Tea in the Classroom

Last week in Intro to Japanese History, Culture and Performing Arts, we had a traditional tea ceremony performed for us in class. Here's the makeshift tea room.

We were first served sweets to prepare our palettes for the very bitter green tea that would follow.

The wooden spear is actually a traditional samurai toothpick!

Here's the sensei preparing the tea.

The ceremony is very methodical. Each movement is precise and predetermined. So you can imagine how well I did when it was my turn to try. Keep in mind this is after having two bowls of tea—super-caffeinated tea! How many ways did I screw up? Well, I started by stepping on the floor in my stocking feet before stepping onto the rug (damnit!). I was flying from the tea, it was super hot, and I was completely aware how bulky and unrefined I was next to the sensei. 

Look at this:

 

And then I drank that bowl of tea too. Woohoo! I'm still amped from that day. (Not really.)

Comments

[rupan777]

I've always thought Cha-no-yu was interesting to study, historically, but one of those things that is just too abstract for us Americans to get since our sense of ceremony goes as far as waiting in line for the bathroom.