chain smoking

The first time I had attended the Singapore Night Race five years ago, my memories included a sweet moment with moments that matter (part 4) and so I had associated Maroon 5, particularly the songs from their album that they were promoting Overexposed, to that moment in my life.

Although in a last minute negotiation, the Singaporean government had extended its arrangement with Formula 1 for another four years, it was promoted as potentially the last race with some marquis performers. When I saw The Chainsmokers on the lineup, as well as a friend moving to Singapore, it seemed a divine sign to make it happen.

It was a bit of a mix feeling with the association of the duo to 11:11 (part 3). However, I was determined to let it all go. I was a bit surprised when I woke up on 9/9 and received a happy belated birthday message that was sent at 1:22am his time. In all our years, I have always wished birthday wishes on his date but had never received the same until now. Perhaps it is part of the full circle.

Regardless, I had a wonderful time with one of my first friends and one of my last friends during my assignment in Vietnam. The latter was someone who had spontaneously contacted me on Facebook (ironically where he started a new role in Singapore) at the time. We marvel that we stayed in contact over the years as well as that we have no real mutual friends in the small community of expats.

He had never been to F1, and as with children, it is always a blessing to see things through the eyes of someone going through something for the first time. The excitement from the night was not limited to that though and the energy in the air that I had felt the first time I went was exponentially intense and contagious. In so many ways, the experience had a lot of full circles. While many were busy recording snippets on their phone, I marveled in living in the now and absorbing the sights, sounds and love of the night.

It was perhaps one of the best nights of my life, and maybe there is some significance to the best set that my friend recorded lasted 3 minutes and 33 seconds.