To the friends that have seen my page before, welcome back! Now that I am out of school, I can dedicate some time to begin my tea ceremony training again. I had my first class in months this week! I was excited to return to my studies, though I did make many a frustrating mistake. However, I am glad to say that my memory did not fail me entirely-- I had been taking classes from time to time in college.
For those of you who are endeavoring to learn the art of Japanese tea ceremony, I would recommend filming yourself. This is a great way to review each specific detail in a way that's difficult to express in words. If you'd like, click here to see me perform the ceremony. I would encourage anyone with even the slightest of interest to take a class! While it seems improbable that an opportunity would be nearby, there are tea ceremony associations that have offices all over the nation. It is a fascinating, cathartic experience. Please check out online what tea ceremony association is located closest to you!
My class today was a simple review of bonryaku temae, a certain way to serve tea that can be considered to be the most basic level. I may be able to try the next "level," usucha (thin tea) next week! Please stay tuned :) I was also lucky enough to receive a gift from one of my teacher's students! The gift is a beautiful, Japanese-style ceramic plate that the student made herself.
Thank you for reading!
Until next time,
justajae