Completion Stamps for Level One Sogetsu School Curriculum
Check! I have now completed Level One of Book One in my Sogetsu Ikebana course. I started the first two lessons of Level Two on Tuesday, and will persist in my attempt to complete Level Two before leaving Japan. Continue reading
Two friends from Toyohashi (near Nagoya) visited me on the weekend. They wanted to have lunch, then dress in rented kimonos to wander around Asakusa and visit Sensoji Temple. After that, they wanted to view the illuminations at Skytree Town. Continue reading
Winter is settling into Tokyo. But not that many days ago Jingugaien, the ginkgo avenue with its four rows of 146 trees on both sides of the street, was a splendid sight. Continue reading
Friends traveled into Tokyo from Toyohashi to visit me yesterday. I met them at Gaienmae Station near my apartment as they wanted to see where I was living. That done, we were about to depart when I remembered my gloves. I quickly unlocked the door and without bothering to remove my boots, took three steps—it’s a small apartment— into the kitchen to grab them from the chair.
My visitors gasped loudly in unison. Continue reading
Last Sunday I attended Tokyo Opera’s Der Rosenkavalier. It’s a tale of the Marschallin Princess Marie Thérèse, an aristocrat in a bittersweet dalliance with young Count Octavian. This, as all things do, must end. The inevitable is the inevitable; however, it comes so much sooner than expected after a petty quarrel and without a proper goodbye. Continue reading
O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum / Du kannst mir sehr gefallen!
O Christmas Tree, O Christmas Tree / You give me so much pleasure! Continue reading
It is the most unnatural thing in the world for me to point a phone at something and take a photo. I wasn’t much better when carrying my Canon Elph. So often when sifting through the digital files for an image of something I’m writing about, I realize I didn’t take one. Continue reading
I had one Sogetsu Ikebana class on Monday morning and the rest of the week off. A nice change of pace. I liked being an observer rather than the creator. I spent the time taking in art exhibits, city views from high up, exploring various neighborhoods, revisiting old haunts, eating in some wicked-awesome restaurants and enjoying quiet moments at home. Continue reading
This week I had but one class at the Sogetsu School as the rest of the week was devoted to teacher workshops on the new Book 5 curriculum. With the basic forms and various slanted styles behind me, I began the first of the variations on those basics. Continue reading
Bingo! She scores! Banzai!
I now have a white ceramic teapot with a strainer. (Finally, I can soothe my soul by making a cuppa during those moments such consolation is needed.) Six bucks. Plus a paring knife and a couple of bowls and a bedside lamp for a grand total of twelve bucks. Continue reading