An Hour of Peace

So far the trips that we have gone on involved the high energy atmosphere of the city. The serene environment of the Japanese Tea Ceremony was a major contrast from the other areas of the city that we have been to. One of the first things that I noticed about the Urasenke Chanoyu Center was that it did not look like it belonged in the Upper East Side of Manhattan. It actually matched what I imagined a Japanese tea house looked like. The overall architecture was simple yet beautiful.

Once the tea ceremony started, I was very fascinated by the movements that were involved in carrying out the tea ceremony. The tea master’s movements were very calm and graceful. Even though the act of making tea appeared to be simple, the meaning behind it was very complex. From a simple bow to the intricate handling of a tea cup, every action had a purpose. By the time the tea ceremony finished, I felt very calm and refreshed. As the tea master put it, I felt as if my responsibilities and worries from the outside world were left behind. Even though I do enjoy the typical excitement of the city, it was nice to get away from that environment for an hour.