The other day i talked with Ng Wei (#2 singles player from HK) he said hes leaving for singapore a bit early because he has to play doubles with Johan Hadikasuma in order to get the feel for the match hall. Usually during big opens, the stadium is available for practice the day before the main draw matches start, except for singapore i guess. It is interesting to know how teams prepare to for such big tournaments. That day Ng Wei headed off for some long distance running outside to prepare himself for the blistering heat in Singapore and Indonesia.
So you like Satay Kwun. If ever you are in Msia visit a town called Kajang outside Kl for some really famoua satay. Seems friends staying in Beijing say there is a similar item sold by Muslims on roadsides at night in Beijing. I think they all originate as skewered barbequed meat from Muslim countries just like Kebeb.
After the Satay, go try to visit somebody in 'Country Heights'. I saw one place with a rock formation at the end of their swimming pool. As a joke, I said, 'Oh, is that a waterfall?' The reply was, 'how did you guess?'...............
Country Heights, yes like Beverley Hills. Must be hundreds of places like that in Hong Kong and China nowadays.The artificial stone is some kind of Feng shui thing. Country heigts also boasts of a fantastic racquet club with fantastic facilities for racquet sports. but available only to the rich and famous. Incidently so many of you are griping about the low profile of badminton but it is much worse for squash in Msia. In early 80's squash was in , hundreds of squash centres were opened in Kl but nowadays they are all abandoned. Some times you walk into a sports centre and see the badminton courts fully occupied but squash courts unused. coverage for squash is nil in msia although Msia produced the recent boys and girls world junior champions.
one of these days, when i suddenly got really rich, either by earning, lottery, robbing the bank, gambling in the casino, etc, i will take one year off and then go off and visit every major badminton tournament there is. and then while i am there, visit all these cool places and eat all the good food. but for now, i am just slaving along at work.
2 POSSIBILITIES: 1. you'll be too fat to play any badminton 2. you'll be so good that you'll partner tony gunawan! hehehe