About a year ago, while reading previous ETA blogs, I learned that we could join the Fuoguang University dragon boat team. This had been a dream of mine ever since doing a photo essay on dragon boating in high school, so I eagerly looked forward to May... and was not disappointed. Three days a week for three weeks we woke up at the crack of dawn to be at the Yilan river by 6am. Since most of us had no experience, our patient coach started with the basic techniques 
of rowing, gradually moving up to starting and ending sequences and games like this one, where half the boat rows against the other half to see who's stronger/ more in sync. As we developed arm muscle, we also discovered the true necessity of unity and team spirit. Aided by our coach's constant chant of 跟好！跟好！and the fantastic drumming of my erhu teacher (ex-drummer for the army's national championship team back in the day), we learned to row in unison and feel the rhythm. It's the best feeling ever when everyone's staying together and the boat really cuts through the water. The races were on May 27 and 28. Earlier Mary and I had gone to the meeting to draw our place in the bracket, and our first race was against Yilan University's chemical engineering students. Perhaps unexpectedly, we defeated them in both shallow and deep lanes. Beth was an excellent grabber.
Next we raced against a team of doctors, but couldn't keep up with their lightning speed:
The second day was much like the first. Our first opponents were once more from Yilan University, and we emerged victorious. Our second (and last) race was against Yilan City government workers, a bunch of betel-nut-chewing men whom we were ecstatic to beat in the deep lane:(photo/video credit: Bonny Chan, Beth McMahon, Peggy)
