Relationships

An interesting quote on Relationships(picked up from Deep bhai's status message):

Relationships are like glass.Sometimes it is better to leave them broken than try to hurt yourself putting it back together

Bungy Jumping/Extreme Swing@Singapore

As I start packing my bags, this was one major things pending on my list of things to do within Singapore: GMAX and GX5.
GMAX and GX5 are adventure rides that are hosted next to the Singapore River in Clarke Quay.
I had gone for the rides with Niraj and at the end of the day we both agreed that it was more than we had signed for this past weekend. We took the combo that gave us a shot at both rides for $60(+$15 for DVD of GMax). Both the rides were awesome and the unpredictable nature mixed with the adrenaline rush felt left an absolutely thrilling experience. Our first ride was GMAX-The Ultimate Bungy. Think of GMAX as a giant slingshot( or catapult) where the projectile is a cage(with you in it). And you are released up into the sky at speeds of up to 200kmph. You oscillate for a while up and down, finally returning to base. The build up to the point of release itself was quite a nerve wrecker. All of a sudden you realise you have been thrown up into the sky ! But the most thrilling part was when the cage came back facing down every time it reached the top peak. You would see yourself free falling to the ground below. Even though you are securely tied to the cage you can't help but fear for the worst or, as was the case with us, laugh and shout and let the entire world know you are up there.
The 2nd adventure ride was GX-5 Extreme Swing. Think of GX5 as a giant swing that pulls you up to a height of around 40m and then released and you swing in your cage over the Singapore river. The most frightening part here was when you were pulled up to the height to be released. You could see the height you are reaching. We had 2 Nigerian on the ride with us and we all were uttering nervous comments as we reached the top. Everyone uttered "we shouldn't have done this" at least once :p And then, the release lever was pulled. And Bang ! Fly away ! We were going to the moon! But once released, it wasn't that frightening:it was fun ! We screamed , shouted, laughed, called out and waved to the onlookers as we swung. We enjoyed every bit of it :)
Surely, it was an evening well spent, and a task less on the things I have to do before I go for that 'final' ride. :) If you are ever in Singapore, don't miss it(assuming you are as adventurous as I am).

Here's a 'reality' video of how we reacted on the ride...go to the GMAX official site(links below) for a view of what it looks from ground up.

GX5 : http://www.gmax.co.nz/index.php/pi_pageid/25
GMAX-The Ultimate Bungy: http://www.gmax.co.nz/

Singapore Idol Auditions

I had been to Cathay today(Saturday 6th June) to checkout the Singapore Idol auditions. And people were crazy ! People had been queuing up from previous evening itself. I can say that because I had been to Cathay on Friday night to watch "State of Play" and the already half filled queue did surprise me. Most of the contestants were college students who had come with bottles of water, umbrellas, guitars, and a group of friends to give company. They had sleeping bags, bedsheets etc to survive through the night. They didn't want to miss their spot in the queue. I was reminded of the November 2006 when Santy, Dada(Amitabho) and me camped in the Best Buy parking lot queued through the night for the Black Friday sale that was to start next morning. Only, I was chasing some deals then, and these fellows here were chasing dreams. When I went back again on Saturday afternoon, the craze hadn't subsided and the queues were still filled up, spilling beyond the marked perimeters. The authorities extended the auditions by another day to accommodate everyone.

I was tempted to join the queue and sing a song(if you know my love for singing, you already know the song), but then I will be leaving next month and would not be able to compete through the finals. So with a heavy heart, I had to let it go. May be next time I will participate in Indian Idol :p