Bob's been around

I had the good fortune – or misfortune – to have guys from “Bob” sit in front and behind me on the bus to the MPC today.

Bob is short for Beijing Olympic Broadcasting. They helped set up the TV production at every Olympic venue for all the broadcasters across the world.

I read there are 4,000 Bobbies here. The two I encountered were a piece of work.

They paid me no attention as they regaled each other with tales of their saucy exploits. Both had Australian accents, but one in lived in Brunei.

The Brunei bounder said this was the best assignment he had ever had – and no wonder. He was part of a “back-up crew” for some sound systems. He boasted that he had not worked for the first 11 days here, and now he was only toiling 30 minutes in the morning to check some system at the Bird’s Nest, then 30 minutes in the evening to double-check the same system.

I didn’t know whether to punch him or ask him for a job application.

Turns out that he’s a freelancer, who takes gigs all over the world. He had turned down a two-week job involving cricket in Pakistan, but was hoping to get back to Bali where he would be working just five hours a day while staying in a five-star resort.

Life isn’t all wine and roses for him, though. His marriage is on the rocks, and he seemed to be suffering from a case of the sniffles. It seems that he and his back-up crew had endured a grueling round of vodka-fueled karaoke last night. Oh, and he has been spending a lot of time here with a former Chinese gymnast-turned-lawyer that he says is “the most interesting woman I’ve ever met.”

Judging from this conversation, he’s met quite a few.