As important as having the right form, the correct utensils must be used which add colour and grace to the entire process. Another integral part of the tea ceremony is the sweets that are served along with each bowl of tea. The flavours of the sweets and tea really complement one another, which is a definite sign of harmony.
Although there are many forms of tea ceremony, even the most restless people should be able to enjoy the relatively simple method that I learned two years ago under the direction of the wife of a former teacher at the school. My main reaction to having done tea ceremony was one of amazement, mostly at its regal structure and its ensuing tranquility. The only annoying thing about the entire process was having to sit Japanese style, making my whole body literally crunch my feet to sleep. This caused some hilarious scenarios when trying to stand up and regain a sense of balance with pins and needles shooting up and down my legs. However, like with almost everything in life, practice makes perfect and the more I practiced the rituals of folding the large cloth, delicately putting two scoops of green tea powder into the bowl and swirling the liquid around to give it the perfect amount of froth, my legs, too, got accustomed to their new position.
The location of a tea ceremony is normally a tea house but when I performed it it was held outdoors at the annual St. Mary's Carnival (usually the first Saturday in May). Our "kitchen" was behind a large tree and we performed on a red carpet on the ground in front of it. If you ever get a chance to visit Japan (or, even better, Kyoto), I would encourage you to experience this unique Japanese artform.
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