31st Dec 2005 - 5th Jan 2006 (Part 1)

(Warning: This is going to be a really really long blog entry, so brace yourselves!)

This seemed like a marathon, a walking marathon. The ultimate test for my legs and feet and soles especially. But at this point of time, having finally ended the marathon, I feel refreshed an energized.

It all started from the day of the countdown.

31st Dec 2005. Finally, this day arrived and I awoke to the alarm at 6.15am. Printed out what I was asked to do, gulped down one cup of noodles and rushed out to get a cab. Got one almost immediately and headed down to serangoon to pick Su up before we continued all the way down to the west side.

As time passed that day, I was literally counting down myself. From 17 hours.. to 12 hours.. to finally those last 5 hours plus of show proper.

At about 4pm, it started to rain real bad. Soundchecks stopped, everyone ran for shelter and we began to wonder if we had to bring the show indoors instead (I for one, was hoping we could call off the whole thing hahah.. fat hope though). But by around 5plus, the skies cleared and we knew the show had to go on... so we began our mad rush to get everything up and going again.. drying off equipment with hairdryers and towels.. crossing our fingers no one will get electrocuted later on =P.

715pm.. we were ready to go. I took my position in that very tight space, hoping that nothing would go wrong, and that I can leave soon to go home (for my flight to hk!) It was really fun that day.. squashed in that small platform with so many people, with El dozing off and with people screaming and shouting in the earpiece (I could really go deaf). But it happens and no one ever said that this job isn't stressful. Anything that happens live, is always stressful.

It wasn't the place I wanted to be at, but I still enjoyed myself. Watching the streamers fly, the pyro going off, the balloons in the air, and people all hyped up.. counting down to the last 10 seconds of 2005.

1230am. It finally ended!! I scooted off immediately. Wanted to give everyone a hug but only CL was there... so I grabbed my bag and ran out to catch a cab. Couldn't really care if I was being uncivilized but I just rushed for whatever cab I saw that morning.. because I knew I had to make it back home fast.

At about 115am, I reached home, showered and decided to take a nap at about 230am. So did SH (who came to my house so we could take the cab to airport together)... and it was a bad choice. And so.. we both fell asleep, set 2 alarms to wake up at 4am.

The next thing I knew was SH shaking me out of my sleep and telling me it was 530am. 530am!! flight... 650am.. we had to check in 40mins before.. which meant that we got to reach the airport by 610am. Boy was I panicking.. but I think it made me like a commando.

All I could do was tell SH, go! brush your teeth! use this toilet, and I'll use the other! (while he was in his state of shock). Within 10mins, we washed up, grabbed out remaining stuff, pulled our bags out and rushed down to get a cab. By 545am, we were on the taxi heading towards the airport. Told the driver to hurry but he seemed to be going rather slow on purpose, very confidently saying, don't worry we can make it, that he had driven someone who only had one hour left before depature. I was still panicking (we cannot miss the flight to hk!! we can't) and I was just totally cold to what he was saying, as my mind played silly images of us stranded at the airport unable to board the plane.

6am we got to the entrance and I rushed in with our passports as SH paid the driver and got the bags out of the cab. We finally checked in and headed straight through the immigration, for the plane.

We were now bound for HongKong, at last! =)