A Grand Slam on the Day We All Age a Year

Parade in Chinatown

In Asia, Chinese New Year is celebrated over a period of fifteen days, with the first day being the most important. The seventh day is traditionally regarded as the birthday of all mankind; in other words, it marks the day when everyone turns a year older.

Near Crown Casino

This past Sunday, there were several lion dances and a parade in Chinatown and around the city centre. I met some friends in town and we walked to Little Bourke Street, which is where Chinatown is, to secure a spot to watch the festivities. After that, we made our way over to Crown Casino, which is the largest casino complex in the Southern Hemisphere. In honour of the the continued celebration of Chinese New Year, there were many food stalls lined up and down the pathway in front of the casino. With all the delicious options of food inside and out of the venue, it made it difficult to choose something for lunch. In the end, we found ourselves inside because it was ridiculously hot again this past weekend.

Semi-finals in Federation Square

Although I'm not exactly a sports fanatic, there are a few that I do enjoy watching, including soccer, hockey, and tennis. After church, I met my friend Albert at Melbourne Park to watch the Men's Singles Finals on the big screen at the Australian Open, which is one of the four major tennis tournaments, or Grand Slams. Although it would have been more cost effective to just watch it on the big screen in Federation Square, with the Rod Laver Park just behind us, it was worth the expense to get to experience the atmosphere.
 

At the Australian Open

Not that I'm familiar with many of the players, but I wish I had bought a ticket toward the beginning of the tournament when they were more affordable so I could have seen some of the games in person. Years ago, my dad, who's a huge fan of tennis, took my brothers and me to the U.S. Open. Although I don't recall much from the specific games, I do remember that we had a lot of fun and it was exciting to see them play right before my eyes.

Albert and I didn't attempt to stay at Melbourne Park for the entire game because we figured it would go on for several hours and we had had a long, tiring day in the sun. In the end, it lasted almost six hours, setting a new record for the longest Grand Slam singles final in the history of professional tennis.