotta go is get right up their ass. So typically we would zoom until the guy in front notices us (right up his ass) and then gives way. So far i dont recall a single car overtaking us on this ride. I had just said it and there was someone whose car was right up our ass. It was to be a BMW 5 series. Ah we had no chance - had to give way. We used the power of the BMW to great effect. He was ahead clearing the way for us and we were right behind him.

One racing incident - KIDS DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME OR ANYHWERE
Kimi (BMW) was being obstructed by a back marker (Some silly Proton - Force India), Lewis (Vykers) was right behind Kimi. Kimi takes instructions from the pit wall and dives to the left to overtake. Ron Denis (Hiren) passes message to Lewis to stay put. Kimi dives to the left - So does the Force India car, Kimi is stuck. Go - Go - Go is the message to Lewis from the pits and Lewis drives straight on and takes the race lead. May sound a bit silly but there was lotsa cheer in the car on this smooth overtaking manouvre.

After passing through bout 4-5 toll plazas we were just about to hit JB (not Johnny Bravo) but Johar Bahru and the crossover point to Singapore. After a relatively smooth crossover we were in Singapore. Ah it felt so nice. So nostalgic. Obviously Nitin hadnt called in to check if we were on time or where we had reached. This could lead to two possibilities - He had too much faith in Vykers (that he would bring his bro to singapore safely) or he knew his elder brother would get anywhere with or without help. We were heading to this place called Serangoon Ave 3, as there was too much traffic and we would never make it in time for the F1 - friday practice session. We had to drop D'singh to this guy's (Nandi) place. I tried to make sense of a map that was from Woodlands to Serangoon ave 3 whereas we had taken the route via Tuas to Serangoon Ave 3.

Thanks to the excellent road signs that exist in Singapore, we got there. Mostly cos of an excellent navigator in the car. (and it wasnt D'singh or Vykers). I was talking as if i was brought up in Singapore and knew the roads well. The exit from the PIE on to the CTE and then an exit on to Lorong Chuan and then the left for Serangoon Ave 3. The moment we all got off the car, cigarettes were out, puffing started. A couple of drinks down at Nandi's house for all we finally get a call to meet the gang at Clarke Quay. Got there in 15 mins. Usual grettings. The long lost brothers hugged. The gang decided to party late nite. I opted out. Got dropped home. since my luggage was in Vykers car - I had to make do with my Bros' pyjamas (10 sizes bigger - sorry - just exaggerating). Dozed in a flash. ZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

(by the way - we made it to the toll plaza in something like 3hrs - 24 mins)

Day 2 to be continued.