The Art of the Tea Ceremony

So today we were all in for a wonderful splash of Japanese culture.  We were all cordially invited to a beautiful tea ceremony held in Shoin's own Tea room.  The tea ceremony is traditionally held as an act of welcoming...a show of hospitality of sorts and Shoin wanted to welcome us all.  There were many rules regarding the formalities and politeness issues...like there is a very specific way to enter into the tea room.  First of all it is disrespectful to wear jewelry or watches or anything like that. There is a small entry way with wooden floors and you MUST take off shoes and leave them outside the tea room.  Afterwards you are expected to kneel and sit with ur legs underneath you and your fan (that tradition japanese women carry) is to be placed in front of of you.  Finally you are expected to bow deeply with your hands placed in front.



Finally you are able to enter the room.  The room is a large square room with a small alcove on one side.  The floors were all covered in green tatami mats.  The alcove is purely for decorative purposes and a beautiful scroll with it written "Every day is a good day" in Japanese of course.  Also A vase with delicate looking Irises was placed below the scroll.  The Iris is a symbol of summer and therefore was the theme of today's ceremony.

First a sweet pastry was given to us to eat.  The pastry was beautiful and delicate looking.  It was also delicious and filled with red bean paste.  A small wooden hashi was given to us to eat the pastry with.  The pastry was to be eaten before the green tea was served.  The tea is prepared at the front of the room by rapidly mixing the green tea powder with hot water.  The whisk looked like a delicate long brush.  The tea was a vibrant green color.  Much more color than the usual watered down looking green Im used to seeing.  The tea was probably the most flavorful green tea I had ever tasted.  It was amazing!

Before drinking from the beautiful bowls that were passed to us we were to place the bowl on the palm of our hands and turn it slowly so that we didnt drink from the "beautiful" and decorated side of the bowl.  The first sip was to be taken slowly and thoughtfully...savoring the taste and enjoying the aroma.  Afterwards we were to drink the rest in 3 or 4 more sips. Finally a small sweet candy was passed out.  We folded a paper into fourths and placed 2 or 3 tiny colorful candies into it.  Basically tasted like rock candies haha

By now all of legs were killing us for having to sit with our legs carefully tucked underneath us.  My feet were totally asleep....worst pins nd needles feeling I had for a while!  We all left the tea room one by one, first bowing and thanking the Shoin hostesses and then stepping outside the tea room and kneeling and bowing deeply one more time.  It really was a lovely way to learn about Japanese culture.

It was pouring cats and dogs by the time we had finished.  Luckily we all had umbrellas and we all decided to brave the storm.  It was a peaceful walk despite the rain.  We all took a break but by nightfall we were all itching to get out!  Me and a few other friends decided to do Pulikura! (those asian photo booths :D)  It was actually a lot of fun haha.  We decided to end the night in a sauve little bar called Monochrome.  There were couches and lounge areas.  The drinks were pretty good too.  It was a pretty classy place!  We also stopped by one other bar...which was more like a classic American bar...bar table nd stools.  Chris had a conversation with one of the other customers, it went pretty well I'd say!

New Food of the Day:
Sweet Bean Paste Pastry

As delicious as it is beautiful.  A sweet yet not overpowering little dessert.

To Osaka!!!

Konichiwa!

So today had a little bit of a slow start seeing as we finally had a break from classes. But when we finally did we went down to meet with Miller Sensei for a briefing about our excursion to Osaka!  We were going to take a train and then transfer to one that'd take us to Osaka Park, where we'd see Osaka Castle.  Afterwards we'd split up to either go to Den Den town, an electronics and anime hot spot or the center of Osaka where there would be lots of shops and restaurants.

Osaka castle...was absolutely stunning.  It was surrounded by a moat and 2 massive inner walls and then the caslte itself was perched on top of an enormous stone base.  The castle had numerous gold detailed carvings and statues along the roof edges.  Again...it was just beautiful.  The castle is now an 8 floored museum that we all got to get a tour of.  We learned a little about its rich history and the stories of violent wars and bloodshed the castle had seen within it's walls. We also got to go to the top most floor which gave a bird's eye view of the entirety of Osaka.  Truly an amazing place!

We took a scenic route through the rest of the park and some of the gardens that surround the castle.  It was really serene~  We got to an open area with an immense fountain in the center.  There were some boys skateboarding...nd others that were...uhh it was like a mix between skateboarding and roller blading!  just look at the picture...i cant really explain it.  Like those little wheel things arent attatched to his feet at all he just kinda jumped onto them and is balancing...crazy kids! haha

Also there..was a clothed orange iguana.  Yep...it was as odd as it sounds.  Not only was this an 2-3 foot big iguana it also had a fur collar and was named Megu...yeaaaaa random.  haha. it was really funny though cuz it even had a leash and the owner eventually came by, grabbed it by its jacket nd placed it in the arms of one of the other students. As Saato sensei said..."You have def been the first to have this experience!"

Afterwards we split up.  Chris and I decided to head to Den Den town.  The streets were full of electronics and gaming stores.  Everything from watches, and cell phones to game systems and arcades.  It was a lot of fun!  Chris and I wandered off on our own looking at all the peculiar little shops and somehow ended up in the center of Osaka!


This..was truly a sight to see.  Especially as it was approaching nightfall.  The night life in Osaka is bustling with excitement and young people.  We even saw a few Yakuza (Japanese Gangsters) however they kept to themselves for the most part and actually turned out to be quite friendly.  I watched as a few girls asked to take pictures and they immediately struck poses.  We ate some renowned Osaka Takoyaki for dinner and then split up to do a little shopping and exploring on our own.


I..of course got terribly lost.  I ended up traversing a dark and narrow cobblestone alleyway where small restaurants lined either side.  It was creepy..yet there was an odd antique-ish charm to it too.  I eventually was able to back track my way back to the rest of the group though so all is well! :)






NEW FOOD OF THE DAY:

Takoyaki!  Osaka is famous for these crispy steaming octopus balls?!  haha.  Yep..that;s pretty much what it is.  And for those who have minds in the gutter i mean that the takoyaki was shaped into a ball. The inside was suuper hot (as in temperature-wise) and was soft and chewy.  It was not to bad at all for octopus. haha

This was a "Hokkaido Melon" flavored soft cream...basically it tasted like cantelope. It was surprisingly delicious!!

When It rains that just means its time for a Karaoke Night!

Hey All!

I'm sure you were all extremely upset to find that there wasn't a new post for yesterday. haha jk jk.  Well for those of you who were actually saddened I apologize and will now tell you all about it.

So as it says in the title...it rained...ALL DAY.  yep...It was super intense rain too..well not like thunderstorms and lightning (very very frightening haha) but anyways the main part of the day was pretty much shot.  So we just took the hint and called it a rest up day.  I drew some pictures! haha some classic pencil sketches.  There was also a really cool thing that happened after the rain let up a little.  There was a brief period where there was steam rising up out of the mountains..but only in certain areas.  It literally looked like the mountain had taken a deep breath and now it was exhaling slowly.  It was one of the most beautiful things I had seen for a while.


Well the rain finally stopped...just in time for the night life to start!  So after dinner a big group of us decided to go to Karaoke!  I was a bit nervous at first since...yeah me and karaoke?  haha so when we got there...there had to be like 12-15 people.  It was a biiig group!  We ordered 飲みほうだい (nomi hodai) which is basically...ALL YOU CAN DRINK! haha yeah...they definitely exist here...and its pretty common too.  I think we scared the little Japanese man that was our server for the night...as literally he was bringing in pitchers of beer continuously for the entire 2 hours we were there.  It was pretty funny though..the guys in our group decided that they were going to "drink the place to the ground...ahh I suppose we are all still college students afterall"

Oh and I know some of you had mentioned odd toilets...well just for you I have found one!! At the Karaoke place they have toilets that have a panel of buttons along the side...and Im also quite sure that the toilet seat was also heated! haha!

But yes after getting a few drinks karaoke suddenly became the most fun thing in the entire world! We sang a variety of Japanese and English songs...ending with my choice of Journey's Dont Stop Believing....such a great song to end on. Brought back memories of Freshman year when I went to Rehobeth with my UD buddies :)

Afterwards we returned to the dorms just before curfew (which is 12 midnight...ew right?) and we decided to continue the festivities in the lounge downstairs (the only room in the building where it is allowed to drink)  We turned on the giant TV and watched the world cup and even set up a beer pong table some how...someone even brought classic red solos! haha classy right?  It was a lot of fun and a great way to bond with the other students on the trip seeing as I've just met a lot of them on the trip.

NEW FOOD OF THE DAY:

Eki Soba!
It was basically a fried and then softened noodle dish.  Im pretty sure we actually ate at a Japanese Chinese restaurant if that makes any sense.  It was alright.  Not my favorite but def better than the Ika that I had in the past...ugh. Anyways this dish was basically a seafood and veggie mix on top of the noodles with a thick salty sauce spread over the food.  Like i said..it was alright.

I also had a sweet tofu with Rice.  It was DELICIOUS!! I love these things!  I'll have to find out what its actually called for you...plus they look really easy to make too :)

   Yep that's all for today folks!!

New Friends

皆さん!

So today was extremely exciting as we got to meet our language partners today!! Shoin University came and threw us a little lunch party in the "saloon" on the second floor.  All of the Shoin students were already there and there was an elaborate spread of all different kinds of food on two long tables in the middle of the room.  The Shoin students were asked to stand on the left and the UD kids were to the left.  As we stood nervously against either wall...thoughts of an awkward high school dance popped into my head.  The party began with the Shoin professors giving a short speech on the gratitude and hopes they had for us.  It was really very sweet.  Next we were each called up....and asked to make a short introduction for everyone...IN 日本語!! I think it was fair to say everyone began to panic a bit! haha.  I kept mine short and sweet...cause first of all I freak out when asked to do any sort of public speaking...let alone in Japanese...ahh!  (yea I randomly put a pic of Chris and max eating "tube ice cream") :)


Afterwards the Shoin student were called up and then the partner from our group was also paired.  This part was actually a lot of fun.  It was cute seeing the different pairs and seeing how well they matched...or didnt.  haha. My favorite was the Shoin student who looked like she had just come off a fashion show runway got paired up with a UD student who can be described as a white WIlliam Hung with glasses.  The UD student totally turned briiiight red when he went up too. It was....priceless. haha (srry im being mean nd judgmental...but hey cant help myself :P)  


My partner...and I am ashamed to say...I've forgotten her name...is...to put it plainly...AMAZING.  She humored my bad Japanese skills and told me about Kobe and Shoin.  She is a senior now and is in the process of looking for a job. Although what she really wants to do is to travel abroad and see the world.  She had actually done a similar program to what we re doing in that she stayed at UD for a month and studied english.  Guess its the other way around now!!  haha.  Yea so she has a little bit of english under her belt which makes it infintely more amazing. haha. she promises to guide me around Kobe and show me the sights.  We're even going to go to Karaoke at some point haha.  


It was a ton of fun.  She also has an extra cell phone that she's willing to let me borrow!! yaaay!! im so happy!  Unfortunately we didnt get to hang out afterwards as she has a part time job that she had to go to.  We re going to meet up again on Monday though!  I can't wait! We re definetely going to have a great time.


Afterwards Chris, Max, and I went to revisit Sannomiya.  It was a great day...haha.  The boys decided to return to the arcade which gave me some time to go shop around.  I did stay and watch the play for a bit though.  Max started to get the hang of the touch screen card game I talked about before. Its called Tales of Vermillion.  It was actually a  really complex game...and there is a lot going on...I got super confused. haha.  Although the first time he played he accidentally put his card into the slot upside down and it got stuck and we had to call a manager to come over and help us haha.  whoops ;P  

I was able to find some cute Japanese style clothing...for pretty cheap too!  I can't wait to do even more shopping.  I looove the clothes over here.  They re so colorful and fun ti wear.  I kind of want to do shoe shopping as well. haha  As we left we noticed a myriad of different street performers ranging from an odd duo of masked interpretive dancers to a pan flute player and a singing guitarist.  It totally made me feel like I was back in the New York City subway. haha.  It was really cool though :)

Here are some tid bits for the day.  Let call it some insight into modern Japanese culture.  haha.  Ok first...I cannot stress to you how much the Japanese looove vending machines.  There are vending machines from the usual drinks of soda and water...and hot and cold coffee...and my like new favorite drink...ROAYAL MILK TEA (which is basically bubble tea without the tapioca haha) there are also machines for hot food and even ones for cigarettes and BEER!  yep...so basically anyone can buy a beer at these vending machines.  

The Japanese very much frown upon all other drugs...except for alcohol and smoking cigarettes..is tolerated.  But... definitely drinking. haha.  ahhhh and here is the long awaited picture poster child of a cigarette company...WINSTON.  That's right folks.  Take a good long look at this guy who is supposedly representing manliness...you boys reading this better take the hint!! (shaven legs and super short shorts for you!) hahaa...jk jk...please Im joking.  


New Food Of the Day:

Curry Chicken Katsu!  ...thats definitely not what its actually called...but I really dont know. haha. The spiciness of the curry went very well with the sweet rice and crunchy chicken katsu.  It was a very fufilling dish!

Naginata and Pachinko

みなさん!

So today's activities began with our 2 hour class once more.  Again it really isn't so bad.  If anything I am quite determined to improve my Japanese so I will be sure to study hard!  Afterwards we grabbed lunch at a Bento place..essentially it is a "fast food lunch joint."  That's the best way I can describe it.  It sold foods ranging from curry rice and chicken to shrimp and noodles.  Basically..there are a ton of choices for pretty cheap.  Of course..it was delicious. :)

At around 3:00..or 14:00, we headed back up to Shoin University for a Naginata demonstration.  A naginata is a long spear like weapon which was commonly used back in the day for warriors on horseback as it gave them the range that a normal sword would not.  Eventually women were taught to use the naginata so that when the men of the villages left for combat that if their village was to be attacked the women would be able to defend it as well as themselves.  


Today naginata has become a very popular sport for women comparable to kendo.  The general premise is that each match lasts about 3 minutes and 3 "resets" and the first opponent to gain 2 out of the 3 rounds wins.  A round is won by using the naginata to hit the opponent's "kill spots" which are the head, a thrust to the throat, the mid-section, the wrists, and a slashing motion at the shin/ ankle area.  You are not allowed to step outside the designated playing field, push, or attack while the opponent is unarmed.  2 fouls and your out!  

This was both an exciting and wonderful display of precision and accuracy.  The students who were running the demonstration even invited us to put on the armor and hold the naginatas!  I had never heard of this sport before but it sure was a lot of fun and really gave us an insight into Japanese history.  

Afterwards we were allowed to set off on our own once more.  Chris and I decided to take a scenic route down the mountain.  We returned to the dorms and rested up a bit.  After taking a nap..and completely failing to wake up at a normal dinner hour (chris called me but i mistook the phone for a non-exsistent alarm clock and by the time i realized he had already hung up...I then tried to return the phone call but the Japanese dial tone sounds like a busy signal back in the states..and in my half-sleeping state it took me nearly 10min to figure that out nd call him back haha...yea fail.) We returned to the ramen shop that we had eaten at the first night.  The food was still as delicious as we had remembered! :)  We then wandered over to a pachinko and slots spot.  I guess...a Japanese casino of sorts. 

 Pachinko..is a pinball game..kinda.  Basically you get like 30 tiny metal pinballs and can shoot them into the machine which contains a maze of litte plastic knobs.  The goal is to try and get them into a small slot in the center of the machine.  I'm sure there must be some sort of skill and a bit of luck...but Chris and I just weren't getting it at all haha.  It was certainly an experience though.

To end the night we stopped by an arcade and played games that can only be described as "This game would only be found in Japan" type of games..,it was definitely a lot of fun nonetheless.  My favorite by far was a giant japanese drum rhythm game.  The music was obnoxious and adorable and totally Japanese...my fave tho...was that CARAMELLDENSAN was on it!!! I got sooo happy at that second.  If you don't know what caramelldensan is just think back to my adorable/ extremely happy phone ringtone.  And for those of you that may remember...it was my favorite video on youtube with the pokemon singing and dancing?  Well look it up if you don't know wat im talking about!!! 


NEW FOOD OF THE DAY:

Ebi furai!!!! yummm!!!  Its very similar to shrimp tempora.  The difference is the type of bread crumbs that are used.  The ones on Ebi furai are the same ones used in the tonkatsu from yesterday.  The ebi(shrimp) came with a tasty creamy sauce and lemon.  It was quite a flavorful little thing :3

Yep today has been another wonderful day in Nippon.  Tomorrow we will be meeting our language partners!  I can't wait!