1988 School Magazine

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i'ru4 TURNANG SAPANESE , .-^ rn\/ brother's host family from Osaka Yokoo, visited us for a week' They ditgi:'':.;,1"J me back with them and I spent a l ndrY ,"i '-tnrn't holiday lhere. I {ound Japan so "9,nll^','r .* .o expecations' I here are lhe traditions d tt:l;;;";. ru.h u, ieaving shoes at the door entrance )::ll;;l; ;" there *"* manl, other fascinating )?"'.rr ' !earnt during mY staY' :':;^*," r,,;as small, but it had a pretty ganden' Average u"j:;;; in rl-o horr" was four tatami mats (about six '0" 1]-'J;;i'.. r . i "J ,.n o bed, wh i ch was bro u ght ou t each 'qil]',;;;"."#fv and cosv. The bath was about a metre tl? li""",i',n a small t*nt utached where you soap llilllu'r"i*avs folding the washer in a particular way)' I:::;;;;;;{-m the b"ath to rinse voursel[' then have a n:;r'I;;';trk-in the,bath while clean' women alwavs ir'in" *a'eat after the men in the household' never before" lr.n *trning, Nobuko rose early to begin her work' The i''rlit, *li*"'y'und futniture were wiped over every day' :.,l;i'hJ;;fitn" house *a' '*"pi and. vacuumed' "l i;:;;;"";h;'she would sav as she put in her first load of ilr;;"; ftt the day. Six loads daily were usual' Her 'r""i*n"*ut done on a small board placed-on the floor ,;i' i'ir"b;k; knelt to clo this' Except for sleeping' [.""i'"* *"t her only position of rest' and she was due to ;;;;ilr"'d drawn f rom her knee - a regular treatment to ;;;;;- i[tpuin fro- constant kneeling' Most food was ;;;;t;J "!trv ln the dav and the evening meal was gen'ei'ally eaten cold' Ou horre contained a shrine, and each day Nobuko ;;;.d"oii"iinet of food and rice before it fon her ;;."t;t;, unJ%u.n month, on the anniversary of her ;;;;;t;' i"ltnr, Nobuko, her sister and a..priesl praved :';i;;';Billor" i,. uitouki's parents are slillalive and we ;;;;";"a"ifut weekend visiting them in their big house in the mountains. During my stay, Tanabata Festival was held - fireworks .J"'oIti"nt iuring the first week of July' and one day ;;;.; our wishel to the branch of a special type.of U.*ftt. Cood fortune is constantly sought,by the ffi;;; una out house was filled with manY.d'jf:::l good luck charms. The house also contained a small il]tJ t".ii." (Tokonama) where precious articles are on display and this must not be walked on' One day, a load of clay was delivered to a nearby house' fl'tiu it-i o* the houses are maintained; they are not painted, but rubbed down with claY' Oui'local supermarket had a bicycle park as this is the most common way to travel short distances' Every day we tplnt it ho-e included a bicycle ride and a visit to a nearby ca{e for morning tea - it was fun' Hiroakiworked long hours, but he spent as much time as he could with me, and besides taking me everywhere to tuu G ,trul beautiful sights, Nobuko also taught me to ;;;;s;-il;;ers (tkeban"a), {old p.3p:' (origami)' ,sins traditLnal songs and dress in my Yukata' This is what I loved so mucl-iabout my visit to Japan - to be totally t;;;;*dl;i;thlfamilv ind to be lovedas one of them' l left with memories I will cherish all my l,.Xi;n",," Davies 9 Hirschfeld. japan' lasi JtJIrc' "'/ "lruL"

Nfliche[[e Davies (9F[)

5APANjEsffi mANeANC 1988 has been a highly successf ul and enjoyable year for rhe laoanese DanCing Croup' During this year' we have ;;;;";;;;irv l"""rVua with Expo' dancing at the irnun"r" pavilion on a total of seven Saturdays' The iif,""" gltit .ak-ing up the group praclised twice a week' u"Jo" Suturduy m6rnings before perfor,mances at Expo' w" ;i;;-J"n."d on scf,ool day to a.large.audience' brineine some Japanese culture to the celebrations' ;i-';,ik;";;. ;; i; Mrs Yumiko Heiser' our teacher' dr"lr"|. and mlntor, to Mrs Wendy Cam.phrell and Mrs M;il; Campbell, who co-ordinited the group and ;;;;"6 ;;;;y of their saturdavs to.heip and support ir,u"i also to Mrs Perry-Kuan" und,other,parents of lhe "irfi. *nt were always'the'e to help if disaster slruck' il;ri ;i"'ir,"int"[v"u'to all the dedicated girls whohave rnJ"lf-r" Siorp *nut it is, and best of luck for 1989' Lisa Pennell

!. FerrY- F{ow.^s,