Summer Festival in Concord
Clockwise from top left: Master Hideko Metaxas (in blue) and two assistants arranging an example of Rikka Shofutai; a free-style arrangement in honor of the victims and the philanthropists in the Tohoku Tsunami 2011; an Ikenobo sensei arranging a free-style display; Shoka (left) versus Rikka (right)
Learn something new everyday. At the Japanese American Summer Festival in Concord this year, I absorbed an hour of Ikenobo ikebana art, which is really, really, really rudimentary, but at least now I know that the Rikka style involves nine elements, and the Shoka style three elements (heaven, earth and man).
That day was also the first I’ve heard of the “Three Friends of Winter” sho chiku bai (pine, bamboo and plum), and this astonished me because 1. I’d never encountered any old Chinese things that my mom hasn’t told me about, and 2. it involves plum blossom, which is my name. There’s no way I wouldn’t know that my name is part of a trio that appears in Asian arts and folklores at lunar new year time. My memories must have been failing. 🙁 Anyhow, Nancy made a beautiful onigiri box that follows the sho chiku bai theme:
Homemade sho chiku bai onigiri by Nancy Togami: white onigiri with aonori and sesame (sho), yellow onigiri with fukujinzuke (chiku), and pink umeboshi onigiri (bai)
The rice balls, particularly the fukujinzuke ones (soy sauce pickles), go oh so well with the teriyaki chicken sold at the festival. For $5 you get a quarter of a chicken, either white or dark meat. I chose dark meat of course, a big juicy leg and thigh, but the white meat that Nancy picked also looked gleaming. Kenji-san went with 8 skewers of beef teriyaki for $8. We noshed while listening to the taiko drum performance. In the 110-degree heat, I tried not to stare at the kids swooshing their shaved ice, diverted my thoughts instead to the juniper and Japanese maple bonsai.
Mom is an avid believer against potted plants and caged birds, and I don’t even support cutting grass. But these miniature trees are undeniably works of art.
That said, if Mom and I were given one of these, first thing we do is removing the tree from the pot and digging it a nice warm hole in our front yard. 😉
Some truly howling work on behalf of the owner of this internet site, absolutely outstanding written content.
1I’m curious to find out what blog system you happen to be utilizing? I’m experiencing some small security issues with my latest site and I would like to find something more risk-free. Do you have any recommendations?
2Good day! This is my 1st comment here so I just wanted to give a quick shout out and tell you I genuinely enjoy reading through your blog posts. Can you recommend any other blogs/websites/forums that cover the same subjects? Thanks!
3I was looking at some of your posts on this internet site and I think this web site is really informative ! Keep posting.
4Howdy I am so thrilled I found your website, I really found you by error, while I was researching on Bing for something else, Nonetheless I am here now and would just like to say thank you for a incredible post and a all round enjoyable blog (I also love the theme/design), I don’t have time to read it all at the minute but I have book-marked it and also added in your RSS feeds, so when I have time I will be back to read a great deal more, Please do keep up the excellent work.
5Greetings! I’ve been following your weblog for a long time now and finally got the courage to go ahead and give you a shout out from Humble Texas! Just wanted to tell you keep up the good job!
6Very interesting subject, appreciate it for putting up.
7Hi there! This post couldn’t be written any better! Reading through this post reminds me of my previous room mate! He always kept talking about this. I will forward this article to him. Pretty sure he will have a good read. Thank you for sharing!
8Howdy! I’m at work browsing your blog from my new iphone 4! Just wanted to say I love reading through your blog and look forward to all your posts! Carry on the great work!
9I don’t unremarkably comment but I gotta admit appreciate it for the post on this perfect one :D.
10Thank you for sharing superb informations. Your website is so cool. I am impressed by the details that you have on this web site. It reveals how nicely you perceive this subject. Bookmarked this website page, will come back for extra articles. You, my pal, ROCK! I found simply the info I already searched everywhere and just couldn’t come across. What a great web-site.
11Very interesting subject , thanks for putting up.
12Whats up this is kind of of off topic but I was wondering if blogs use WYSIWYG editors or if you have to manually code with HTML. I’m starting a blog soon but have no coding experience so I wanted to get advice from someone with experience. Any help would be enormously appreciated!
13I couldn’t resist commenting
14An attention-grabbing discussion is worth comment. I think that you must write more on this subject, it won’t be a taboo subject but typically people are not enough to talk on such topics. To the next. Cheers
15You have brought up a very wonderful points, thanks for the post.
16I’m typically to running a blog and i really admire your content. The article has actually peaks my interest. I’m going to bookmark your site and keep checking for brand spanking new information.
17WONDERFUL Post.thanks for share..extra wait .. …
18I think other website owners should take this website as an model, very clean and wonderful user pleasant design.
19Spot on with this write-up, I really assume this web site needs way more consideration. I’ll probably be once more to read rather more, thanks for that info.
20I loved as much as you will receive carried out right here. The sketch is attractive, your authored material stylish. nonetheless, you command get bought an shakiness over that you wish be delivering the following. unwell unquestionably come more formerly again as exactly the same nearly very often inside case you shield this hike.
21My spouse and I stumbled over here from a different page and thought I may as well check things out. I like what I see so i am just following you. Look forward to checking out your web page again.
22Today, I went to the beach front with my kids. I found a sea shell and gave it to my 4 year old daughter and said “You can hear the ocean if you put this to your ear.” She put the shell to her ear and screamed. There was a hermit crab inside and it pinched her ear. She never wants to go back! LoL I know this is completely off topic but I had to tell someone!
23I’ve been surfing online more than three hours today, yet I never found any interesting article like yours. It is pretty worth enough for me. In my view, if all web owners and bloggers made good content as you did, the web will be much more useful than ever before.
24It’s in reality a nice and helpful piece of info. I am happy that you simply shared this helpful information with us. Please stay us up to date like this. Thank you for sharing.
25Woh I like your posts, saved to bookmarks! .
26숙소 위치에 맞춰 이동 동선과 귀가 방법까지 확인하면 일정 잡기가 수월하겠네요. 제주 가라오케 이용 안내에도 위치와 이용 조건을 확인하는 방법이 나와 있습니다.
27hello there and thank you for your information – I’ve definitely picked up something new from proper here. I did however expertise some technical issues the use of this web site, since I skilled to reload the website a lot of occasions prior to I could get it to load properly. I were thinking about if your web host is OK? No longer that I am complaining, however sluggish loading instances occasions will very frequently affect your placement in google and could damage your high quality rating if advertising and ***********|advertising|advertising|advertising and *********** with Adwords. Anyway I’m adding this RSS to my e-mail and can glance out for a lot extra of your respective exciting content. Make sure you update this once more soon..
28As a Newbie, I am constantly browsing online for articles that can be of assistance to me. Thank you
29Hi , I do believe this is an excellent blog. I stumbled upon it on Yahoo , i will come back once again. Money and freedom is the best way to change, may you be rich and help other people.
30I went over this internet site and I think you have a lot of wonderful info , bookmarked (:.
31Absolutely written content material, thanks for information. “In the fight between you and the world, back the world.” by Frank Zappa.
32I not to mention my buddies were actually studying the best helpful hints on your web blog and so then developed a horrible suspicion I had not expressed respect to the web blog owner for those techniques. The boys came so stimulated to study them and have in effect honestly been enjoying these things. We appreciate you actually being indeed considerate and then for picking certain really good tips millions of individuals are really needing to know about. My personal honest regret for not saying thanks to earlier.
33Hey! This is kind of off topic but I need some advice from an established blog. Is it very difficult to set up your own blog? I’m not very techincal but I can figure things out pretty quick. I’m thinking about making my own but I’m not sure where to start. Do you have any ideas or suggestions? Thanks
34Somebody necessarily lend a hand to make seriously articles I’d state. This is the first time I frequented your website page and thus far? I surprised with the analysis you made to create this particular post extraordinary. Fantastic task!
35Heya i am for the first time here. I came across this board and I find It truly useful & it helped me out much. I hope to give something back and aid others like you aided me.
36My spouse and I stumbled over here by a different web address and thought I may as well check things out. I like what I see so now i am following you. Look forward to going over your web page again.
37I love it when people come together and share opinions, great blog, keep it up.
38What’s Happening i am new to this, I stumbled upon this I’ve found It positively helpful and it has helped me out loads. I hope to contribute & assist other users like its aided me. Great job.
39I would like to thnkx for the efforts you have put in writing this blog. I am hoping the same high-grade blog post from you in the upcoming as well. In fact your creative writing abilities has inspired me to get my own blog now. Really the blogging is spreading its wings quickly. Your write up is a good example of it.
40Hello my loved one! I want to say that this article is awesome, great written and come with approximately all vital infos. I’d like to peer more posts like this .
41Hi, just required you to know I he added your site to my Google bookmarks due to your layout. But seriously, I believe your internet site has 1 in the freshest theme I??ve came across. It extremely helps make reading your blog significantly easier.
42great post, very informative. I wonder why the other experts of this sector do not notice this. You must continue your writing. I’m sure, you’ve a great readers’ base already!
43Hello, you used to write excellent, but the last few posts have been kinda boring… I miss your great writings. Past several posts are just a little bit out of track! come on!
44I couldn’t resist commenting
45You should take part in a contest for one of the best blogs on the web. I will recommend this site!
46I usually take a screenshot of the USDC balance before bridging and that made it easier to compare the final amount.
47You are a very smart individual!
48Excellent blog here! Also your site loads up fast! What web host are you using? Can I get your affiliate link to your host? I wish my web site loaded up as quickly as yours lol
49This web page is mostly a stroll-via for the entire data you needed about this and didn’t know who to ask. Glimpse here, and also you’ll undoubtedly discover it.
50