SUMMER BREAK!

Summer break is here! That means that the rackets are out, planes are flying and the possibility of attending international badminton tournaments is FINALLY HERE!

For the next few posts I'll put some information on different places in the world where you might be vacationing this summer, and I'll hopefully find some places where you can cure your badminton addiction abroad.

I actually spent my summer in Taiwan last year and ended my long vacation with a BANG with VIP seats at the Yonex Chinese Taipei Open 2010. So. So worth it.  At the time, the VIP tickets for all 3 days were only 500NT (around $15 USD).

Here was the ticket-- lines at the actual gymnasium weren't too long at the time, and I went on the first day--so don't worry too much. Seating was bothersome, though--the VIP section is fairly large, so you'll still want to get there early to get a good seat.

You'll also get a goodie bag -- filled with lovely pamphlets of advertisements. Haha. That, and a bottle of water and inflatable clappers!!!

Overview of the courts. The first days weren't too exciting-- they were for me, since I was never able to see my favorite players in person--but the games weren't too important.  

THIS year, the Taipei Open is September 6, 2011- September 11, 2011. It'll be held at the same place: HsinChuang Stadium--on the outskirts of Taipei. 

No.66, Hesing St
Taipei County 242,Taiwan
Sinjhuang City
Chinese Taipei

There are MANY buses that can take you to the stadium, but you'll have to keep a close look out to make sure you're getting off at the right stop. Don't try to take the MRT/Subway-- it doesn't go this far. I actually got lost last year and had to duck into a 7-Eleven to call a taxi... and when I told him where I was going, he laughed and asked "How did you get so far away?!"......

TIPS FOR THOSE OF YOU GOING:

 - Get there early on the last two days to get good seats.

-  If you don't have a 'journalist' vip card, you don't have access to say hi to the players unless you wait in line when they're signing. 

- ^ Because of the above tip, try going around to the local small stores around the stadium. Rumor has it that many people have 'run into' the celebrity badminton players who ran out to get a drink and explore Taiwan a little. 

(** Side story--my favorite mixed player is Vita Marissa...she won mixed last year, and was high on adrenaline and decided to sign autographs, even though she hadn't planned to. I got really excited and waited in line for an hour...and was LITERALLY TWO PEOPLE AWAY when she stopped signing. Story...of my life. Anyone want to send me a Vita Marissa-autographed souvenir?)

- IF YOU WANT TO BUY A RACKET...DON'T be afraid to ask. I bought a Yonex Arbsaber 8DX, and they offered free stringing with BG65. After bargaining for a bit, they gave me BG80 (if I remember correctly) and they promised to finish it at a faster time. :) It's also strung by the Yonex 'International Stringing Team' member, who strings the professional players rackets. Great stuff!

- BRING A CAMERA WITH GOOD ZOOM! This should be pretty obvious...but also make sure you have a good amount of space if you want to get candid photos. I couldn't recognize a lot of the players when they were walking around the bleachers, so I just zoomed in and clicked away...

Lilyana Natsir when I didn't know that she was Lilyana Natsir....

ALSO-- EXPLORE the corners of the stadium!  I went to walk around the stadium and after walking for about 5 minutes in empty space, I found this: 

Testing Yonex rackets! The workers here were really bored --it's all about location, I'm not sure why they put this in such a hard-to-find corner! But you can test out the rackets on a mat and just have fun to cure your twitching fingers after watching the games.

If you're interested in attending, you can get more information here: http://bwf.tournamentsoftware.com/sport/tournament.aspx?id=26503535-E5EE-4868-9565-813F9F1EE73D

**** OH YES~ and Taiwan is very hot in the summer. As soon as you exit the main entrance of the stadium, go down the stairs--there's a bubble tea shop right across the street. I don't remember the name, but I remember that it had one of the greatest hole-in-the-wall milk tea that I've ever had. :)




All right. So after all that Taipei Open stuff, you'll probably want to test out the skills that you've observed on the court.

There's drop-in badminton at HuaJiang High School. It's about a 10 minute walk from the main subway station. My friend and I got lost on the first day...so make sure you ask for directions-- there are a lot of other schools nearby that might throw you off.

There are 6 courts on a wooden floor. At 250NT (~$9USD) it's a little pricey, but you play for 4 hours (which is more than enough in Taiwan temperature). The people there are ridiculously friendly, and range from beginner to a young school coach who used to be internationally ranked #2 in Juniors...something along those lines. Don't be too afraid about meeting people-- they'll pair you with people they think you'll have fun with, and mix it up. I made some pretty good friends during my stay there!

They have a water cooler in the back, but make sure you BRING YOUR OWN WATER BOTTLE.

I'm not really an obsessive hydrater, but because of the weather I went through about 3 of these bottles...

By the time you get done, you'll feel as if you jumped into a pool of water, so try not to convince yourself that you'll 'just take a shower and change when you get home'. Bring an extra set of clothing. Or maybe 4.

Public transportation in Taiwan is fairly easy, but bring a map. Or a translator, if you can't speak Chinese. :)


Have fun!