NCF-PIJLC Open House - 大成功！

(The Kanji above reads: Huge Success)

Woohoo! This year's Open House of the Nihongo Center/PIJLC was the best ever! Since the first time I attended the Open House in 2004, this is the first time I encountered such a big crowd at school. Tons of activities for the visitors too like Origami, aikido, sumo (!), film showing, kimono no kitsuke (kimono wearing), free Nihongo class, trivia contest, karaoke contest, cosplay contest and many more.

(Left) Here is a pic of moeru-san and hirodayuy-san (both Japinoy.com members) in their yukata (summer kimono). Looking good, guys! Mr. and Mrs. Yakuza? But something is missing in this pic...Oh, right. Falling hearts. Oh-kay, moving on... I wasn't able to go around much to the different rooms and activities (or even watch 'Howl's Moving Castle) because Keli-sensei asked me to assist with the Kimono room, which I gladly did. The last time I wore a yukata was December last year, for the company's Christmas party, and all I could remember was how to tie an obi (Not Wan Kenobi) in the 'chou musubi' style (butterfly obi, which in my opinion, looks more of a ribbon than a butterfly). There are so many other ways of tying an obi, but I never bothered to learn all of them. At the Open House, there were also the 'instant obi', those that you just clip on the back. Convenient. ^_^

I did promise to visit the Tea Ceremony room, because my friends Masaki-san and Sasaki-san were there with Yamaura-sensei. I never got the chance to visit though. They never visited my room either, so I guess we're even

(Right) Spitz-san, moeru-san and hirodayuy-san enjoying the experience of 'Sadou' or the way of the tea.They were able to experience hands on how tea ceremony is done: from entering the room through the small entrance, to how to make tea (the frothier, the better, eh?), and to how to properly drink it. Sugoku omoshirokatta!

One of the crowd-drawing events was the sumo competition, headed by JOCV volunteer, Niimi-sensei (who is about to go home to Japan soon. NCF will miss you, sensei!). Visitors and students participated in the competition; there were hilarious moments like one contestant running away from his opponent. Eventually, it was a trainee from IHI who won the competition. Yokozuna!

This Open House is a once-in-a-year event that I vow never to miss, ever. It is not everyday that you get to drink tea the way Japanese people did many years before.Or wear what they wear. Or speak as they speak. It is not everyday that common Filipinos like us experience traditional Japanese culture. It was fun and educational at the same time. Nerdy of me to say that, but it's true. XD