ASEAN Games 2013 Day 1

Blog entry for the 28th of September 2013, Saturday

Events of the day:

• My elder brother makes a huge step in his journey into the corporate world. His move to Hong Kong will be an exciting and a nerve-wrecking one. This one of the steps God has provided for him on this journey to a life lived in fulfillment. 
• Traveled with Adeline Ooi (Ady) to the ASEAN Games 2013 held at the Melbourne Sports and Aquatic Centre (MSAC). I continue to have so many memories there. I volunteered for Photography, while Ady volunteered for First Aid at the Badminton Courts. It was good fun while it lasted. Thanks so much to Michelle who lent her camera to me. Only for us to discover after much testing, that her camera is semi-suited for sports photography. Oh well! Apparently it's more for portraiture. It is a Canon Powershot GS12. 
• My energy levels were more or less drained by the time it reached 3pm. I have no idea how my friend Mun Yeu who I first met as badminton volunteer in the Malaysian Games this year, could still run around as director of logistics of ASEAN. Plain amazing to me. 
• At about 5:10pm, I followed Michelle (Med) along with her friends Ryan (Med), Aaron (Med) Jackson (Engineering/ )  and Gary (Architecture) to look for a place to have dinner. In first riding the tram to go to Melbourne Central, we somehow ended up walking along the whole stretch of Petaling Street. Turning left at the end, we walked past Marriot hotel, which I distinctly heard Ryan go, "Is it JW Marriot?"; where the others replied, "I think it is." I mentioned how the place familiar because "I got lost here before." I think it was for Amazing Race when I got separated from Tim. I think God conveyed a message to me at this point when I retrospectively looked at the incident in the shower. Passing the place and recognizing it, I realized later is the exact place I have to go for the 2nd of October, Wednesday ASEAN Business Challenge and for the event itself on the Friday. God was giving me an opportunity and prior knowledge to not get lost when I am to look for the place when the time comes. 
• Dinner was at Ga Mi, a Korean restaurant famous for it's chicken. Making our order on the based on Gary's recommendations, we gladly ordered two half/half chickens (soy sauce, spicy, sweet chilli 2x). It tasted pretty good along with a bowl of rice order for each of us. I sat in between Michelle and Ryan. I was quiet and drowsy due to the low lighting in the restaurant. What surprised us about the place, I think the others would share my sentiments, is how they only serve alcoholic beverages such as soju and cold water. No hot or lukewarm water. Incredible. It made me think, 'Do people actually like the place or are they usually too drunk to tell if the food was good or not?' 
• I learnt giblets=internal stuff. 
• Aaron lives relatively close to Melbourne Central in the city; and as Gary lived elsewhere. Michelle, Ryan, Jackson and I split off to catch public transport back to Clayton Campus. 
• Returning home, I discovered the initial time you wear the black ASEAN hoodie and if you move your arms into it, you can totally tell it's lower quality as a Made in China product. :( Unfortunate but that is just how it is.