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Our First Art Class
Sunday, the students participated in our first art project:
paper mâché Daruma. The craft was named after the Buddhist monk, Daruma. He
meditated for so long that he lost control of his arms and legs. The Daruma
doll traditionally is a red head with exaggerated facial features. Legend says
that after crafting the doll, one must make a wish and fill in one of the eyes.
If the wish comes true, the creator then fills in the second eye. If the wish
is not fulfilled, most Japanese people will burn the Daruma during New Year’s
celebrations. After learning about the legend of the Daruma, students created
their own. Whether intentionally or accidentally, many students ended up
covered in the paper mâché paste! Most only finished sculpting the shape of the
doll, but we all enjoyed the activity. We are all looking forward to finishing
our Darumas sometime during the upcoming week.
- Lindsey
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| Daruma doll |
Sunday was
jam packed with fun activities, including an opportunity to watch a film called
Water Boys. Together, we
snuggled up in our PJs with pillows, blankets and a variety of snacks. The film
was loosely based on a true story about a male synchronized swimming team. The
movie was very comedic and strange as we followed the story of the boys as they
trained for their school’s festival. The
swimming team became famous through an unlikely incident. Their fame is credited to a family who
called emergency services to report what seemed like a group of boys drowning, but in actuality the team was practicing their synchro routine. This live action Japanese film
utilized physical and situational comedy that was able to appeal audiences
around the world. After the movie we celebrated two birthdays of James G. and
James M. , with singing, candles, wishes, and cake.
-Melissa
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| Japanese Movie: Water Boys |
Today, the students picked out which yukata they were going to wear to the summer festival (Tanabata Matsuri), played the taiko drums, and learned about Japanese tea ceremonies. After that the entire Japanese academy painted their Daruma that they had made earlier in the academy. They all turned out amazing and we here at the academy hope all of the wishes made tonight come true! (It is a ritual to make a wish on your Daruma when you fill in its right eye.) Also, America dominated Japan in one of the best women's matches in human history.
