From 2010 to 2011

Or maybe I should say, from 2000 to 2011. A decade. It's been more than six months since I last wrote anything on this blog. The past six months just flew passed. 2010 has been a memorable and exciting year. From Winter Olympics to World Cup 2010, 1st Youth Olympics Games, to a short stinct in SSC and to missing out Commonwealth Games and then to Guangzhou for Asian Games, and I wrapped up the year with a mini David Tao concert at the Countdown 2011 at Marina Bay.

The past year has not been without its heartbreak. I could distinctly remember drinking myself to sleep at night during the Chinese New Year period, and drowning myself in coffee to stay awake at work. If not for the Winter Olympics, I wouldn't know how I could survive.

Plus I was suspended from the uni for a period of time due to suspicious of plagiarism. It was hell. But when God closed the door on you, He will open a window for you. Sleague started and I learned to go with the flow of things.

The bunch of kids from Okto Live Season 2 formed firm friendships with me. They looked up to me, and I hope I didn't disappoint them. When I told them I wasn't that great, one of them said no. I thought they over-rated me. But their conclusion was, I under-rate myself.

Soon came the appointment to do World Cup 2010, Wimbledon, Formula 1 and not forgetting having to reject offers to do YOG with OBS instead of my beloved Dog. Yes, it's a love-hate relationship. It's been 8 years.

YOG marked my first time as a director on panel for major games. Something that I wanted to do for as long as I could remember. Things didn't go as smoothly at the beginning. I broke down after Day 1. My car battery went flat before the Games even started. Couldn't take the amount of responsibilities that rested on my shoulders. But I managed to plough through it, with help and encouragement from all the friends who never deserted even in times of difficulties. New friendships were formed, and bonds strengthened. Aunty Wendy was right. She said things can only go up since I'm at the bottom-most level.

Taking on the job in the government sector was perhaps the biggest thing that happened to me in 2010. The monentary incentive blinded me. Not having stable income have crept into me. Just three weeks into the job, I started suffering from depression. I started crying one night for no reason, and every night, I would cry myself to sleep. The ultimatum came when I started crying as I drove to work. I realised, I was not cut out for this at all. I miss the running about, the adrenaline pumping work even though it made my blood pressure sky-high.

The decision to leave wasn't easy. There were a lot of people to pacify and plenty of explanations to be done. For the sake of my sanity, I had to go. By then, it was November already. Everything then happened so quickly, I didn't even have time to react.

Luggage was packed for Guangzhou, and plans were made to have a short holiday in Hong Kong and Macau, and maybe Vietnam. I thought I won't even being seeing you until 2011. Why did you have to behave like you couldn't bear to let me go? You had to see me even the night before my flight. And I thought, maybe something could be happening. A tiny flicker of hope light up inside me.

Guangzhou Asian Games, at times felt like serving a prison sentence. We were at place inside the Media Village/IBC. There were no need for security checks unlike other Games I went to. But I quickly settled down into a routine, and perhaps was leading a very healthy lifestyle there, minus the regular exercise. It was a fantastic experience, though I suffered from my post Games syndrome, as usual. I was officially declared jobless. Accepted a two-week Netball job for December, I thought I would concentrate on my dissertation, finish it once and for all and God will show me the way.

A different mentality for being an AP and Producer at Games. Somehow, you can't do certain things anymore and with greater power, comes greater responsibility. This I finally tasted it, first-hand.

Three weeks passed, and I was on my way to Hong Kong. Eat, shop and walk....a lot. Then I was home, and I jumped straight into work for almost three weeks. We couldn't meet. Then I sprained my back. It was two months before we finally see each other. But somehow, things changed. My sixth sense told me there was someone else. How could things changed in two months? I asked myself.

David Tao's songs sent memories crashing. I realised I finally let go of Painter's ghost. But now, I have another ghost to exorcise. Maybe these things do become easier with age. This time, I didn't cry, unlike the Chinese New Year period, though sleep still took time to come every night.

I always have songs for every special person in my life. If Painter's 就是爱你, then yours is 天天.

I once said, Painter will have a special place in my heart. So do you.....

Working with the gurus

2010 started with a "bang" for me. First, I got to work on Winter Olympics, held in Vancouver, in February with Alan Wilkinson. I used to watch him on TV during Australian Open, and now, being able to get to know him a little bit, well, he's the typical British gentlemen you get and he gets frustrated with the American commentators who "murdered" the Korean names.

Next was plenty of understudying with English Premier League, Formula 1 and Champions League. My first EPL game was with John Dykes. He really blew me off. First, he turned up in jeans, shirt, tie and shoes. Then he didn't need a script from the producer. After that, he decided that the formation formulated by the CG machine shouldn't be the one used by the club, so he changed the formation and just add lib over them. Others would have turned up in shorts and slippers during this unearthly hours of the day/night.

Next was Champions League. Andrew Leci was cool, depending if he was tired or not. When he's not, he acted as if he's sugar high. Then came the special guest Abbas Saad. Being my childhood idol from the Malaysian Cup days, we sort of drove together into the building. Later, while the producer was looking for him, Abbas told the producer he was still in Yishun. The producer said he should just park his car, and get a cab. I was thinking, wasn't Abbas driving in front of me just now, and then he turned up, saying "I was here already, though I must admit I did get lost when I turned out of the carpark!"

My next encounter with Abbas Saad was pretty silly. I was doing my work at a work station, and suddenly there was this nice smell. I turned around and saw him. My first thought was, hmmm Abbas smells nice!" And he was wearing a suit, shirt, jacket, tie and all. Then when he walked, I heard this sound that doesn't seems to belong to shoes. I looked down, oh...discount!! He was wearing flip-flops!!

Jamie Reeves is good. He could give Andy Penders the name of a player when Andy just reads off clubs that this particular player played for. And, he's never late and he goes to yoga class!!

Shebby Singh...his famous line was "these days a lot of teams can out play Liverpool, even the Liverpool reserves can out play Liverpool!"

From 2009 to 2010

I never realised I would go into 2010 without a full-time job. But I have been freelancing for more than three months now. Though poorer, but certainly healthier in a way and way more happier.

Perhaps, its be status of not having regular income now. I don't really find the need to go shopping anymore. Retail therapy not applicable anymore. Books are about the only need that I would buy these days, and now I realised, I have the patience to wait till the small print paper pack is out before I give in to my indulgence.

Have been craving for tiramisu since APEC. Don't know why. To satisfy the craving, I made Lester walked from Marina Sq to Suntec, and back. He has been in Suntec for the past two weeks for APEC. Asked him if I'm very troublesome...he said yes, but no choice right? But still end up, no tiramisu.

Then we had a tiramisu at Manhantan Fish, with Joanne, somehow, its different from cake. So, two weeks later, we actually drove to Changi Airport to try our luck at Coffeebean there. No luck either.

Finally had the tiramisu at Bishan's Coffeebean, but wasn't fresh.

Eventually, its the tiramisu in Secret Recipe that finally satisfy my craving...and speaking of which, I need some now...Take Me Away = the Italian meaning of Tiramisu...