NEW PREMISES FOR AAS

Mr Bernard Tay, President of AAS (Automobile Association of Singapore) is seen here giving his Welcoming Address at the Official Opening of AAS premises along Kallang Bahru on 25th Apr 2014.

Earlier at GB Point, cocktail, live entertainment and photo-taking were provided for AAS members and guests.  Interestingly, the new premises was formerly a cinema called Mandarin Theatre.

L-R: Mr Bernard Tay (President, AAS), Guest-of-Honour Mr Jean Todt (President, Federation Internationale de L'Automobile), Tunku Mudzaffar (Chairman, Automobile Association of Malaysia), Mr Lee Wai Mun (CEO, AAS), Mr Colin Syn (Deputy Chairman, Singapore GP) and Mr Tan Teng Lip (President, Singapore Motor Sports Association)

The multiple 'explosions' of the balloon wall unveiled the iconic logo of AAS next to the Service Reception area.

Meet-the-press session was held at level 2 in GB Point where Mr Jean Todt gave an update on the recent changes in the engine rules for F1 cars.

Here's an extract of his remarks which was published in The Straits Times on the next day.

Also on 26th Apr 2014, the Singapore Road Safety Month was launched at Shangri-La Hotel. Special guests include Road Safety Global Ambassador Michelle Yeoh. 

Guest-of-Honour Minister Iswaran toured the exhibition area before proceeding to the Charity Gala Dinner which was held at the same hotel.

SEE AND BE SEEN 2014

Enjoying Dim Sum with Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and Organiser Lyndon Yeo during our half-way break at Changi Village.  The weather was mildly hazy but our spirits were higher than the psi reading.  We were among the participants for the 42-km category of SABS (See and Be Seen) - a cycling event to promote use of lights during night ride.

Registration and collection of event attire took place on Sunday, 2nd March 2014 at *SCAPE. Note the reminder - "No Helmet, No Lights, No Ride"

On the same evening, students from NIE visited migrant workers at their dormitories.

The students distributed bicycle lights and shared safety riding tips with the workers.

Paul Lincoln (partially hidden) is a member of the Mobility and Road Safety Commission of SMSA.  He was responsible for leading the NIE students who initiated this partnership between SMSA and SABS.  In addition, Paul even found time to tune our bikes hours before our ride!

This Hyundai managed to transport (4 on roof + 2 at the rear + 1 in boot) = 7 bikes to the event venue on 8th March 2014.

Participants, including this familiar face, began to report at BIG Splash as early as 6:30 pm.

The 3 babes in the middle are Carmen, Cynthia and Jamela.

This photo by CHANNEL NEWSASIA shows participants and their bikes leaving Start Point at 8pm sharp.

After cycling 42 km, Poh Heng was visibly relieved at the End Point.

Paul took the opportunity to show the Minister the various logos printed on this tee-shirt.

The Minister demonstrated his support for FIA "Action for Road Safety".

It has been a wonderful experience to work with the dedicated team from SABS.

And finally, here's a article on the event by CHANNEL NEWSASIA -

SINGAPORE: Some 1,000 cyclists took part in a night cycling safety initiative on Saturday evening - aimed at promoting tolerance and respect among road users.

Participants pedalled along Singapore's eastern and northern park connectors.

The theme of the night was “Be Bright, Be Safe”.

The event is jointly organised by See and Be Seen, the Singapore Motor Sports Association and Federation Internationale de l'Automobile's Road Safety Grant Programme.

Main organiser - See and Be Seen - also gave out some 1,000 bike lights and reflective stickers to cyclists, as well as foreign workers, at their dormitories.

Minister for the Environment and Water Resources Vivian Balakrishnan also cycled some 42 kilometres with the participants.

Dr Balakrishnan said: "Cycling is a wonderful sport. And one which we really need to promote in Singapore, but to be honest with you, we have problems. We have to negotiate with both motorists and pedestrians and we have to create a safe niche for cyclists. So this event (of) promoting safe cycling, especially one at night, is very apt, and I'm here to support the cause." 

- CNA/xq

THE SWISSE COLOR RUN 2014

The Swisse Color Run (Australia Edition) was held on 9th Feb 2014.  For your reading pleasure, here are some captioned photos taken during the morning session. 

1.  Check-in was done outside ANZ Stadium

2.  A sign touting "The Happiest 5K (kilometer) on The Planet"

3.  Getting ready for the start (holding) area

4.  Mass start flag off at 8 am 

5.  During the run, I took selfies with some very interesting characters

6.  A Unicorn??

7.  A make-up model

8.  A hair model

9.  How about an Angel?

10.  Unmistakable Amigo!

11.  The first colour station - BLUE

12.  Entertainment like this 'live' performance were provided en route

13.  The ORANGE station may be mistaken as mud-play

14.  Organiser even provided a covered station spraying bubbles

15.  The PINK station was well loved by the girls

16.  SOP (Sydney Olympic Park) was a great venue for the event

17.  Like all stations, YELLOW was clearly marked and well manned by the volunteers

18.  A final group shot with Enzo, Carrera and Carmen before the finishing line

19.  Ready to party at the End Point

20.  A leap of joy that we have completed the run

21.  The coloured powder on our bodies and attire were air-blown  as were leaving the venue

22.  Finally, we were provided with rain coats so that we do not stain the seats on the public transport

THE HAEPARANG TRAIL

Karen Tan (seen here holding a smart phone) invited my wife and I to join her and a group of friends for a hiking trip to South Korera.  We began our little adventure as soon as we landed in Incheon on 18th Oct 2013.  This picture was taken en route towards Yeongdeok during our hot-plate dinner. 

It was the beginning of snow crab season.  Thus, no prize for guessing the main dish for our breakfast the next morning.

Here's the real deal - stretching along the east coast of the Korea peninsula, the Haeparang Trail offers a wonderful walking experience.

There are many photo opportunities along the trail. 

As one would have noticed, I also took the opportunity to practise taking selfies.

Justin Man is funny and he often served as my selfie practice target.

Our niece, Samantha Tan (3rd from left), was the 'baby' of the group while Dr Chin (age 72, with pink scarf) played the fatherly role.

The trail a.k.a. the Blue Road (blueroad.yd.go.kr) has many courses: from sandy beaches and gravel tracks to paved paths and boardwalks. These courses are pitched at various levels of difficulty. We even walked along the road on certain intersections.

On 21st Oct, we drove up north to Seoraksan to continue our hiking experience.  It was colder there but we were timely to witness the changing colours of the leaves.

During the hiking days, we stayed in the peaceful countryside among the local folks. One morning, I was woken by the march of the military troops outside our pension - a reminder that we were rather close to DMZ! 

Overall, it was a great hiking experience for Irene and myself. We thank Karen Tan and her 'kakis' for accommodating us during the trip.  And we sincerely look forward to the next outing with our new friends.