The itinerary of my trip to Singapore is kinda predictable. I will take the night train, so that I arrive in Singapore fresh in the morning and then make my way to Borders. (They open at 9:00am). After Borders, I will comb the CDs shops around the Orchard Road area – That CD Shop, Sembawang and HMV before check into the hotel by noon. By then, my shopping bags will be filled with all sorts of CDs and DVDs. Heheh!
This trip, I booked a hotel out of the usual Orchard Road area. Hotel 1929 is a chic refurbished old building located near the Outram (pronounced Oo-tram; not Out-Ram) MRT station.
Click here for runwitme’s review of Hotel 1929
I like the hotel. The room was kinda small but it was elegantly designed. What I like most is that they also have a CD player in the room. I can play my newly bought CDs…and do not have to wait till I got home anymore.
After a quick shower, I took the MRT to Tiong Bahru to register for Milk Run. Initially, I didn’t plan to participate in this run. But since I was in town for Christina Aguilera concert, I might as well do it. Furthermore, this would prevent me from burning a deeper hole in my pocket, shopping for CDs and DVDs shops.
I felt a little let down when I was told they ran out T-shirt and Goodies bags due to overwhelming response. I looked with envy at the orange coloured goodies bags collected by pre-registered runners. (Insert whimper here).
I registered for the run anyway. It was for charity and the children…. (Insert halo over the head here heheh!).
Before I left the race kit collection center, I decided to try my luck and asked the girl at the counter for a T-shirt as a souvenir. I told her that I am from Malaysia and came all the way for the run. After discussing with her boss, I was given a race T-shirt. (Insert happy face here).
I took the MRT to Novena Square to go to the Saucony Passion Run expo to collect my race kit. I registered on-line about a month ago before I knew about Christina Aguilera concert. The run is actually this coming weekend. So, I guess I will be giving the Saucony Run a miss since I was already there last week. Going to Singapore is not a cheap trip, you know.
It was my first time coming to Novena Square. I was impressed with the variety of sports articles for sales. But I do not have much time to hang around. After collecting my race kit, I went to The Running Lab, a specialty store for running (what else?). There, I bought a race bib belt. Set me back SGD 18.90 but this means no more unsightly holes on my favourite running vests.
Then, I went to HMV at CityLink Mall and Gramaphone at City Hall for more CD shopping before I finally took a MRT to Kallang and prepared to get BACK TO BASICS with Dirrty Pop Diva – Christina Aguilera.
What? Christina Aguilera - Back to Basics Tour
Where? Singapore National Indoor Stadium
When? June 30, 2007 (Saturday)
How much? SGD100/ ticket (The cheapest of the lots)
The show started at 8:30 sharp. Good. No annoying opening acts. It went straight to Christina Aguilera. The crowd went berserk to the sound of Christina belting her signature “Heeeeeeeeeeeeyyyyy” as the stage lit up.
Set list
1. Ain't No Other Man
2. Back in the Day
Costume Change
3. Understand
4. Come On Over Baby (Jazz Version)
Costume Change
5. Slow Down Baby
6. Still Dirrty
7. Can't Hold Us Down
8. Video Montage: I Got Trouble – Christina playing silent movie actress with her legs spread up in the bath tub and some other self-stimulation scenes.
Costume Change
9. Makes Me Wanna Pray - She made us wanna got down to our knees and pray!
10. What a Girl Wants (Reggae Version - remixed beyond recognition)
11. Oh Mother – a tribute to Christina’s mom
Costume Change
12. Enter the Circus/Welcome – Very nice entrance, complete with trapeze artistes, fire handler, stilt walker and carnival dancers.
13. Dirrty – See picture below.
14. Candyman – A crowd favourite. Can’t stop tapping my feet with it.
Nasty Naughty Boy – This song was NOT included in her Asia tour. I heard it was pretty raunchy and too hot for the Asian audience to handle. Damn!
Costume Change
16. Hurt – One of Christina’s best songs.
17. Lady Marmalade – Whoa!...So many Ah Kuas (men in drags) on the stage. Complete with gloves and pink boa. Lots of wiggling and jiggling. Very camp!
18. Video Montage: Thank You (Dedication to Fans...)
Costume Change
Encore Tracks
19. Beautiful – A sing along chorus. You are beautiful no matter what they say, Words can't bring you down, you are beautiful in every single way Yes, words can't bring you down, So don't you bring me down today...
20. Fighter – a rousing performance leaving the audience gasping for more. But too bad, it was time to go home....
Aguilera using a carousel horse as a stripper pole for a performance of "Dirrty" on the Back to Basics. Wouldn't you want to be that horsey? Heheh! (Photo taken from the Net because my camera can't zoom that near).
It was a very entertaining show. Love the voice. Love the songs. Love the dazzling show. Love Christina. Just one down side - she didn't do Genie in the Bottle, the song that catapulted her to pop stardom.
What's next after Christina? I heard Gwen Stefani is coming to Malaysia! Can't wait to get the ticket...Holler!
Conversation heard in Singapore only....
"What you wanna drink hah?"
"Whatever lah...Anything will do"
"OK...One Whatever and one Anything coming right up!"
What? Milk Run 2007
Where? Zouk, Singapore
When? 1 July 2007; 4:20pm
How Long? 4km Community Run
More Info? Milk Run Website
MILK stands for Mainly I Love Kids.
FYI, it is not a run organized by Michael Jackson. No...Hee! Hee!
Instead, it is an annual fund-raiser and a youth day celebration held on the first Sunday of July every year. It draws a 10,000 strong crowd from schools, youth organizations, corporates and other community partners. The MILK Run comprises a competitive quarter marathon, a community run, a concert and a post-race carnival.
Just like the year before, this year run started at Zouk, a very popular dance club in Singapore. Instead of seeing scanly clads disco babes in heels and drunken beer guzzling men, we get to see runners in their skimpy shorts guzzling isotonic drinks.
Nice number, eh? 9099
After spending my whole Sunday morning in bed (too tired), I had lunch at Food Republic in Vivocity. Took a cab to Zouk from Vivocity. The cab ride cost me SGD7. I didn't know that they had free bus shuttle from Outram MRT Station to Zouk.
I signed up for the 4km Community Run. Too lazy to do the 8.3km.....Anyway, there was nothing extra too see as all the runners in that category had to make a loop of the course.
Cone head?
The weather was great. Clouds in the sky shielded us from the sizzling afternoon sun. The atmosphere? Carnival-like. Everybody was having fun and getting ready for the run.
Kudos to the organiser! Crowd control was excellent! They actually used little kids dressed in orange as barrier to prevent late runners from getting to the front of the line. If you are late, you just have to get back in line. No heart to trample on those kids. Heheh!
The Lonely Runner (TLR) was brought to the stage to show off his great running fashion sense.
FYI, TLR is the founder of a Singapore Runners Web Community SgRunners which will celebrate its 2nd Anniversary this coming 07.07.07. Congratulations!!!
Yours truly is also quite active in Sgrunner forum, especially when it comes to running events in Malaysia. Heheh! Visit Malaysia Year 2007! Must promote Malaysia-lah
What the hey are those Stormtroopers doing at Milk Run? Is that Davy Jones...and Captain Jack Sparrow?
This is Milk Run, not Chicken Run...Heheh!
It rained lollypop for a while. Courtesy of Park Hotel staff. I got one. Strawberry flavoured. Yum!
Honk if You're Horny.....1.2.3...Blast off!
The route took us along the scenic Singapore river.
My spirit is never too small to fill up the event T-shirt!
Run through the bridge.
Boats
Who's coming for dinner?
The Ultimate Bungy in action seen from across the river. Wow..Would love to try that.
Turning point at Elgin Bridge.
Bridge Over Singapore Water
Crusing by the river
Interesting building with rainbow coloured windows.
Hooters - Is this why they called it the MILK run? (OK! Sorry for the baaaaaad joke!)
What do you expect to get when you go to a place called 1 Night Stand?
Nice running through the beautiful shoplots.
Colourful Alkaff Brigde
Closer look at Alkaff Bridge design. Arty, eh?
Okay...Almost done. (Insert panting here!)
The final sprint!
Swaggering to the Finish line.
Phew! Took a couple of bananas and a can of 100-plus drink. Didn't hang around much as I got a bus to catch. Didn't have time or place to shower. So, I just change my shirt. Wiped my body and applied some deodorant....Thank God, nobody in the bus fainted in the five hours journey back to KL. Heheh!
It was a fun run. A fantasic way to see the Clarke Quay and a section of Singapore river. Sorry, no goodies bag shot this time. If I ever go again next year, I will make sure that I register early to avoid out of stock!
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