October 2000, Singapore-It's the day of the England v Germany World Cup Qualifier at Wembley. To watch the match, we go to the Manchester United superstore in the main shopping area of Orchard Road.
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I have always been quite neutral with regard to United. To watch the match, it costs £16 between us to gain admittance to the match although that does include the first drink free and there is a band playing prior to the match.
The crowd is full of English ex-pats and Singaporeans. Any good play by the English is cheered by the Singaporeans. Any good play by the Germans is also cheered by the Singaporeans. Our gin and tonics finished, we order 2 lagers. Half pint measures arrive along with the bill. I am too shocked with the further £16 being requested even to cheer as David Seaman fumbles Dietar Hamman shot into his net. God I hate Manchester United for their commercialism and Singapore for their extortionate taxes on alcohol. Surely they should both be included in George Bush's Axis of Evil.
Worth £16 to see?
November 2000, Thailand-Arrive in the Southern City of Hat Yai on the overnight train from Kuala Lumpur. Find a hotel and then pay a local to get a lift on his motorbike to the nearest internet cafe. Celtic 6 Hearts 1 which sets us up nicely for the OF game next week. I was planning to go to Kho Phi Phi Don where the film of "
The Beach" was made. But a more touristy place like Kho Samui is more likely to have Sky Sports. The rain is really heavy as it is the monsoon season. I wake up early the next morning, pack and leave my hotel room to go to the bus station. Outside the hotel it is like a scene from Apocalypse Now. The river has burst its banks and the City is covered in up to eight foot of water. There are low flying helicopters overhead rescuing people hanging on to telegraph poles and small makeshift boats being paddled through the brown muddy water.
The first day trapped in the flood is not so bad as the electricity is still working and the hotel restaurant is open as normal. The second day, the lights go out as the water is now up to a height of 3 foot in the ground floor reception area. We are reduced to eating dry noodles although at least there is plenty of beer about as I manage to wade through the water to the ground floor bar with the tropical fish swimming around me. I wake on the third day and I am starting to feel really worried. The rain is still falling. At this rate I am going to miss the OF game. Thankfully it soon stops and an anxious few days follow, trying to gauge how long it will take before the flood recedes and constantly seeking reassurance from fellow travelers that I will be able to get to Kho Samui in time to see the game.
On the day of the match, the water outside has fallen to only a foot high. I wade through it and manage to get the boat/ferry to Kho Samui. I arrive in the commercialised town of Chaweng with about 20 minutes to spare before Kick Off. A furious search of the bars is undertaken, only to find English and Italian football. The OF game is not on anywhere. Its back to finding an internet cafe and I watch the news of Rangers 5-1 victory coming in. I wish I hadn't bothered.
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