The Great Race gets underway at last

On Wednesday we had a final Great race mtg in the morning and made all the final decisions about which teams would start where and which of us would meet them. The whole idea was to have the teams operating on their own, not following each other. With all that done we could complete the copying and set up the folders on Thursday morning before work. by the time work started it was all finished which was terrific as Friday was a public Holiday to celebrate Vesak Day, a holy day celebrated by Buddhists. It represents the birth, the Nirvana (enlightenment) and the Parinirvana (death) of Gautama Buddha and is the most significant day of the Buddhist calendar. Vesak Day usually falls in May, on the 15th day of the fourth month of the Chinese Lunar Calendar.
We had planned to play tennis with some work colleagues at June's condo in Yio Chu Kang but unfortunately it was a washout. Eric was not feeling particularly well so he decided to have a quiet day but I headed out only to find that by the time I got there it was not clearing but instead a good downpour. 

Carrying 4 tennis racquets i couldn't even get to the condo until June came to rescue me with an umbrella. We had coffee and I returned home to find Eric putting our Sri lanka photos together into a new photobook. 
Saturday went pretty smoothly but Sunday was a pretty dramatic day for me. The first class ran as usual but then I tried to do finger painting with nine 4 yr olds; I really should have known better with some of the little cherubs in that class. Next session a lad managed to projectile vomit while sitting at the table. Fortunately most of it finished up on his worksheets and lap so I quickly bundled it all into his lap and lifted him (chair and all) out into the corridor. the others worked on as if nothing had happened while I got some help. In the last class one very excited boy exposed himself, not just once but twice. He is returning to visit family in Korea after the weekend and I hope thats what it was all about. I didn't even tell his mother when she collected him. Meanwhile I remembered to send off the final instructions for all 7 Great Race teams during the 35 min lunchbreak that I had set-up as drafts in our inbox. 
It was hectic, and the day went so quickly, it was only as I was walking to Joe's that I realised neither of us had left keys out for the visitors who would have just arrived! Oh No! But what can you do? Eric was already on his way home to meet his brother Laurie and wife Sue, who he found waiting on the doorstep. So I went ahead and relaxed with the branch.  I caught up with them at our local hawkers stalls soon after. 

Monday was the day of the race which began at 1pm. Eric took L and S for a walk to  orientate them in the local area. I made a few necessary updates to the instructions I'd handed out (couldn't get them out of my head all night). At 1pm everything got underway. Eric met teams at Chinatown and I did the same at City Hall. Shortly after June joined me from Marina Bay and Richard joined Eric from Dhoby Ghaut. We spent the day checking off the answers on the scoresheets as the teams circulated around the 7 different legs. L and S spent the day at Chinatown too. At 5pm we all headed to Bugis where Wine Bos hosted us for the after-race party. Eric did a terrific job of emceeing and we received lots of positive feedback for the whole organization. Some teams went to great lengths to dress up. Below are some sample pics. 

 Best dressed winners

 The eventual winners

 And the best team of them all

The night finished up with a few of us at Park View Square to show the visitors how the wine fairy goes about her business. 
Eric took Laurie and Sue to Gardens by the Bay on Tuesday and then the Marina Bay Sands precinct while I had a morning at home tying up all the loose ends for next year's race committee. After having a peaceful potter at home and playing the guitar I went to Chinatown to confirm our Beijing holiday in September, get the soles of a favourite pair of Eric's shoes repaired and replace the glass on my ipad. 

Eventually I caught the train home and Eric called to find out where I was. That's when we discovered we were on the same train. With all the people and all the trains in Singapore it is almost unbelievable that we managed to be on the same one.