Write a letter
Continuing the story of my accident at my tea teacher’s important ceremony, I decided to write a letter to my teacher to express my sincere apology for damaging the important tool. To think, I don’t remember in my life writing an apology letter, but from my school days, I loved to write letters to my friends and family, especially since I thought this was my only way to express my true feelings. I probably learned this from my mom, who told me over and over to write a thank you letter or any letter to someone who did something for me.
I would say it wasn’t like today where we had emails or instagrams or any tool we could send the message right away. But still, the best way to communicate my feelings would start from picking the right stationary thinking about the person and handwriting in my own words. Even so, my family has a tradition of sending birthday cards and New Year Cards to each other which is a little embarrassing nowadays but makes my heart warm.
One hundred poets
In the Heian period, people wrote poetry to express their feelings, but secretly, or maybe it was just how people would write a letter. In middle school, we had a subject to learn about classical Japanese literature and had to memorize Hyakunin Isshu, or one hundred poets, the most famous collection of poets. The Poem is in 31 letters, and must be in the order of 5, 7, 5, 7, 7 letters. Hyakunin Isshu was the collection of Fujiwara no Teika, who edited the book.
I didn’t know there was a museum in Kyoto Saga Arashiyama with the exhibit of all hundred poems. Never thought that I would come across to read the poems again and I actually do not remember much of how I studied (what grades I got…) but remember that the class was boring and not much into it, but surprisingly when I re-read the poem, it stimulated my brain and felt that I remember the sound of the poets. Interestingly, my brain feels a bit pleased like I could reach the itchy place on my back and made my heart feel tugged.
I recommend the place since it has English guidance and each 100 poems has an English explanation. https://www.samac.jp/en/
Like,
つくばねの
峰より落つる
みなの川
こひぞつもりて
淵となりぬる
“Like the Minano River that grows deeper as it flows from the peaks of Mt Tsukuba, my feelings deepen with time, and now I am hopelessly in love”
Mt Tsukuba has a man and woman side of the mountain which means that the person who read this poem, Yozei-in, understands both the feeling of a man and woman saying his love is profound like the peak.
Not just the meaning of the poem but how they used the words are beautiful. I do regret that I should have taken the class more seriously and learned how people felt behind their poem.
Spirit of words
To confess, I did use ChatGPT to see how they would choose the words and create the letter. I was impressed how they wrote it up with all the contents I wanted to say. Although it wasn’t my words, it would have been the words I would choose but not with feelings.
Kyoto is known for its clear water. As I mentioned before in my blog (https://www.sousetsujapan-us.com/history-of-kyoto/1/), that’s why there’s many sake brewing places and the start of tea. Water purifies negative energy. That may be the reason when I go to certain places, I get energetic and create many thoughts.
How you use the word, either not nice or beautiful, it states how you are. Positive words lead to positive spirit, like just thank you for the day.
Enjoy your lovely happy day!
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