10 Conclusions from the 2012 Spanish GP

1. Williams needed that win.
Williams, with its rich history, went from winning to selling shares in less than a decade. Pastor Maldonado saved the team with a brilliant win over Ferrari and Alonso's fans.

2. The season continues to be unpredictable.
Most thought that with the European leg, we would be able to see the real pecking order in F1. Spain just made things more confusing with a Williams winning for the first time since 2004.

3. The German World champions need to control their temper.
Sebastian said cucumber, Michael said idiot. The German heroes are definitely not hiding their colours form the public.

4. Maldonado the pay driver is an F1 winner.
He showed that just because you are a pay driver you can't win. Pastor Maldonado does not deny that he pays to drive but now surely no one can also deny his talent and skill.

5. Lewis is not a tyre-eater.
Hamilton was able to make his tyres last despite following cars in dirty air and overtaking quite a lot of drivers. It was a remarkable feat to start last and finsih 8th with only 2 pit stops compared to most who had 3.

6. Mercedes, like this season, is so unpredictable.
They were the class of the field in Shanghai and in Spain they were not fast enough. Yes, the long straight in China helped, but it was confusing that Williams and a Sauber were faster than them.

7. Massa needs to step up or it's goodbye for him.
We could say that Fernando was overperforming the Ferrari but Massa is also underperforming. In the race, Alonso was fighting for the win while Felipe was battling with midfielders.

8. Mclaren needs to tidy up their pitstops.
The pitstop blunders in Mclaren continue and they need to clean up their act immediately and grab back all their lost points in the first 5 races.

9. Disappointed Kimi is not disappointing.
Kimi was disappointed of not winning the race because he knew they could have won if the right strategies were played. Kimi's return to F1 just proves he is a pure skilled racer, now with back to back podiums under his belt.

10. It's Monaco baby.
One of the most anticipated races of the season is coming next and everyone is hungry for a prestigious Monaco win. Will we see a 6th new winner in Raikkonen or Hamilton? Can't wait for the 27th!

10 Conclusions from the 2012 Bahrain GP

1. Never discount reigning world champions in the fight.

          The dread of another RedBull domination in 2012 was forgotten after the first 3 races of 2012 produced 3 winners not driving a RedBull car. Then came a Vettel hat trick in Bahrain. This though doesn't mean domination but rather a reminder that RedBull are still the there to fight.

2. Mclaren's pit mistakes did not cost Lewis a win, well maybe a podium at least.

          The relatively slow pace of Mclaren was baffling during the race given that they were the fastest package in the first 3 races. Their pit stop mistakes didn't help them either. Guessing if there weren't problems in the pits, Lewis would have ended 4th or 3rd the least.

3. Pirelli once again made the race a spectacle.

          It was very interesting how Force India won 6th place with their 2 stop strategy and how defeated Kobayashi was with his'. Di Resta snatched 6th with a brilliant 2 stop strategy versus the Ferraris and Mclarens who were on a 3 stop.

4. Nico got away with his racing incidents.

          Circulating around the web at this time is a rule stating, "Manoeuvres liable to hinder other drivers, such as deliberate crowding of a car beyond the edge of the track or any other abnormal change of direction, are not permitted". If that is the case then how did Rosberg not get a penalty? It was clear during the race how he fought with Lewis and Fernando.

5. If RedBull can fight for victories, then so does Lotus.

         The Lotus of Raikkonen and RedBull of Vettel were similarly paced and one cannot deny that had Kimi started higher on the grid or wasn't stuck behind Massa or Grosjean, he could have been stepping on the top of the podium.

6. A whole lot got excited knowing the iceman will be joining the post race conference.

          Kimi Raikkonen's answers during the post race conference were unusually lengthy but surely listening to him produced confused looks on people's faces trying to comprehend what he said.

7. Mercedes are not quite there yet.

          In qualifying, F1 was expecting Mercedes to take pole but they did not. During the race expectations for the Merc were similar but like Mclaren, they lost some edge. Could it be the track temperature? The changing wind directions? Or their cars just doesn't suit the circuit?

8. Follow driver's twitter accounts and you can read some interesting tweets.

          Alonso tweeted, "I think you are going to have fun in future races! You can defend position as you want and you can overtake outside the track! Enjoy!" This of course, was referred to the stewards' decision not to reprimand Rosberg and Hamilton.

9. Formula 1 is turning into a preserving the tyres game.

          Not just during the race do drivers need tyre preservation but during the whole weekend, saving tyres can be advantageous as well. In Q3, cars not battling for pole run around the circuit without a timed lap and unused set of tyres in qualifying can prove critical in the race.

10. 4 different winners in the first few races make a good championship.

          We've had 4 championship leaders, too. It's still early in the season and we hope there will be more new winners coming into the European leg of the season. The regulations this year are really restricted and little updates here and there can make a difference from being 10th or being on the top step of the podium.

10 Conclusions from the 2012 Chinese GP

1. Mercedes have found the solution to their tyre wear.

          No one knew in the Mercedes camp that their tyres were going to last that long. And to even beat other teams in the tyre wear contest was something new.

2. Mclaren need to convert their fast car into race wins.

          Clearly the fastest car in the grid, Mclaren need to clean up their act and get the opportunity to win when they can. Pitstops hasn't really been solid in the team and they need to work on it.

3. Shanghai proves to be a thriller even in a dry race.

          Sepang was an epic race but who could have guessed the Chinese GP would be as thrilling even without the aid of rain! There was overtaking on all sides of the track, TV broadcasters had a hard time choosing which battle to cover.

4. Pirelli got it right for the fans while Lotus got it all wrong.

          The mystery and uncertainty of Pirelli's tyres made the race a spectacle with teams trying different strategies. Lotus got it all wrong for Kimi going 2nd down to 14th by the end of two laps.

5. The DRS-aided wing of Mercedes may be like the double diffusers back in '09.

          The wing was controversial and now that the FIA declared it legal, most teams are looking into it much like the double diffusers who made Brawn world champions in 2009.

6. Ferrari are slower than Williams.

          In race pace, Alonso could not overtake Williams in the straight as they admittedly lacked speed and traction. So now that makes them like, the 6th fastest car behind merc, lotus, and williams unfortunately. Bad news for the tifosi.

7. Lotus, like Mclaren need to convert their fast car into podiums.

          Clearly the Lotus has quite a lot of pace in their bags. The team just need to sort out their priorities and strategies to convert their early pace advantage into podiums.

8. Caterham are still far from the midfield.

          Midfield is Toro Rosso, Force India, Sauber, Williams, and now Ferrari. Caterham just couldn't keep up with them. If they don't try something new, maybe Marussia will make them have a run for their money.

9. Mark Webber seems better than world champ Vettel.

          Trying the new exhaust layout, Mark Webber sky rocketted his two front wheels but got the better of his teammate two laps from the end. Two races now that Mark beat Sebastian in qualifying and in the race. Seb should be feeling quite a lot of pressure now.

10. We are going to Bahrain! (in the midst of political unrest)

          FIA said that they are not a political organization rather a sports org which means that the race in Bahrain will push through. I just hope for safety.

-AC

Good morning sunshine

It's new day, a new  life, for me... And I'm feeling good!

Single Lens Reflex Digital Camera

I always loved to take photos and alas I have my very own SLR camera.

Here is the first shot taken with my camera: (taken by the seller)

my first shot:

 my first okay-ish shot is this:

and my first shot without a person:

You know what they say! Practice makes perfect! I'm gonna take pictures and practice until I make better pictures.

Bublé Night (originally written on Oct. 27, 2010)

After a tough work week, I have decided October 27, 2010 to be my Bublé Night. It’s been quite a while since I listened to pure Bublé music. Sav usually chooses the playlist with various artists but now as my younger sister is hanging out in another room (exercising as I presume), I have the chance to play all his songs.

To those who don’t know Michael Bublé, he is a Canadian jazz singer. I’ve followed him ever since I heard his first single entitled “home”. From then on, he became my favorite artist and always listened to his songs. You would think that his voice and singing is that of an old man, but he is just in his early 30’s and just as young as most artists, it’s just that his type of music and most of his songs are old fashioned.

Well, call me old-fashioned, too but jazz soothes and I am lured to this kind of music. Moreover, jazz is almost always romantic. I am just 24 and a lot of people my age love dancing-up beat, acoustic, pop, rock, RnB music. But jazz is me.

Anyway, my MP4 now plays “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”, a Frank Sinatra original. Its tempo is a bit upbeat and I loved the song the first time I heard it. Piano, trumpet, saxophone, bass, drums, and of course, Bublé’s voice. The combination makes me feel really relaxed and happy right this moment. The lyrics of course when taken literally is weird but everyone knows songs are like that. They make you think and their words create somewhat like magic phrases giving those who listen creative imagination and a burst of feeling which depends on the music and lyrics of the song.

It is already cold and dark now as I gaze out our window. I wonder when winter will come. Work has been tough and tiring this week.

The cool breeze circulated by our fan makes some of my muscles tense, on the contrary, my mind gets relaxed upon hearing another classic  Bublé music “Mack the Knife”. I bet a lot don’t know the song even existed, I confess that I don’t really understand the meaning of the lyrics, but I love the music. I have still thirty minutes before sleeping and ending my day. And those thirty will be consumed by listening to the jazzy music of Michael Bublé. My mind is calm and relaxed now, thus I presume to have sweet dreams tonight, thanks to my Bublé night.

N.B. Now that it is June 27th 2011, I am in a lot of stress and jazz helps me ease things a bit.

Real-life Dementors

The title may sound geeky but this morning I felt so low and sad.

The nurses receiving in the station I was assigned to last night sucked all my energy and happiness.
For crying out loud they just can't stop complaining about anything. It was already 8 in the morning, and they still haven't finished the endorsement. It might be exhaustion but I wasn't feeling tired really. In fact, if you'd ask me to run the whole block of the hospital, I still could. But all this energy was being sucked out by these insensitive nurses not thinking you are way past duty hour and had to endure a long graveyard shift.

Usually and all the time I just smile and keep my happy thoughts and positive energy around me. However it wasn't the case this morning. I couldn't even lift my chin. I would smile for a moment but slump right back the next second. I try to laugh at the slightest comic thing then I frown knowing that my own grin is lying.
My colleagues (and i also like to call them friends) keep saying it's okay. I keep that in mind. But my head is low.

What I am saying is that I never felt this way before. I guess at age 24 going on 25 (thanks Jasmine for correcting my age) I still have a lot of emotions to feel. The feeling was different. It was a mix of disappointment and sadness and mental exhaustion. It was negative yeah, but the emotion will make me a wiser and more experienced individual.

As my article now moves further still from the title, I am still not over this slump feeling. But I know I will recover through some of my favourite things. So thank you Formula One, thank you games, thank you movies, thank you music. Of course, I also pray for help and guidance. Oh and I forgot to mention: thank you 3 days off. And I hope when I come back from duty, I can do what is properly due to my patients: 100% care from me.