How China does an International Swim Competition.

This weekend was the annual International Swim Competition at the beach down the road - YES the one with the very recent oil spill! Don't worry though, the oil has been cleaned up and the beach is beautiful again after the infected sand was hauled away and replaced with new sand this past summer. Also, thankfully most of the competition was held in the seawater swimming pool next to the beach that has been tested to meet swim standards :)

Our school had been asked to have a team of swimmers, as in other years, but not many people wanted to risk swimming quite yet, myself included (also, it is getting cold here and the pool is outside). So instead I joined a number of other Canadian teachers to go watch the opening ceremonies and be part of the parade of the countries.

In China things are different. And sometimes very very FUNNY! Keep in mind I've worked at a lifeguard the past 7 years in Canada. I had heard that there was an open water swimming event as part of the weekend, so when another parade of swimmers started marching (yes, real marching) past us towards the beach, I assumed that was what this was for. This was a very unique parade of athletes - mostly middle age or older and pretty much NO ONE looked like a "swimmer" (as I think of one)... lots of saggy swimsuits and granny bathingsuits plus the odd leisure floatation tube. My favourites were:

• the male swimmers with fluorescent orange floatations hanging down their backside that are AT LEAST the size of a rubgy ball - ya know, in case you need some assistance in the water
• the smiling purple grannies with matching leisure floatation tubes
• the lady in a full body wetsuit with water wings on top
• the Dr. Seuss gang with matching red swimming slippers
• the rainbow mammas that had fully matching and overwhelming rainbow swimsuits and swim caps

OH YES, and when they had all arrived at the water - and it took a while because the parade of swimmers was at least 15 min long - they all lined up in military fashion waiting to enter. Usually in an Open Water event in Canada the swimmers enter the water in waves and swim to a destination, or around a course and then back. Not so in China! :) Instead I think the point was to simply GO in the water because after the fireworks blasted, most swimmers entered the water, waved their flags around, floated on their tubes, maybe a few actually swam, and then they got out. A total of maybe 5-10 minutes in the water.

SO FUNNY!!!!! Seriously, one of my favourite moments in China thus far!!! You couldn't have paid me to go! Please check out the pictures because they tell it much better!!! (fb if they don't make it up here)

Maybe next year I'll join in ;)

Oh, and the actual pool competition was the next day - in the pool.