Yahhou!
On Saturday, the six student companies participated in
the academy’s sports festival (undoukai). The 6 companies were as follows:
The Blogging company (of course)
The Recreational company (who were responsible for
organizing the festival)
The Variety Show company
The Memory Book company
The Closing Ceremony company
The Tanabata (star festival) company
All 6 companies competed in 7 events which stretched each
member’s physical capabilities to the limits in events such as a 3-legged race,
blindfolded piggyback, and finally a game of ultimate Frisbee. Unfortunately,
your favorite company, us, came in last in the festival, but not without a
strong showing of course! Our own beloved writer, Antoine, caught the final
catch in the game of ultimate Frisbee to the round out the end of the
festivities, so big props to him. In the end, the festival resulted in a tie
for first place between the Recreational company and the Variety Show company
who bulldozed over all competition throughout the festival. Overall, all of the
students enjoyed the undoukai and had a great time competitions for bragging
rights among their peers.
-
Antoine
 |
| Tyler writing the kanji for "fire" in Calligraphy class |
On Saturday, we had a guest speaker, Yuda-san, come to the
Academy. She taught us the principles of sadō, (the tea ceremony) and shodō (calligraphy).
We were divided into two groups. One group watched Yuda-san perform the tea
ceremony, while the other group practiced calligraphy, with the help of the
sensei. After half the allotted time had passed, the two groups switched. The
tea ceremony originated as a calming, meditative practice that helped
practitioners shed the worries of life. It remains so today, and its main
tenets reflect Japanese philosophy as a whole. They are communicated in the
expression “wa-kei-sei-jaku,” meaning harmony (wa), respect (kei), purity
(sei), and tranquility (jaku). Each student drank the bitter green tea, called
matcha, and ate a small Japanese sweet.
While some students were drinking tea, others were
practicing calligraphy. The process was difficult, especially for students who
had no previous calligraphy experience. Those who had barely learned to write
Japanese in pencil had an even more difficult time. However, it was very
enjoyable for everyone. The process of calligraphy involves a brush, ink, and
lots of practice paper. The students used newspaper to practice before moving
on to actual sheets of paper. Some students wrote their names, while others
wrote kanji like “love” and “understand,” or proverbs such as “even monkeys
fall from trees.”
We are extremely grateful to Yuda-san for her time and we
all enjoyed the experience.
- Christina
B.
