You know, I’m not feeling all that wild and wonderful at the moment. In two weeks, I saw only those three bird species – sparrow, dove and myna. The feral cats look surprisingly healthy.
This tom cat lives outside K-Mart. He's friendly.
No dogs. The horses and kestrels have been filmed by our crews and I see them on TV screens, but I’ve not been out. The football started, the work ramped up and there was no time for anything.
Bear in mind I wrote this a while before you’re reading it as I am such a fool that I keep about a fortnight ahead of myself so that you, dear reader, look, in your present, into my past.
In the six days I have been here, the temperature seems to have gone down. The evening feels cool – 63F instead of over 70. The day? I have not been out in the day since my trip to the souq when it must have been 27 or 28. Now, I hear, the souq is rammed in the evenings – with football fans from all around the world singing and chanting. There was a firework display last night – it sounded like war, but was beautiful.
My heart hurts as I know there are many, many good people here in Qatar who want this tournament to be wonderful, who want the world to share their pride. I feel so deeply for all those good people – their yearning to be part of something special, to create something special, to celebrate the best…
And as I write I am also thinking about how I should go to K-Mart for nuts. Doubt I’ll bother. I’m writing this on the bus back to the hotel and I want to get to my room sharpish as the opening match kicks off two minutes from NOW, from the very moment I typed that ‘W’, and the bus journey will take another twenty minutes.
I feel into my body and become aware of the pain in my abdominal muscles. I blame Leanne who set me circuits to do in the gym while I am away. I feel around again. My throat is scratchy – and I know there’s COVID in the crew. I have been wearing my mask, but you can forget to sterilise a mic and always you are close to people… office, edit, bus. They cannot afford to lose our voices. They cannot afford to lose anyone.
Sore throat, dry cough – classic symptoms.
No way. No way.
Visualise the white blood cells. Feel the surge of strength and the blood streaming and cleaning. The immune system striving and overcoming.
Calm. Calm. Calm.
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