I heart Ikebana!

Finally, my first ikebana class! I'd been anticipating my first lesson for nearly a month, and I wasn't the least bit disappointed. I am learning the Saga Goryu Ikebana style which originated at the Daikaku-ji temple in Kyoto. After about three hours of lessons, my teacher was kind enough to lend me some of her materials so that I could practice at home, so I spent the rest of my night practicing the various styles I learned in my room. While ikebana requires strong concentration, I find it to be quite relaxing and rewarding.
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Here's what I've done so far:

First arrangement:
Heika: Shaseitai Aidome

Matierals:
Camellia
Lillies
Statice

This is a standard arrangement. Regardless, I spent a lot of time working on and still feel like I'm missing something. I will be attempting this one again tomorrow >.<   Although few materials were used for this one, I think its simplicity It what makes it beautiful. Less is more!








Second arrangement:
Moribana: Useitai

Materials:
Camellia
Chrysanthemum 

Although a little more complicated, this arrangement was probably the most fun to arrange. Moribana is meant to depict natural scenery, so both the water used and the flower stands themselves become an important part of the arrangement since they depict the shoreline. The longer I have this arrangement display, the more peaceful it makes my room feel. Something about the still water...









Third arrangement:
Heika: Kenseitai Adaptation Arrangement

Matierals
Roses
Wisteria Branch
Cysus Palm

This one was fun because I had the chance to experiment with leftover materials. The aim of this arrangement was to incorporate the use of line (kiwifruit vines), surface (leaf) and mass (roses). I actually liked this arrangement better with the leaf removed but decided to keep it for the purpose of fulfilling the aim of unifying all three elements. Another case of less is more I suppose. 

A few interesting tips I learned today:

• Flower stems are to be cut in the water to avoid contact between the air and the flower stem (we call this mizukiri). This helps the flowers last longer.
•  It is better to break Chrysanthemum stems by hand than to cut them with shears because this allows them to absorb more water (Chrysanthemums only!)
• Even numbers are to be avoided for the most part, odd numbers are celebrated in Japanese culture. 
• It is very important to pay attention to the relationship between the role, placement, and direction of the materials in a given arrangement.
• In the standard arrangements shown above, the longest branch (tai) should be one and a half times the length (tall vase) or diameter (tray) of the container used

I'm super lucky to have found such an passionate ikebana teacher who is just as enthusiastic about teaching me as I am about learning, and I already can't wait until my next lesson at the end of October! Hopefully with some more practice, I'll feel confident about displaying my work at the local cultural festival at the beginning of December v(^o^)/

RPG

Now for an expression that comes from my ultimately nerdy core. The more time I spend in rural Japan, the more I feel like a character in an RPG video game. Juxtapositions of the old and the new, so many historical sites, beautiful parks, and drastic changes of scenery from mountains to forest to beaches and parks. I'm always exploring new places, seeing new things, and meeting and talking with local people using the little Japanese that I know. Not only that but get this, the shopping street in Shingu has outdoor speakers that play light jazz. So whether one is just on a stroll, running daily errands or just doing some leisurely shopping, there's always that comforting, small-town background music running in the background of daily life. (There is even a toy weapon shop just down the street from where I live, not to mention a hand full of item shops in the area, although I have yet to find an armory). I could go on, but enough about the RPG analogy.

How many people can say they get hugs after  they've finished a shift at work... well I can. Yesterday I got up bright and early to catch the train to Shingu for for three-hour private lesson... And it was so much fun! A morning full of sailor moon, bento, and games, dancing and laughs followed by a big hug when it was time to go... days like these make me think I have the best job ever!


 
Having made the trip to Shingu to work on a Saturday, I figured I'd best spend the afternoon visiting some of the city sites I hadn't yet had the chance to visit. Fist stop was Jofuku Park. Jofuku was a Chinese explorer who came to Japan during the 3rd century BC, and is said to have brought Chinese culture to Japan. A very friendly woman who tended the park offered me an information pamphlet and some shade to sit under while I read through. These kinds of small friendly gestures of hospitality are becoming more common the more time I spend here, and its these small interactions and experiences that can really make one's day. Overall, a small park but worth-while and very pleasant visit.


Next stop was Shingu Castle Ruins. I really wasn't sure what to expect in coming here. Many of the pictures I had seen before coming certainly did not do the place justice and while I wandered the old castle grounds I found that I too was unable to capture the essence of the beautiful ruins. They offered a quiet peacefulness and a fragrant woodland smell I haven't encountered elsewhere during my time here. In fact, I was only one of two people enjoying the place! Since all of the informational monuments were written in Japanese, I wasn't able to learn much about the history and significance of the monuments that were erected there. Despite this, the ruins offered a spectacular view of the Kumano River, and I was fortunate enough to catch a close up glimpse of a pair of Japanese golden eagles flying just overhead. Unfortunately I didn't have my camera out at the time and couldn't catch a photograph. Of all the places I've visited, this is certainly one that I most enjoyed. I dunno, there was just something about the serene atmosphere that really stuck with me. I'm going to make a point to return during the fall to check out the autumn leaves.

Hayatama Taisha Shrine

The last stop for the day was Hayatama Taisha Shrine, one of the three Grand Shrines of Kumano.  While the structures themselves are rebuilt every 20 years in Shinto tradition, the site itself dates back to at least the 12th century. The shrine is a place of warship to the Gods who descended to earth at a nearby location centuries ago. This was my first visit to one of the Grand Shrines of Kumano and I'm looking forward to visiting the other two. My day was not complete without a tasted of some Haagen-dazs murasaki imo (purple yam) Ice cream, which yes, tasted just like a purple yam in ice cream form. I'm not sure if I'll be having it again in the future...but the flavour was unique to say the least. Next stop Nachi Taisha!

that very noticeably awkward gaijin moment...

Today was a long, weird day. First thing's first, I broke a big, heavy, full-length mirror this morning. Not intentionally of course. It already had a forward-slanted lean going on. It sort of just suddenly fell forward and smashed into a million pieces...right before I had to leave for my first of many monthly kindergarten classes....

After some frustration and panic at the thought of spending the next seven years plagued with bad luck, and a mad rush of sweeping and vacuuming, I headed out to class. When I arrived a good 15 minutes early in order to get oriented, I was greated by a bustle of excited students "Sunny-sensei!!! Hello!!!" Then it happened, my first awkward gaijin moment, and probably not my last. A few of the friendly Japanese teachers approached me and tried to explain to me that I would not be teaching in the gymnasium (my regular classroom at the kindergarten) but that I would be teaching the students in their respective classrooms. Wakarimasendeshita... (I didn't understand). After a bit of awkward back in forth squabble, me in my most straightforward english and broken Japanese, and she in her polite, yet to me still unrecognizable Japanese, I finally came straight out with it "Sumimasen...nihongo ga wakarimasen." The phrase I hate to say, yet ironically I can now say it quite well... Long story short: She ended up calling my school director who then relayed the message that I would indeed be teaching students in their respective classrooms and not in the gymnasium.  This is not to say I haven't experienced any awkwardness or made some ignorant, culturally sensitive mistakes during my short time here. It was however the first time that I felt I caused a great deal of curfuffle over something so small and trivial. Thus, it happened. My first truely awkward gaijin moment.

On the bright side, there is a solution to this problem and it is surely preventable in the future. The answer: learn Japanese. Yes, for the most part I have been able to get by in these situations with what little Japanese I already know. Aside from studying text books and phrases, I had my first Japanese class last Monday and I'm already looking forward to the next :)