Japanese Tea Ceremony; CCW 5-6
Today, we gathered in the tatami mat room used by the tea ceremony club here at Showa. We began with a short lecture about the Japanese tea ceremony by Ash-sensei. Then, everyone took part in a tea ceremony themselves. The interns, aided by a tea ceremony club member, served a small treat to each participant. The treat was a bit too sweet, but at least it was very cute! Once everyone was finished eating, Ito-sensei demonstrated how to make tea for the tea ceremony.
Next, every student had a chance to make their own tea! We soon realized how skilled Ito-sensei truly was when we compared her lightning-quick whisking speed to our own. Some students found the tea to be a little bitter for their tastes, while those more accustomed to the taste of matcha disagreed. The most difficult part about the tea ceremony was constantly sitting in seiza, which is the name for the way Japanese people sit on their legs. Overall, however, it was a very relaxing and interesting experience!
After a nice long lunch break, everyone headed back to the Global Lounge for two more sessions of the Cross-Cultural Workshop!
