Geisha, School and Hanami!

It’s only been about a week since my last post, but I feel months behind, so I’m going to have to stick to the big stuff.

Interview with a Geisha
Two weekends ago, Claire finally sorted out her tickets and set off for her long journey home to America, as I set off on my journey to Kyoto. It was my fourth day there in less than 2 weeks, but I went for a totally different reason; this time, a geisha show! I met the group (of IFA members and other foreigners) at Tsuchiyama station and we all took the train together. The group was pretty big (17 people), but it turned out to be a good thing. Yamada-san, a woman I met last fall and adore (but see rarely) planned the event and found an awesome Japanese restaurant for all of us. We were split into two groups, and I was in the second one, so we had some time to wander around before the show. I found some vintage postcards from Takasago and Kyoto at a little antique shop and had a nice chat with some of the other folks in the group as we walked around Gion.
The show itself was really impressive. Memiors of a Geisha is one of my favorite books and Claire and I had seen maiko (apprentice geisha) in Kyoto the week before so I thought I was somewhat prepared for our experience, but I know a lot of Japanese people were upset with the depiction of Japanese culture (at least from the movie, called “Sayuri” here), so I was not sure how much of this "prep" was misguided. I think some people would call Geisha high-class prostitutes, but I (at least) understood that it was more of an art (high-class entertainers??) and traditional part of the culture.
Booking time with a geisha (or “geiko” since we were in Kyoto – Geisha is only used in Toyko) can be really expensive and usually includes dinner and a performance, but it was actually pretty affordable and totally exceeded my expectations. The way it worked is that our group was led into a small, Japanese room with a L-shaped table for us to sit around. We had about 45 minutes to watch a traditional dance performance (the geisha are skilled in many traditional forms of art, from dance to instruments to song), participate in a Japanese tea ceremony, ask questions and then take one-on-one and group pictures. The room had tatami floors, had large windows overlooking a small Japanese garden, and was draped in red. As we walked in, the maiko-san (apprentice geisha) greeted us with low bow from her kneeling position on the floor and we found spots around the table. Our maiko-san’s name was Ayaka and she was 17. Very sweet and outgoing. She had an old-fashioned Japanese hairstyle (huge, elegant and intricate; like what you see in Samurai movies), decorated with cherry blossoms and small silver butterflies (spring attire - it was the first day). Her face was painted a stark white color, a strong contast against her black hair, with red lining her eyes and bright red lips and her silk kimono had the long-sleeves (and train) of an unmarried woman. So pretty!
So in addition to learning about geisha, I learned a bit more about tea ceremony (like to eat the candy first to adjust the taste of the matcha and then turn the cup three times to the right before drinking). Even though everything was in Japanese, the Q & A ses was not too hard to follow (with some translation help), and I found it really fun. I didn’t know that the reason the geisha have white faces was because the places they entertained were dark (candle-lit in olden times) and they needed the patrons to be able to see them, or that geisha go to special training school after middle school (instead of high school) and are apprentices (maiko) until they are 20, when they become a geisha. In the old days, children were often sold to geisha houses, but today, it is a choice (Ayaka decided she wanted to be a geisha when she was 8 – it's a respected profession with only about 1,000 total left in Japan). Maiko don’t make any money for their performances (it all goes to their “house”), but they do have some time off (they have to keep their hair up and wear kimono - no street clothes) and they can get married when they are older, as long as they retire.
After the show, we all went to Kiyomizudera, my favorite temple in Kyoto, where the cherry blossoms were in full bloom! It was stunning. Kelly and I decided to stay behind, and made friends with a (slightly lost and confused) backpacker from England who ended up going to dinner and karaoke with us before we headed home. It was a long day, but probably one of the most memorable of my time in Japan (funny how I keep saying that – probably a good sign!).

The Big Shake-Up
The morning after the show, was “moving day” at school, where everyone moves desks. The moving was supposed to begin at 9, but half of the room was packed up and people were already moving when I arrived at 8! I was a little overwhelmed and weirded out (I am one of the rare souls who did NOT move - the dynamics of my area are completely different), so I hid out in my classroom and studied while the chaos simmered down. I have a new boss now, there is a new head of the English department, and a new principal (who reminds me of a mob boss right out of the Sopranos, but is supposed to be very kind), so - needless to say - it’s been a big adjustment. There are a lot of changes in offices everywhere in Japan (not just in schools) during the spring (beginning of the fiscal calendar), so while the weather is exciting, it can also be a sad season. Yes, there are new classes, students and teachers to look forward to, but I have been a little sad and am lamenting my old situation that I had grown so accustomed to (even my frenemy!)...
The week is packed with ceremonies, new teachers have arrived, and we are gearing up for the second term to start, so I think I will be able to focus less on the differences and more on my work agenda soon. I have a much fuller schedule this term and want to take on more with the English Speaking Society (including speech contests), so I should be (a lot?) busier.

HANAMI
Who knew flower-watching could be so much fun?! This weekend was packed with hamami, or flower-viewing parties, with friends at Himeji Castle on Saturday and Osaka Castle Park on Sunday. Hanami is basically an excuse to get together with friends for a picnic and a few drinks, while enjoying nature – I LOVE IT!
My friend Katie stayed at my place for the weekend and I saw a lot of people I haven’t seen in a while. The party on Saturday had a good turnout (about 60 expats?) and I met Jane and some Japanese friends in Osaka on Sunday. The formula for both events was about the same; a group of people, sitting on a tarp, drinking, having fun and just chatting! MTV Japan stopped to tape our tarp in Osaka, but I doubt I'll catch it - cool to know it was the real deal, though.
The flowers are breathtaking. I know we have “sakura” in America, but they are literally everywhere here (not just the castles)…. the fact that the blossoms only bloom for several weeks each spring and are barren, horrific-looking branches (again, pretty much everywhere) for the rest of the year really explains luster and drama of it all. No complaints here, though! I have to admit, despite being away from family, it WAS a really nice way to spend easter, as well.


Alright, lots more going on (the weather is beautiful, I am doing well, had my first dream (at least partially) in Japanese (and I have tickets to Snow Patrol this weekend!), but I'll try to be better and post more soon! For now - Off to bed! Hope you all had a Happy Easter!