Let me bring you back to the time when I was all so young and innocent and still in primary school. Whenever it's after the June holidays and back to school, I will always just kind of not liking July. Strangely then, that is the month I had never always like because there is just nothing major happening each time, except for Racial Harmony Day in school and that is it.
Fast forward to 2005. When it's almost hitting July, I already cannot wait for it to come. Because of The Straits Times's first report about the IOC going to meet here for the 117th IOC Session and the voting decision for the 2012 Games city host on May 6, 2005. And in the days to come after that, reports on how it will affect Singapore's international status and the economy and stuff and the competition from the bidding cities, made me all excited at once. What really want to make me go whacking myself is because I vaguely remember (and it all came back to me as I was on the London's official bidding site once) I did read of reports about London wanting to bid for the 2012 Games even way back in the early parts of this year in The Straits Times! Sheesh. If I only I knew earlier...oh well. Because I remembered about the British Prime Minister Mr Tony Blair's thoughts about it and even the England captain David Beckham's own personal thoughts too, in the papers. It must had slipped through my mind till it was nearer to the decision day, here!
So when July came, it was almost towards the end of Wimbledon (ahem, in London and will be the place for the tennis come London 2012 Games) and there's Live 8 concerts in many parts of the world too, even in London. Soon in the first day of July, the current #1 man in the IOC - Mr Jacques Rogge had arrived. But wait. The London team came way earlier than anyone else - June 28 (I checked before) and heading to Sentosa (wahoo; my most favourite place in the country!) first to prepare for the showdown and that was when...it was the first of the many times I was going to see the bid leader Lord Sebastian Coe on our local TV screen! But the very first time was as I was reading the June 28's edition of The Straits Times and Dad's own memories of the 1980 Moscow Games (Lord Coe was a participant then) telling it to me the very first time. Yeah, the paper must had been purposely to had that feature article and interview with the London bid leader on the same day he and his team touched down on Singapore.
Days after, we heard and learnt of stories of the other candidate cities soon arriving and the various news surrounding the lobbying and stuff. The British Prime Minister's intense lobbying when he was here with his wife, sending his message loud and clear to the IOC on what he want for London in 2012. And praising everything he can for Singapore the moment he was here. The last-minute announcement from the New York side that the former First Lady and now Senator for New York - Hilary Clinton coming to town to lend support for New York. The England captain David Backham and his wife's arrival which kind of caused a little of a frenzy. Which really makes some wonder who is the real 'celebrity' then - Mr Tony Blair or David Beckham. The short and brief interview between two colleagues in Real Madrid - David Beckham and Raul (for Mardrid). The news report of the London team and Mr Tony Blair over at the British High Commission with the bid flag being shown on the news. The so-called controversy over Paris's proposed stadium as being raised by Tessa Jowell, the now Olympic Minister, other than the Culture Minister in the UK...which sent eyebrows raising at once for many and a sigh of relief from me when I learnt of the news that the IOC President Mr Jacques Rogge saying no one has crossed the line and the Paris side never complained, showing they are playing it fair here. The French President Mr Jacques Chirac's infamous comment of the British food on the eve of the vote. The Opening Ceremony at The Esplanade - Theatres on the Bay, which I thought overall was alright and the British Prime Minister - saying it's the best show he has ever seen and a job well done (from TV news). Which kind of makes me wonder for a moment...was he saying that to woo everyone to vote for London? Ha!
The intense and numerous media coverage which really put this island nation on the international map for like the very first time since the Boxing Day tsunami. With the international media in the likes of BBC World, CNN and CNBC Singapore (those are the three international news channel on cable here) mentioning about Singapore umpteen times that always send me into a glee because I was always so 'desperate' in hearing the newscasters saying of us. Because it always never happen all the time, except at international business news on those channels occasionally. Which like made me learnt like weeks later on The Straits Times's Forum section about a Singaporean in London where people are beginning to get curious of here because of London bidding to host the 2012 Games.
Now to decision day. July 6. A Wednesday I will never forget. Minus the school part. Waking up from bed and immediately read The Straits Times briefly on the IOC Session where it was written (and being highlighted by the BBC website too) about the decision day has come and with Paris and London deemed to be the biggest rivals against each other and the other cities...looking to be outsiders even before the start of the dramatic vote. Even with me thinking throughout the day in school and on the way home after that London might win, even though I had said it to Dad from Day One that London is my pick and never changed since, despite all the reports about Paris's bid and stuff. A sense of excitement from me as I was watching the London's team presentation which I can thank my lucky stars that I can watch the presentation on CNA live and still having that feeling that London will win this after all. And switching especially to BBC World after that purposely to see the reactions from the newscasters after the London team had finished their presentation. LOL. But before the presentation, watching the afternoon news on the highlights of the previous presentations that I missed and CNN's international viewers' thoughts on which city should win (surprisingly, it's London for the majority) and among the newscasters themselves.
Mother sending me to the room to do my Maths assessment after I watched Madrid's presentation and half of the time my heart did not focused on my work. Dinner came and I ate quickly so that I could know the news on who's eliminating but when Dad came home...telling me that Moscow is out already through listening to the radio news on his way home from work. And me finding out after finishing dinner that New York is already out (to think I causally mentioned it!)...followed by Madrid. My heart beat even louder and my teeth began to start clattering as I watched the breaking news thingy coming from the TV screen. When it was only Paris and London left, I heaved a sigh of relief then get nervous all over again, knowing it was the candidate cities the media had been saying as the favourites all along (Paris was the case since Day One), after London's bid gained momentum because of Lord Sebastian Coe's leadership from May 2004 onwards. It's between Dad's choice and mine. We had been discussing about this for so long and for many days and it all comes down - to this. For that moment in time, I don't want to lose out to him! He is a big sports fan and I...not really one. Only by reading the papers and watching the news and through Dad and that is it. Whatsmore, it was after I watched Carrie's audition on AI4 and I dare say to myself that she will go far and she did...winning the title. So the desperate in me want to be correct in my prediction again, because I had always been wrong in my past experiences. Yes, my fragile heart and mind almost could not take it then.
The timing leading to the final announcement proved to be terrible for me but then at least Singapore get to showcase herself through a short video to the world for the last time before the final result. Then it's those candiate cities's promotion videos. Moscow's - making me confused, New York's rather interesting, Madrid's (like what the papers say) - sunny, Paris's - kind of sleek and London's - quite cute and funny at some point in time with the Olympic message being sent across to the international audience at the same time. Then...it's the moment that we had been waiting for - who will be hosting the Games in seven years from now. The IOC President Mr Jacques Rogge even took a long time to open and Mother even commented that he does not know how to open an envelope properly and should need the letter opener (and Lord Coe said that as well in a Guardian interview online which I saw yesterday that he wanted to give the IOC President a letter opener then). And me trying to look out for our only Singapore IOC member Ng Ser Miang behind the IOC President as the letter was about to be opened.
At last. Finally. The word that I so wanted to hear. And what the London team here in Raffles City Convention Centre, Singapore all the way to the people at Trafalgar Square, London, United Kingdom all had been wanting to hear from the IOC President himself. It's London. London to host the 30th Olympiad in 2012! July 27 2012, to be exact. Emotions ran high for the London team and all who wanted this from the start for London, especially to improve the East End of London. Now the wish has been granted! I was so happy and wanted to scream and yell and shout and jump out and down but then, I cannot do all that! With that interesting thought that Singapore, being a former Crown Colony of the United Kingdom, it's the place where the London team and the people back in London know that this is the place where they know the results came from! How ironic and interesting!
Then it was all the talks and reasons began to emerge as to why London got the 'biggest prize in sport' from Paris and the voting figures being analysed from all angles. Final result - 54 to 50. And with especially the BBC, saying the bid leader Lord Coe being the national hero. In Singapore, may I add. And the media saying that it's just Lord Coe's style of bringing the Games to London after hosting it in 1908 and 1948 - coming from behind to snatch it from Paris. Because that was just his way of winning his medals in the 1980 Moscow and 1984 Los Angeles Games. Coming from behind to win it all. History being repeated again, in a good way. Dad said that it was just Lord Coe's style of doing things as well. He witnessed the events at the Moscow Games too.
Then, the day after. The London bombings. It was also the start of the G8 summit in Gleneagles and for the British Prime Minster, from being so happy to shaken in front of the media in two days. London, having an emotional rollercoaster ride from elated in winning the bid from here in Singapore to the bombings and another two weeks on. At least the British police had managed to catch all the suspects for the second wave of bombings.
News on the local front. Almost a plenty after all the IOC Session hype. From the Huang Na murder trial to the NKF saga and the Raffles Hotel being sold to an American company and own Singaporeans asking about our own self-identity come August 9 at the Padang for National Day. Many things had been raised of late in the papers.
But what can I say? I heard Stephanie Sun's One United People (one of the past National Day songs) on Power 98 before lunch and I'm telling myself...no matter what happens, I will be forever be proud of being called a Singaporean even come August 9 when Singapore turns 40. Because of The Sunday Times's column today about others perception of us when we are travelling abroad. Being dropped. I like it. Hey, come to think of it...the mega sporting event (the next best thing Singapore can do though we may not be able to host the Olympics) once happened here. In July. The 117th IOC Session. May be forgotten by many soon but not for me. I will get the goosebumps each time I think of it.
Because it happened on the month I once really hate. Maybe not from now on.
