Formula 1 Singapore Boy's Passion For Model Sports Cars 2019 [2024]

This article has been reposted from 2014 to coincide with
the Formula 1 Singapore Race from 20 September, 2019.
Reposted again on 30th September, 2022 after a 3 year absence.
Reposted today: 20th September, 2024.

Young J's Collection

Ronnie n The Daytonas - 'Little GTO' - Video: 

A 2014 Singapore Grand Prix F1 Night Race Marina Bay Posting:

"Little GTO, you're really lookin' fine
Three deuces and a four-speed and a 389
Listen to her tachin' up now, listen to her whine
C'mon and turn it on, wind it up, blow it out GTO..."

The collection above is only one-third of what he has.  With many more miniature vehicles, highways, car parks and buildings from Tomica, Hot Wheels, Realtoy, Fast Lane and Siku, this boy has quite a lot in his playroom.  Whenever he gets news from a current catalogue about the latest model he would run off to the nearest toy-shop to get one.

Highway Connections

Together with the toy cars in his four-year collection, he has as many in his memory.  Young J. can rattle off the makes and models of cars by just looking at the particular model for a second or two.  

Hennessy Venom GT

He names a Maserati, Lamborghini, Porsche, Aston Martin easily but is only interested in the fastest ones and quickly recognizes a Koenigsegg Agera R, Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Super Sport or Zenvo ST1 and others in similar category. Because of this special interest, others have inherited his beautiful array of buses, vans, trucks and police/fire-fighting vehicles.

Young J's Photos Of Real Cars And Toy Ones. Know which?

He plays cars, reads cars, talks cars, surfs cars, carries cars, photographs cars, bathes color-changing cars and even eats and sleeps with them. He has these tiny vehicles everywhere in his home and ours. The only time he doesn't have one around him is when he's at school. Carrying a little car in his pocket has been disallowed.

At Wisma Atria

During weekend evenings he is taken to Ion or the area around Scotts Road, where, to his heart's content, he takes a photograph or a video of the sports cars that roam the streets. He uses a digital camera that his father gave him.  A hobby has now become a passion for this youthful enthusiast.

A Child's Paradise

The current September 2014 display of Lamborghini's masterpieces at Wisma Atria was a gigantic draw for him so he had a whale of a time taking pictures of the different models showcased for the general public.  

His Racing Spirit

Later this week a trip to the Formula One race at the Marina Bay area would be a special treat for him. He has been advised to get ear-plugs for the occasion. 

F1 Security Tags With Bar Codes Erased

So come Friday he would probably have a great afternoon watching Formula Ones (not his interest actually) speeding straits and maneuvering bend at Stamford Road. His folks would be around to lug his water-bottle and umbrellas.

                               Heavy vehicles and security cars.

But young J. still has one wish. That he will be able to ride in one of his favorite super-cars these few weeks.  Any offers?

Images: A Personal Collection. 
Video: YouTube.
Song: Ronnie n The Daytonas - 'Little GTO' - 1964. It's considered to be the first muscle car.

Sharing A Journey of Classics n Pops With Grandson

A Singapore National Day 2014 Posting and inspired by the forthcoming Singapore International Festival of Arts (SIFA) 2014:

Jason Lai (side) conducted, and a programme of popular melodies and classics performed by the Singapore Symphonic Orchestra (SSO) opened the doors for my 8 year old grandson to appreciate the best in music where local talents and composers feature prominently.

Having played over 50 symphonic concerts a year the orchestra, which was born in 1979, presented yet another afternoon of Home with the Classics at the Yong Siew Toh Conservatory of Music within the NUS Campus at Clementi on Saturday, 2nd August at 4pm (last illus. below).

Familiar with museum outings and Esplanade pop shows these last few years, it was Josh's first experience with a symphony orchestra.  The selection couldn't have been better and the conductor couldn't have been friendlier, especially when there were many young parents with children.

Introducing each performance to help everyone understand the music about to be played, Jason Lai who hails from the UK, provided information about the pieces so simply in clipped English the audience was able to appreciate Leonard Berstein, Johann Stauss II, Georges Bizet, Edward Elgar, John Williams and our own local composer Kelly Tang without much ado.

When I asked my grandson a few days before the concert if he had heard of Star Wars he mentioned that he was familiar with it since it was the background to a particular Angry Birds game. I had him listen on You Tube a few West Side Story melodies and familiar ones from our own local repertoire, Stand Up For Singapore, Rasa Sayang and Di Tanjong Katong.

 Somehow I realised he enjoyed the concert and appreciated at least four composers that afternoon but to Josh, Stars Wars Suite was the best and Sketches of Singapore second. Familiarity, I guess.

As we took the lift down after the show, a young man on the ground floor ushered us to what was a food surprise, local mouth-watering eats plus photograph taking. There were two areas filled with bites and picture-taking session provided free by 15 generous sponsors. 

Thanks to the sponsors, Conductor Lai, the Orchestra and organisers.

A Happy National Day to all, especially our children.

NB: The Other Side of the Coin

I went home that evening, turned on Cable and witnessed  little children being raped, ravaged and savaged  by war. A hospital scene showed a 3 year old boy, shaking in fear and pain, another with tubes all over him.  Shrapnel covered both their little bodies.  Sadly, the atrocities are created by adults, and children too young even to understand, suffer the consequences. 

Images from: Sharing The Journey Programme Booklet produced by sso.org.sg 

Other images from Google.