Sunday, October 21, 2012
My hosts at Fukushima were at the station to receive us. They took us to a traditional Japanese house where we were treated to hot soup and some oddities that I hadn't tasted before. I tried the chopsticks and was successful to pick up single grain of rice with it. After lunch, we were invited into the ancient house to witness and share the cultural experience of a traditional Tea ceremony.
It was certainly a new experience to witness the tradition; the meditative perfection of the art of making tea. The ladies dressed in brightly colored kimonos seemed oblivious to our presence. I caught up with the tradition by bowing before the person who served me tea. The lady sitting next to me explained to me that the tea cup had an art work done on it and that the art work done on each cup depicts a story. I thanked the lady in-charge of the house for giving me a peek into their tradition.
We shot off for the mountains in the afternoon and I got my first view of autumn
colors in the hills of Fukushima.
The red maple gave a fiery red colour to the hillside. As we climbed higher, the distinct odor of hydrogen sulphide hung in the air. The terrain changed from lush foliage to yellow tinged rock,
the colour of sulphur. Parts of the terrain were barren with sparse vegetation suggesting hostile environment for vegetation. There was also suggestion of frequently changing terrain to the frequent tremor induced landslides. As the smell of volcanic gases grew stronger, we could see vapour plumes in the mountains ahead.
We reached the base of AzumakoFuji (like Mt Fuji)
and ascended the steps to the volcanic crater. The chilling winds were stinging into my cheeks and I was in constant fear of being blown into the crater.
I spent a week at Fukushima visiting the University hospital. My hosts took me to local restaurants encouraging me to taste the local delicacies. My first visit to a traditional japanese restaurant with my friends at the university was impressive. We had to sit on the floor in dugouts infront of a table that served as a hotplate too. Condiments, chillies, pepper and sauces were at the table. Raw food was ordered and cooked by us on the hotplate. The hotplate served as a warmer too for the cold weather outside.
My hosts at Fukushima were at the station to receive us. They took us to a traditional Japanese house where we were treated to hot soup and some oddities that I hadn't tasted before. I tried the chopsticks and was successful to pick up single grain of rice with it. After lunch, we were invited into the ancient house to witness and share the cultural experience of a traditional Tea ceremony.
It was certainly a new experience to witness the tradition; the meditative perfection of the art of making tea. The ladies dressed in brightly colored kimonos seemed oblivious to our presence. I caught up with the tradition by bowing before the person who served me tea. The lady sitting next to me explained to me that the tea cup had an art work done on it and that the art work done on each cup depicts a story. I thanked the lady in-charge of the house for giving me a peek into their tradition.
We shot off for the mountains in the afternoon and I got my first view of autumn
colors in the hills of Fukushima.
The red maple gave a fiery red colour to the hillside. As we climbed higher, the distinct odor of hydrogen sulphide hung in the air. The terrain changed from lush foliage to yellow tinged rock,
the colour of sulphur. Parts of the terrain were barren with sparse vegetation suggesting hostile environment for vegetation. There was also suggestion of frequently changing terrain to the frequent tremor induced landslides. As the smell of volcanic gases grew stronger, we could see vapour plumes in the mountains ahead.
We reached the base of AzumakoFuji (like Mt Fuji)
and ascended the steps to the volcanic crater. The chilling winds were stinging into my cheeks and I was in constant fear of being blown into the crater.
I spent a week at Fukushima visiting the University hospital. My hosts took me to local restaurants encouraging me to taste the local delicacies. My first visit to a traditional japanese restaurant with my friends at the university was impressive. We had to sit on the floor in dugouts infront of a table that served as a hotplate too. Condiments, chillies, pepper and sauces were at the table. Raw food was ordered and cooked by us on the hotplate. The hotplate served as a warmer too for the cold weather outside.
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