kelly

Among all the Japanese girlfriends I have, I think Kelly chan, is THE most typical, traditional Japanese girl, of them all. In her speech, in her looks, her moves, the way she holds her tea cup and how she eats, and nods, and bows, and walks, and how she carries her handbag, how she continues to stand, ever so slightly bowing, waiting until we are totally out of sight, before she moves away when we part. It's as if she's been plucked out from a traditional Japanese movie - minus the kimono.

Ok, I may have exaggerated a bit, about the japanese movie thing.

Anyhow, she was here last month, and... to put it in her kind, kind of words, I had the pleasure of meeting her for a drink. I brought her to Singapore Flyer Popeye's where she bought me cinnamon coffee, which was quite nice.





That day, I learnt a little bit about Japanese Tea Ceremony, for which she is currently attending a course. I wasn't aware that there are actually long courses on tea ceremonies. They learn and practise so many things for a tea ceremony, including tea tasting, tea making, utensils, how to sit, where to face, what to say, flower arrangement, incenses and smells and even learn old Japanese poems and quotes.

The Malays, we just go to the sarbat stall and ask for 'teh tarik satu!'.