*dimsumdolly* - the different morsels of the life of a foodie

The Land of Oz

Yes, I'm putting on my red shoes, putting on a blue and white dress and going to be with my my friends the Lion, the Tin man and the Scarecrow in the Land of Oz!

OK OK, the truth it's not that magical and I'm not going to meet any wizards or wicked witches, but the magic is going to lie in the beaches and waters of Gold Coast and Sydney!

My teammates and I are going to Gold Coast for an outrigger canoe race which will take place this Saturday. There will be a men's and a women's team. This 42km race is going to be a change race, meaning we will be changing paddlers in and out of the canoe. The men's team will have 9 paddlers while the women will have 10. At any one time there be 6 paddlers in the canoe. The remaining will be on the support boat (this will be a small yacht) waiting for their turn to get into the canoe.

So when you're supposed to go into the canoe next, you're going to be dropped off into the sea by the support boat some distance away from the canoe. Normally about 2-3 paddlers will change out at one time. So you have to tread water for awhile and wait for the canoe to come to you. When the canoe comes, you grab on to the side of it and get into the canoe as fast as possible while the one that was in your seat before would have just jumped out a few seconds ago. The moment you get in you start paddling while the one that just jumped out waits for the support boat to come and get them.

Ooh, I'm so excited just thinking about it. Eight out of the 10 women in the team are taking part in an outrigger canoe race for the first time so it's a mixture of excitement and nerves that all of us are feeling. I fly to Brisbane tonight and will arrive Friday morning. We'll then be taking a bus to Surfer's Paradise where we'll be staying.

After the race, five other teammates and I will be going on a road trip for a few days. It'll be an all-girl affair! Woohoo! It's beginning to sound like one of those Hollywood movies you know. Have some hot men waiting for us, please (think Brad Pitt in Thelma and Louise). Heehee.

After the road trip, I'll be making my way to Sydney for the second part of my trip while my teammates will be heading back to Singapore. I haven't been back to Sydney since June 2004 and I'm really looking forward to visiting the city again and seeing all my friends. And of course, I hope to chomp on some good food while in Aust. I've already got a dimsum lunch lined up on 19 March with some pals!

Oooh, I can't wait!!!!!!!!

Posted by DSD at March 8, 2007 8:18 AM