CHINESE COPY CAT...

A Real China Doll~

Aunty likes to copy everything I do. If I wear a dress, she does too. If I buy a new lipstick so does she. And, if I blog about turning Japanese, then she must blog about turning Chinese.

Everyone enjoyed my post about how much I love, and am influenced by the Japanese culture. Aunty did not want to be upstaged by her niece, so she pulled out her shirt that was made in China, grabbed her chopsticks and her Chinese cup which she borrowed from a joint called Lucky Moon. She reminded me how much she enjoys oolong tea. She boasts…“That’s the kind they serve in Chinese restaurants you know, and the type that little old Chinese men drink.” In copious amounts, I might add.

She just ran with this Asian thing. She even posed for a photographer with her china tea cup. Is it me, or does it look like Aunty is saying… sure my niece Renee is turning Japanese, but I am a China Doll? I say she is a Chinese Copy Cat!

Any way you look at it, we are having rice for dinner tonight. And, one thing Aunty and I agree on is that both cultures have an appreciation of tradition, family, honor and beauty, just like she and I do.

A GREEN MOMENT...

Cousins Connecting Over Tea and The Continents...

Many of you have probably heard the accurate statement, what you think about expands. I have also found that what I blog about expands.

Take for example my love for family, tea, and the desire to go to Japan. I always talk about tea, and just the other day I wrote about my affinity for Japanese Culture. After that post, I continued thinking about how much I would love to attend a real tea ceremony in Japan.

This is where the laws of attraction kick in. By doing this writing, thinking, focusing, and visualizing … suddenly I was there (well, in a way). I am not in position right now to spend two thousand dollars, jump on a plane for fifteen hours, and head for Japan. But, none the-less… I was putting all this energy into the universe with my laser sharp thoughts and visions.

As it turns out, I emailed my long lost cousin who lives in Japan. He immediately responded by telling me he was in the states. He had just given a talk for his dissertation at none other than Harvard University. He was not too far away from me. He invited me to tea. He had brought along some of the real thing... the green matcha powder, the whisk and the bowls, (the utensils used for the tea rituals). Before I knew it, I was in a hotel room in Boston drinking green tea out of a bowl with my Cousin Joe from Japan! Speaking to me in Japanese, he served me up as an authentic Japanese tea ceremony as possible. It was a well manifested green moment.

This is why I share with my readers, and ask them to see good things for themselves. Imagine your dreams. Believe they can happen. For me it might have just involved a traditional cup of green tea with my cousin. But, next time I am going to imagine  sitting down discussing my book deal with a savvy agent. I will be so alert and full of life… one of the many benefits of green tea. The tea alone might not land me an agent, but if I drink enough I will have the stamina to write for a life time.

AGELESS TIP OF THE WEEK: Anything is possible when you drink green tea and stay positive~

And for more on the amazing health benefits of green tea *including how to prevent gum disease, go to:

http://www.hibiki-an.com/

http://www.rishitea.com/

TURNING JAPANESE...

This could easily be me...

When I say “I think I’m turning Japanese,” I mean it…

The first thing I see in the morning (after a good night sleep on my Japanese buckwheat pillow) is a picture of a Japanese Garden hanging on my wall. I walk into the bathroom and wash my face, hair, and body with everything Shiseido. After breakfast I brew a pot of Gyokuro green tea. During my writing ritual, I sip more green tea, and burn Shoyeido’s Lisn, Sound on Wave, incense…the best in all the world! Later, I get into my Honda Accord and take Aunty to buy Hello Kitty items.

When we get home we watch Miyazaki films. My Neighbor Totoro, is one of my all time favorites. Aunty and I enjoy organic ice green tea. We often eat Udon and Soba noodles for dinner.

We bow before bed (and this is not a joke)… prayer and meditation are two ways we stay young and healthy, and we often genuflect in the practice. One of these days I am going to acquire my own kimono… I have my eye on one that is simply sublime (and way out of my price range).

Friday, I went to a concert to hear Elizabeth Bennett play the Shakuhachi. She is the First American woman to master the Shakahachi in the US. This is a Japanese end-blown flute traditionally made of bamboo. It was used by the monks of the Fuke school of Zen Buddhism in the practice of suzien (blowing meditation). Its soulful sound made it popular in 1980s pop music in the English-speaking world. Her playing transported me into a deep, sonic spiritual journey. That night I dreamed I was in Japan, sipping sake under the cherry blossoms…

I can’t wait to actually go to. The people there seem to smile a lot. I will fit right in. They might even mistake me for a native. I have got the grin, the bangs, and a kimono on lay-away. I’ve even got the bow down pat. I love temples, gardens, and tea parties. I am really on a roll here…Make that a California roll…with extra ginger.

Arigato…
Sushi all around

I hope I am by no means politically incorrect here. I am simply paying tribute to a fantastic culture that has captured my heart and pocket book.~

For more go to:
http://www.shakuhachi.com/
http://www.howtojapan.blogspot.com/
http://www.japan-guide.com/
http://www.miyazaki.com/
And, check out the song Rainy Night in Tokyo, by Michael Franks ~

Save the Date: The 2011 National Cherry Blossom Festival -- March 26 - April 10, with the Parade on April 9, right here in Washington D.C.