From Áine to Melissa, and on to Sadhbh: A Chain of Recommendations Leads to a Memorable Tea Ceremony Experience
I received an email from a young Irish lady named Sadhbh, who said the following: ‘I will be visiting Kyoto from 26-29 March with 4 friends and was wondering if you had any availability for a tea ceremony during those dates? Our friends Melissa, Kate, and Laura recently had the pleasure of meeting you and recommended the experience very highly!
I was very happy to read this email. In fact, Melissa also participated on 20th in March on the recommendation of Áine in January. I felt a strong connection between people through this chain of recommendations.
Naoko was initially nervous in front of the five people, but she gradually relaxed as they smiled and nodded at her every word. By the end, she was laughing out loud with them and felt completely at ease. I had never met anyone from Ireland before starting this tea ceremony workshop, but I was really impressed by their calm, cooperative, and considerate nature. I told them, “If you ever come to Arashiyama, please come as a friend, not a guest.” Nao and I waved goodbye to them until they were out of sight, feeling sad to see them go.
