Life at first sight

May 13, 2015

 

 

I arrived in Kyoto last night during the threat of a typhoon. It was raining hard, the winds were blowing heavily, and the streets were filled with people and their big umbrellas. I fell in the love at first sight. The city was charming. We arrived at Kyoto Central Station and it is filled with foods of all kinds that I love, waiting for me.

 
We went to the place that we rented and it is a very old traditional house with modern conveniences. When we entered the house, there was gravel and stones entryway that we all said "ahhh" to because it was so simple, so beautiful, so Japanese. Of course, we're in Japan you might say, but they say Kyoto is the Japan that people have images of when they think of Japan.  We would find this would be true as we walked down cobblestone alleys in the old city with ancient wooden buildings, lanterns lit, and the occasional woman in kimono walking by quickly and gracefully.

 

 

 

One of the most beautiful Starbuck patios...

There was stillness in the night with the rain and the threat of a typhoon coming but I got the feeling that there is a stillness that is always there despite the storm and all the tourists that visit, and there are over 50 million visitors to Kyoto yearly!

 

In Tokyo, there was not stillness as this is truly the city that never sleeps. However, I found there to be incredible mindfulness and patience of individuals toward others despite being in a city of over 20 million. Very rarely do you see people rushing or being impatient, pushing or crowding, in fact they often encourage you to go first. I had to catch myself when I would be rushing to catch the train or be doing something in a non mindful manner. I would watch others around me and slow down or take the time to put away things carefully and neatly. I was becoming more Japanese.

 

Today the typhoon warning was lifted and it was warm sunny day. We walked through the city and my friend Fumiko invited us to go to her tea ceremony class. There are so many classes offered in traditional arts and culture in Kyoto and Fumiko has been going to the same teacher for some 10 years. She loves going to her because she is an expert and so kind in her nature. Besides tea ceremony, she takes classes in putting on a kimono and another in making of a kimono. There seems to be a lot of classes here to take, my kind of place!
 

On our way to the tea ceremony class...

 

We were honoured to be invited into the tatami room in a house to watch Fumiko perform one of many approaches to tea ceremony she has learned over the years, under the guidance of her teacher who would make gentle gestures or say a few words if she would forget something. We started with wagashi, sweets, before each taking our turn at drinking the matcha tea she made for us so carefully. Afterwards, two more students came to practice, another  young woman and man.

 

Wagashi sweets to counter the bitterness of the matcha...

 

We were interested in watching the young man practice such a careful and delicate art form that you would think only the women would be interested in, from our North American perspective. It was also interesting to find out that the two students are both chefs in the city, one the chef-owner of a vegetarian restaurant in Kyoto that we will try tomorrow.

 

In my travels, it never ceases to amaze me how many interesting people that I meet and that cross my path. And through this, I have realized that sometimes instead of waiting for opportunities to come to me, I have to go out into the world so they can find me.