Practice.

Kiyomi, Mamehana, Sooki, Chisaki and Akahana Okaahan

This week was all about practicing for ozashiki and our dancing. Momoka-neehan was kind enough to teach us dances and Okaahan told us how to kneel, serve sake, bow and all that fun ozashiki stuff!

My homework for this week? Create a 5 minute dance! @_@ Moreover, I learned something most interesting during the ozashiki class. In different hanamachi, there are as many differences as how to pour sake! In my old Okiya, in Miyagawacho, we would have poured sake cupping the bottle with our palms facing down. At Mitshana in Gion Higashi, there is a very different approach! If the patron we are serving is sitting to our right, we would lift the bottle with our left hand and use our right hand like a seesaw to balance the narrow neck of the sake as we tilt the bottle with our right hand. How interesting is that!? The sake bottle has more function than simply looking cute!

My Oneehan, Chisaki and I got to visit three different Okiyas the other day. ^^ One was very rude... The second, which I went to alone was absolutely lovely! And the third was just as nice! Unfortunately, we had to run off for our dance lessons. I am so happy to learn about other Hanamachi~ There is a lot you can learn from what is unspoken.

Oh, the times!

Saturday was a very fun day!
There was the rice harvest festival in Hosoi! We talked and danced by the fire to the sound of the wind splashing the river against the bank.

Anneso, Sooki, Makoto and a fellow dancer.

We danced too! And then, we had a Sampan race! At first Anneso-han and Makoto-han and I grabbed a boat! At first Mako-han and I rode but Anneso-han was having touble... SO I TOOK THE REINS! ...Or rather... The paddle.

CRAZY ASIAN DRIVER! That is what Mako-han said. Crazy or not, I won the Sampan race!!

Tomohana-Neehan no Misedashi began at 7. I joined my Oneehantachi along with Kiyomi-chan as we watched everyone prepare for the big event!
At 7, I went to the Ochaya with Okaahan and began holding the door open and greeting the patrons that arrived. One by one, the Ochaya filled up!
Tomohana-neehan was displayed like a doll. She danced in the middle during the performance. It is so amazing to see all the Maiko and Minarai of Mitsuhana dancing at once.
Tomohana-neehan is a Maiko now. No longer is she restricted to the brightness of the Minarai's kimono. She may wear the full length of a darari obi rather than a minarai's short obi.
Where a Minarai wears slightly shorter sleeves, the Maiko's sleeves are down past her knees. The lovely swinging furisode attract the eyes to the lovely hues she wears as they flow when she dances.

Mamehana, Tomohana and Chisaki of Mitsuhana Okiya

When a Maiko debuts to a Geiko, she gets shorter sleeves so that her well practiced dance movements can be seen more dramatically. As a Minarai and as a young maiko, she will paint her lower lip. In the old days, a Wareshinobu was worn untill a girl was no longer a virgin, when she took the Ofuku hairstyle. Nowadays, as culture has changed this isn't really anyones business whether or not a Maiko has had her first sexual experience, which makes prostitution or mizuage absolutely unnecessary. So, nowadays, the Ofuku is changed as the girl advances in her studies. When a Maiko wears an Ofuku, She paints both her upper and lower lip. The obiage that used to be worn over the obi is now tucked in with the elegantness of a Geiko. Less pink is used in her make up and she uses less kanzashi than before. The younger maiko will wear a heavily embroidered red collar while the senior maiko's collar will progressively become more and more white untill she turns her collar and becomes a Geiko in a ritual we call Eri Kae.
Maiko are very colrful and made too look childish and doll like, as are minarai. They wear okobo that go "Kop Klop Kop Klop." Sometimes for added cuteness, a Maiko will put a bell or two in her okobo. 

The night ended with two performances by Tomohana-neehan, Okaahan playing the shamisen and the Gion Kouta- Gion's song!
Afterwards Kiyomi-chan and I had to clean up. It was scary by the lake so late at night, and we were tired but we managed to straighten the place up good.
When I returned to the Okiya, Okaahan congratulated me on getting noticed. ^^ It is true I was mentioned a few times in conversation, I was very happy to hear that she believes many people are also looking forward to my debut.
Afterwards, when I was painting my Imoutotachi asked me to come pose. We chose a pose and snapped away!

Candhi, Kiyomi and Sooki.

Last night, there was a second ozashiki in which I helped alone. No other shikomi were there to Aid me. There is a little Fox patron that I have come familliar with named Spot-sama.  My older sisters call him Oniisan so I guess he must be well known, and likely, a regular! ^^
Spot-sama, is a fox of mystery. He appears to like girls, sake and people's shoes. Why does he like stinky shoes? I don't know. My older sisters told me he was a wild animal. When my sisters rose to perform he tried to take the shoes off the rack to eat!
Luckily! I was there to protect the shoes in all their glory, as we do need some way to walk home tonight and wearing tabi alone while hailing a Jinrikisha is so unbecoming! However, as I held the shoes from the little fox I did feel bad. He only wanted a snack. I resolved in my head by deciding to give him my old shoes when I grow out of them.

As the water,

❀ 瀬をはやみ    ✿    se wo hayami    ❀   Though a swift stream is ✿
✿ 岩にせかるる  ❀    iwa ni sekaruru ✿       Divided by a boulder ❀
❀ 滝川の       ✿  takigawa no     ❀     In its headlong flow  ✿
✿ われても末に   ❀  waretemo sue ni ✿      Though divided, on it rushes ❀
❀ あはむとぞ思ふ ✿  awantozo omou   ❀   And at last unites again. ✿ 
                     - Sutoku In


Many changes have happened in such a short time. Sayo-neehan, now named Sayoha has passed her minarai test. She has left the ranks of shikomi completely. ^^ I was the first to tell her. She was very nervous, but we are all happy and proud that she has passed!

 

Sooki and Candhi watch as Okaahan assesses Sayoha's outfit and make up.

Tonight, Tomohana-neehan becomes a maiko. Her Misedashi will last three days. How excited I am! I am creating a Mokuroku poster for her to wish her good luck!

I have put in a lot of thought about my Geimei. I decided I would wait until later, when I had an older sister. I put a lot of thought into who I wanted as an older sister, back at Naka No Shima. Tomohana-neehan who is very bright and kind... Suzuha-neehan who is very friendly and funny... Toshifuku-neehan who always answered my questions... Fukuteru-neehan who always helped me... Umecha-neehan who is very successful... I thought it would be one of them. Even when we switched Okiya, though I thought very fondly of Chisaki-neehan as she was friendly to me even before we were sisters in Mitsuhana, but I realized that as she is the Okiya's Heir... the atatori, my chances as a new girl and an outside must be low...
Last night, while we were waiting for our class to begin, the Okiya's atatori, Chisaki-neehan whispered something to me: She asked if I would be her little sister! 
All those chores really paid off! ^___^


This is a big privilege and also a big burden. Often, a younger girl would have to request and hope with luck that her Okaahan allows her to have such an honorable older sister.
I was very shocked that she picked me.
As the Atatori's younger sister, I have a lot of responsibility to look forward to. I want to make my new older sister proud.
When I asked Okaahan why she asked for me, Okaahan said that I remind her of herself. I am very happy and very touched. I will always honor the Mitsuhana Okiya. I am so blessed to be a part of it!


Yesterday, I helped the new shikomi, Candhi-chan with her chores. ^^ With Kiyomi-chan, we even went to the Ochaya and practiced roles! Kiyomi-chan danced as a maiko- Like an Oak tree! Stiff and Strong, as we haven't had any dance lessons quite yet. I was the rude patron and doubled as a shikomi to show Candhi-chan how it is done! We also had our first taste of sake, Kiyomi-chan, Candhi-chan and I were all so bubbly afterwards, NOW WE KNOW! When we are maiko we must give the patrons as much sake as they like to ensure a fun and entertaining party!

 

Candhi and Kiyomi (As a maiko) watch in confusion as their humble "patron," (Sooki) dances on the table. 

It has been fun here at Mitsuhana Okiya. ^^

Shikomi

Yesterday, another girl joined the Okiya as a shikomi. Her name is Candhi-chan. ^^ She is very sweet.
Like me, she is interested in learning about culture! I hope we both do a good job.

Candhi and Sooki

And while Candhi-chan joined the rank of Shikomi, last night, Sayo-neehan took a test and graduated to the rank of minarai! The test seemed long as Okaahan and Chisaki-neehan left at around 7 and were busy voer several hours later. Sayo-neehan seemed very nervous. Now that she passed, I wonder what her Geimei [Geisha name] will be! ^^
Other than waiting, I spent last night talking to my best buddy, Kiyomi-chan! At our old okiya, She used to be my Oneehan as she was older than me... But here, the roles have switched and I am a bit more her senior! It is fun though. We had a slumber party and talked about dolls and secrets.

Sooki and Kiyomi

Now that there is Candhi-chan, Kiyomi-chan and I, that leaves three shikomi at Mitsuhana Okiya.
Yesterday, Chisaki-neehan helped me to learn to practice doing several chores at once. I made tea for Okaahan who had a tough day, and walked without spilling it for the first time! When we had company, I mended a lot of obi! Sadly, there were a few sashes that I couldn't mend. One was completely moth eaten... Another, had an ink stain on it and another reeked of Tobako. :[
I have class tonight and some paintings to finish before i begin my chores today~
I am excited for class. I hope I do a good job~

Sooki Ying - Shikomi of Mitsuhana Okiya

Mitsuhana Okiya is a new Geiko house to Second Life. We say Geiko rather than Geisha as we are from Kyoto,  of Gion Higashi Hanamachi. Mitsuhana Okiya was started by Akahana Ueta, my Okaasan, our Motto is to bring as much of the real Karyukai to Second Life as possible.
To be honest, Mitsuhana isn't the first Okiya I have belonged to. Recently, Naka no Shima Okiya in Hosoi was my home. However, much had occurred and changed. As a result, I followed several of my older sisters to this new Okiya. We have high hopes for the future~

In a way, it is a fresh start for everyone. My former Okaasan is starting anew as a Minarai, eager to learn.  Being a Minarai means to learn by watching, a Minarai may go to the tea houses and observe her older sisters behavior, conversing with patrons, entertaining thru song or dance... Minarai also have a lot of classes. Their kimono is very elaborate and is meant to do the talking for them. Though at night they get to be silent and sit patiently, it may be for the best as they have many difficult classes taking up their days! A minarai is the second stage of a girl training to be a Geiko. I am at the lowest stage, a Shikomi.

A Shikomi is essentially a maid. We are not allowed to entertain in the tea house yet, we really shouldn't even go. I help patrons find their shoes and bid them konbanha "Good evenings" or oyasumiyasu "Good byes," when they arrive or take leave. I say "Please favor us," O tanomo shimasu.
Back in the okiya, there are many floors to scrub and many chores to be completed. I help replaces the fusuma doors as the seasons change and I bring in hot water for my Older sisters. If I do a good job, and I complete my many classes, I will go on to be a minarai.


In my free time, I enjoy painting. I am thankful that I have good relationships with my sisters who enjoy my creativity. In return, I bask in their talent, observing what I can and savoring the approving smiles they give me. My greatest wish is to make my Okiya proud.

That being said, I would like to say my thank yous to you for reading. I hope that in the future you favor me as I grow. O tanomo shimasu! Ookini!