Chinese New Year

I must tell you about one of the most amazing experiences I've had in the past couple of months: the Chinese New Year dragon boat challenge, which took place on 15th and 16th of February.

Sydney has a large Chinese population - about 6 per cent of the greater metropolitan area, and about 10 per cent in the central business district. Chinese New Year celebrations last about three weeks, and one of the highlights is the dragon boat race on Darling Harbour. One of the competing clubs is Dragons Abreast Sydney - my club. The day after this race, there is a second day of racing, which includes the Dragons Abreast Challenge and the Doctors' Challenge.

After the conclusion of the Dragons Abreast Challenge (which my team won in all categories!!) there is an amazing event, called the Flower Ceremony, to commemorate the men and women who died of breast cancer. There is a minute silence, then the names of those who died the previous year - probably in the Sydney area, but I am not sure of that - are read out. The ceremony concludes with the dragon boaters throwing rose petals on the water.

In addition to being highly emotional, the Flower Ceremony is also a visual feast. It begins with the dragon boats lining up, side by side. The drummers link arms to keep the boats aligned as they move as one block towards the centre of the harbour. There, they slowly turn 180 degress to face the city. The paddlers wear mostly pink, so you have this incredible patch of pink in the middle of the dark water. The rose petals are also pink. It's a pink moment.

I goofed all the way and almost missed the action. I was told that unfortunately there were not enough boats for all of us, but I can participate in the ceremony on shore. I had been paired with one of the old timers and was not lose sight of her for dear life. Well, of course I did!

I went mad with my almost new digital SLR camera and clicked over 100 pictures, before I realised that, not only didn't I see my 'pair', but I had no idea where I should go. In the end, I did find the group on shore and did get a handful of petals and fell apart thinking of our Susan and Eva, who died of breast cancer 21 and 18 years ago, respectively. And all I could think of how awful it was that they didn't have this strong support that is available for us.

It was also quite sobering to think that, should I end up dying of breast cancer (G-d forbid!) then I will be remembered in such a public way. I don't know whether it was comforting, but it was very confronting facing my mortality in such a concrete way.

The nicest part of it all was, when I was told that everyone was looking for me, because they made arrangements for one of the old time racers to give up her seat, so I could experience the event from a boat. Such consideration seems endemic in the team.

During the afternoon there was the Doctors' Challenge, in which medical personnel from area hospitals - i.e. our doctors and carers - chased each other through the water. My hospital came last. Probably because my surgeon and oncologist did not participate (they did in the past). The Professor was busy exploring Antarctica! So, he missed the second most amazing part of the day, the honour guard. As the medics get off the boat, Dragons Abreast members form an honour arch with their paddles to thank them for their care in the past.

Oh, before I sign off, yes I did do one race on Saturday. It was amazing. With my eyes glued to the stroke, I didn't hear anything except the sound of the drum and the sweep's call. It was only 200 meters, but by the end I really wanted to pull my paddle in (which is allowed!). But I didn't. As I left the boat, I was wrecked with the most profound crying when I realised that I'd done it. It was almost exactly one year to the day that I had my last chemo and could hardly put one foot before the other. After the race, the team leader told the group why I was crying and they responded by a resounding cheer: Hip, hip hooray!

I second that. It's a miracle after my anno horribilis.