Links Between Generations and Cultures

I recently had an experience that combined the Chinese Culture (dragon boating), the Japanese Culture (I was on a Japanese team) and the American Culture (me!).  Historically, there has been friction between some of these cultures.  The sport and the team work of dragon boating put all that aside.  It is a beautiful thing.
Dragon boat racing originated in China and represents a significant part of Chinese sports history. These traditional races are held in honor of Qu Yuan, a famous Chinese poet who died in 278 BC by committing suicide in the Miluo River. According to the story, the villagers used drums and paddles to scare the evil spirits away from his body. Today, dragon boat races are organized annually and have become very popular as sporting events. Similar to a very large canoe, dragon boats usually hold 20 paddlers who’s movements are dictated by a large drum at the front of the boat. In Shanghai, there is an annual dragon boat race that takes place in May or June, on ‘the fifth day of the fifth Chinese lunar month,’ and it is held on the Suzhou River with teams from all over China.
I have been on the Shang Long dragon boat team since 2001.  It is a multicultural experience every weekend.  The United Nations should take some tips from our team.  There is never a negative word, we often have 11 or 12 nationalities on a single boat with an age span from late teens to a few of us Baby Boomers that are just not ready to hang up our paddles.  We participate in local dragon boat races and also international races through out China.
The Chinese Dragon Boat Association subsidizes these events and the Chinese really know how to host a dragon boat festival.  I have had the priviledge to paddle through out China and it is all due to the support of this Association.
These kinds of experiences are available to you and to your student through international studies.  The synchrinocity and the team work involved in dragon boat racing, changes your perception and your opinion of cultures different from you.  You do not get this in the class room.  You get it from the beat of the drum and the cheer of the crowd and sound of those paddles hitting the water at the same time!