27th SEA Games 2013: Nay Pyi Taw, Myanmar

Mingalabar!
That's a greeting in burmese.
On the 16th of December, me and some of my friends embarked on a trip that really turned my expectations upside down. (I had expected that it was some normal overseas trip just that I had to shout everyday)

Day 1
7am: Entered the immigration and parted with parents. Needless to say I was going to miss them a lot.
7.55am: Boarded the plane!
10/11am: Touched down in Yangon International Airport! The cool breeze is blowing~
About 12pm or so: Boarded the car and started the 5 hour trip to Nay Pyi Taw (oh my god)
Hours later (became so tired that time was not kept track of eventually): Reached The Thingaha (our hotel). FINALLY! Checked in to the hotel and took a buggy to our rooms.

At the hotel!

Evening: Went to Wunna Theikdi Aquatics Centre to catch the national swimmers in action YAY! Managed to get 1 to 1 photos with Tao Li and Joseph Schooling too :> Not to forget, congratulations to all swimmers who got medals and it's okay for those who didn't cos you guys did your best!

Day 2 (timings now changed to Myanmar time which is 1.5 hrs behind SG time)

7.30am: I got married during breakfast! Don't ask me how hahahahahahah

8+am: Went to Wunna Theikdi Indoor Stadium to watch an exciting match of table tennis woohoo! Made friends with a group of Thai supporters. Really like their spirit because despite the Burmese jeering them, they continued cheering for their own country! Later when we couldn't take it anymore we helped cheer on Thailand too heheh but didn't matter since the Thais weren't playing against us! The Thais were really nice because after the Thais matches had ended and one of Singapore's hadn't, the helped us to cheer on Team Singapore :) The Burmese also helped to cheer for us after their own match had ended. Thank you!

Afternoon: Went to the stadium to catch the athletics team in action! Managed to catch Shanti Pereira as well as Dipna Lim Prasad in their own events and CONGRATS DIPNA who clinched a bronze! Also good job to Shanti cos you did your best!

Photo with Dipna!

Day 3

8+am: Went to catch the action packed Taekwondo match at Wunna Theikdi Indoor Stadium! Really cool since it was my first time watching. Poomsae basically reminded me of wushu routines and it was really nice to watch other countries perform their own poomsae! Congratulations to Chelsea Ann Sim who clinched a medal in the Women's Individual Poomsae event :) 

Early afternoon: Managed to watch diving LIVE for the first time in my life! It was pretty disappointing and heartbreaking because though Singapore had a chance for a medal at the start, we eventually lost it to other countries and really sad to see our own diver break down after she dived. Definitely still proud of them because they tried their best yay. 

Late afternoon: Caught Shanti Pereira's finals! She missed out by the bronze medal by only a whisker but it's okay! She really did her best :)
Night: Went to the Pagoda Temple! Very blinding at night cos it was really bright but it was definitely pretty. Found out more about the Burmese culture and I wore a.. Um I guess I shall just call it a scarf but it's like a sarong okay whatever I wore a scarf around my waist into the temple. A new experience, but not too well because I almost fell quite a few times. I need to get used to that... And better make sure I watch my step if I get to go there again.

Day 4

Morning: Table tennis again! This time we are up against the Thais, a really tough match. Team Singapore eventually managed to pull it off and we emerged as champions! After that proceeded to catch a match of Sepak Takraw (we were already losing against Cambodia). We cheered for the players loudly and they won the last match of 3 matches! The players acknowledged us for cheering. This does happen every now and then, but we were all really happy.

With our table tennis team! Oh the quality but nvm

Afternoon: Diving again! Super proud of Mark Lee who clinched a medal because it's the first diving medal in 28 years! The parents of the divers also thanked us for cheering for the previous divings :) 

Night: The long awaited soccer match which I expected to lose my voice BUT NOOO. The match was horribly tough against the Thais (again)! Thailand eventually won because they scored a penalty point. It was again heartbreaking to see our national players really sad but we were thankful because they acknowledged us :D The group of Thai supporters later came over to say that "you win in table tennis, we win in soccer! Fair!" We exchanged our collar pins with them (theirs is really pretty) and took pictures with them! I guess this is what defines true sportsmanship and friendship :)

YEAH!

Day 5

Morning: It's time to start another 5 hour bumpy trip to Yangon International Airport.

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Night: Touched down in Changi International Airport. Welcomed back by a crazy bunch of people who were holding up posters that had our faces on it and written DEAD OR ALIVE. Made a din at the airport, but we had fun. Thanks a lot guys! 

I can only sum this whole trip up with one word: SUPERB. I had a great time with everyone, enjoyed the matches, the weather, the food, almost everything (except nosebleeding). If I could, I'd definitely want to go back to day 1 and start all over again.

Take me back.