Sitting Sazen

Two weeks ago with a sensei's help, I found a Rinzai Zen temple just next to campus, where twice a month the public can come and mediate. (every second and fourth Sunday morning from 9 to 11) This morning myself and a friend how also used to meditate in America went off to the temple. It was excellent and quite similar to the Zen center that I used to go to in Cumberland and Cambridge. I will definitely return.

Petit Sizes

I must comment for a moment on the small sizes of all doorways, tables, desks, chairs, ceilings, stairs, etc. I absolutely love it. At home, my feet rarely comfortably reach the ground when sitting in any given chair, frequently causing my knees to hurt, which then causes me to sit crosss-legged. Here, all tables and chairs are much lower to the ground. I can comfortably sit at any place with my feet squarely placed on the floor. I very much like this aspect of life here, although it may seem like a small thing. Interestingly, the staircases, although the width and depth of the stairs are narrow, the height from one step to the next is quite significant. I suppose having steeper stairs saves space. From all the walking and climbing, my legs and behind are receiving a great workout everyday!

My fabulous Japanese haircut!!!

Last evening for about two hours, I was in a hair salon. It was the most amazing two hours! After filling out a form with name, address, birthday, etc., I was escorted to the sink where first, my hair was prepared to be washed by subarashii person number 1. A blanket was laid on my lap, I bright yellow cloth was tied about my neck, and a vinyl black fabric was tied about my neck covering the yellow cloth. The hair washer helped me lie down in the chair and gently rested my head in the sink. My face was covered with a light white cloth to keep water from spraying on it. However, before I lay down, he prepared a bath for my hair testing the water for several minutes before it was the right temperature. Then he proceeded to wash my hair for at least 20 minutes! He used at least three different products, asked if the temperature was ok, and continually apologized every time he needed to lift my head. He massaged my scalp and rinsed and rinsed my hair. Afterwards he gently wrapped my head and a bright yellow towel and led me to the next person who would cut it.

Before this entry becomes much to lengthy, as it happens, the person who cut my hair has the same birthday as me - year and all! We discussed which style might work, what I wanted, what he thought would be nice, etc. (all in Japanese). After carefully cutting, my hair was then re-washed/rinsed by a third person who afterwards, brought me back to the haircutting chair where she massaged my head, scalp, temples, neck, and shoulders. WOW! After she finished another woman stared drying my hair and then the man that had cut my hair returned and helped her. I had two people blow drying my hair at the same time! It was heavenly. She left and he finished styling it.

In total, five people helped with the hair cut. It was as if I was at a spa and it certainly was the best 4,000 yen I have spent yet. (They had even given me a 500 yen discount.)

Two and a half week Kyoto top 5 Lists

LOVE
1. Warm moist face cloths that you receive in restaurants to wash your hands before eating.
2. Japanese cell phones.
3. Japanese WESTERN style toilets with heated seats, bidets, etc.
4. Ofuro - Japanese baths - delicious and relaxing.
5. Walking up a long flight of stairs from the subway into the sunlight. It feels renewing.

Could do without...
1. Smoking in restaurants.
2. In bathrooms: lack of paper towels, only cold water, the hole in the ground toilets.
3. Homogeneous society, being stared at.
4. Expensive fruit (which I have decided just to buy anyway.)
5. No napkins in restaurants.

Ryoanji

Myself and three friends went to Ryoanji on Saturday. It is a wonderful temple, with a very famous fifteen stone rock garden. Regardless of where you sit to observe the garden, one is always only able to see fourteen of the fifteen stones, and therefore, is never able to grasp the whole essence (of life). Although we arrived later than we planned, it was not too busy and we were able to sit for a while in relative peacefulness. We are definitely planning on returning early one morning. Moreover, since Ryoanji is far West, the area is much more residential and away from the busy (and noisy) downtown area. Nestled in the trees with the atmosphere of a community, I very much liked this part of Kyoto!

As we left the rock garden and tea house, we strolled off the main route through a landscape garden and paused to gaze at a lake. Here, a Japanese woman offered me fresh sweet strawberries. The fruit here is so juicy, sweet, and just delicious! She was very kind and wanted to share them with us. I wrote this haiku about the experience:

Choose a different
path and receive sweet berries
when sakura bloom.

Friday Night Kareoke

I love to sing! Singing songs that everyone knows with a group of friends in a small room in a foreign country is such a good time! the Beatles, Michael Jackson, the Foundations, Love Revolution, theme music of Orange Days, etc.

Shopping in Kyoto

The shopping here is very addicting. I have never been much of a shopper before... Supposedly, whenever one learns a new language and experiences a new culture, one often has a new personality. In Paris, for example, I was much more socio-politically minded. In Kyoto, I think I am becoming a shopper, or at least a window shopper! (Everything is quite expensive.) Moreover, if I accidentally buy a new wardrobe (especially shoes, pocketbooks, and other accessories), I might look more Japanese and fit in better. It is interesting that the way foreigners walk, talk, dress, behave, and hold and present themselves is simply somehow different than in the Japanese. I've decided that my goal is to study this and attempt to blend in. A friend and I went to a flea market/handmade craft fair last Thursday at a shrine, and I found a wonderful new handbag for only 500 yen!

じろじろ見る

生活になれましたか？　まだなれません。 "Have you become accustomed to life in Japan?" was the opening question of today's grammar class. Of the eight students in the class, half answered that they had become accustomed to Japan life and the other half (including me) answered that we had not yet.　

Of course, the follow-up question was either what was different from our homes or what was difficult with life here. My answer, which others in the program have felt as well, is that we are constantly stared at. Mite! Gaijin desu! (Look! It's a foreigner!) Moreover, it is not a kind stare but an interrogating or questioning one. We feel like we stick out. Yesterday, a few of us were discussing this feeling. I said that I feel like I am constantly in the way. I can't figure out which side of the sidewalk to walk on, where to move when a bicycle is coming at me, or which line to join at the train station. Comically, as saying this, I backed up a little and nearly stepped on someone walking behind me! I had to laugh. However, on explaining this in class to day, I used the word "misumeru," which translates as to stare. This "stare" is one of beauty or admiration I learned. The sensei told me I meant jirojiromiru (the subject of this entry), whose meaning offers a negative feeling along with the staring.

Interesting, upon starting a conversation with any Japanese person, 95% of the time, they are kind, helpful, and interested in having a conversation. Therefore, I said that overall I feel a bit confused here (tomadou). Japan is a very homogenous society and I think it is understood that I am trying to live here (food shopping, train pass, no huge backpack strapped to me) rather than just be a tourist, which creates some tension it seems.

The flower shop lady

Outside the supermarket that I like going to, called Fresco, there is a small flower store. Everytime I pass by it I wish to have fresh cut flowers like I always do in Pasadena, but I had yet to buy a vase. Finally, yesterday, I went to daisoo, a hyaku en store and purchased a flower vase and three futon cushions. Next, I went directly to the supermarket and after buying a few groceries, I walked outside to buy some fresh cut flowers. However, to my dismay, the store was just closing and the lady was putting all the flowers away. I asked if it was too late and she showed me the flowers that she still had out - they were little bouquets for only 150 yen! I purchased one with pretty yellow and pink flowers and upon doing so she gave me two roses to go with them that are in full bloom! I think that they had broken off longer stems and so she was going probably to discard them, but no! She gave them to me and doing so restored my faith in the kindness of the Japanese as I have been feeling a bit flustered living here lately.

First day of classes

Classes today were good and I was glad to have them begin. The teachers are extremely kind and my class has only 6 students in it! Two Americans, one Canadian, one person from Mongolia, another from Switzerland (she speaks German, not French), and the last from New Zealand!

I have a good deal of homework, which is graded, I think. I must admit that everything in class today was pure review and VERY easy but that is fine with me. I'm sure that the pace will pick up soon and I appreciate how important review is just to make sure that everyone is on the same page and to solidify the ideas in our heads. Having a strong foundation is of utmost importance!

In today's Japan culture class, we visited a Zen temple near the campus. There is a beautiful dragon painted on the ceiling, who, if you clap at him, will answer your call by flapping his wings back to you! It was quite neat. They have sitting sazen mediation for the public on two Sundays each month, which I am planning to attend.

Japanese Cell Phones!!!

Japanese cell phones (keitai) are simply amazing! All come equipped with email, cameras, internet, etc. I love my new cell phone. It is a shiny metallic PINK of all colors. (Japan is a very color and gender conscious society: the floor of one women's bathroom I used last night was pink and grey while the men's was blue and yellow.) To receive another person's email address and phone number and other profile information, it is only necessary to put the two phones close to each other and "send" the information via infra-red technology. Very advanced and very exciting! The profile part of the phone stores information other than just contact info, such as birthday, horoscope sign, and blood type. Evidently, blood types are especially important in Japan.

On maturity

The Tokyo Study Center is a group of three very kind individuals who met us at the airport, helped us find our hotel, settle into our apartments, and guided us through our first three days in Japan. They manage all UC education abroad programs in Japan. They returned to their offices in Tokyo after those first few days; however, in one of their opening orientations, they gave us two definitions of maturity. In the United States, to be mature, they proposed is to be able to act independently and to be responsible for one's own actions and decisions. In Japan, a mature person is someone who is able to cooperate and get along well with others as well as someone who suppresses one's own desires for the sake of the group. "Otonashi" describes a mature person. Its definition means both "adult-like" as well as "gentle" and "submissive." Omoshiroi desu ne!