[Technocrat]

There is a south Indian restaurant in KL which is pure veg & some of its dishes are prepared exactly like non-veg but are veg & the names are very funny e.g there was Veg Chicken 65, Veg Chicken Bheja fry LOL & am not joking & yes the we tried Bheja fry & along with other food it was good

@GTO: I would have told you about a couple of decent veg reastaurant if you had posted somewhere

[mobike008]

The most fantastic and hilarious narration ever read. I think the guy who has the maximum number of funny bones on this forum gotto be Sam

[ajmat]

am getting withdrawal symptoms since this has not been continued. And to think at time of writing this, a week ago, we were walking up and down to Chinatown

[Sam Kapasi]

I've been busy travelling, sorry. Tomorrow I shall write to your hearts content from my home, here in Delhi. Promise.

Wait for it.

And everyone, thank you for the compliments and the kind words. Truly, I've just let the fingers just type what they like. Thank you for enjoying all of it. Really. No joke here.

My head is swelling with all the compliments, all the blood is rushing to it. It's getting larger. Soon I'll finish this epic, spit out some stuff and the head will be back to it's normal size. Hopefully.

[ajmat]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

It's getting larger. Soon I'll finish this epic, spit out some stuff and the head will be back to it's normal size. Hopefully.

Please let the blood stay in the head. Wait till Mumbai for it to flow further....

[speedzak]

Sam,
Let your fingers do the talking. It is just wonderful.

We are all having a nice time recollecting those beautiful moments.

[sys_whiz]

We enjoyed more than the guys who were present there physically. Thank You Sam for the beautiful narration.

[Sam Kapasi]

At the Menara KL, radio tower.





The City Train



At Aloha





At the Beach



Lying down under the petronas towers by night



Partying the second night









Captains log will be back shortly after these messages from our sponsors.

[moralfibre]

Originally Posted by Sam Kapasi

What did the lady in Red say which made you make a pleasant face and left Gautam grumpy?

[Sam Kapasi]

Originally Posted by moralfibre

What did the lady in Red say which made you make a pleasant face and left Gautam grumpy?

She said she was dancing with Gautam. Cheek to Cheek. When there was nobody there. Just her and Him. And he hardly knew, the beauty by his side. And that she'll never forget, the way he looked tonight.

[Sam Kapasi]

We wake up on time today, this is finally it. We’re gonna see the race. N_C and I quickly shower and get into our clothes. We’re both in flip flops today, the shoes were getting dirty and hot yesterday.
We go down, almost everyone is already there. Ajmat suggests we really tank up on breakfast as it’s gonna be a long day and there is absolutely crap at the racetrack to eat and expensive too.
We meet GTO and Nikhil down, eating well too. They’ve been out shopping the evening before and GTO’s in a Ferrari shirt and Nikhil in a Mclaren Windcheater. Isn’t it hot for a windcheater we ask? Well, it’s worth it, says he. Everyone’s all charged up. It’s not very crowded downstairs as we’ve rented a minivan and that’s gonna come in an hour earlier than everyone else’s bus.
The minivan is late. It’s 0930 and we’re all sitting in the lobby. Ishaans friends arrive down, they’re late too. It’s not 945 and the minivan has arrived. I quickly run down and buy some water and smokes. Everyone gets in the van, it’s pretty comfy. Everyone except the boys from Delhi. In 10 minutes, Revati goes back into the restaurant and tells them to either hurry, or we’re going without them. She means business.

They come in running and we’re off, on our way. We’re cheering and laughing, there isn’t a soul amongst us who’s not all charged and excited.



The van driver takes a different route that I assume isn’t meant for heavier vehicles.

KK’s spent more than half the night processing his images. This boy takes his photography seriously. As it is he has spent all these days looking at KL through one eye. Now he shuts that one too, but with a half grin on his face. It’s Raceday!


We reach Speang very quickly, but once we’re close to the circuit, there’s super traffic. It’s not gridlocked, but it’s alarmingly slow. There are great cars everywhere. Even the ordinary ones are all souped up and have beautiful wheels and spoilers and stuff. Everyone is going ooh and aah and almost everyone knows more about these cars than I do. I pretend to know some as well, but it’s quite easy to appreciate the cars.
N_C and I are up to our usual masti. It’s been a strange phenomenon. Ever since the 2 of us have come to KL, we’re affected with this giggling sickness. Everything seems funny and we’re constantly laughing loudly. We’re both making fun of everyone constantly, mostly to their face, not always, lol.
We reach the circuit, only to realize that we cannot drive up to gate C2, as we do not have the necessary permits. We get off at the parking A3 and there’s a huge line for the bus.

The arrangements made are outstanding, considering the number of people. We reach the bus, but as expected, we’re soon separated.

The word “can” holds great meaning in Singapore and Malaysia. It is a sort of Yes and it’s possible for everything. When we stand at the entrance of the crowded bus, if the usher says “ Can, Can” it means there’s place for more. If he says “Canno’ “ then it’s time to stop loading the bus up. So we can for a while and then it’s cannot. We have already decided to meet up at the pre assigned place where we saw the qualifying from yesterday.
It’s time and we meet up there. But the best spots are already taken.

The sun is strong, even stronger than it was on qualifying day. The hill stand is covered and everyone is huddling under the covers. We find our places, not under the sun (if you got that, give yourself 5 points extra).













The atmosphere is friendly and people are drinking beer and water and generally its all fun all around. The anticipation is building up, but the sun is beating down stronger. Enthusiasms are waning as the sun only gets stronger and the direction is contrary to what we expect, making the shade size smaller and we all huddle closer.

Zak offers everyone his sun lotion. N_C takes it applies generously. He’s a nice boy that Zak. Unfortunately he doesn’t read the bottle too well. Zak’s supposed sun block cream, turns out to be after sun lotion, one that “Prolongs a deep brown tan”. I point this out to N_C who removes it immediately, like his life depends on it, hurling the choicest expletives at lightning speed. Abey Kaala ho jaoonga, he yells, laughing and shouting at the same time.


The Porsches are soon out. The first bit of action we’ve seen so far. It’s exciting to see them racing for the Porsche Cup, but after yesterdays qualifying, it seems like they’re in slow motion.





Soon they are gone. It’s silent again. And hot. Out come our mini fans, no batteries required.



The Sun is relentless and some of us just give up. Me, I just take my shirt off and go and lie down in it. Come on you fat old sun, give us your worst. I spread my legs and let the warmth in there too.


And it’s HOT!












We should have had sun brollies. We just have 2, ajmat’s and the Bhags, but they’re not big enough.
We should have got some like these guys.


Captain's log is continued in the next post.

[Sam Kapasi]

Ajmat sponsors the sun block and we apply it like it’s for free. Wait a minute, it is free.




GTO’s hungry, He excuses himself from the people and goes off the the food stall. Finds a lady who convinces him that the mee (Noodles) are pure veg. Only tomato, say she. GTO get’s all excited and buys some and returns with a portion, thrilled to no end that he’s finally found some vegetarian food in this veg-forsaken land. Only tomato, he yells happily. Some of us know the cuisine here. Nothings cooked without fish sauce, fish stock. And when we tell him, he offers it to us to smell.

Fishy it was alright. And tasted excellent. In fact it took nitin a while to pronounce it non veg. Almost the whole portion. The crestfallen GTO returns to wafers. Laugh it up boys says he, sadly.
But we’re giggling again. We’re relentless. Like that sun there. Any cloud covers on the way? Rain said Dippy? This is all Dippy’s fault. We decide to take the raincoats back to Mumbai and make him eat them. With fish sauce.

Ajmat has smuggled a hand towel out of his room. He is now Ajmat of Arabia.


We’re all trying to find a way to survive these few hours. But we’re happy. Especially this lovely couple.


Nikhils found a use for that Mclaren ‘cheater finally.


We’re all there, team-BHP. We made it, we’re at the F1 and we rock!



(these pics taken by Neel, including this lovely pan-stitched shot)


Then it’s time. The vintage cars are out, with the drivers waving at all of us. The air horns and klaxons are out and we’ve forgotten about that hot sun. We’re screaming and waving, running to the fence.





It’s finally beginning. There’s uncontrollable joy all around. I start dancing.



The race is on, in all it’s glory and all the action. I keep my headphones on and run around, telling everyone what’s happening in the areas we cannot see.







I don’t think I need to blog the race, you guys already know how that went. But I have an interesting observation to make. The engines are LOUD, louder than you can imagine. They roar and wail and sputter. And they sound different. Personally I found that the ferrari’s were softest and the Renault was so loud. But what do I know of these things?

We don’t even know where the 2 hours go. Soon the race is over and we’re on our way out. Will it be possible to get a bus? Nope. It’s all jam packed and this time we take dippy’s initial advice and walk. Atleast one advice he gave that was useful. Rain, our collective backsides. If only it had rained, we wouldn’t be in such bad shape. Raincoats and fish sauce for that boy.

We walk a while, with other people, all walking towards PA3. Everyone’s walking.





I suppose you want to see more pictures of people walking. Ask Johnnie walker.



After walking for a while, we see a local ice Cream Vendor, by the lake. It is probably the most inviting thing we’ve seen for a while. We plonk ourselves lakeside, with icecreams. I phone the minivan and ask him to find us. This is sheer bliss.









Soon the van comes and picks us up and we’re on our way back, for a hot shower and a last, very, very interesting night out.

End of Captain’s log. The time is now 6pm.

[GTO]

This picture reminds me - Sam has got music in his brains!!! So much so that he cant even stand still. Literally. NC pointed this out to me.....even when there is no music around, Sams always moving his legs to "imaginary" sound.

Awesome write-ups Sam. Am sure you got some stuff even for the post-race events.

[Dippy]

Nice stuff Sam Great pictures too. About the whole rain thingy I just told you guys what I read on the F1 site.

[Sam Kapasi]

Originally Posted by Dippy

About the whole rain thingy I just told you guys what I read on the F1 site.

Raincoats and Fish Sauce Dipankar. Ranicoats with fish sauce.

By popular demand, the captain's blog will be finished today itself. Then the floor is open for discussion.

GTO, thanks for the compliments. And everyone who has enjoyed my writing, thanks for the kind words. I've enjoyed writing this blog, a whole lot. It's my way of thanking you for your love and support and a big "Wish you were all there"