On-site atmosphere

The feeling onsite, when you neglect the oppressive heat, is really supportive and positive. The Canadian teams are all along the same row, and when one goes off to race, the other teams clap and cheer them off. This even happens by teams that are in the same category (like us and the Montreal women and 3R).

The podium area features cheesy speeches from local dignitaries, and yesterday they blew confetti for the launch of a dragon boat "coffee table book". A press photographer took pictures of a group of us "reading" the coffee table book, but I didn't see the picture in the paper we get in the morning.

The race announcer is an Aussie who sounds like he used to call horse races. It's nice though, cause he makes it pretty exciting and manages to get a lot of words in.

We are entranced by the Iranian women, who paddle in cool max hijabs and all in white from head to toe. They are staying in our hotel, and yesterday Aaron was riding in the elevators with two of them, when one turned to him, leaned in, and said 'you are beautiful'. Fiona was in the elevator with him, so he couldn't keep the incident under wraps and we are all calling him beautiful.