Melbourne Day 3 : Formula 1 Qualifying

This morning I had delusions of getting up early and going to the F1. I figured I’d at least go and check it out, as it was $85 to get in, and I’m not exactly a huge car racing fan, but I’m in Melbourne, and it’s on, so I feel more like I should go than I want to go.

I dragged my ass out of bed at 12noon, and felt like I had missed my chance, but I figured I’d walk down to Albert Park anyway and at least hear them in the flesh, even if I couldn’t see them. It’s a lovely walk to Albert Park from Jana’s place in Port Melbourne as you walk along the beach, and then up Victoria street with all it’s cafés.

I arrived at Albert Park to the scream of a 2 seater Minardi taking the CEO of ING around the track. These things are LOUD. They’re selling earplugs everywhere, and you need them. I bought some sunscreen and some earplugs from a chick near the gate, and was still wondering if I could afford the $85 to spend the day by myself. I had kinda decided that I wouldn’t bother buying a ticket. I’d just walk around the outside of the track and get a reasonable vantage point and that would do me. As I was standing at the gate, and older guy, probably about 45 ish, walked up to these guys next to me and said “Here’s a ticket fellas” They said “no thanks, we’ve already got ours”. At this point I chirped up and said I’d take it. Without hesitation the older dude handed it to me and told me to have a good day. SCORE.

So I wandered into the track area and found a good position for the first session of the day which was starting in about 30 minutes. I hadn’t missed anything, as I’d forgotten that the Australian GP had been moved to a later slot to make the European audiences happier.

These cars are fast and loud. You’re not really watching a race, or even cars going around a track, because you only see one section, but Jesus they are so fucking loud and spastically fast.

After the session ended I walked around to see what else it going on. There’s your standard car displays and such. And that giant truck container that folds out in a 2 story xxxx bar. There’s also a day rave that ruins on the Saturday and Sunday, tonight Potbelleez are headlining and tomorrow it’s Sneaky Sound System. It only costs another $30 on top of your ticket price to go, and it goes all day. You get a good vantage point from inside the rave of the track, so you don’t miss any of the racing either. If I was here with a group of friends, that could definitely have been an option.

I got a good spot to see turns 1 and 2 and waited for qualifying to start. They had an Australian GT race on before that and it was pretty cool to see Lamborghinis, Ferraris and Porsches flying around a racetrack. When the F1 guys came on it was again very loud and very fast, though not terribly exciting. Webber did well and got into the final ten shootout, but was then pretty useless and ended up 10th.

After that the V8’s came on. They weren’t as loud or as fast, but being a race it was a bit more exciting. The sound is very impressive, an angry throaty growl as you’d expect from V8’s. I left when they finished and walked back to Jana’s place. She was getting ready for some form of pageant where she was competing in the state final tonight.

After Jana had finished with the bathroom, which was quite a while, she headed out to her pageant. I laid on the couch for a while, debating whether of not to go out and catch up with Alex. I hadn’t seen her in ages, and I really should make an effort, but I was really enjoying the not standing up experience that comes with lying down, and didn’t really want to change that. In the end I grew a pair, got ready and went out. Alex and her friends were at Croft, which I knew reasonably well and by 10:30pm I had met them there.

Alex is still the same Alex that lived with me seven years ago. She’s older, more mature and lesbian now. But she’s the same talkative little girl who likes to irritate strangers for her own amusement.

After we’d had a drink at Croft, we moved on to Section 8 for a drink. I sat down at talked with Alex and her friends a bit, but decided at 12:30 that it would be in my best interests to catch the last tram home and have a cheap and early night.

Waiting for the tram I was a little hungry, and in some small form of recompense for the lamb kebab last night and the hot dog at the F1 today, I purchased and ate an apple. What have I become?

On my way home I got a message from Jana asking me where I was and letting me know that she had not won her pageant. She arrived home not too long after me and wanted to go out. I was already ready for bed and had not desire to go out for drinks. I was quite happy with my day, and the fact that it had all been relatively cheap, and didn’t want to go out chasing the night.

What is sometimes the most annoying thing about Jana, is also usually her greatest quality. She is very spontaneous, and also very hard to say no to. It’s always fun being around her, because you’re never quite sure where you’re gonna end up. In the end we compromised. Jana was very excited that with her pageant over, she was allowed carbs again, so we decided to binge together. We walked down to the all night Coles in Port Melbourne and wandered around together in an empty supermarket for a while before deciding our carbarific feast would be Mexican. We bought all the ingredients for Quesadillas and Nachos, and we planned to eat both.

Upon arriving home we cooked up the Nachos and sat down to watch Walk the Line. Jana made it though about a quarter of the Nachos before declaring she was full, and about a quarter of the movie before falling asleep. However being a man who finishes what he starts. I polished off the nachos on my own, and stayed up til 5am watching the end of the movie.

I guess I haven’t changed that much after all.