| |
..May 20, 2003
..Kyoto
..May 21, 2003
..Kyoto
| "The
day began at 4:30 am when I arose and could not return to sleep,
thanks to jet lag. Thankfully things soon took on a better course
with the wonderful buffet breakfast provided by the hotel, complete
with French Fries and Pilaf. Then the group headed out to the
Zenrin-ji Temple. On the bus were 20 second-grade students headed
for a day trip to the zoo. Upon seeing our group they immediately
started laughing and pointing at Luke because he is so tall.
Their hilarity was infectious and I could easily relate to their
excitement at something strange and new. Though almost everything
seems new and interesting here, it is nice to know that second-graders
are fairly similar to the giggling second-graders who would
do the same thing in America." |
| |
| Clowning
with Japanese schoolkids |
|
|
| ”After
theZenrin-ji temple, we went to the Ginkakuji Temple which was
much busier but also quite breathtaking. As we were walking
along, we passed a gardener who was trimming moss and removing
weeds individually with a pair of scissors, showing the intense
care put into the gardens. Then we had a great lunch at a noodle
shop and went to have our tea lesson. This was wonderful because,
after serving tea and giving us a tour of the teahouse, the
tea masters showed us how to prepare a sencha tea ceremony for
beginners. Though I have read about the tea ceremony, watched
videos on it and attended one, actually performing the ceremony
was how I finally began to understand how the Japanese practice
tea ceremony almost as a profession at times. It was like ballet,
only simple-looking when executed by a master. When done by
a beginner, it is a series of integral rituals that seem like
insurmountable obstacles.” |
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Ogawa
School sencha tea ceremony |
|
|
..May 22, 2003
..Kyoto
|
|
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Heian Shrine
garden, Kyoto |
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|
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|
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Cooking
lesson with Chef Joseph Justice |
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More Kyoto
|
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