In China, I was told grades were everything. Dragon boating in Canada taught me to enjoy the ride

This First Person column is written by Xin Qi, who lives in Vancouver. For more information about First Person stories, see the FAQ. This story is part of Welcome to Canada, a CBC News series about immigration told through the eyes of the people who have experienced it.

I moved from Shanghai to Canada in August 2023 to pursue a master's in computer science at Northeastern University in Vancouver. To improve my English, I signed up for conversational sessions with a tutor.  

Joseph and I met weekly. We talked about a wide range of topics, such as local communities, cultural differences and fun things to do in Vancouver. 

During one afternoon session, Joseph mentioned he was organizing a student team for a dragon boat race and he asked if I might like to participate. 

"A Northeastern University dragon boat team on our campus?" 

I was so surprised and couldn't believe Vancouver had such a thing. It's a traditional Chinese competitive sport that traces back more than 2,000 years, where people race in narrow, long boats decorated with dragon heads and tails. Joseph explained that dragon boat racing started in Vancouver as part of Expo 86 and became an international annual race. Our university team had joined the event several times. 

Even though I grew up in Hangzhou, a Chinese city famous for its water, I wouldn't have dreamed of joining the dragon boat team at the university where I did my bachelor's. It's a club mostly for countrywide and world-class competitions. Members are usually required to train hard — typically five times a week every morning starting at 6 a.m. for several hours daily in the months leading up to important competitions.  

That's why my first question to Joseph was "Do I need to pass any qualifying test on strength or show my rowing ability to join the team?" 

When he replied that the only requirements were to register, complete four training sessions and be on time on the match days, I was even more stunned. That's something I couldn't have imagined happening back home.  

China is a great country in many ways. A lot of that has to do with its focus on excellence. Since childhood, I was under great pressure from my family, peers and teachers to do well in school. 

At the entrance of the schools, the top 20 student grades and ranks were projected on a big screen. My parents were always anxious to see how I ranked. If I did not achieve high grades, they would be called into the school and they found this very upsetting. 

Neither of my parents achieved high enough grades to attend universities in China. Instead, they directly went to work after they graduated from high school. They told me they felt that their career choices and life options were greatly restricted because of missing the chance to go to university and they didn't want me to live with a similar regret. 

So I studied hard. I felt that if I didn't make it to the top rank in all these life-changing exams, then I would be a nobody and all my efforts would be wasted.

I wasn't the only one who felt that way. There are also some cruel slogans that students have to see and read every day on blackboards or posters in the classrooms, such as "Study until you die." 

We were told again and again by our parents and teachers that if we failed our exams, our lives would be ruined forever. This made me reluctant to try new hobbies or anything fun because of the time it would take away from my studies. Unless I was confident I could excel at the activity, I felt it would be a waste of time.

But Joseph assured me dragon boating at Northeastern was about having fun and it didn't matter if I was any good as long as I showed up. So I decided to register.

It was so easy to join the team that I thought I was dreaming. I signed up with zero experience and in two months, I was taking part in one of the biggest dragon boat races in North America. There were thousands of people watching us even if we were complete beginners.

We trained weekly for one month before the race. I enjoyed the scenery of the mountains and downtown when I was on the water in a dragon boat, the feeling of speeding up gradually as my teammates and I rowed together and the feeling of making progress. We were faster each time we got on the water and our rowing rhythm became more harmonious. 

The first day of the match was a dark and rainy one. Before we reached the starting line, I could feel raindrops on my body. However, when the starting pistol went off, I no longer knew if it was raining or not. When I was on the boat, I couldn't see or hear anything other than Joseph's drumming and his voice shouting commands to set the team's rowing rhythm. 

When we got out of the boat, everyone was soaked to the bone. And yet, participating in the dragon boat race was one of my best experiences in Canada. 

I learned that some teams come together for a variety of reasons. Conquering the Waves was for people living with mental illness. Vision Impossible was for those who experience vision loss. There were also teams of breast cancer survivors and seniors. 

Yes, it was a competition and our times were posted. But the races focused on more than results. It was about life experience, discovering oneself, co-operating with other people and improving day by day. It was about having fun! This was very different from what I experienced growing up in China.

My team came second in the premier mixed tail final race. When I wore the silver medal on the stage, I felt like I was in the centre of the world. I couldn't hold back my tears when I realized that I no longer needed to hesitate to start something new. I came to Canada to learn computer science, but I have learned life lessons beyond the technical skills.

The dragon boat race turned a new page for me. I learned everyone has value in this world and we can appreciate our efforts regardless of skill level.

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