27 Dec - Departure Day

After a long period of getting ready, packing equipment, grumbling, complaining, budget cutting, we were finally on our way to Doha – the destination of unknown lies ahead. Other than Biao Shu, the rest of us have yet to venture to that part of the world. If not for the Asian Games, I don’t think anyone of us would ever think of going there.

Mum was admitted into hospital for severe food poisoning the day before we left. Alvin’s dad was in and out of hospital. Add on to the reduced number of manpower we have, and not forgetting the last minutes rush for the backdrop, the signs are not looking good for Doha.

Junior and Remesh came to send us off. We joked that she is part of my hand-carry luggage. After checking-in our luggage, Wendy said her goodbyes to her family and we went over to a café for some snacks and drinks. Kiok started her “can buy or not stuff” even before we fly.

We were in the same flight as the bowlers as well as the cue sports athletes. It was a full flight. Kiok was seated some distance away, somehow or other, we managed to change her seat to just in front of us as a passenger had requested for a change of seat. She confessed that it was a good thing that we helped to swap her seat. The person sitting next to her in her original seat was emitting a strange kind of smell.

I was seated between Wendy and a fat man. Knowing that I have to sleep no matter what as a long day lays ahead, I plugged my mp3 player into my ears and dozed off soon after. Still, being the light sleeper, I was awakened by the fat uncle each time he moved. I was missing my bolster already.

When it’s almost time for the plane to land, I gave up the idea of getting some sleep and watched Lakehouse instead. It brought back a lot of memories. I watched the Korean version with BB, and shed a flood of tears back then. I wondered if she remembered.