Taste of Japan Scenes: Japanese Kites

Kites had a great appeal during pre-registration. The mother and son team brought many participants to the Taste of Japan. Participants proudly displayed their kites as they walked through the McClendon Halls.

Taste of Japan Scenes: Aikido

Mr. Ken Drye and his Windsong Dojo did a wonderful job introducing the participants to the art of Aikido. I do not have pictures of Mr. Drye and his Dojo demonstrating, but here are some of the Kendo instructors during a break using the mats to demonstrate their knowledge of Aikido.

Special thanks to the Casady Athletic Department for allowing the Windsong Dojo to use the wrestling mats and to Mr. Randy Fresonke, Operations manager for bringing the mats to the McClendon building.

Taste of Japan Scenes: Origami

Ye-Geun'06 and Mrs. Fumiko Street and Mrs. Tomoko Craig worked without breaks because their participants did not want to leave the room. A kid said: "Origami was great."

Participants received a beautiful DVD made by Caitlin'07 to practice and continue learning.

If I learn how to do it, I will dowlowd the DVD here soon.

Taste of Japan Scenes: Kendo

Thank you to Dr. Bonnie Gerard for the pictures of the Taste of Japan.

Bryan Mosley and his Kendo Dojo teaching the principles of Kendo. Erick'09 received great praise from Mr. Mosley for his help during this workshop.

Preliminary reflection on the Taste of Japan

I could write forever about how exhasted I am and how happy I feel, but as I wrote to Liane Louie on Sunday, March 26, 2006 8:08 AM "Taste of Japan was a great time for all. I learned so much! We will read the Buddhist story you sent as an example of why our Taste of Japan was so important; we placed a community need-awareness of the Japanese culture in OKC- and we were the hands that fed others at the same time as we fed ourselves. It is the best example of reciprocity I have ever encountered. I met Liane llouie@sef.org at the NAIS Conference in Boston and she closed her wonderful presentation with the Buddhist Story that expresses how I feel about the Taste of Japan the morning after, IN HEAVEN.

Thank you Lianne for a great story of the power and beauty of service.

The Power and Beauty of Service

There is a Buddhist story of a boy who wants to learn more about Heaven and Hell.

He is brought to the dinner table inside hell where he sees the most wonderful feast he has ever seen - delightful dishes of meat and fish and piles of fruit. Chairs were arranged on both sides and chopsticks to eat with were neatly set upon the table. “How could this place be hell?” the boy wondered.

Then suddenly, appearing out of nowhere, hungry ghosts and spirits from the world of hell began to gather. They were all restless and making a big fuss. When all the spirits were finally seated, they began fighting for the chopsticks.

Then something strange happened. The chopsticks started to grow, becoming longer and longer, and longer, until they were all three feet long. The hungry ghosts tried to eat with their long chopsticks. But they couldn’t. Even if they could pick something up, they couldn’t put it into their mouths. After some time had passed, the red doors of the dining room opened, and a large, black gaping hole appeared. Mealtime was over. The hungry ghosts, still hungry, threw down their long chopsticks and slowly got up from the table.

Then he was taken to the dining room in Heaven. He noticed that everything looked exactly like the dining room in hell. “What’s the difference?” he wondered. The boy looked closely and noticed that the pairs of chopsticks were already three feet long. Then quietly and with grace, happy-looking people started to gather around the table. “How are they going to eat with those long chopsticks?” the boy thought.

After sitting down, the people began picking up the food with their very long chopsticks and, instead of trying to feed themselves, they began putting it into the mouths of the people sitting on the other side of the table. They took turns feeding each other, giving the other person whatever they wanted to eat.

The boy was very touched. He then understood the difference between the two worlds – that caring about each other, not just your own self, is what made the dining room in heaven so wonderful and different from the one in hell.



Prepared by Shinnyo-en Foundation, 2006

You are invited to Casady's Taste of Japan

Casady’s Youth and Adult Advisory and Action Council (YAC) Presents

A Taste of Japan-Nihon No Ajiwai

Come and experience the magic of the Japanese culture in Oklahoma, one of the best hidden secrets of Oklahoma City’s multicultural tapestry.

We hope to see you at the “Nihon No Ajiwai -Taste of Japan” on Saturday, March 25, 2006. Make your reservations as soon as possible!
The Casady YAC

Main Schedule

2:00-3:00
Registration
Okii Taiko: Japanese Drumming Performance

Opening Remarks by

Charles Britton, Headmaster

George Nigh, Former Oklahoma Governor, Interim Director of Tourism

3:15-5:20
Workshops
Pre-register to reserve your favorite workshop. Limited workshop capacity
Art sale and Japanese snacks during workshop breaks
Short Japanese films in Fee Theater

5:30-6:30

Grand Finale
Japanese Classical Dances
A Casady Surprise (Japanese Fashion Show, A Japanese Folk Dance, and a Choral Performance)
Food Sampling by Japanese Sumo Steak House

Schedule of Workshops

Single Sessions 3:15-4:45
Ikebana: Flower arrangements
Sumi-e: Japanese brush painting

Double Sessions 3:15-4:00, 4:15-5:00
Tea Ceremony with Kimono Demonstration

Triple Sessions 3:15-3:45, 4:00-4:30, 4:50-5:20
Aikido: Martial Arts The JFMF Teacher Program
Bonsai Demonstration Japanese Food Demonstration
Karate: Martial Arts Manga-Anime: Animation
Kendo: Martial Arts Tanko Bushi: Dance Class Feudalism: The Samurai Shinto Shrines
Japanese Kites Shuji:: Japanese Calligraphy
Origami

Logistical Details and Cost

When?

Saturday, March 25, 2006
2:00 p.m.-6:30 p.m.

Where?
Calvert Hall, Casady School

How Much?

Tickets: Cost includes entertainment, workshops, and food sampling meal
$ 5.00 In Advance
$7.00 On Site

Mail Checks and your choice of workshops to:
Casady School Taste of Japan Fund
9500 North Pennsylvania
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73120
Or Contact Carmen Clay at:
749-3103 –520-3103
Clayc@casady.org

The Nihon No Ajiwai is made possible by a grant from the
Japan Foundation Center For Global Partnerships and local Oklahoma City donor friends

Taste of Japan: The Casady Surprise-Supplies-Fundraising

The Casady Surprise

a. Casady's Upper Division String Quartet: The quartet will play at the Taste of Japan Registration. They will be playing music composed by Japanese artists.

a. Japanese Fashion Show: Upper Division students. Sarah'07 (youth leader), Melanie'06, Deepika'08, (Happi Coat) Layne'12, (Samurai) Jerad'08 (Yakata) and more models to be found by Sarah'08 will provide a fashion show narrated by Jerad'08 and coordinated by Mrs. Yukiko Burnett.

b. Tanko Bushi: Middle School Dance prepared by Deepika'08, Mrs. Lynn Taylor and Tozan Yumi Yugiko.

c. Sakura and Fire Fly: Sixth Grade Chorus under the director of Casady's instructor Mr. Karl Hedlund and Tozan Yumi Yugiko: songs in Japanese.


Thank you Mrs. Leslie and Mrs. Burnett, inspiring and providing the resources for Casady students to surprise our guests.

Workshop Supplies, supplies, supplies

1. Japanese Feudalism: The Samurai: Clothing supplies provided by Mrs. Mari Leslie, Nori-Japanese seaweed ($6.00) courtesy of Super Cao Nguyen Market. This workshop only needs handouts for participants.

2. Tanko Bushi Dance Class: Happi Coats supplies provided by Japan Foundation grant and designed by Middle School students with sewing services from Mrs. Mari Leslie and Mrs. Barker. This workshop has everything ready. Participant copies will be made the week of March 6.

3. Bonsai Demonstration: The Bonsai Society will provide all their supplies. Copies of participant handouts will be made on March 6. So far the second most popular workshop in pre-registration.

4. Ikebana Workshop: Supplies, courtesy of Japan Foundation grant, were pre-purchased on February 24. They will be picked-up by student helpers and deliver to the room on March 24, at 4:00. The supplies will stay in the room overnight.

5. Sushi Preparation Workshop: Supplies, courtesy of the Japan Foundation, were pre-bought from Super Cao Nguyen Market. The teacher will pick-them up Friday, February 24 in the morning.

6. Entertainment: Fashion Show: Clothing provided by Mrs. Leslie and Mrs. Burnett

Fundraising at Casady during Activities

YAC member, Peter'08, Mrs. Yukiko Burnett and Mrs. Clay had a sampling test of Japanese sports drinks (Pocari Sweat) and sold Japanese candy to fundraise for Taste of Japan needs. No drinks were sold, but students slowly came to taste the Japanese sports drinks. Super Cao Nguyen Market donated the drinks for the tasting. $10 were raised in 20 minutes. The service-learning budget invested $180. We have not made any money yet.

Giant Poki and Panda snacks were sold for $1.00, Japanese chewing candy for $3.00, and the best seller; Hello Kitty gum for $.25

Guest Speakers

Mr. Charlie Britton will welcome the participants

We are working with the office of the Lt. Governor to have an inspirational speaker for the Taste of Japan.

Donations

Sushi Neko: $100 in $25.00 gift certificates, 2 caps and 2 t-shirts. They will be entered in the Silent Auction together with 20 Ikebana arrangenments.

Asia Society: Dr. Payma, President of the Asia Society pledged $50 for the Taste of Japan on behalf of his organization, pending its approval. He forgot to place the e-mail request by Mrs. Clay in a thank you e-mail sent to him after the last meeting.

Mrs. Kimie Warm: Donation of cost of supplies for the Mochi Breaks

OU Japanese Student Association Flight to Japan Event

Mrs. Mari Leslie and Mrs. Carmen Clay attended this year's Oklahoma University Japanese Day Event. The Japanese student Association took participants on an imaginary trip to Japan. The kimono fashion show was organized by Mrs. Yukiko Burnett, Taste of Japan's Ikebana instructor. Mrs. Clay was so impressed by the kimono fashion show that she asked Mrs. Burnett to consider allowing a few Casady students to model her kimonos at the beginning of the food sampling, as an opener to the entertainment and as part of the Casady surprise. Mrs. Burnett agreed and the Casady surprise now has a wider representation of the student body.