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Published: April 7th 2006
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Torrents of Biblical proportions.
Uhhhh, or should that be some bhuddist text? Who would have thought that I would pay money (voluntarily) to consume foamy green stuff and a pink thing that looks like an overgrown moth ball? And who would have thought that I might actually like it! Yep, for those in the know, I finally tried Mocha. Mocha is the foamy green tea that is used in tea ceremonies, and the mothball thingy is a delicious cake that accompanies it. The tea is bitter and has foam sorta like a cappucino... only green and without dairy products involved.
It's sakura time in Japan. Think anticapation, excitement, special weather forecasts, people keeping a constant eye on the 'terebi' and the paper, and a general air of festivity. Tents are being errected, parties planned, sake purchased, and festive markets held. So what's all this about, you ask??? And where does the green foam fit in the bigger picture?!
Flowers. Blossoms. A bunch of petals in a circular shape.
Hai, that's
it. SAKURA is Japanese for Cherry Blossoms. The Japanese are mad about their spring blossoms, especially the cherry kind. Stopping mid-sentence/journey/conversation to stare at a tree is perfectly normal. Walking straight past is considered weird. Going out to see the
Back in time
Temple in the rain. Do I feel a song title coming along?? blossoms (hanami) is an important part of the social calender. At first I thought this was really quite strange, but it's easy to get caught up in the general mood of it all... Naturally, I won't let this opportunity pass me by. Saturday is the set date for heading to Kyoto to look at the stunning flowers, take too many pictures and enjoy the parties under the trees.
I already had a warm up session in Uji on Sunday. Went with my mates to the city of Tea and Genji. Genji is the protagonist in a book I'vbe never read, and as most of my close friends and family will attest to: I don't do tea. Well, I sorta do drink ocha coz you can't avoid that in Japan. Despite the odds being stacked against having a fascinating day, it is definatley etched in my mind forever! I plucked up the courage to try the Mocha (largely coz it comes with cake) in a tent on an island in a river in Uji. Very ceremonial... I was served by a girl of about 10, with all the seriousness of a dental surgeon (umm can't think of a good comparison,
Reflection
Barely open blossoms against a back drop of Byodoin reflected in its pond. but you get the picture). We bowed to each other like ancient noblemen and everthing. The cake was sakura flavoured and very sweet, perfect to counteract the bitterness of the tea (at the risk of sounding like a fake tea expert). We did the mandatory gawking at the one Sakura tree in full bloom on the island.
WHile we were in Uji, the weather was rather wet and misty. It gave the whole outing a mystical feel that I imagine to be a perfect setting for the Tale of Genji. It was the perfect backdrop to visit a beautiful Zen Temple. The gardens were beautiful, and the soft rain was just enought to keep away the crowds. We walked up into the mountains next to the swollen river (snow melting upsteam roundabout now) and entered the temple complex in silence. The crisp white walls and the bright green moss set against the dark green mountains (mysteriousy disappearing into the mist) were unforgettable. We couldn't help but whisper, as if our speech would disturb the moment. While wondering around the garden, I crouched down to take picture of some luminous lime green moss. I was focussing intently on focussing the
shot with my camera, and at that moment a loud crack of thunder caught me off guard, as if someone, up there was trying to tell me to stop fiddling with my hi tech equipment and take in the beauty...
Shortly after that the rain came down with such force that we were forced to take cover under the covered corridors. Despite the wetness of our jeans (and my saturated feet) it was awe inspiring. It would not have been surprising if the opening scene of "Rashoman" began to take place before our eyes.... (*Rashoman is the movie that served as my introdution to Japanese film, demo chotto furoi desu - i challenge you to find and watch it before I get home, J*).
Apart from Hanami, I'll be exploring tea houses, Zen gardens and a controversial train station (GASP!!) this coming weekend. Not your average wekend's entertainment...
This week at school had a few interesting moments... The new first year students all arrived this week. Apart from clogging up the cafetaria, it has been great! I have witnessed the kind of dedication and school pride that UKZN sorely lacks. The school orchestra, marching abdn etc played
Comtemplating
Jacqui in the mist.... in the court yard to impress the parents that have just had to sell their souls to the devil to afford to send their children KGU... Once the parents were outta the way, all the clubs and associations crawled out of their various cracks (these are clean and organised cracks, I might add) to scout for new members. The fierce competition resulted in an assortment of musical (and not so musical) sounds emanating from every corner of campus and club members around every corner ready to pounce.... And I mean pounce on the ryuugakusei too...
This week I also had my first Kapazushi experience.... Wow! Sushi on a conveyor belt all around the restaurant! You just take what takes your fancy and at the end they count up how many plates you have on your table. Metcha oishikata desu!!!!! I tried an asortment of new things, including raw octopus tentacle (with suckers still intact), iikura (fish eggs), salmon (raw, of course) and some things that I'd prefer not to disclose the name of...
Something strange and refreshing: I have not seen a single chocolate easter egg yet! I'm truly away from western society! More for you guys........
In case you don't realise it's a sakura...
Each Sakura on the island was signposted for your convenience...
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Kelly Slater
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Spring is in the air
Hi Kim cherry blossoms must mean spring time- and warmer conditions. Before enjoying the surfing - take time to stand back and enjoy the beauty!As per your blogg. :-)