Friday, November 24, 2006
I saw a friend yesterday who is the Head of Venues and I said:" Everything is good on your side of the woods?". He looked at me and said "Nothing is GOOD of course but everything is going...and it's 22 days to go." Of course this is the countdown clock to the end of the Games and most people are already counting and I can totally understand. Especially those who have been here for a couple of years and are completely exhausted.
The giant pearl is the landmark I run to in the morning along the Corniche. My turn-around point just a bit past the Emir's Administrative Palace. The Palace is an impressive and beautiful building just sandy white always illuminated fantastically at night. But this morning, even from about a kilometer away I can see something is different. It looks like it's been painted overnight. Now the colors are plum and sandy white with the impressive serated edges found on the flag. The flag of Qatar is white close to the flagpole and plum for most of the rest with a serated edge with 12 pointers. The white is the universal symbol of peace and the plum is a reminder of the blood shed in the past.
So as I approach and indeed run past the palace I can't believe it's been repainted. It looks so perfect, could it be the lights? Also the trunk of the palm trees which line the centre of the road have been painted. White for about a meter and a half and plum red for the rest of the trunk extending up. As I run back I look at the palace carefully and only with this detailed examination can I finally tell that it's a play of lights. The effect is amazing.
I see the usual suspect; my ninja friend who pull her veil up to greet me and smile, the guy with the big smile who gave me a flower one morning runs towards me and extends his hand as he does everyday and many others.
I left last night leaving my afternoon volunteers to man the Work Room Help Desk until the end of their shift (11pm) and it seems all went well. Gerry is now on evening shift which is 7pm to 7am and so she checks on them and I feel relieved to know that she is there overnight. We won't be busy yet at night although yesterday was noticeably busier in the work room. But until competition starts the evening will be quieter in here. There is really no reason for Journalists to be working nights until they have to. And they are far too happy to go out and wine and dine while they can.
Well, after a long trip across Asia the 15th Asian Games Doha 2006 Torch will return to Qatar today at 2pm. This marks the culmination of the longest relay in the history of the Asian Games, which is more than 50 000km across 14 Asian Countries and regions. From today, nearly 1000 Qatari residents representing 67 nationalities will carry the Torch through Qatar (Al Zubara, Dukhan, the Inland Sea, Al Wakra, Al Khor and finally Doha). Nearly 2500 torchbearers have carried the flame for a distance of up to 500 metres each during it's international run. It was carried across land, sea and air and traveled by various means of transport, including trains, bicycles, motorbikes, camels, horses, trams, row boats, dhows, canoes, cable cars, rollerblades, skis, dragon boats, classic cars and ferries.
I can't wait to feel it arrive as it brings with it amazing enthousiasm and joy.
