Good practice on Sunday, as we practiced starts and turns.
We have a wonderful group of people.  They commented on our last social outing to see the Vancouver Symphony at Deer Lake, they are thinking of which races they want to enter next year, and they each tell me, that if we can stick together next year, we should  really improve.

I keep saying this is the BEST Gung Haggis Fat Choy dragon boat team we've ever had.  We haven't won a medal yet... but we have raced in medal finals for Alcan Dragon Boat Festival and the Fraser Valley DBF.  It's great to have a dragon boat team where people are friendly towards each other, and don't place their personal egos above the needs of the team.  I say this in comparision to other teams I have known and raced with.  But all teams are built differently, and serve different purposes.  Some serve as stepping stones to competing at higher performance levels, some serve as singles meeting places, Gung Haggis Fat Choy serves as an expression of multiculturalism in action!

Issues of race and culture often creep into our social and practice conversations.  Last week we talked about the upcoming Taiwanese Dragon Boat Race, and how it helps to affirm a separate culture for the Taiwanese government and people, as they are entrenched in a One China debate constantly with the People's Republic of China.  We discussed this openly with one of our paddlers born in Northern China, while never visited Taiwan, he firmly believes that the two countries should be united. 

No nasty arguements between people - just expressions of beliefs, and agreements to disagree.  Imagine if the world's polital powers actually worked this way.  Imagine if we could put all the politicians in dragon boats.  Omigod!  They would have to learn to work as a team!  And NOT just for personal glory and medals...  

Some of us are also paddling on another team going to race in San Francisco.  We have commented on the different paddling styles on different teams, and the need to blend in with each team's style - otherwise philosophical clashes will occur.  Gee, just like real life ideological wars.  Which style works best?  I always think the style should suit the team's strengths and weaknesses, instead of trying to make the team fit the style.  Sort of like psychotherapy.... build the methods around the individual's belief structures, instead of interpreting the belief strucutures to the psychological theories.

We practice on Sundays at 1:30pm to 3:30pm and Wednesdays from 6 to 7:45pm at 215 West 1st Ave.

more later....