F1

So the big weekend is finally here. After 3 years of construction, the Marina Circuit on Yas island is complete and the F1Aub Dubai takes place this sunday.

Having been to our F1 event location in Montreal... this is like a world away. The entire complex from the circuit to the golf club, to the grand stands to the pits, to the concert area, hotel, marina.... is WOW.

For the circuit apparently they have taken the best bits from all the global tracks and combined them here. Even the "montreal hair pin" has been recreated here. Other tidbits about the track ... it is left handed- the direction they drive around the track is the opposite to how most of the other circuits are laid out. This screws with the cars apparently , making it a harder track. Also, apparently there is a tunnel coming out of the pits so you can not see who is out in what order, which is apparently better too??? Not to sure on all the details. on the bus back last night i was chatting beside some english eng. guy who has been building the island for the past 3 yrs. so all above details are from him.

Yesterday, at the client, our contact gave me a ticket to the opening F1 concert - Beyonce. My colleague Jules was already going to an opening night event (private yacht with gypsy kings and Alica keys --- jules' brother in law runs an event company here) so i would be going on my own... I figured, hell, what do i care, strangers will look at me with pity. Okay. That will not kill me. Better to go and experience all i can, even if i have to do it on my own... Although it would be great to be one of these people (like Cheryl) who so easily meets people everywhere they go.... well i guess it is always good to have new skills to learn!!
Anyway...... off to the concert i go.

The show is slated to start at7:30 which means 8, but the island is closed to all cars as of 6:30pm (not sure how that one works, but whatever). Yas Island is about 2 km from the client site, if you could just drive straight. So by 5pm, i pack up and drive over to the island. I wait in the line ... they ask me where my parking permit is... i say i have no permit, they say you have to leave the island and go to a park and ride location. I am like .. where are those locations... but i have no clue about the places the guy list. So, v. deflated i head off the island for the long drive back to Dubai.

About 5 mins down the road, i see on the other side of the highway, signs for F1 parking. There is a Park and Ride spoke here !! So i get off at the next exit and try to find my way over to the other side of the highway. I eventually find a tunnel, i am on the other side,no i just need to find an entrance back to the highway heading towards Abu Dhabi. After a bit of expoloring in what ever area i was in, i finally pick the right exit of a round about and on to the highway I am. Afew mins later, i pull into a massive carpark, stategically pick a parkign spot, not close tothe buses, but close to the exit tothe road. I board the buss and am on my way to the concert!

By 6:45 we pull up to gate 25. This is after a cool tour of the island, really the facilities are amazing. Leaving the bus i ask 3 different people, where i should go after the concert to catch the right bus. There are no signs. They all say right here.. but I think to my self... there are 3 differnt park and ride locations, plus 6 car parks on the island all of which have bus service.. i can just imagin all 30k people trying to get on to the right bus from this one location.... I decide right then, i am not waiting to the end of the concert to leave... I don't need the level of cahos that this bus situation promises to bring....

So with the crowd i go .... into the concert venue. It is just a open space ... no seating and no arranged sections. I am thinking about the safety implications of a mass crowed by the stage ... yes.. safet princess was alive and present. it was a pretty impressive set up. Although, the ground was covered with small white gravel. Really. Not very nice onthe high heals. And really, how are they planning on cleaning up?? you can't sweap that stuff.

Of to the concession stand. I buy two waters. (the heat) and intothe crowd i go. I figured, i am here I will try to get as close to the stage as I can. So I found a spot about 25m back.

When it finaly started it was like wow!! you haveto know she just landed in Dhabi about 3 hours before the concert so you have to give her props for all the energy. It was a really good show and cool to be able to watch the performer and not just their image on the big screens. There were two 18 or so year old guys behind me they were both like 6foot 5 and they knew every word to every song .. it was great! A huge mix of people were there ..every age (kids go to everythign here) every background.....

Now from my eng friend on the bus, i have learned that they did nto start building the stage until 1 week ago, and the area where everyone is standing was a full dirt pile with massive holes. So thinking back on it ... pretty impressive.

True to my promise i worked by way out of the crowd and headedback to the buses... asked a series of "marshalls" where my buses were... they all said "right here". Finally, i found a female marshal, she told me I had to go to the next gate and that all busses to the shahama car parkwould be there... Ah finally someone who knew something. So me and my very tired feet (you have to remember i came from work, so i am in total work clothes, minus the suit jacket i left in the car, including a v.cute pair of pointy toe heels) truck up to the next gate. I make it to the bus and back to the car.

next challenge... find my way back onto the highway going in the Dubai direction ... another 15 mins of wrong turns and i find it....

Home by 11pm ... great night!!

xo
kjm