Good luck Barça

Draculina's ears look like the Bilbao's bridge over the museum

My sister Draculina has just returned from her fast trip to Bilbao where she has been visiting the Guggenheim museum with Father Bunny and some other interesting places. She will post some nice pictures they took there but in their return trip from Bilbao to Barcelona they found a crowd of Barcelona FC supporters that were taking planes to Rome where this night the FIFA Champions League Final will be played.

We are not great football fans, neither Father Bunny is, but we have told him that this big event deserves to be watched in a new Led technology new big TV.

Of course he said:

NO WAY!

Ikebana - 生け花 ó いけばな and Cha-na-you - 茶の湯

This is really hard! I love Japanese culture, but, it´s taking a lot of time and effort to learn things properly. Of course, I do my best, as Father Bunny has promised me that all the Bunny Family will travel soon to Japan. But still you know that I don't like to work hard.

Well, let me explain for all the bunnies, what I have learnt. Ikebana ( 生け花 ó いけばな) that means “ to set up the flowers “ or “ to arrange the flowers “

My teacher told me that I had to go shopping and to bring all the stuff to the class. I bought the following things :

• One porcelain tray . I bought a black one, really, really, nice.
• One kenzan. This is a really dangerous thing. It is like a mattress full of needles and you can put the branches on the top.
• A few flowers and branches

The teacher explained to us that the oldest Ikebana´s school is called Ikenobô and it dates from the XVII century. However, she thought that it was much more appropriate for us to learn the Naguire School, which is specially aimed for the tea ceremonial.

Well, just imagine a small bunny like me at the class. First of all, I took the kenzan and one big flower. I cut the flower’s branch in order to be twice as long as the porcelain’s tray. I cut the flower’s branch inside a bowl full of water so as not to fill the branch with air. Once I had the right length, I stitched the branch on the Kenzan. The teacher suggested that I should look at the front side of the flower and then I should turn the flower a little bit to the side.

It took me half an hour just to set up the first flower. For the second one, I thought that it would be much easier and quicker. I take one flower, I cut it to the right length and I put it on the Kenzan. However, for the second flower I had to take into account a couple of extra things. First of all, the second flower should be half length of the first one. So, I had to measure it properly and cut the branch . Secondly, the shorter branch´s flower should be facing the largest branch´s flower.

How difficult it is !! I thought that Ikebana was only about to buy a couple of flowers and put them in a tray!!

I was about to finish , but, the teacher said to me :

"Miffa, look at your Ikebana. It looks a little poor !!"

You only have 2 flowers in the tray. You should now give a kind of movement to your Ikebana. So, she suggested to put on the Kenzan a couple of branches, which made nice curves. I took a couple of them and I put them on the Kenzan.

Once I was finished, I starred my small Ikebana. How nice !

Now, I deserve a couple of Japanaese tea !!

At that point, I was about to go home and relax, but, the teacher said to us that we had an extra class on that day. Uff !! This is really tyring. I am a small bunny used to enjoying life!!

Well, let´s see, what the second class is about. CHA NO YU ! (茶の湯)

Well, that should be easy for a chinese bunny. I prepare some boling water , I take a couple of tea spoons inside the hot water and that´s it.

Of course, things are not so easy when you go to class. The teacher took us to a tea house closed for our class. First of all, she explained us that the house had a small door. Well,, I thought that this was a “ bunny size door “ , but, she explained to us that the door is smaller, so that people bend themselves , when they go through the door.

She went to change clothes. She came back with a KIMONO. Then, she showed us, how the room should be set up for the tea ceremonial. A part called TOKOMONO had a paper hanging on the wall with nice relaxing words written on it . She said to us that we had to remember last week´s class “ SHÔDO “ and why SHÔDO was so important in Japan. Then, she showed to us a nice IKEBANA in the room . Then, she set up O-KÔ, incense for the tea ceremonial.

At that stage, she requested to all the bunnies to sit down on the TATAMI, while she was preparing the tea . She took a TÔGEI, a kind of bowl. She put hot water in it and then a couple of spoons full of green tea in powder.

She stirred the tea inside the bowl and she asked me to drink a little bit. So, I was going to grap the bowl and drink a little bit , when she said to me .

"No , Miffa, stop , stop!! "

"First of all, you should put the bowl on the Tatami mattress, look at your bunny next to you and tell her that you are going to be the first one to taste the tea, if they allow you so."

Then, you take the bowl and drink a little bit.

Wonderful taste !!

The teacher said to us at the very end that the tea ceremonial is about :

WA – HARMONY
KEI – RESPECT
SEI – PURENESS
JAKU – TRANQUILITY

Just before finishing the class, she said to us : “ ICHI – GO- ICHI –E “

note: we can't take pictures in our class so I have searched for some in wikipedia.

My lemon tree

Life is hard for a small bunny like me. Father bunny wants me to learn Japanese language and culture and this is really time consuming. I have to go to class and then I have a lot of homework to be done during the whole week.

On the top of that, I am very jeaulous of Caffemiffy´s garden. We go to the supermarket to buy lettuce, despite having our own “farm – made “ lettuce. Father Bunny encoured me to start our own garden at home with the helo of my farmer sister.

Ok, ok, I told Father Bunny that I would really consider the idea. Again, a lot of work to be done. First of all, choose the right place at home for our garden, then buy a pot and earth to fill it.

As I live in Spain, a country with a lot of sun, I decided to have a garden with “ fruit trees “ . And the first one would be a lemon tree.

It has taken me a few weeks to set up everything properly, water the tree and finally I got 2 lemons!!

FB update: "Miffa took this picture of a lemon tree that FB's parents bought already grown up... That cheating

SHODÔ

My father insists on the fact that I should go on studying Japanese as well as learning properly to write Japanese. He decided to send me to an extra lesson in order to practice “ Shodô “

The teacher made me sit down for a couple of hours and she explained me, how to grap properly the brush. She said to me that I should keep two fingers on the front part of the brush and two on the back side. It´s not easy, though it doesn’t look so difficult. Then, she told me not to move my wrist. My wrist and my arm should behave as one single piece.

That was the first step and it was not easy at all. Then , she gave me a few brushes. One made of horse’s hair, a huge one. I told her that it was too heavy for me . I am a little bunny ! Then, she gave me a brush made of sheep´s hair, much easier to use. And finally, she gave me a brush made of “hare’s “ hair . What ? I said . A “ bunny hair ´s brush “ My god ! You mean that someone at the class could be trying to pull my hair out of my ears or my back in order to build a brush. That really scared me . The teacher explained to me that the “ bunny/hare brush “ is used for small traces.

Once we had clarify the situation with the brushes, the finger positioning as well as the hand, wrist and arm, she showed me 3 different styles : Kaisho, Gyosho and Sosho

Oh, oh, this is getting difficult !!

Well, I´ll try to study hard, as I want Father Bunny to take me back to Japan !!

Thanks for reading my “ hard time “ studying

Domo – Arigato – Gozaimasu !!

WATASHI WA MIFFA DESU

As you know, I love to travel and and I like a lot Japan. I asked my father to pay me a ticket to Tokyo, as I would like to spend a few days at the Mandarin Oriental, go shopping at Ginza and Omotesando, well, you know, all those things that a bunny like me loves doing

However, father bunny is really upset with me . He said that I am used to doing nothing, just travelling, having fun , and that i have some bad vices like smoking and drinking while playing cards cheating my sisters and friends to get their money… I asked him where is the problem. All these things are fun and I am a spoiled bunny.

One day, father bunny came back home and he said to me that I am going to start Japanese lessons. What, I said ?? I don´t want to work , I don’t want to study ! I just want to have fun.

Father bunny replied : “ You will not go back to Japan , if you do not learn a little bit Japanese , your sister Miffo can help you . If you want to visit your friends from Café Miffy, you have to master a few words in Japanese “

So, here I am with my “ hawaian “ shirt at home studying Japanese. Thanks god, I don´t need to learn the Kanji, as I master Chinese ! But, I´ll still have to memorize the hiragana and katakana alphabet.

Well, here my first steps :

Watashi wa sushi o tabemasu !

Oyasuminasai ( I am too tired and I asked father bunny, if I can go to bed )

Mataraishuu !!