また後で (mata ato de) : See You Later

My Japanese class finally came to an end. I wrote the final exam this past Thursday, after spending the entire night cramming all kinds of grammar rules and vocab. Let's just say it was a long, long, long, long night. After the exam, we all went for lunch at Sakura, where we surprised our teacher and TA with flowers and thank you cards.It was actually a super sad moment. We literally spent everyday together for the past two months and a half. Oi sensei was so kind and patient with us, it was unbelievable. She always walked into class with a huge smile, while all of us sat in there with our tired and annoyed faces - I actually feel guilty now. Soyama sensei, our beloved TA will be so dearly missed. Every afternoon we've spent in class with her was always filled with laughter and funny stories. So many times I wanted to skip class on a sunny afternoon, but I was never able to do it because of her. The thought of missing her class always made me feel so bad, so I never skipped. Although, very often I would just sit there half asleep, not listening - I am honestly a really bad student aren't I? I am super grateful to have gotten two such great instructors.

I am also grateful for the amazing classmates I had. They are kind and funny. Everyone got along amazingly and we all became friends, which was totally unexpected to me.  I was never the type of person who didn't get along with classmates, but we befriended each other so quickly and often hung out after class.They made learning Japanese that much more enjoyable. I grew quite close with a few of them and I am so glad to have them as friends. On Thursday night, JP invited us over to his apartment for a "graduation" party. It was a bittersweet moment because while we celebrated the end of the class, it also reminded us that what had brought all together in the first place is leaving all of us. If I was intoxicated when I left, I think I would've cried. We all promised stay in touch with each other. But you know how it is - it's always easier said than done.

一 期一会 (ichi go ichi e)

Recently, my classmates and I went to the Montreal Japanese Canadian Cultural Center for a Japanese tea ceremony demonstration. I didn't have much knowledge about tea ceremonies, so I was looking forward to it. Although I wasn't actively participating in the ceremony (I was merely an observant on the side, as there were only two spots available for students to join), being part of a ceremony is much harder than it seems. As guest, you are sitting on your legs during the entire time and not allowed to move around or shift positions. I am not going to lie, there were moments during the demonstration where I was falling. All you do is watch the tea master prepare tea according to the Way of Tea!  On the other hand, as a host, you are required to serve tea following a sequence of precise movements. A complete formal ritual can last up to four hours!

An important part the tea ceremony is the concept of 一 期一会 (ichi go ichi e), which literally means "one moment, one meeting". It pretty much translates into that each moment is unique, and must be lived to the fullest and treated with the utmost sincerity. This saying goes hand in hand with tea ceremonies as the objective of the latter is to clear your hear of all distractions and really focus on the present moment.  

During the demonstration, matcha was served. Even if only two of my classmates got to participate in the ceremony, the rest of us still got to drink some matcha. I've always heard that matcha served in the rituals were always quite bitter, and hence why a sweet is always offered to the guest before they drink the tea. Likewise, I was offered some azuki mochi right before receiving my bowl of matcha. To my big surprise, there was only a tiny bit of tea in the bowl, and the matcha wasn't bitter at all! It was delicious! If given the opportunity again, I'd love to be part of the ceremony. Who knows, maybe I'll get an invitation from a tea master when I go to Japan next month!

Samia & I enjoying some Sencha after the ceremony

Samurai

On Friday, my class and I went on another field trip. We went to the Samurai exhibition at Pointe-a-Calliere, Montreal's history and archaeology museum. The exhibition was small, but filled with interesting pieces. They had everything from armors, to blades, katana swords and various accessories.  But very unfortunately, we weren't allowed to take any pictures. So, I ended up only snapping only a few shots at the entrance with my classmates.

Despite the small size of the exhibition (the entire collection was displayed in one room), we still had a guide who walked us around the items and explained the origins of samurais. I was never really familiar with the samurai culture, so it was great to have him around.

 

日本庭園 (nihon teien): Japanese Garden

A few weeks back, as part of my Japanese summer course, we spent a lovely afternoon at the Montreal Botanical Garden walking around the Japanese Garden followed by a spontaneous stop at the Chinese Garden.

At the Japanese garden, we had a guide who walked us through the Tea Garden as well as the Zen Garden. Of course, the teacher had requested the tour guide to speak to us in Japanese. The guide did explain some parts using English, because obviously, not many of us understood half of what she said. For the parts that I did understand, which weren't many, there are many styles and many principles to follow when it comes to traditional Japanese gardening. Walking through the Tea Garden was amazing. All the elements made is so peaceful and relaxing. Plus, the symbolism behind all the different parts make it that much more interesting.

After the Japanese Garden, we still had some time left, so we walked over to the Chinese Garden. It was pretty and all, but I personally found the Japanese Garden to be more intriguing. Maybe because we had a guided tour, which really helped me understand the meaning behind the gardens' landscaping.

Tea Garden

Tea Garden

Zen Garden

Japanese Garden

Chinese Garden

Chinese Garden