A Day in Korien

Today was linen day. I don't think I've explained linen day yet. Every so often, once a month I think, we have a day when they put a box in front of the mail boxes down stairs. If you can remember to do so, you can take your sheets there and get new sheets from the front desk. They usually post a sign, one or two days before linen day in front of the elevators.

Today, Alex's host family invited me to a charity concert for the poor at their local catholic church.

(Catholic church I visited in Munich, Germany in Spring 2009)

To be honest, I've seen some pretty spectacular Catholic churches...

But I found myself surprisingly more moved by a choir of Japanese housewives in a sparsely decorated room with one stained glass window.

They sung a lot of songs in Japanese, some I recognized; others I didn't. The Latin songs they sung I recognized were Kyrie, Benedictus, and Agnus Dei. Two altos were crying as they sang and one soprano was grinning from ear to ear. It was contagious. :)

Some Japanese elementary students also sang. One of the songs they sang was in English: Joyful, Joyful.

It was a lot of fun and I'm really glad I went.

What you could see of the church from the road.

Afterwards, Alex's host parents introduced us to a friend in a wheelchair of theirs they were assisting. He invited us to his house.

His mother(?) teaches Tea ceremony and they live in the Noh Theater. He used to perform in Noh theater, which is a traditional Japanese musical drama performed since the 14th century. I think they own it?

We got to go in and see the stage, a rare and amazing opportunity, according to Alex's Okaasan. She says most Japanese people don't get the chance. I felt really honored.

While we were there, we got to sit in on a tea ceremony and watch the master teach a student the winter tea ceremony. Apparently, there is a different ceremony for each season. We even got to participate and receive the tea the student was making. I never knew that receiving a drinking tea could be so complicated... but it was fun. I can even feel my feet now...

Afterwards, Alex's host family invited me to eat dinner with them. I got to see their house and where Alex lives. They were really sweet and we talked for several hours.

NHK, the major Japanese TV Network does a major year long drama every year that follows a famous Japanese person's life. This year it is Ryoma Sakamoto, the man they consider responsible for triggering the change in Japanese policy that ended the Japanese "closed door" seclusion policy and opened Japan to foreign countries in the Meiji Restoration. So the four of us sat down and watched today's episode when it came on.

Afterwards I came home and cooked baked beans... yeah...