Paste fericit tuturor!

 　　           Dragi prieteni,

    Cu primavara in suflet si bucurosi de apropierea sarbatorilor de Paste va trimitem urarile noastre calde pentru fiecare-n parte.

     In fiecare an ne minunam de renasterea naturii, de viata ce se naste parca in ascuns sub covorul de frunze uscate sau scoarta ramurilor de copaci. Tot la fel Pastele, prin invierea lui Hristos, ne umple inimile de speranta si credinta, lucru pe care il experimenteaza crestinii de pretutindeni, inclusiv japonezii.

**Va anuntam, de asemenea, ca in perioada 25 aprilie – 2 mai, Ceainaria Sakura va fi inchisa. Toti iubitorii de ceai japonez sunt asteptati cu acelasi drag incepand cu data de 3 mai, Marti.

                                          Paste fericit tuturor!

Chanoyu (Ceremonia Ceaiului) + Tea Party in Kimono

Tea Party

In data de 13 aprilie, cei care nu au fost prea ocupati si au dorit sa faca ceva diferit, sa iasa din cotidian chiar si pentru cateva momente, au avut ocazia sa participle la un ``Tea Party”  organizat la ceainaria Sakura. Fiecare participant la eveniment a trebuit sa participe imbracat in yukata, kimono sau alta costumatie tipic orientala. Celor care au dorit sa participe si nu au avut costumatia necesara, le-a fost pus la dispozitie un yukata.

La inceputul evenimentului, toti participantii au imbracat impreuna yukata, ajutandu-se unul pe altul si experimentand astfel dificultatea cu care se imbraca o astfel de imbracaminte. Dupa ce au imbracat costumatia pusa la dispozitie, participantii au intrat in ceainarie unde, dupa ce au comandat ceaiul japonez dorit, au putut alege dintr-o lista de nume japoneze un nume care fiecare credea ca il caracterizeaza intr-un fel sau altul si care a putut fi folosit in continuare in acea zi in timpul scurtei escapade din realitate.

Dupa ce numele au fost alese, toata lumea a avut ocazia sa participe la ceremonia ceaiului condusa de Dl. Katsutaro Kawai.

Experienta a fost una deosebita, costumatia tipic japoneza aducandu-i pe participanti mai aproape de adevarata atmosfera dintr-un astfel de eveniment. In timpul ceremoniei, fiecare participant a putut sa guste din ceaiul verde autentic japonez numit matcha si cateva dulciuri specifice japoneze din fasole dulce, soia si orez.

Dupa frumoasa ceremonie a ceaiului, participantii au primit ceaiul comandat si au fost invitati sa participe la diverse discutii. Printre cele discutate, fiecare participant a explicat de ce a ales numele japonez pe care l-a ales si ce aspecte din cultura japoneza le place cel mai mult si de ce. Fiecare participant a aratat un nivel de interes si cunostinte ridicat in ce priveste cultura japoneza, ceea ce a facut conversatia una foarte interesanta.

In final, participantii au facut numeroase fotografii pentru a imortaliza minunata zi pe care au avut-o.

*********English Version bellow*******

On April 13, the people who weren’t too busy and wanted to do something different and get away, even for a bit, from their daily lives, had the chance to participate at the Tea Party event at Sakura teahouse. Every participant in the event had to be dressed in a yukata, kimono or some other kind of oriental costumes. The people who wanted to participate and didn’t have appropriate clothing could borrow a yukata from the club.

In the beginning, the participants dressed together, helping each other out and experiencing the complicated process of dressing a yukata. After dressing up, the participants moved into the teahouse where, after ordering their Japanese tea of choice, they could chose from a list of Japanese names a name that they considered to be best suited for them and which could be used from there on during their short escapade from reality.

After the Japanese names had been chosen, everyone had the chance to participate in the tea ceremony led by Mr. Katsutaro Kawai. The experience was something special, the participants being drawn very close to an authentic tea ceremony experience by their dress-ups. During the ceremony, each participant could have a taste of authentic Japanese green tea called matcha and a few Japanese authentic sweets made of red beans, soy and rice.

After the beautiful tea ceremony, the participants were brought the tea that they had ordered previously and were invited to participate in different discussions. Among the discussions, each participant explained the reasons behind their chosen names and what aspect of the Japanese culture they liked most and why. Each participant showed interest and knowledge in various cultural aspects of Japan which made the conversation very interesting.

In the end of the event, the participants took pictures so that the memory of the wonderful day could be refreshed any time.

Ohanami - Festivalul florilor de cires in Japonia

Cea dintai intalnire de cultura a lunii aprilie a fost dedicata unui festival foarte bine cunoscut si indragit in Japonia numit ohanami. Ohanami este in Japonia festivalul florilor de cires, numite sakura, foarte iubite de catre japonezi si care reprezinta unul din simbolurile nationale ale Japoniei. Aceasta tema a fost abordata si prezentata de catre d-l Radu Nedisan, asistat de d-ra Stefania Mastan.

La inceputul intalnirii d-ra Minodora Buta, coordonatoarea intalnirilor de cultura ale Cercului „Prietenii Japoniei” a dat tonul prezentarii fiecaruia dintre participantii la intalnire. Dupa ce fiecare a avut ocazia sa isi impartaseasca pasiunile pentru cultura japoneza, d-l Radu a inceput prezentarea prin explicarea terminologiei, ohanami fiind varianta politicoasa a hanami, hana insemnand floare iar mi fiind substantivizarea verbului miru, a vedea. A fost descrisa pe scurt si originea acestui festival care la inceput era rezervat clasei aristocrate, urmand ca apoi sa devina un eveniment national la care putea lua parte oricine si o importanta atractie turistica.

In continuare a fost prezentata semnificatia acestui festival in care se contempla asupra efemeritatii florii de cires in primul rand, si nu numai asupra frumusetii acestuia, ducandu-ne cu gandul la conceptul estetic japonez mono no aware, care reprezinta o sensibilitate pentru lucrurile trecatoare si asupra vietii omului, care este scurta dar intensa, ca si viata florii de cires.

In cadrul prezentarii a fost aratat si modul de desfasurare al acestui festival in diferite locuri din Japonia, precum si diferite aspecte ale festivalului, de la dansuri, admirarea si contemplarea florilor ziua si noaptea, pana la picnicurile care au loc sub ciresii infloriti. A fost prezentat si calendarul valului de infloriri de anul acesta precum si latura comerciala a acestui eveniment.

In final, d-l Katsutaro Kawai a adus ultimele completari prezentarii insistand aupra conceptului mono no aware, dupa care cei prezenti au fost invitati sa participe la confectionarea unei panglici cu mesaje incurajatoare pentru japonezii care au avut de suferit in urma valurilor tsunami si a cutremurului care au avut loc in data de 11 martie 2011, panglica ce urmeaza sa fie dusa in Japonia de catre domnul Katsutaro Kawai cand acesta va vizita Japonia anul acesta in luna mai.

 Intre timp participantii la intalnire au putut servi ceai, sushi si alte bunatati pregatite de d-na Kayoko.

************English version bellow*******************

The first meeting in April was dedicated to a very well known festival in Japan called Ohanami. Ohanami is the festival of cherry blossoms viewing in Japan. Cherry trees flowers are called sakura in Japanese and they are considered to be the most beautiful flower, which made them a national symbol for Japan. The topic was approached and presented by Mr. Radu Nedisan, assisted by Ms. Stefania Mastan.

In the beginning, Ms. Minodora Buta, the coordinator of “Japan Friends” Club cultural meetings  invited the public to introduce themselves. After every participant had the chance to express their interest in Japanese culture, Mr. Radu started his presentation by introducing the terminology, ohanami being a polite version of hanami. Hana means flower and mi is a noun variety of the verb miru which means to see. The origins of the festival have also been shortly pointed out, in the beginning the festival being reserved for aristocrat classes. However today it is a festival for everyone and an important touristic attraction for both Japanese and foreigners.

Afterwards, the meaning of the festival had been presented, the festival’s main purpose being the contemplation upon sakura’s short life and not only the beauty of it, the beauty coming second, leading us to the Japanese concept of mono no aware, which represents a sensibility towards the things that do not last and towards man’s life, which is short but intense, like the cherry blossoms.

The presentation also comprised the way in which the festival takes place in different areas of Japan, as well as different faces of the festival, from all sorts of dances to flower viewing in during the night and the picnics that take place under the cherry blossoms. The calendar of the cherry blossoms of this year has also been presented as well as the commercial side of ohanami.

In the end, Mr. Katsutaro Kawai added a few more comments to the presentation, emphasizing the concept of mono no aware, after which the participants were invited to help make a strand with encouraging messages for the Japanese who had been affected by the March 11 tsunami and earthquake in Japan. The strand will be sent to Japan by Mr. Kawai when he will visit Japan in May this year. Meanwhile, the participants could serve some delicious tea, sushi and other delicious Japanese dish cooked by Ms. Kayoko.

Calendarul activitatilor - Aprilie 2011

Calendarul activitatilor culturale din luna Aprilie poate fi vazuti in imaginea de mai jos. Cele mai multe evenimente vor avea loc in Ceainaria cu specific japonez, Sakura, de pe strada Motilor, nr. 48.

 Vom reveni progresiv cu detalii. Simtiti-va bineveniti! Sunteti asteptati cu drag.

Pentru intalnirea de Sambata, 9 aprilie, a Cercului “Prietenii Japoniei”, pe tema Ohanami, Festivalul Florilor de Cires in Japonia, vom trimite in curand un mesaj cu detalii.

                  O primavara frumoasa tuturor,

                            Organizatorii.