I got my tickets for the Perth show!

Due to stupidity, and the fact that Cliff and the Shads were almost confirmed for Singapore, Beti and I decided not to book tickets for Melbourne, Adelaide and Brisbane because we could not get front block seats. Why spend all that money on flights and hotels when we were to sit so far back.

It all started the morning of 7 August when Visa bookings opened on Ticketek Australia. I was out buying Udang Galah (sigh) and Susmita opened an account for me but seats were not fantastic. I returned home at noon to find that the seating plans for the venues were not up. How the hell to know where our seats were? They were going at A$139 each. Seeing that JP Entertainment in Singapore were almost close to signing the show in March, we decided to just stick to Asia. Big Mistake.

Jimmy of JP Entertainment contacted us last week to say that Cliff and the Shads will not be performing in Singapore due to some contractual issues; one being the Shads had a different agent. He is trying to get Cliff down alone. Gill Snow, Cliff's secretary, confirmed that the Asian shows are off and it's not due to the CR organisation. I do so want to see him perform with the Shads - which I have never seen before - as he will definitely do his old songs. I'll slide off my seat if he does "The Minute You're Gone", I swear.

So - we tried Ticketek and there were only single seats available, though sometimes in the same row, but right up in the tiered seats, at the top, side of the stage. Not good enough.
E-Bay it was then for just Perth - only 1 pair of tickets was available for Melbourne and there are 14 bids already. There were none for Adelaide. Back to our bidding and what a thrilling ride that was. Susmita is a member and we tried bidding for front block seats Row 5 - the bids started at $399. About 2 minutes before the bidding ended, she went in with $400. We watched as the countdown began. No other bids. Heart beating. And just 5 seconds before the end, someone went in with $405. But before she could enter the next bid - boom; it ended. Damn!! Not good for the blood pressure I tell you, watching the bidding.

They still have Row 1 seats, Side Block, starting bid A$400. Right now there are zero bids, and 3 days to go. I will watch this one because it's going to be a hard fight, Row 1 tickets. Timing is of the essence. So we decided to make an offer for 2 other seats in Row 7 of Front/Centre block. Seller wanted $650 for 2 seats; No bidding. Sus was not allowed to make an offer as Seller wanted only Australian members. So big brother was called upon. His 3 offers of 420, 440 and 460 were rejected and surprise - he was not allowed to make any more offers. Sus then asked Seller if he would open it up to her; while waiting for his reply, Cliff asked Jas' cousin Kelvin to bid high at 540, 580 then 600. Meanwhile, Seller agreed that Sus could make an offer, so we did that and got it at A$602. All this in the space of 10 minutes.

The joke was when Kelvin in Perth tried to offer $600, he got the message that the winning offer was $602 and he had to pass that sad message to Clifford.

A$602 before conversion - That's for not booking when we could; but when it comes to Cliffy, Beti and I will spend. So - we are off to Perth in February to watch our idol perform, albeit for 1 night only. B&B services fortunately come complimentary, thanks, Jas and Cliff!

Thanks to Susmita for helping with the thrilling action, and to Swana for doing the PayPal payment. Thanks also to Clifford and Kelvin. Now hopefully the tickets arrive at Clifford's place.......

I am indeed leaving...

A conversation with old friend Peter Knipp made the knowledge that I am indeed really leaving, really sink in. He exclaimed that this is very sad news, for the show, for the Chefs, for the industry, for SES. He said that an era has come to an end, and that there will be holes that no one else can fill. My dear friend Otto Weibel, with whom I have also run the show with since 1989, had no words for a second, when I told him the news. then he said, "Don't kill me". It's hard to part with people like this, who have been part of a show that was a big part of my working stint here. The best part of my run with SES is working with my chefs. I shall certainly miss them. As far as possible, I will be at FCC 2010 in April, partaking of the National Team lunch(es), as a guest. Wouldn't that be nice.

Oklahoma, Here We Come!

I'm getting used to the idea of leaving and have been busy throwing out old stuff in the office, waiting for handover to be done as my colleague is busy with her own show.

I have to attend Orientation in Tulsa at the end of October. I hope my back and foot behave. It's exciting because I want to catch George Strait or any other similar country artist, either in Texas of Nashville. Turns out my new boss is also a George Strait fan - what are the odds? - and is checking out concerts for me. George's website does not list any tours in October but I will take whatever country I can get. Maybe Randy Travis, or Alan Jackson. Tulsa has country shows so we need not travel out. We might even meet the Okie from Muscogee.

I hope this new venture - without the painful HR and Admin duties I currently have - will allow me, working from home, to spend more time with my family and to smell the roses.

It seems quite unreal

After 25 years and 2 months of service with Singapore Exhibition Services, I am moving on to a new adventure.

It hasn't quite sunk in.