Great Success/Way of the Bow: Day One

I feel bad combing everything I did today in one post. If I had the time to, I would split my day up to give it the space it deserves.But, it's getting late and the homework isn't going anywhere. So without further ado, let's talk about why today was awesome!

First of all, classes are finally in "full swing", which means that our Japanese classes are now taught by two professors. The first hour is Fukai-sensei, and the second is Nishimata-sensei. Since I saw him on the first day of KCJS, I've thought he was really cool; turns out, he is. He and Fukai-sensei are married, actually, and are into heavy metal. They're kind of a kickass duo, and I'm glad they're my teachers. I checked with Fukai-sensei about using a book on music theory for my "personal semester goal", and she gave me the go-ahead. So, here's to reading a hyper-technical book in a foreign language!

Also, my search for shops to use in Yotsukura-sensei's class is over! Thanks to a classmates' recommendation, I've located a cute little bakery across the river, which is small and independent, bakes their own bread, and has sitting room available. Bonus: the 2nd floor cafe plays classical records. I'll be glad to be a regular there! Today I got yakitate (fresh baked) kabocha (it's a squash, but think sweet potato in terms of flavor) bread. Yum!

And for lunch, I went to...Falafel Garden. I know, falafel in Kyoto. Crazy! But it actually WAS falafel! Not half bad. Pricy, but I know where to go if I need to get my Israel-food cravings fixed up. I could swear I heard someone reading torah in the background of the music they were playing, but whatever. Not that I can read Hebrew anymore >_<

And now, for the kicker. Really, this should get it's own post. Today, me and Aarron (another KCJS student) went to the Kyudo Dojo our sensei recommended to see if we could enroll. After having us watch the adult class for a few minutes, Kawaguchi-sensei sat us down, and we talked over what we would be doing. We went through the equipment and the basics of Kyudo, which consists of 8 steps. Ah, if you don't know by now, Kyudo is Japanese archery. Anyway, she's having us practice without bow and arrow until we get the posture right. Once we do, we'll go from there. The other students in the group are all Kyoto college students. I'm sure we'll get along just fine!

There was one other interesting thing that happened there: at the end of the lesson, a foreign man slightly older than me approached me, and with accented English asked me how things work in the dojo. It turns out him and his wife are in Kyoto until December, and were thinking about practicing Kyudo. The tricky part was that he doesn't know any Japanese. I assumed the role of the translator, and asked sensei if they would be allowed to practice. Surprisingly, she said the language barrier would be no problem. After chatting with the foreigners a little longer, I learned that they were artists from France: the man was German, and the woman was Italian,but they came to Japan and are staying at an artist's retreat in Kyoto. It was kind of cool getting to meet them, and I hope they show up for Kyudo again.

And that was it for today! Countless repetition of the 8 stages, occasional tips from other Kyudo practitioners. I hope I'll be able to practice with the bow soon!