Bonryaku - Friday, September 21, 2018
Created: September 21, 2018 7:27 AM
Tags: Bonryaku, Serving, Warigeiko
Updated: September 21, 2018 7:43 AM
Ito-sensei
Short notes again today. Went to see Noh after class, then grabbed a couple drinks around the corner. I’m not sure I’d go to another Noh play. It was… interesting. Also I almost had a nervous breakdown today after serving morning tea and sweets to Gary-sensei. The morning kinda sucked. I’ll need to pay more attention to how cho serves Gary-sensei when I’m not cho-helper myself. His timing is difficult.
Bonryaku
- When doing natsume cleaning, there’s the push and the pull at the end. The pull should blend more smoothly into pulling the fukusa off of the natsume. In particular, rotating my hand could be smoother.
- My active rest hand position needs to be a little farther down my legs. It’s hard to break the habit of pulling my hand right into my hips.
- Super weird note. According to Ito-sensei (but it seems to be generally true, asking the other kohai), you should not pick up from the side of the chashaku when picking up from the bowl or setting down onto the bowl. You should just hold it properly, ie thumb on “top”. Rotating the chashaku up/down shouldn’t be done by twisting the chashaku with your fingers, but rather picking it up with the correct final grip and rotating your wrist.
- This should get better once I stop wearing a suit (because the shirt presses on the back of my neck), but I need to be more cognizant of my forward head tilt.
- Finally, clarification on how to hold the chawan when emptying into the kensui. For tenmoku or similar chawan, cover the whole base. For regular bowls with a substantial lip on the base, just hold by the lip.
- For filling natsume, the top of the mountain should be at the same line as the lower ring of the natsume.
- If there is tea stuck on the chashaku when scooping (due to humidity, most likely), it is okay to tap the bottom of the bowl to loosen the tea.
Serving
- Phrase when serving tea: omeshi agari/agate kudasai
- Phrase when returning bowl: sage itashimasu
- How to serve with kobukusa:
- Open the kobukusa on the left palm and place the chawan on. Walk and sit as normal.
- Turn the chawan, give to guest.
- Use R to fold the kobukusa over on L.
- Use R to set the kobukusa inside the knee line by your right knee.
- Bow and o cha wo douzo or something.
- Return kobukusa to your obi.
- Turn geza slightly and exit with left foot.
- How to pick up two used tea bowls:
- Sit in front of first guest and bow. Say sage itashimasu.
- Take their bowl and move it over toward the next guest. Scoot to follow the bowl. The bowl should end up in front of your left knee, maybe around 6 inches away (totally making up that measurement).
- Bow to second guest.
- Take second guest bowl in L (R → L).
- Take first guest bowl in R.
- Turn geza, exit.