The First Stain of Sumi-e...

…was today. But despite the permanence of sumi stains (they’re almost impossible to get out), there’s an old housewives’ tale about how to remove that. So I will try that because I really like these pants!

So today I also applied for the Japanese National Health Insurance plan because the hospitals in Japan will take no foreign insurance (though you can be reimbursed afterwards). And I definitely do not want to pay out of my pocket! Also there’s the matter of my international insurance not being willing to pay for me if I get hit by a car. That was a real downer to learn. 

In sumi-e, we’re learning how to paint take, or bamboo. I’ve got the basics of it down, but I still think that some of my paintings look pretty poor. I believe that I can do bone-stalks (stalks done using the “bone” stroke) pretty well, but my leaves still look pretty poor. Also there’s the point of me not really knowing what the proper composition should be. Ah, well. Practice, practice, practice! Scott-sensei is pretty awesome. I have a great time talking with her during the two-hour sessions we have to take three times a week. She’s a big fan of Kyoto and classical culture (much like me), and today she mentioned that she was impressed by my background in Classical Heian literature and poetry (actually she was more like, “Where are you getting classical Heian poetry from in Beloit?” but I’ll take what I can! [Actually, most of my Heian background comes from my classes with the wonderful Charo D’Ecteverry at UW-Madison during my senior year of high school. You always read about influential people who shape your life, and Charo-sensei is mine. She’s the one who really got me interested in Japan {beyond the superficiality of liking anime and manga} and she’s the one who inspired me to become a professor of Japanese literature]).

Finally, today I gave Okaasan one of my better bamboo paintings and a gift to bring up to Tokyo for her son, grandson and daughter-in-law. She was overcome and thanked me a lot. I don’t quite understand why—the present is not for her—but I’m guessing it’s that I am being “Japanese polite” and sending a gift to people I don’t even know. Alternatively it could just be because it’s to her son’s family. XD

Dinner was fresh tempura (fried foods), and boy was that delicious. There was fish, potatoes, shaped fish paste (called takewa), and onions. It was delicious. Pics will be up on Monday, so check back!

There’s a kanji test that I have tomorrow, so I’m actually going to go study now!