*** Quoting Cindy Haglund from a message to Carol Shenkenberger ***

 CS> Since we don't get 'Lost' out here, I'm actually enjoying trying to
 CS> follow the threads a bit.

CH> What do y'all think of that 'game' show that's held on an island... a
CH> beach. It's sorta modeled after "Survivors".

 CS> Sorry, we don't get 'survivors' either though I've heard of it.
 CS>                                        xxcarol

CH>   It's silly. Hubby explains it's more like  a socialization game
CH> thing... its' not about suvival , it's about socializing.  (er
CH> suriviving that I guess. )

That could be pretty cool actually!  You know, old as I am (47) I still
¨sometimes trip up and do something 'dumb' that I just didnt know about or
didnt ¨percieve the same way as the other person did.  My saving grace is I
apologize ¨well when that happens.  I B socially 'blonde' sometimes.

CH> BTW Carol? I'm reading a novel about 19tC Japan. The customs, times
CH> and tea ceremony...

Humm!  

CH> I read there's two Japanese alphabets. The one using the Chinese
CH> characters, for men and the phonetic one for women. Why do they have
CH> two? Is it because the one for women was meant as oral and not
CH> written?

I do not know about the social aspects the book mentions.  There are indeed
2 ¨character types but both men and women learn both.  At least, now. 
Dunno about ¨earlier but i suspect it was more a 'scholar vs common person'
relation.

What is interesting is books are sorta reversed and you read from 'back to
¨front' because they read right to left.  The other set is 'up to down' and
i ¨think it's also right to left but not sure.

There is no inate reason why right to left reading is 'bad'.  It's just
¨non-western to do it that way.  You now see variations where it's 'left to
¨right' on trains and things like that.  Snce i cant read it, I can't say
much ¨more.

CH> Also the author spent five years studying Japanese Tea Ceremony while
CH> I understand the complexity (you learn as a host and as a guest)...
CH> and all the different forms/techniques.. I'm amazed it takes fiv4e
CH> years to learn? Do you know about this?

Not much more than you and in fact, you may know more.  I am sure they
don't ¨study it 8-10 hours a day though for 5 years (grin).

What I find facinating is the 'sushi chef' and the Sashimi chef.  There is
a ¨grace in motion that is almost un-natural in both economy of movement
and ¨flourish that has to be seen and yet oddly, is (sashimi chef) normally
hidden ¨in a kitchen.  You just 'know' it's happening and it's an important
aspect of ¨the meal.

Sushi chefs are often on display though (and are often also Sashimi chefs)
so I ¨like to watch them.  It's a big part of the appeal of the food. 
There's one in ¨Okinawa City that we take Charlotte to when we fly down to
let Don go on a ¨fishng trip.  He plays well to kids .  Doesnt
speak a speck of english but ¨there's a universal language all kids and
kid-loving-parents have and i bet ¨he's got a houseful at home too.

Granted we've all tired of Emeril's 'Bam' but when a Japanese sushi chef
does ¨it with a little gleam of glee to the eye as he throws roe on a
chopped block ¨preparatory to adding it to sushi, it's a giggle and a half.

Maybe the tea ceremony folks take 5 years practice on average to get the
¨smotheness of motion down?  That could be it.
                                       xxcarol

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