ASEAN Para Games Kuala Lumpur 2017

I was thirteen when Malaysia hosted the 1998 Commonwealth Games. It was such a big deal then and I was swept away by the excitement. I so wanted to be one of the volunteers but was underage then.

When Malaysia hosted the 29th SEA Games, I thought that it was the perfect opportunity to finally realise my childhood dream. Unfortunately, I didn't receive a callback but for the 9th ASEAN Para Games ―held two weeks after the SEA Games― the stars finally aligned. I was accepted to be one of the liaison officers, in charged of assisting one of the chief classifiers.

What's a chief classifier?

Since Para Games encompass multiple categories that denote different disabilities, classifiers are technical officers tasked with assessing and assigning the athletes to the correct categories (i.e. visual / intellectual / physical impairment). 

My principal (the person I was assigned to) was the chief classifier (CC) for Para Archery. The classification process was conducted prior to the Games, so I was granted two weeks of unrecorded leave. (For more info on the classification process, read this.)

What does a Liaison Officer (LO) do?

Unlike the Wau volunteers with their orange shirts, the LO team wore white. We were supposed to shadow our principals and assist them in any way we can. This assistance can vary from arranging their transport, to clarifying matters with the secretariat, to suggesting good places to get local food, and to becoming impromptu tour guides.

It goes without saying that having good communication skills and a competent command of English is very important. And when certain requests cannot be fulfilled, LOs must know how to say so diplomatically. Most importantly, LOs must be unfailingly polite, even though they're tired or sleepy or  hungry or bored or a combination of these things. (Thus I highly recommend my students to try this in the future, as to develop their soft skills and broaden their experiences.)

Jalan-jalan cari makan

An essential element of showcasing Malaysian Hospitality is feeding your guests with delectable local cuisine. Thus, throughout the Games, we ate out everyday and feasted on Nasi Beryani, Ikan Bakar, Cempedak Goreng, Satay Kajang, Cendol, Nasi Ayam, Naan Cheese, Ayam Tandoori, Ais Krim Durian, etc.

We also went sightseeing to Genting Highlands, Putrajaya and The Royal Museum and did the usual touristy stuff like riding the cable car, shopping, and taking lots of photos. 

What did I make of the experience?

By the end of the first week, I had missed school already *gasp*. I was lucky to have had very nice people to work for and with but I missed my students. I missed driving my car while listening to podcasts. I missed driving, period. It was tiring to ride the LRT/MRT during peak hours when the coaches were packed to the brim.  

We were driven around in this sweet ride, but I missed driving my own car.

But most of all, I missed school because this job, interesting as it was due to its novelty, lacked meaning. In 'Outliers', Malcolm Gladwell had this to say about meaningful work:

"...three things―autonomy, complexity, and a connection between effort and reward―are the three qualities that work has to have if it is to be satisfying. It is not how much money we make that ultimately make us happy... It's whether our work fulfills us. If I offered you a choice between being an architect for $75,000 a year and working in a tollbooth every day for the rest of your life for $100,000 a year, which one would you take? I'm guessing the former because there is complexity, autonomy and a relationship between effort and reward in doing creative work, and that's worth more to us than money."

Would I ever do it again? Maybe. When I signed up I wanted to: 1. broaden my experiences, 2. make new acquaintances, and 3. be of service to my country. I think I've achieved all three and repeating them doesn't sound so bad. However, I've scratched that 1998 itch so even if I don't get to do something similar in the future, I'm okay with that too.