Dropped by Vivo City this aftn......

I dropped by Vivo CIty this afternoon to watch the Cheerleading Competition. It was REALLY loud. I guess I am getting old! But then again, whenever I am alone in my car or at home, my music is usually "well above the average limit". (Thank God neighbours did not complain) Those who have sat in my car know what I am talking about. Do not be mistaken that I "chnged" (hokkien term for modified) my ICE (In-Car Entertainment) system. It is stock standard which means, no modification at all. Original factory fitted. However, I have sat in friend's cars who modified their sound systems with subwoofers, amplifiers and bass tubes. I call these cars mobile discos.

Despite getting the merit award, I must say that LPS did exceptionally well. To think that they beat so many other schools is a big achievement in itself. I truly salute you all and of course my ex-colleagues who put in countless manhours to train, choreograph and coordinate the whole item. Well done, team.

Had a fantastic run this morning....

Finally! A chance for me to go for a good run. I did what I did before: Ran from home to NIE. Except that I took a little more time as I was out of action for a fortnight or so. It certainly feels great because despite the fatigue after the run, I feel so much more refreshed. Fortunately, it only poured cats and dogs in the afternoon.

Some of my ex-pupils asked if I could attend the LPS annual Sports Day next wednesday. I would love to but because I have lessons then I therefore have to give it a pass. According to them, the long jump and short put events will be held this afternoon in school. Will defending champion house Galileo reign again this year? Or will second-placed Edison house reclaim the overall champion which they lost by a whisker last year? Maybe Einstein house will come out tops this time round? Newton house might also spring some surprises this year, who knows? All that I want to say is: May the best house win. The occasional friendly competition is ok but not hostile rivalry. The spirit of unity must be amongst all Lianhuarians.

Esther's sleeping woes....

For the past 3 days, Esther does not seem to want to sleep during the afternoon after feeding. At around 1 or 2 in the afternoon, she will be wide awake after feeding and we had a hard time getting her to go to sleep. Ironically, we had a hard time waking her up around midnight for her last feed. Tried tickling her, massaging her, turning up the music volume...... But despite this 'afternon insomnia', she sleeps for quite a long while through the night. At least she only wakes once at around 3 or 4 am for one formula feed and then it is slumber till the morning. Thankfully it is not the other way round. But it does take its toll on the mother in the day time.

Maths test

Oh man, maths test today was actually not difficult. It was basically a test of speed. There was nothing new and all the questions were not foreign. All that was needed was to read, ponder and then solve. There was no time to waste. Basically, it was "target up, aim fast, fire fast". I was a little stumbled at the last part of the last question because I was not sure about one of the proving steps. However, I managed to recall and answer it just in time. Hopefully will do well because the final exam will be a pretty tough paper. Seems that it is somewhat like last semester. The 4 quizzes were straightforward but the final exam was a killer.

Some F1 news....

Read the article adapted from the F1 website. Now we have a Schumacher S at the Nurburgring circuit. Who knows when Alonso retires there will be a "Alonso Curve".

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Nurburgring honour for Michael Schumacher

Michael Schumacher is to have a section of the famous Nurburgring circuit named after him ahead of this year’s German Grand Prix. Schumacher won at the track five times during his illustrious Formula One career.The ‘Schumacher S’ (formerly the ‘Audi S’) is a fast left-right section midway around the Nurburgring lap. The seven-time world champion will get another chance to sample the corner when he completes a special lap of honour before the 2007 German Grand Prix on July 22.

Finally:- Esther when awake.....

Over the weekend, we decided to attempt to get some shots of Esther when she was awake. Of the couple of shots, these two seem to be the most adorable. Enjoy!




"Hello! My name is Esther!"



"What a beautiful world out there!"

Last few sessions....

As the semester is drawing to a close, most major assignments and projects have been submitted. Now whatever left are the final tests. DCM & DSE will end this week. DCE will go on for another week while DSM will last another fortnight. Thank God that the timing is about right. Between the DCE, DSE and DSM final tests, there is quite a huge gap. The only tough part is that of DCE and DSE being on the same day (9th Apr) while DSM is on the 24th Apr. After that, the holidays begin but for me, it means that I will be a 'full-time' stay home dad. Since Angela is having her 3 months maternity leave and it is also during my holidays, we can look after her wholeheartedly. We have until the middle of June to help her adjust before we start school again. So now is the time for us to tune her sleep and feed timing. For the past few nights, Esther woke up the whole of Bt Batok when it was her feeding time!!!

No more cable tv....

We decided to give up the cable tv subscription. As we will be rather busy with not just looking after Esther, when we resume work and/or studies, I do not think I will have to time and luxury of watching Ch 24 on certain saturdays and sundays of the year. Besides, I think I have my vision 2008 to work towards as well. It saves us about $40 per month which can be used to either purchase a tin of milk powder or 2 packs of diapers. Anyway, I can always go to the F1 website to read about the events and races. Should I REALLY want to catch any of the races, I could always drive to my in-law's place.

Esther's new cot will arrive later. We bought it at the baby fair about 3 weeks ago. This new cot is a 5-in-1 which can also be used as a play-pen, sofabed plus some other functions. On average, it can be used till the child is about 6 years of age. The usual price was I think around $500 but at the fair, it was going for $299. As the current cot was given to us, it can only be used until she is eight months so we decided that it would be a good investment. So now I have to think of how to store or pass the old cot to someone else.

I fell sick.....

Looks like I had better stay away from my daughter as I am down with a flu. Blocked nose, phlem and sore throat. Coupled with insufficient rest, it got worse. In fact, I was already having a slight discomfort on sunday. Guess it must have been the shortage of rest and having to run up and down so many places. Saw the doctor this afternoon and he gave me some medication. Fortunately I have no class today and since it is the weekend, I can really rest it out. However, it sure feels horrible not being to cuddle Esther but for the sake of her health and everyone else, I think it is a good move to keep a distance.

Got DSE mock test on monday and I still have not looked through my stuff. Think this weekend will be a chance to do some revision. Not forgetting that next wed is my DSM test. I somehow feel more confident for DSM instead. I can only point to the reason in that I am more familiar with DSM as compared to DSE. Thankfully, next thu is another mock practice test for DSE so at least it gives me some more practise.

Esther is home already...

Esther was discharged today after spending another 3 extended days in the hospital due to jaundice. Thankfully, it has gone down. We fetched her home at around noon and she is settling in nicely.

The poster on the wall in Esther's room



Esther sleeping peacefully.....while we are photographing!!!

Nearly all assignments submitted....

With the completion of my DCM assignment which I will submit online later, I can now focus on revising for DCE, DSE and DSM final examinations. The hectic portion is that for both DCE and DSE the tests are on the same day. One is in the morning while the other is in the afternoon. DSM is a fortnight after that.

Once DSM exam is over, I have until the end of June before I start my practical school experience. This gives us time to bond with Esther and also time for me to do some running. This is in line with me working towards Dec'08 where I aim to be able to complete my first full marathon.

Esther is still in hospital due to jaundice

Esther is still not home yet as her jaundice is still a little on the high side. This morning, the doctor reported that the jaundice level has fallen but he recommended that she be observed for another day. Although it is normal for newborns to have jaundice, the extent is the one that is vital. It is a little 'heart pain' for us parents but for the sake of her health, we will adhere to the doctor's recommendation.

It was pretty obvious that I missed the season debut of the F1. However, I was rather pleased that Ferrari's Raikkonen was on the top step of the podium and teammate Massa started from the back to bring the car home into 6th place. Mclaren's 2 drivers did well too by occupying the other 2 steps on the podium. This paves the way for a Ferrari-Mclaren showdown. Defending champions Renault are seemingly out of form as they were way off the pace set by the other 2 blistering teams. It is another 3 weeks to the M'sian GP up in Sepang. But the next day are both my english exams so I guess I have to give it a miss again.

Mothers are great!!! More photos included...

Before I start, let me salute all mothers. Having been in the labour ward with Angela throughout the 11 hours, it is something very remarkable. They carry the baby inside their womb for 10 whole months and some of them have to endure the discomfort of morning sickness, swollen feet, food cravings, back pain, baby's kicks etc....During the birth process, the labour which they have to go through is something us guys do not get or taste. Seeing Angela during that 11 hours was quite 'heart pain' for me as well. Thank God for pain relievers like epidural. Angela was without any pain relief for the 1st three hours until it got too overwhelming and we decided to opt for the epidural instead.

However, the pain, blood, sweat and tears will become tears of joy when the little one finally comes out and cries their lungs out. It sounds cruel to let the baby cry but this is to ensure that the baby has a voice and it also expands their lungs. But not too long also. I must confess that both of us teared when we saw Esther for the 1st time. This kind of joy is unexplainable as the 10 months journey is over and we embark on a new journey called parenthood.

So before you do anything, please say a word of appreciation to your parents especially your mother who went through so much to bring you into this world. Saying a big thanks to them and giving them a big hug would certainly be something nice.

Here are some more photos...


The Tang family



Close-up shot of Esther



"Smile!!! U r on Gotcha!!!"



Esther's birth cert

The card on Esther's cot in the nursery

Esther's 1st pics

As promised, here are the 1st pictures of Esther....

"Yawn.......

Mummy Angela with baby Esther

The long wait is finally over..............

The clock struck 0548hrs or 5.48am on March 17th 2007. An early Saturday morning in Birth Room 5 at Thomson Medical Centre. Esther made her long awaited arrival weighing 3.160kg or 6.952 pounds, length at 50cm and head circumference at 34cm. Mother and child are doing fine. As they will only be discharged on Monday for observation purposes, this is a very short post. I am staying over at the hospital to accompany them but managed to make a quick trip back home to deposit some stuff. Thanks to all our friends, family members who blessed us with their little gifts.

Keep a lookout for subsequent posts as photos of Baby Esther will be posted. Hence forth, pregnancy has ended and parenthood begins. The former lasts 40 weeks but the latter lasts a life time.

Slight contractions....admitting into hospital in 2 hrs

We will admit into Thomson Medical Centre in about 2 hours from now. After the gynae appt this morning, there are signs of contractions and slight dilation already. Our doctor predicts that within the next 12-24 hours, Esther will make her arrrival. Finally!!! So keep a lookout for the next few posts as it will be very interesting.

Assignments nearing completion & Esther is still not here yet!!

Carol (my GSP gp mate) and myself started on the DSM assignment today and we only managed to complete qn 1 and half of qn 2 when she had to leave. We were racing against time as the library computers have a time-out feature. We then decided to leave it at where we stopped so that we will continue next week.

When I came home, I decided to give it a shot. Since we also downloaded the exe/application file for the GSP, I tried to see if I could open the file and it did! So i embarked on qn 3 and thereafter back to qn 2. After some pondering, I managed to solve qn 2 which got us stuck earlier in the day. So GSP is nearing completion and i think we need to touch up on it before it is due in mid-april. It may seem a long way but if we can finish it well and get it out of the way, leaving us more time for the others why not?

DSE and DCM assignments are due next week. I need to do some minor adjustments and other small amendments before turning them in. Praise the Lord for wisdom and good time management!!!

Where is Esther??? She is due to arrive today and she is still not out yet.........

Spent 4 solid hours in the computer lounge this morning...

Since DLK finished a few weeks ago, I have no morning classes on weds and fris in the morning. My 1st lesson on weds starts only at 1330 hrs. So I made good use of the 4 hours to do my various assignments which are due next week. I am about to complete them and the final asignment is due one week before the maths exam. However, I intend to at least start on it tomorrow. Also, now that GESL is over, my fridays are free!! This means I only have a 4 day week.

Read the article below from today's Straits Times.

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Drivers back idea of night races
F1 supremo Ecclestone wants 'a good number', S'pore may be a pit stop
Mar 14, 2007 The Straits Times

LONDON - FORMULA One supremo Bernie Ecclestone's plans to push for night racing have been lauded by several drivers.
The Briton, who arrived in Singapore on Monday, had revealed in an interview before he left London that he wanted to include a 'good number' of night races as early as next season.
Leading drivers, who think any move to increase the sport's spectacle should be embraced, are applauding his plan.
Mark Webber, the Red Bull driver and Grand Prix Drivers' Association director, has welcomed the suggestion, as long as proper testing of running cars in the dark is done, reported Autosport yesterday.
Said the Australian: 'That is a brilliant idea, absolutely brilliant.
'I think we should race at night. It would be great for the sport.
'There will have to be a balance between not having enough lighting and having too much lighting, because you don't want it like day time.
'There needs to be some testing done though. I know the drivers are not important when it comes to a lot of things, but we probably need to test a few things to work out what is sensible and what is not.
'We are a part of a show and we want to make it better.''
Given the heat in Asia, racing at night would also help the drivers cope with warmer temperatures.
Added Webber: 'The tracks will be quick - it is the same at Le Mans, when the cars are quicker at night. The engines like it.
'Night races are good. It would be great in Malaysia actually, because it would be cooler then.'
Honda's Rubens Barrichello is also in favour of night races.
The Brazilian said: 'It will be fine. I have no idea what it will be like in the cockpit - obviously doing 300kmh at night, I don't know what the illumination will give.
'On a kart, it's fine, but I have no idea what it will be like in an F1 car. It will be fun for the public and as long as we have safety in the car, it will be fine.'
Ecclestone has been toying with the idea of night races for a while. China, Japan and Singapore - if it lands a deal to stage a race - are seen as likely candidates due to their time difference with Europe.
He added that he wants next year's calendar to include a record 20 races. The current schedule has 17 events.
He told The Mail last Sunday: 'I'm currently trying to put together a three-year calendar.
'I'm also wanting to stage a good number of night races.
'It is a new development and there will be a novelty factor behind it as well.
'But the main reason is because so many of the Grands Prix are east of Europe. So, instead of having to watch them in the early hours of the morning, Europeans can watch them during the day if staged in the evenings in the East.
'I think it's a terrible shame that the first Grand Prix of the new season should be staged in the afternoon in Australia.
'To get up and watch it in the night over here is not the best way to get the show on the road.'
The 2007 season kicks off in Melbourne on Sunday.
Recent reports claim Singapore could be awarded a race on next year's schedule.
However, the F1 boss remained guarded on whether the reports were accurate.

Dear's bday......not the little one....

It is her birthday today. Not the little one who is still inside, but Esther's mummy's birthday. As daddy is busy with assignments, they went out for a simple dinner at Holland V. All along the way it was raining cats and dogs. Something cooling that's badly needed as it had been quite warm over the past few days. By the time they walked to the place to eat, their sandals were soaking wet.

They are just 2 days away from Esther's projected arrival. Will she arrive on thursday? Or will she arrive tomorrow? Maybe friday? ........

GESL project show n tell....

It was a very tight timeframe. We managed to set up the booth in just 30mins this morning before the seminar started. 3 of us pasted the photos onto the vanguard sheets, set up the powerpoint slideshow and pasted the 7 sheets onto the board. Other than attending my one and only lecture, I was at the booth the whole day till 1530 when we could pack up. There were 11 other groups from the Dip Ed group on site as well. Tomorrow will be the PGDE group.

So GESL is finally over. I really miss the group. The 19 of us were fantastic in that we all worked really well. I attribute it to the first few sessions when we made clear to one another our expectations. We did the right move of completing the major project at the end of last semester. From a group leader's (yes i was arrowed) point of view, it was a great time working together. I wish each and every single member well in their endeavours. Not forgetting our group facilitator who advised us and guided us along.

More F1 stuff.....

The article below was adapted from the F1 website. Basically, now that Schumi has retired, will Alonso be able to make a hat-trick with the Mclaren or will the Ferraris driven by Massa and Raikkonen make a come back for the constructor's title and either one of them make their maiden driver's championship? Lest we forget the rookies who will be racing alongside veterans this season. Certain teams have new techical directors and race engineers. There is speculation that Schumi is being groomed to be Ferrari's technical director or even team boss. Doe that pave the way for Jean Todt's successor? Let the battle begin..........

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The 2007 F1 Preview

The wait is almost over - the 2007 season is finally upon us. Or perhaps we should refer to it as 2007 PS - Post-Schumacher. For the first time since Belgium 1991 (barring the races he missed in 1999), the great German’s presence will no longer influence the outcome of races and world championships.

Think about that. The king is gone, and whenever that has happened in the past there has always been a period in which the next great begins to make his presence felt. This time it may be that Fernando Alonso has already done that, having beaten Schumacher these past two seasons. But even when he was doing so, Michael was always the man he had to beat. Now it is likely that the mantle will rest on the Spaniard’s shoulders initially, but with other changes throughout the paddock it may not stay that way.

Will Kimi Raikkonen finally find at Ferrari the key he has been seeking to success ever since he rattled the establishment with his driving of a Sauber Petronas back in 2001? Will Felipe Massa, for so long underrated by those who looked no further than the top teams, become Ferrari’s pacesetter? Will Giancarlo Fisichella rise to the occasion at last for Renault?

Will Honda finally produce a car that can win regularly for Jenson Button and Rubens Barrichello? Can Nick Heidfeld and Robert Kubica surprise for BMW Sauber? Or will we see a rookie - either Lewis Hamilton at McLaren or Heikki Kovalainen at Renault - win a race in their first season in the big league? And what of Red Bull, and their Adrian Newey RB3 wonder car, on which so much rests? Will David Coulthard rise again? Will Mark Webber finally get the chance to define his quality?

This is always the time of year when anything is possible, which is all part of the fun. Formula One racing thrives on its annual period of rebirth, and what we have seen so far in 2007 does nothing to dissuade one from the view that we are in for a bumper season, in which several drivers could be in contention for victory and the world championship.

The real ‘New World’ lies a year hence, when customer cars, further regulation changes and a new Concorde Agreement arrive, but 2007, the first season for 15 years without Michael Schumacher, will begin to give shape to that bold future as the young tigers claw at the experienced veterans, and the rising marques slog it out wheel-to-wheel with the established giants of the sport.

So stay tuned - the fun is about to start. In the coming instalments of our season preview we will bring you an analysis of all 11 teams’ prospects, introduce you to three new drivers, and remind you of two more making long-awaited race returns.

7 days to the 1st round of "5 Red Lights" going off

Can you feel the excitment? Can you sense the adrenalin rush? Can you hear the roaring of the 2.4L V8s? The cheers from the spectators' stand? Can you see the looks of determination on the respective drivers' faces as they battle it out for the top step of the podium? Read the following article on what's new in F1 this year....

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The 2007 Formula One Preview - What’s New?


There are a number of key regulation changes for the 2007 season, principally related to engines, tyres and Friday’s practice format. The aims are to reduce costs, make the smaller teams more competitive and to encourage even closer racing…

Engines
They still have to do two races and there will still be 10 grid-place penalties for failures prior to a race, but in general reliability should be better in 2007 because all teams had their engine specifications frozen in China last year. This is part of FIA President Max Mosley’s plan to cut costs by significantly reducing engine development budgets. It’s difficult to see how those behind on power in China 2006 will ever catch up, but when manufacturers spend millions of dollars chasing another 10 bhp, some sort of cost control makes sense. It means teams will have to focus on other areas of the car to gain an advantage and it will be fascinating to see how it all works out.

Tyres
They may be round, black and boring to some, but they are the most crucial performance elements on any Formula One car. In the past everyone sighed in relief when a period of supply monopoly came to an end and there was a tyre war, because all of a sudden things could get turned upside down. Remember Damon Hill and Arrows and the performance of Bridgestone in Hungary in 1997?
Now the pendulum has swung the other way and everyone is getting justifiably excited about the fact that all teams and drivers will be on the same tyres - Bridgestones - now that Michelin have withdrawn.
The Japanese manufacturer will have one construction and four compounds, titled hard, medium, soft and super-soft for teams to choose from, but will only take two compound options to each race. Drivers will also have to use both compounds during a race (one of which will be marked so that spectators can instantly spot who is on which tyre). That may cause a few headaches here and there, but in general, like refuelling stops, once somebody demonstrates a clear way to do this, most will follow suit.
Those teams, principally Ferrari, that ran on Bridgestones in previous years may have an advantage at times in tricky circumstances where experience in choosing compounds will count, but with operations head Kees van de Grint changing from engineering tyres specifically for Ferrari to a role in which he will ensure that everybody gets the same treatment in 2007, Bridgestone aim to address criticism from their previous spell as sole supplier that they favoured the Italian team. The big leveller is that the 2007 tyres are totally different to those used by the Bridgestone runners last year, and winter testing indicates that they do indeed suit far more than just the red cars.
The good thing about a single tyre supplier is that overall the compounds will be harder - and hence slower - than they were in 2006, when lap times were slashed in places by up to six seconds. That will mean less grip and more emphasis on driver skill. Testing suggests that a smooth driving style is needed to extract the best from the new rubber, prompting those who used to be more aggressive on turn-in to adjust their technique accordingly.

Practice sessions
The timetable has been slightly re-jigged for 2007. Friday’s two practice sessions have been extended by 50 percent to 90 minutes each, the first starting at 10am, the second at 2pm, guaranteeing a lot more track action for fans at the circuit.
With the teams having agreed to more severe testing restrictions away from races this year, Fridays are expected to be treated more like test sessions. The use of third cars has been abandoned, although teams will be allowed to run a test driver in place of a race driver if they so choose.
Furthermore, the two-race engine rule will no longer apply on Fridays. This means any driver starting a meeting with a fresh engine will not be penalised for an early failure. It also means a driver whose race engine is on its second event may opt to use an alternative unit on Friday and save his race engine for the remainder of the weekend.
Final practice will continue to take place on Saturday morning (60 minutes), followed by the usual (and popular) knockout qualifying session in the afternoon. Once again, drivers will have to run with race fuel in the final top-ten shootout.

Ran from home to NIE....

Due to some changes in our weekly schedule, I was not able to go running on Tues and Thurs. I had initially wanted to go for a short run last night but changed my mind. It was then I thought: since I have not tried running from home to NIE, why not give it a try on friday morning which was a couple of hours ago.I had measured the distance and it was about 12 km. As I only needed to be in school later for the GESL meeting regarding monday's stuff, why not?

The run took me about 70 mins. Traffic was moderate but as I had to cross many junctions with lights, I was slightly held up at certain junctions as I had to wait for the lights to be in my favour. It certainly felt different running to school compared to driving! Firstly, you get to see a lot more in terms of scenary as I missed out on them whilst behind the wheel. Secondly, despite the heat and dust, I really had a good time sweating it out. Thereafter, I took the bus home and for the first time, I saw for myself the queue to board 179 at Boon Lay Interchange. Though it was already 1030, there were quite a number of people waiting. Imagine the 'the great 179 queue' if you are at the berth between 8-9am.

Checkup today

When we went for our follow-up appointment with the O&G, Esther is 'waiting' nicely inside. We are wondering when will she decide to arrive. At this juncture, she is about 3kg based on the scan prediction. Our doctor told us that she can stay inside for up to 41 weeks. This is the 39th week and from scan pictures, she has already engaged. So just keep a lookout for the next few days as she will be arriving anytime soon.

Lecture test & presentation

Got back the lecture test for DCM. Did not do well but at least managed to pass. I was quite shocked after the test as I was not very sure whether what I wrote was relevant. However, the remaining 2 components which are the individual reflections and the lesson plan assignment are chances to do some catching up.

The presentation was ok but I felt it could be better. For a start, I felt that I did not do sufficient pencil and paper. This in fact is the ultimate aim of the students who must be able to understand and answer any questions when they take their CA and/or SA.

Thunderstorm

On our way to the final session of the pre-natal class, it was raining cats and dogs. Needless to say, I had just washed the car less than an hour ago. Some things never change. Just as well I did not go running with my NIE kakis else I would not be able to make it back home in time.

My DCE tutor mentioned to us about 2 irresponsible individuals who either handed in their assignment late or not at all. What made it worse was that one of them gave some dumb excuse due to his/her poor time management skills. The other was even more extreme by not even handing it in. I guess they will pay the price with their grade. I recall in my uni days when an assignment was handed in late, it will be downgraded by one grade for every day being late or part thereof. I feel this is a good way to instil personal responsibility as failure to adhere to due dates does not reflect well on one's character.

lesson learnt...

I happened to be discussing the DSE assignment with 2 of my course mates this morning and it was then I realised that I had made a mistake. Thankfully, I quickly went to source for a new article for my analysis. It turned out that I had overlooked one of the instructions. Let this be a huge lesson learnt. Always read the instructions first before doing anything. Failure to read instructions can lead to unnecessary work, mistakes and time wastage.

1 wk break over

I had just looked at the calendar and realised that in just another 8 weeks, it is the end of our Yr1 Sem2. After our DSM exam on 24th Apr, which also happens to be my wedding anniversary, I have effectively completed my DipEd Yr1. How time flies. I still recall the first day that I stepped into NIE on my way to become a teacher. Our dean told us that the 2 years we spend here will sail by swiftly. We are nearly halfway there. I liken this to running a marathon. This is just the half way mark. So to my fellow coursemates, press on. Finish it well.

I have attached another article from the F1 website. Seems that Mclaren and Ferrari are the team to beat according to Renault. Could this be just a tactic by the French team to play mind games with their strongest competitors or does the Mercedes powered Mclaren team and the prancing Italian horse really have got what it takes to be on the top step of the podium? The answer, in the coming months, with the season opening just around the corner.

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Fisichella: Ferrari and McLaren still ahead
Italian banking on reliability in bid for Melbourne podium

Giancarlo Fisichella has admitted that Renault could struggle to match their two main rivals for pace when the 2007 Formula One season gets underway in Australia in just over a fortnight’s time.

In terms of lap times, world champions Renault have been overshadowed during winter testing by Ferrari and McLaren. Although Fisichella believes they may well have closed the gap during the Bahrain sessions, he says it might not yet be quite enough.

“For sure, we are still behind Ferrari in particular, they looked very strong this week,” he told Renault’s official website. “McLaren are a little bit ahead too, and BMW are competitive as well, but I think we have made a good step forward.”

Renault’s preparations for Melbourne suffered a setback earlier this week when Fisichella’s team mate Heikki Kovalainen crashed heavily in Bahrain, robbing the team of around a day’s track time. Nevertheless, Fisichella insists the Sakhir running provided significant gains.

“Things went pretty well for us this week,” said the Italian. “From the first day on Tuesday to the final day, we made some good progress with the car, and that’s a positive sign. There was a big step forward with the balance and set-up, and I think we look more competitive now.”

But even if Renault find they don’t quite have the speed of their rivals when they get to Albert Park, Fischella believes Renault’s excellent reliability could prove their trump card. As a result he is targeting at least a top-three finish.

“I think we have a good estimate of where everybody is, but until you start running at the race, you never know…” he said. “I think we have to aim to be on the podium. The reliability of our package is very good at the moment, and that can be a big asset in the opening races.”

Renault won last year’s Australian Grand Prix - then round three of the season - with Fernando Alonso taking the honours and Fisichella finishing fifth.

Inconsiderate people, pranksters....

When I came back after my run, I was about to get into the lift when I noticed something. Some joker had pulled the common dustbin which is next to the postboxes into the lift! And if that was not enough, the prankster/s also put a long and empty cardboard box inside the lift as well. Since it was going to inconveinence residents, i dragged out the dustbin and cardboard box out and put them to their original locations.

I just wonder who is the prankster who committed this act. Not only will it cause inconveinence to residents, those who open their mailboxes will have trouble looking for the dustin to dispose unwanted mail and fliers. Needless to say, some residents will simply litter the floor. How ironic it is that my block was nominated for the "Our Block Shines" award.

Just a fortnight to the 2007 F1 season

Below is an article from the formula 1 website. 2 wks to go......
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Ferrari finish testing as favourites

The last major pre-season test drew to a close in Bahrain on Thursday, with Ferrari once again dominating the timesheets, leaving the Italian team hotly tipped to win the opening race in Australia in just over a fortnight’s time.

For the third day in a row Felipe Massa was the man to beat, the Brazilian the only driver to dip below the 1m 30s mark around the Sakhir circuit, after clocking a best time of 1m 29.989s. Massa tested in the morning only, running 45 laps in an F2007 fitted with Ferrari’s latest aero package. Team mate Kimi Raikkonen continued work on the package in afternoon, the Finn totalling 77 laps as he finished fourth fastest.

Splitting the Ferraris were the Renaults of Heikki Kovalainen and Giancarlo Fisichella in second and third respectively. Kovalainen covered 61 laps in the R27, as he spent the day fine-tuning set-up for April’s Bahrain Grand Prix. Fisichella practised race weekend procedures, but was forced to curtail his running early due to a mechanical problem.

World champion Fernando Alonso, meanwhile, finished just shy of Raikkonen in fifth place for McLaren. Alonso was joined by test driver Pedro de la Rosa, who clocked the seventh-fastest time. The pair continued the team's preparatory work for Melbourne, which included aero tests and set-up programmes. Rubens Barrichello completed the top six, while Honda team mate Jenson Button finished down in 14th.

By far the busiest man on track was Scott Speed, who put in 125 laps in the Toro Rosso STR2. It was another good outing for the Italian team as they finished the session in eighth place.

“Every day, more and more parts have arrived here from the factory, which have helped us to improve reliability and performance,” said Laurent Mekies, Toro Rosso’s chief engineer. “It really kept our guys busy and they worked very hard. Looking at today’s performance especially it is clear we are working in the right direction, even if there is a lot to do.”

Just eight-hundredths of a second slower than Speed was Red Bull stable mate David Coulthard, while Mark Webber in the second RB3 was 11th. Both Webber and Coulthard completed several long runs, and covered a total of 150 laps.

“The test has not been trouble free and a few elements still need fixing, but we have made some progress,” commented Christian Horner, Red Bull’s team principal. “Next week, we will run at Magny-Cours for two days when, as planned, the RB3 will run with the new aerodynamic package that will be used in the first race in Melbourne.”

Nick Heidfeld was the quickest BMW Sauber driver in tenth, with Robert Kubica finishing 12th in the second F1.07. The pair wrapped up the team’s winter programme, carrying out aero tests and set-up evaluations.

“We were able to confirm the cooling system and to test the tyre characteristics in high track temperatures and test the entire car under conditions which will be similar to those we expect for the first three races,” explained Willy Rampf, BMW Sauber's technical director. “By being careful to prepare in every detail we hope to be able to show the same reliability in Melbourne as well.”

Ralf Schumacher and test driver Franck Montagny were both in action for Toyota’s final day in Bahrain. While Schumacher set the 13th-fastest time, Montagny ended the session 15th. Completing the Thursday line-up was Super Aguri’s Takuma Sato in 16th. Sato covered 53 laps as he focused on aero tests and set-up work for Melbourne in the Japanese team’s interim car. The 2007 Super Aguri is set to be launched on March 12.

With testing in Bahrain complete, the teams will return to their bases and prepare to depart for Melbourne and the Australian Grand Prix on March 18.

Unofficial Thursday times from Bahrain:

1. Felipe Massa, Ferrari, 1:29.989

2. Heikki Kovalainen, Renault, 1:30.384

3. Giancarlo Fisichella, Renault, 1:30.498

4. Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari, 1:30.534

5. Fernando Alonso, McLaren, 1:30.564

6. Rubens Barrichello, Honda, 1:31.067

7. Pedro de la Rosa, McLaren, 1:31.354

8. Scott Speed, Toro Rosso, 1:31.500

9. David Coulthard, Red Bull, 1:31.589

10. Nick Heidfeld, BMW Sauber, 1:31.720

11. Mark Webber, Red Bull, 1:31.742

12. Robert Kubica, BMW Sauber, 1:31.751

13. Ralf Schumacher, Toyota, 1:31.791

14. Jenson Button, Honda, 1:31.837

15. Franck Montagny, Toyota, 1:32.264

16. Takuma Sato, Super Aguri, 1:33.357

Happy Bday to my nephew David

Today is the 121st anniversary of my alma mater, ACS. However, one other person shares this day and that is my nephew. David turns 2 today and my prayer for him is that he will grow up to be a person of good character, an all-rounder and a morally upright individual.

It was another wet day. Stephanie messaged us this morning to cancel the run at MacRitchie as it was still raining. Moreover, I had to run some errands. Hopefully the weekend will be a fair weather one so that I can hit the road. On my running shoes obviously.