Today I attended a cultural exchange "Super Saturday" activity sponsored by the women's organization of our church. It was attended by both American and Japanese women. We got to choose from several classes and activities. In the morning, the Japanese women taught the classes, and in the afternoon, the American women taught the classes.
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| I learned how to make katsu-don (fried pork cutlet on an egg/onion sauce over rice) |
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| The Japanese women dressed us American women in their formal kimonos. |
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| First they put our hair in a fancy up-do. |
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| And added a flower for extra beauty. |
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| I chose my flower because I like red and thought it would go with many of the kimonos. Maybe I should've chosen my flower based on shape instead. |
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| First they put a silk robe on us, then the kimono, then the obi around our waists with a semi-flexible plastic board in front to keep it stiff. |
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| It was very sweet how they fussed over us. |
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| I love how this obi ties in the back. |
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| Then we got our picture taken. I love this kimono! No comment about the flower. |
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| I wish I'd brought my geta (those clog-like shoes that go with kimonos). |
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| I couldn't resist posing with the parasol. |
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| Next, I learned to make sushi. |
In the afternoon, I went to two classes taught by Americans: (1) Quilting; (2) How to play two games: Farkle (a dice game) and Spoons (a card game). I was the only American to attend the game-playing during that session so I got to play with the Japanese ladies, and it was really fun, although I lost both rounds of Farkle.
Other classes offered were--
Japanese-taught: Japanese songs, origami, and basket-making
American-taught: Cake decorating, making baby toys, Hula dancing, and making girls' hair bows.
We also had lunch together. The Americans brought sub sandwiches and desserts. The Japanese brought a variety of delicious foods.
