2012 Australian Open GP Gold: Semi-Finals to Finals matches

**pcll99** · 04-11-2012, 01:47 AM

Originally Posted by cobalt

On the contrary, I'm inclined to believe that Eastern culture per se, encourages closer and lasting family bonds, and Western culture encourages/promotes more independence and separate/distinct lives once youngsters attain a certain age, and oftentimes regardless of the conditions. Lifestyles and goals also play a part in fashioning the nature of these bonds. Overall though, the distinctions are getting more blurred than they used to be...

I am saddened to know that your personal experience has been not very happy, in this regard. But you've got yourself a much bigger, borderless, multi-cultural family now - all of us at BC!

We are family! I got my all BC with me!

**Loh** · 04-11-2012, 02:58 AM

Talking about Asian families, in Singapore we have this unique housing problem.

Land-scarced Singapore is almost totally urbanized but most families cannot stay together forever. Landed properties, especially bungalows, are in short supply and beyond the reach of many.

As a result more than 80% of residents live in HDB (Government Housing & Development Board) flats. When the children get married, chances are he will leave his parents to start a family in a HDB flat. The size of the flat will depend on the combined income of the couple.

But many couples would like to live near their parents so they try to wait to get a flat which is suitable.
So the government has been beset with many complaints and unhappiness, when young married couples could not get the wish.

The situation has eased recently when a new Minister took over and released many more HDB flats, most of which were quickly taken up. So it is fair to assume that many couples have been satisfied somewhat.

The government has gone further not too long ago to build flats that can accommodate the parents in his children's flat. In such a setup, the parents have their own room within the children's unit, separated by an internal staircase perhaps.

The children prefer to stay with their parents so that the latter can help look after the grandchildren or to supervise the maids. They still retain some form of privacy both for the parents and the children.

Just an example to illustrate how Singaporean culture is taking place as it relates to the family.

***jamesd20*** · 04-11-2012, 04:13 PM

Originally Posted by cobalt

On the contrary, I'm inclined to believe that Eastern culture per se, encourages closer and lasting family bonds, and Western culture encourages/promotes more independence and separate/distinct lives once youngsters attain a certain age, and oftentimes regardless of the conditions. Lifestyles and goals also play a part in fashioning the nature of these bonds. Overall though, the distinctions are getting more blurred than they used to be...

I am saddened to know that your personal experience has been not very happy, in this regard. But you've got yourself a much bigger, borderless, multi-cultural family now - all of us at BC!

Lol...dont ne saddened..it is not too sad.

I agree eastern culture may formstronger and more lasting bonds than many western families, however these bonds are not neccessarily geographical bonds.

**Maklike Tier** · 04-11-2012, 05:11 PM

I have a conspiracy theory about the Australian Open. I've watched quite a few of the matches this week, and as I suspected it's like 'spot the Caucasian'. This is to be expected, because the sport is very much an expat sport these days, but I wonder how many of my fellow pasty-white people couldn't get time off to go watch because it's Easter.

Don't get me wrong - I'm not even a Christian - but Easter is very much one of those holidays that are spent with family, on a camping holiday or whatever. It's just the done thing.

Now when you look at the official coverage, the whole event was a tourism publicity event!! Aside from Yonex, the other major sponsors were the state and tourism, with the only 'adverts' were for Sydney! I guess all this is fair enough to a degree, but I really do feel like I've 'taken one for the team' here. Ah well.

I guess any promotion is good promotion?

**dezeee** · 04-16-2012, 12:59 AM

Just adding my observations here from watching the final matches played, I could see certain spectators sitting at round tables having drinks and dinner served while players were battling it out a few feet away. This is something I have seen in any other televised tournament so far or am I wrong? The special guests seemed to be sitting around half the tables so as not to have their backs to the action but then at times appeared quite indifferent to the play.

**Loh** · 04-21-2012, 08:53 AM

Originally Posted by dezeee

Just adding my observations here from watching the final matches played, I could see certain spectators sitting at round tables having drinks and dinner served while players were battling it out a few feet away. This is something I have seen in any other televised tournament so far or am I wrong? The special guests seemed to be sitting around half the tables so as not to have their backs to the action but then at times appeared quite indifferent to the play.

That was what I've observed too! And I think it was not a good idea in such a relatively small hall where the party makers can be such a distraction.

I've never seen this before during an international badminton tournament. But as someone
has mentioned it was Easter, a public holiday meant to be celebrated in a unique way in Sydney?

However, during the Singapore Open, we do have a special room that overlooks the courts below, meant for officials and invited guests to have drinks and some bites and watch the matches at the same time.

**dezeee** · 04-21-2012, 08:59 PM

Thanks, Loh, for your agreeable response. In concluding, we know VIPs and sponsors need special treatment and so that was one way to do it. Maybe in hindsight, to watch world class badminton at ground level and from the longer side of the court is not the best of views. Perhaps they would have enjoyed the finals better from a higher vantage point and from one of the shorter side of the court as preferred by most TV crews. For the international badminton fans to be watching a badminton match with spectators having drinks and dinner in the immediate background just looks too out of place. A similar comment also applies to the Axiata Cup telecast with the constant running ads on 3 sides of the court while matches are played simply reduced our viewing pleasure to zero.

**Loh** · 04-24-2012, 02:18 AM

Originally Posted by dezeee

Thanks, Loh, for your agreeable response. In concluding, we know VIPs and sponsors need special treatment and so that was one way to do it. Maybe in hindsight, to watch world class badminton at ground level and from the longer side of the court is not the best of views. Perhaps they would have enjoyed the finals better from a higher vantage point and from one of the shorter side of the court as preferred by most TV crews. For the international badminton fans to be watching a badminton match with spectators having drinks and dinner in the immediate background just looks too out of place. A similar comment also applies to the Axiata Cup telecast with the constant running ads on 3 sides of the court while matches are played simply reduced our viewing pleasure to zero.

In the first place, I don't think that venue is the most appropriate for an international badminton tournament.

It is small and narrow and hardly any more room to accommodate more fans and spectators.

From my TV, I could see distracting bright spots emanating from outside and no thick curtains were installed to shield the light.

The hall is noisy, made worse by screaming infants, and the floorboards were making noises which were amplified loudly to TV viewers.