Naomi-san was the host, Aiko-san the guest.
The tea ceremony typically lasts for several hours.
The demonstration was only half-an-hour long.
Note that the Naomi-san and Aiko-san were sitting on their knees for the whole time (itai!).
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The guest enters.
She examines the pot where the water is boiling.
The floor is covered with tatamis (straw mats).
No shoes allowed!
The guest sits.
All movements in the room are made
without standing, but
by moving with the body in sitting position.
The host is entering the room.
The guest answer the greetings, and watches
the preparation without otherwise speaking or moving.
On that evening she also had the sunset right in her face,
which probably made watching quite difficult.
The host cleans the ustensiles,
then pours some hot water into the bowl.
Before whipping the tea, the host examines every object, appreciating the grain of the bowl, the feeling of the bamboo tools.
When invited to do so, the guest eats some special sweets.
A small quantity of tea is then made.
The guest then comes to get the bowl of tea,
still moving while in the sitting position.
The guest drinks 3 sips only.
After thanking the host,
she examines the bowl,
appreciating its structure and
patterns.
The hosts gets the bowl back, and pours some water in to clean it,
then wipes it.
All movements follow very strict rules, and look like a slow dance.
Naomi-san, the host, hands the ustensiles over to an aid,
then leaves.
Our guest then turns to the calligraphy hanging on the wall,
examines it and meditates on its meaning.
Then she appreciates the bouquet, before moving around the room to look at the fire and pot on it.
the end...
The festival had the worst possible conditions :
there was a stage next to the Japanese house, and
a karaoke bar (a tent) behind it.
Not the best environment to meditate and empty one's mind!
All the more difficult for Aiko-san and Naomi-san, who gave us a
truly wonderful time.
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