Calligraphy Time (書道のタイム)

Originating in China, calligraphy is the ancient art of writing pictographic characters with an ink-drenched brush and they say using a focussed mind...may sound easy, but wait until you're in a class with 38 kids, ages 8-9...then the fun really begins. Let it be noted this is my first EVER time at Japanese calligraphy or "shodou" and that added to my excitement...did I mention there were actually 39 kids in class??? Only this last kid's age adds up to the 9 years at a 2 + 7 rate :)! I wasn't too sure how the class was going to procede after my partner proudly displayed her last calligraphy practice. It says "biru"...which means BEER!!! What are they teaching these youngsters I'd like to know???

Ok, but onto the more serious stuff...here are some kids hard at work!!

These boys are crazy about my skills of calligraphy...actually I think they are just camera crazy. But most importantly they give me a nice, lighthearted laugh everytime I see 'em and no crazy business as other JETs will know exactly to what I'm referring!!!

And finally the finished product...or object of the day. The kanji 和敬精寂 which is said "wakeiseijaku" and in English terms means "harmony, respect, purity, and tranquility". These are the 4 most important elements of the tea ceremony.

A lot of hard-earned brushing went down today...shown by black stained hands, crumpled up paper, and my all time favorite-unbenownst to this boy, the ink-splattered face!!! Kawaii ne!!