For my CIP, I have been taking weekly lessons in shod\u014d, or Japanese calligraphy. I was introduced to my teacher, Asakusa-sensei, by a classmate\u2019s host mother. Every Wednesday after lunch, I take the bus to Shimogamo Jinja bus stop, then walk a few minutes to Asakusa-sensei\u2019s home where the lessons are held. The classroom is small but comfortable, mostly occupied by a large table and chairs\u2014this was a pleasant surprise, since given what I\u2019d seen of other CIPs related to traditional culture, I\u2019d been bracing myself and my knees for an hour of sitting in seiza. Since I\u2019m the only student with a lesson during my time slot, I\u2019ve been able to interact one-on-one with my sensei far more than I expected, and I\u2019m exceptionally glad to have had that opportunity.
\nThe structure of my lessons is always more or less the same: each week, I determine what it is I want to work on writing (generally 3-5 specific kanji, though we\u2019ve also worked on my hiragana handwriting) and bring a list with me. Asakusa-sensei then demonstrates each character so I have an example of the stroke order, and I practice each one a number of times, with Asakusa-sensei providing input on what to fix and what I did well. In theory, this kind of lesson in a one-on-one situation seems kind of daunting, and at first I was nervous during my lessons due to both my lack of experience and a fear of messing up my Japanese or accidentally being rude by poorly employing honorific language. However, the more I talked to her, the more comfortable I felt during lessons. It also helped that Asakusa-sensei is extremely friendly\u2014overall she reminds me very much of a peppy grandma.
\nThough I\u2019ve definitely slipped into informal speech from time to time out of habit, on the whole I\u2019ve been able to use and get better at a more formal, less casual way of speaking. This has provided what I think is an important supplement to my Japanese class and the speaking practice I\u2019ve gotten with my host family, since it\u2019s more formal than, say, chatting with my host mom, as well as more natural and conversational than most interactions with professors. Though there are still times that one of us will have to look up a word (for example, I didn\u2019t know the Japanese word for thunder and my attempt to describe it was more awkward than helpful) to keep the conversation alive, I feel that overall my communication ability has increased greatly as a result of these lessons.
\nAnother benefit of my CIP is what comes after each lesson. After my very first lesson, I was surprised and delighted when sensei brought out a cup of tea and a cookie and offered them to me. Though my actual time slot is from 2:00 to 3:00 in the afternoon, we ended up chatting over tea until 3:30 or 3:45. This is a weekly ritual; after I\u2019ve finished my calligraphy and cleaned my brushes, sensei will duck into the other room for a few moments and return with a hot cup of tea (in a ceramic cup she made herself, no less!) and a small snack of some sort and we\u2019ll talk for another half an hour or so. I\u2019ve found that during these conversations we talk a lot about what I\u2019m learning in my classes, as well as discussing cultural differences between my background and hers. I feel really fortunate to have this kind of cultural exchange; compared to the other people I interact with in day-to-day life, Asakusa-sensei has far less experience with exchange students, so there\u2019s a much different kind of mutual learning that happens in these conversations.
\nEntirely secondary to the social and language-related benefits, I\u2019m also very happy to have taken these lessons from an artistic perspective. Part of my initial interest in Japanese calligraphy came from my hobby of English calligraphy, and investigating the differences between the two practices as well as letting shod\u014d influence my English work has been an enlightening experience as well. I also feel that paying such deep and individual attention to writing kanji, including really looking at the radicals that compose them, has given me an added edge when learning kanji in an academic setting. Where before I struggled to remember and make sense of the characters, the intensive work with kanji has functioned much like studying word roots did for me in English; specifically, writing them slowly and with intention and thought has allowed me to pay attention to their pieces and configurations, drawing connections between characters and words that previously seemed unmanageably different.
\nBoth socially and linguistically, I feel that my CIP has really rounded out the rest of my experiences at KCJS. From a more personal standpoint, I am also very grateful for the weekly chance to slow myself down and give something my undivided, almost meditative attention\u2014and then enjoy cultural exchange over a fresh cup of tea.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
For my CIP, I have been taking weekly lessons in shod\u014d, or Japanese calligraphy. I was introduced to my teache … \u7d9a\u304d\u3092\u8aad\u3080