Saturday, March 10, 2007

Japan Day

The Japanese Culture has never failed to amaze me with their rich and fine art and the great length put into perfecting it. Today I had a "refresher course" at the Cambridge Kaetsu Centre for the Japan Day, co-organised by the Japanese Embassy.

Japanese dolls

It was one thing learning the Japanese culture in Japan and a totally different experience learning it in a foreign country or see others learning them here. It was also more exciting blogging about the Japanese culture in the UK. That's because I understood the whole process from start to finish this time. Why? Because they were all explained in English as compared to previously!
I found the calligraphy section extremely interesting! It reminded me when I was learning it in in Japan. We spreaded calligraphy over a few lessons and today, they had it in 5 mins! The presence of foreigners made it looked even more bizarre.



Tea Ceremony (Chado 茶道)

This particular photo also reminded me so much about the time when I experienced the same thing in Niigata. However, the okashi (dessert) is somewhat different this time. It was some wafer instead of the proper redbean-filled okashi. The one I had in Japan was a plum-shaped mochi filled with red-bean paste.


It's been a while since I tasted this.

She kept looking at the back!

The battle of origami between a Japanese and a Malaysian.

It was a tough battle. Shunji couldn't do the paper crane (could you believe it?!) but was able to do a flower pot. I could do a paper crane but not the flower pot. But then, we both didn't know how to do a little jumping frog (kaeru-chan), so it was a draw! Kiki taught us both instead! We had a jumping frog competition. Shunji's frog was always overturning, Kiki's was basically limping, mine was really jumping. Yay! Haha...

Ready, Set, Jump!

This is really Char Siu Pau, trust me! I told Shunji that I didn't remember eating or seeing any Char Siu Pau in Japan, so how could it be Japanese. But he said, "Hey, there're plenty in Yokohama's Chinatown!"...I was like...cehhhh....still Chinese food mah! I mean, of all Japanese food....Char Siu Pau, aiyo!

Only maki-sushi, wallop only. No sashimi, too bad!

A British performing the Taiko drum. She was trained in Tokyo.


Have a go at the song

Whenever I feel nostalgic, Rimi Natsukawa's "Nada Sou Sou"(涙そうそう) comes to mind. Just don't know why.

This Japan Day made me reminiscent those good ol' days in Niigata. I was so overwhelmed with nostalgic feelings that at one point I thought of going back to Japan for a PhD! But whenever I had thoughts of that, Urasa comes to mind and wipes them off immediately.

6 comments:

joanium said...

In Australia, there's a really fantastic drumming group called Taikoz. I've heard them play twice. It was thrilling every time.

zafi said...

wooooo bro
so nice!!!
no japan society in my univ...even we had lots of nihonjin.. so sad!
remember bon odori...nice to dance with people...:P

Wadi: said...

Japan for a PhD? I pray that for you. Those pictures have recalled my memories of Kyoto so much.

Anonymous said...

to tell the truth, I have never done Tea Ceremony and I forget how to make a frog with oRiGaMi...do I have to learn my own cultures again?!?

Yap! It's 3088.. said...

Hey Hirot, but do tell me you know how to make a paper crane??!! All Japanese should know that??!! Please tell me I'm right...

Anonymous said...

I can do it!!