Wednesday, March 15, 2006

The Queen's Baton Relay

Its finally here! After travelling a year and over 70 countries the Commonwealth Games Queen's Baton is finally here in Melbourne for the big event starting tomorrow!

This morning before I went to work I had the rare chance of witnessing history in the making. At first all I saw were just some cops on bikes and cars with flashing lights redirecting traffic clearing the road for someone and then I saw it...

Its the Queen's Baton Relay! Lis Sheen was carrying it and then passed it over to John McCann. *Pssk* I don't know them personally, I just found out their names in the Commonwealth Games website. Hehe.

Camwhore first before proceeding, your 15 minutes of fame and then disappear into oblivion again. Make sure you had someone take your photo so you can hang it on your wall!

And John is off with the baton escorted by 2 organisers making sure he doesn't embarrass himself like getting nervous and dropping it or trip and fall! And that's where I left the baton relay and I'm off to work when along the way...

...I met up with this lady here who's the 49th runner of the relay for the day. Her name is June Steward and she's really excited! Her parents were both there to support her and everyone was cheering her on! Yay June!

Here they come, June is getting more excited now, if it was me I think I would shit in my pant! What if I stumbled and drop the baton? What if I step on a pothole and fall over? What if?

Then one of the policemen came up to June and brief her on what to do and to assure her that she will do fine and not to worry too much. She gave a brave smile and wave to us for assurance! Good on you June!

And here comes the baton and its carried by Russell Flack from 400 meters away. All runners get to run 400 meters with the baton so every Dick and Harry will get a chance at fame!

Russell hands over the baton to June and then they camwhore again. The organising escorts are the biggest camwhores of all! How many photos do they get to take?

Here we go, go June! All eyes are on you now so make sure you don't screw up! Keep your eyes on the road and run in a straight line and don't get distracted by people cheering! Ahh..proud moment for the parents..

Well that was the highlights of the day, at least I got to see the Queen's Baton. I gotta get to work now, I am so very late! Later on during lunch, Terese and I went to North Melbourne for lunch and guess what?

Its the Baton Relay again! The relay made it into North Melbourne too and as we were watching, Linda Hsia Hseuh Chin was carrying it along Curzon Street...


...down Errol Street and onto Victoria Street. From there the baton goes on to other places around Melbourne and tomorrow night it will finally get to its final destination the MCG for the 2006 Commonwealth Games!

16 comments:

Alex Allied said...

hey, thanks in North Melbourne aint it? Queensberry St. You're working in Port Melbourne I heard, logistic industry?

Anonymous said...

Thanks again, mate.
Looking forward to your post on the opening ceremony & daily updates. ;)
Cherrio!

Robin Wong said...

wah lau !!!
Why are you everywhere in Melbourne?? every event must be there one????
u are more amazing than a reporter i must say !!!! keep up the good work wuching !! those reads are pretty rare and precious !!
i wanna go melbourne.. arrrrrrghhhhhhh

Wuching said...

alex allied: yes that's nth melb & i work in pt melb but i go there for lunch sometimes & no i don't work in logistic :)

siao cha bor: thank u & thankz for visiting, please come again :)

amelia: ur welcome, stay tuned

robin: i'm no reporter lah, just kay po one!

Anonymous said...

Bravo bravo this is indeed a rare event.

Anonymous said...

Kewl man...initially I wasn't really interested in the Commonwealth Games but after reading ur postings I think I'll most probably watch it on Astro. So today's the big opening day huh. U going to the stadium?

Anonymous said...

this is something I dont get to see everyday.

Good job.

Anonymous said...

nice post and great photos, mate! indeed a rare chance to see history unfold. just gotta love them new torches which never goes out. back in the old days, i bet the runners have to worry about the flame going out too.

the wonders of modern technology. ;)

Wuching said...

che-cheh: thankz heaps! :)

KNB: glad i got u interested in the games, shows i'm doing something right! as for tonight, hmm...we shall see..

yothemans.com: u & i both! thanz again! :)

killuminati: thanz for ur compliments! about the baton, its not really a torch like the one in the olympics & there's no fire either, just some green lights going up & down the baton :(

Jeremy C said...

cool. my cousins are involved in the games as well - they're volunteers to help out at different venues.

Anonymous said...

AICKS!! KNB the opening starts at 5:30pm our time...errr.. wat time am I due at your house? I sit upstairs and watch the opening ah..hehehe..

Thanks Wuching...but couldn't help thinking and snickering when I read "the Queen's Baton Relay" and was thinking to myself...hmmmm.. Passing Around the Duke of Edinburghs Baton are we? hehehehehe

Anyway..keep it up and keep on posting us great updates on the games....

Anonymous said...

Your last few postings on Melbourne have made Amelia very happy because they bring her wonderful memories but at the same time she misses the place very much. She is planning to go back there. We'll miss her if she leaves us for good. :(

Anonymous said...

I am sure Amelia will still be able to continue to entertain us and enlighten us no matter where she is in the world.. So don't be sad Amelia's fan...don't u agree Wuching..

Anonymous said...

amboi-amboi...instant reporter nampak nyer! LOL :P

this is indeed something u dont get to see everyday (except for now).

Cocka Doodle said...

Why the baton looks like pisangtanduk ah? LOL

Wuching said...

jeremy c: i admire volunteers, they do it for the love of the games & ask nothing in return, i couldn never do that!

quavadis: aiyah u! hamp sup lou kah! LOL!

amelia's fans: u can always go with her! ;)

yvy: bukan reporter lah, kay po saja!

cocka doodle: a bit boh liao hor!