Anne's blog travel 06-07

Saturday, December 16th 2006

Well, what a perfect finish to these games. If Qatar lost to China in the Gold medal Basketball game which finished just before 4pm, they won against Iraq in the Gold medal Soccer game which ended at about 6pm. Soccer is the important game in this country and the city and the atmosphere was abuzz with excitement. It couldn't have been scripted better than this coming into the Closing ceremony which started at Khalifa Stadium with the pre-show at 7pm.

Opening ceremonies are always a spectacle and visually stunning. Closing ceremonies are usually fun and charged with infectuous energy. The Closing Ceremony yesterday was also visually amazing but certainly with the victory of Qatar in Soccer, the energy was sensational. By closing ceremony time, everyone has done their job; the
athletes, the staff, the broadcasters and the journalists and we can all just celebrate our time here together.

Yesterday most of my volunteers brought me gifts. Young Sameera teamed up with Mahmoud to buy me a warm wrap and the card is so sweet. Entisar from Iraq brings me perfume (a wax perfume), a scarf, a necklace and a typical copper or bronze small coffee karafe. The list goes on.

I manage to get some closing ceremony tickets for Abdulqader and Saad. I've only got two but I know these two will go together and I'm so pleased to be able to give them this. Wish I could have had tickets for everyone. I did not go prefering to avoid the crowds and give them the tickets

This morning, the place is bare. We have some journalists here already but only a few but we are expecting more as we've been asked if we would be opened. There is this phenomenon though when the flame is extinguished, at every event, it's like the life has been taken away. Many journalists have already left in the night.

A couple of days ago I see Ahmed on the venue. It's about 5pm and as soon as I see my Iraqi friend I go up to him and before I can think about it I kiss him on the cheek as if this was something I could do here. It took something like that. The fact I'm worried about him and was wondering if I'd see him again, to completely make me forget that signs of affection between men and women in public are prohibited. And, really no one is looking or really cares.

It's very sad yesterday when some of my volunteers leave the venue for the last time. Sohaila (what a beautiful name pronounced so- ha- i- la), Sameera Ibrahim, Salwa, Asmaa and MD Arif; we all want to cry. Abdulqader, Saad, Ahmad, Younes, Nena and young Sameera are all supposed to be here today at some stage.

Today, we will not be so busy with journalists but still we will be sending some faxes overseas and packing up the area. I'll finish my report hopefully and with a little luck we may only come in for a few hours tomorrow. Monday we have a MMC party here since there is no games wide party organised. It's probably better like this.

Bye for now.