13 Dec - Sleepless in Doha
As the Wushu events that involve Team Singapore only starts at 11am, Wendy and I slowly made our way to the MMP for breakfast this morning. Kiok and Vivian will have their breakfast at the apartment as they will be going to Qatar Airlines to confirm our seats on our flight back. We still haven't make concrete plans on how and who will bring our luggages to the airport.
Dropping off Biao Shu and Abdullah at the Qatar Sports Club for Karate, Gan Di and I made our way, once again, to Aspire Hall. Passing by the castle-like architecture, I realised it was the local university. I don't mind doing a short course in there!
It's a good thing that the Men's Taijiquan - Taijijian event is at 1pm. Won't want to miss Goh Qiu Bin and Yang Yong Kai's performance again, as Qiu Bin is in medal contention. I couldn't resist snapping a shot at the velodrome. This structure was a temporary setup for the Asian Games, and it would be removed after the Games! Money certainly makes the world goes round. The whole crew really felt the power of money here in Doha.
While waiting for Team Singapore athletes to compete, I wrote my script. Wanted to make a trip to the Athletes' Village. Partly for the merchandise store there, and partly because we drove past the Village everyday, and it's a pity not making a trip inside.
Once we are done with Wushu, I told Gan Di that we should make a trip to the Athletes' Village before we go back to IBC. On the way there, Gan Di directed Muneer into a one-way road right after he told Muneer to take a right turn! Alamak! Lucky there wasn't much traffic on the road. Aiyoh, I also know there is no right turn on Doha as the place is left-hand drive!
I thought Gan Di knew his way inside out in the Athletes Village, but he said it's his first trip there. At the entrance, we exchanged our passes with a Day Pass into the International Zone. Asking around, we make our way into the Merchandise Store. Nothing much left to buy. But the grandeur of the Village is... It has got laundry, post office, photo studio, medical and of course the food. The "canteen" is as big as the one we have at MMP. The mood there is cheery, and not as fast-paced as you feel at the MMP and IBC.
After a quick tour, we made our way back to the IBC, missing Alvin's call. By the time he called Gan Di, we were already outside IBC. He wanted us to buy something for him. Hahaha! I thought he checking on my whereabouts.
I took a much shorter time in writing my script, and got Biao Shu to do the voice-over. I even helped Prem do VO. Everyone just has to pitch in to make the show.
After I'm done with the supers, Kiok told me she called home in the afternoon using the phonecard she bought. She ask if I want to call home. A time check told me mum's sleeping at home. But I asked if I can call someone else. Not sure what made me asked this. Perhaps, I really missed him. This was the longest trip I spent away from home in the past five years.
Give the complexity of the phone call - there are a lot of numbers to press - Kiok made the call on my behalf. We spoke for a while. Seemed like something unpleasant has happened, but I would be told of the details after I go home. Suddenly, I was really homesick. This has been the longest overseas trip I had in the past eight years.
Later when we went 0n-air for the live belt, JB was still being held up at the sepak takraw final again, Biao Shu was forced to do RVO for Erquan. Since this wasn't the first time he was doing it, he was sporting enough to pose for this picture.
Though I managed to keep my mind off my phone conversation during the show, the content of it came back to haunt me once the show was over. I failed to even lament on the fact that because Wushu was still going on, I would be missing out on the chance to do the bronze medal match for men's football.
Feeling a bit down, but with no one to talk to, I indulged in a piece of blackforest cake during dinner. This was just one of the many types of dessert served at the MMP every night.
Late that night as I was trying to get to sleep. I spent the rest of the night wondering what had happened. In the end, I had a hard time convincing myself that it would not too serious or important since it could wait until I get back.
Kiok successfully made me fell asleep by making me laugh until I was too tired to think. But I ended up dreaming an Indian comedy, with our drivers and all the Indians I know having a part to play in my this particular comedy.
