Where Globe-Trotting meets Beach-Combing
“If a man has no tea in him, he is incapable of understanding truth and beauty.” ~Japanese ProverbToday’s chado lesson began with folding the fukusa, or silk cloth used to ritually purify the tea utensils. We also learned how to fold the white chakin and clean the tea bowl. We stoically poured water from the…
Just a few hours into the Autumnal Equinox a cool front rolled in. Temperatures plunged from 95 degrees Fahrenheit to 66 degrees; cold rain marched across the Kanto Plain. Japan celebrates September’s full moon—the harvest moon—as the symbol of fall, along with ginkgo and maple leaves, grape vines, decorative grasses and bunnies (instead of the…
At the Yamato Promenade Antique Market I bought Pounce and Mouse this feathery collar. Pounce just lay down and looked sad. Mouse walked around looking like a lion and trying to bite it. Success! At the same time, I decided it was time for the evolution of the flower arrangement. I like when original arrangements…
Mary called about something else, then mentioned Saturday’s festival. I told her the food stands were up as of Sunday afternoon; there might be more festival in store. A few hours later she and Annika trotted over. “I’m so glad you didn’t mind coming over here,” I said; “Annika makes this far more legitimate.” “Hey,…
We have a phone line that—while it’s located in Japan—is actually a US phone number. Telemarketers who call me at 3am find this difficult to understand and keep trying to insist Chris really did drop something in the mail in Florida this week asking for information on local politicians. Anyway, I was whining about this…
Japanese dance is captivating. I’m neither super-emotional nor very artsy, but the lanterns, the late summer evening, the dropping temperatures and a sprinkle of rain beneath a fat and growing moon—combined with the haunting lyricism of the music and the tortured beauty of the love-suicide fan dances—both swells my heart and brings me close tears….
This is the first picture taken with my new camera! For more than two months now I’ve taped my little red camera’s battery door back on every time I needed to charge the battery or take out its memory card. For more than two months now I’ve also been explaining, “Uh…daijoubu, daijoubu…” (it’s ok, no…
