My Navy Dragon Ladies...Front Page!

I do love being a free-lance writer about being able to write about the things I care about while I am here in Okinawa, and since my latest passion is paddling while training for the Naha Harii Dragon Boat race that is coming up in 2 weeks, why not take advantage and write about it.

I just got this weeks edition of the Okinawa Stripes Newspaper and saw my article front page again. You can read it Here

I must add though, my frustration and disappointment as my articles seemed to get butchered quite a bit once I give it to my editor...they mess with my stuff so much, that I don't quite feel like it's my work anymore...it gets me so mad that after they edit my articles, it's dummied down as if a eighth-grader wrote it....and it never flows the way I had it. I'm just mad right now, and no one can know what I mean, I guess unless I post my original article....which I think I will do just that. After reading the Oki article, and if you care, feel free to read the way I wrote it in the beginning and tell me what you think....I'm curious to know if I'm just super-sensitive about it, or if you think there is a difference in quality:

Navy Hoping to Deliver Another Win
By Melissa Petrini

Each year, several thousands of people gather to celebrate the Japanese holiday called Golden Week in Naha for the Naha Haarii Festival to celebrate the start of fishing season. It is a three-day event complete with local food, music, entertainment, games and the main draw of the crowds come to see local Okinawan and American teams compete in the annual dragon boat races that dates back several hundred years.

This year will be no exception, especially as many men and women military teams participate in what seems to be a spectacular event that comes with a long standing rivalry between teams as they fight, (or paddle), to take home this years’ title.
Last year, both Navy Men and Women teams took home the trophy, along with a four-year streak for the women’s team. With a target on the Navy Women’s’ back, they must pull out all the stops to retain that winning streak.

Amy Krieg, head coach for the Navy Women’s team, won’t reveal her secret techniques that have helped the women pull ahead of the other teams, but admits that success in paddling “comes from the challenge of synchrony, rhythm…and finding the perfect blend of harmony immersed with power and strength.”

This year, Coach Krieg, along with her Assistant Coach RuthAnne Nixon and Team Captain, Donna Aponte, were faced with a new challenge when recruiting for the team. “We had a huge turnout for the first practice.” says Krieg, With only 32 spots on the boat, and over 90 people interested in those spots, “…this year's huge turnout consisted of very strong women who took to paddling quickly and never gave up.” This made for difficult cuts to create the strongest team.

Besides the early morning practices 3 days a week, strenuous and challenging work-outs while paddling in frigid ocean water, it takes a motivated person to keep going and keep paddling.

Rachel Broom, a member of this years’ team says, “What motivates me to get up early and practice paddling is having the opportunity to be on a team of strong, hard working, self disciplined women. I also LOVE the workout!”

Although all the military teams have their sights on the gold, Coach Krieg sums up her goals for this years’ team, “I hope for enthusiasm, pride, drive and gritty fierce determination; and I hope for a performance we can all be proud of.”

The 36th Annual Naha Haarii Festival kicks off May 3-5, 2010, beginning at 11am every day and ending at 9pm with fireworks. Admission is free.

To Get there:
From Kadena Air Base, Camp Foster or Camp Kinser, take Highway 58 south toward Naha.
Continue to the Tomari Intersection, which is marked by an English and Japanese sign.
Turn right and continue along that road to the T-intersection. Turn right again.
You should soon see the festival site on your left.


Is anyone else see what I see or is it just me?