The candles reflected your love in your eyes…hihihi…

In September, I participated in one party in my town.

One of my friends, and my co-executive belongs to JC, Junior Chamber International Japan. So every time they hold their events, he asked me to join, and letting me join in the events helps him keep his position.

This time, it was the let’s-make-candles-by-ourselves-and-hope-our-peace party.

After cooking, how do you dispose your waste oils? With one ingredient you add them, you easiliy can make candles by yourself. The secret ingredient is…a coagulant called “katameru-kun” in Japan.

First, you have to boil your waste oils for a while. Second, put some crayon into them to turn their color into any color you want. Third, top the candle with a kite string. After that, all you have to do is wait. You can get your own candle in ten minutes or so.

Even though it was September, it was so cold and winds were strong because we had gotten a typhoon the previous day. “Godam it! It’s fukin’ cold!” saying like that, I made my own candle.

One thing had changed my irritated feeling. There was one Australian among the participants! His name is Rick!

He was making his candles in other table I was; however, I came to him and started taking to him. Like this, “Hey, how’s your candles? Oh, look good? You gotta cool candles!”.

After that, I talked with him for a while. Even though the party was over and we watched some events spoken in Japanese, he asked me to translate the story from Japanese to English.

“Hey, HoneyPotter….you…you…really can speak English! I…I’m sorry…I’d thought it’s not true.” one of my friends in the participant said to me like this….hihihi…

“Hey, Rick! As a matter of fact, I have my own blog to introduce Japanise life. I’d like to write this event…and you! May I? May I put your photo into my article?” I asked him. He pleasantly said to me, “yes! ofcourse! Tell me your blog’s address! I’ll check it!”

I’ve finally gotten this article into my blog! Rick…I hope you read this!

This is Rick. Someday, I’ll go to Australia to see him and his family.

These are candles he made. What a cute color he got!

Participants tried to make their candles…

In ten minutes or so, you can get your own candles…

Hatsumoude in Kyoto Vol.3

Hi! It’s been a long time, huh? How do you guys doing? I was busy studying English test called TOEIC.

March is about to finish, however, I’ll try to write the last of my hatsumoude article.

The final place I went to was Ryoanji temple.

Ryoanji, which was built in 1450, is located in the north of Kyoto called “rakuhoku”. You can hear these words, such as “rakuhoku”, “rakusei”, “rakutou”, “rakunan”. These words indicate the four cardinal points respectively. “rakuhoku” means the north of Kyoto. “rakusei” means the west of Kyoto. “rakutou” means the east of Kyoto. “rakunan” means the south of Kyoto.

Ryoanji temple is famous for the rock garden called “sekitei” in Japanese. The rock garden is 250 meters squares, and consisting of white sand and fifteen rocks.

Once you get in the garden, you can feel the dignity of silence…. Writing this article, I remembered one song’s title….it’s “Sound of Silence”. You can hear the sound of silence in this garden.

White sand is lying in the garden like ocean, and fifteen rocks is lying as well like islands.

I’ll tell you one interesting topic on this garden. In only one angle and position, you can see whole fifteen rocks. If you stand and see in the other places, you will not see them. That is most interesting mistery of this garden.

After the rock garden, you can find a beautiful mossed garden. Many tourist guides tend to tell one topic about moss.

“Do you know the moss burger?” the guides might say that.
“Yeah, ofcourse. What is it?” the tourist might say that.
“Oh, great. then….do you know what the meaning of moss is?” the guides might say that.
“oh…I don’t know it at all. What does it mean?” the tourist might say that.
“the word ‘moss’ means…’koke’ in Japanese! ‘Moss burger’ means ‘koke burger’ heheh! Hey, take a look at this garden. You can find the beauty of this gurden’s moss!” the guides might say that.

Those conversations are used by many guides in Kyoto.

When I left this gurden, I faced very terrible scene in the enterance of this garden. I guessed they were Italian… They came to Japan for sightseeing.

To enter this temple, you have to put your shoes off, however, one of Italian tourist tried something suprising with his smile on his face!

He…put two plastic bags on his shoes….like putting a new shoes on his current shoes! What an impolite behavior! I was surprised with it! We think it’s important to be polite in such holy places…. That is what we are taught from Confucianism and Buddhism… What he did was definitely allowed….ummm…

I thought on thing at that time…. If I did wrong attitudes in the CHURCH, would he feel disappointed with me???

My hatsumoude in Kyoto article is over. Next time, I’ll write other topics in my ordinary life. Don’t miss it!