I, unfortunately, missed the first class session, and for my make-up assignment, I attended a Japanese Festival at the Japanese Garden at Lake Balboa in Van Nuys. I did not realize that the gardens were so beautiful! The festival was to showcase the gardens and some aspects of Japanese culture available to us in the San Fernando Valley.
The most interesting aspect of the festival was the Taiko drumming. I was surprised to see that the majority of the drummers were not Asian! The drummers explained the tradition of the drumming and the many different types of Taiko. What was presented that day was a multi-drum, multi-player form of Taiko.
Another more "hands on" exhibit was a step-by-step how to about origami. Everyone who completed level on walked away with a hat, and there was an intermediate and advanced origami booth staged around the gardens. In the advanced booth, they had created a Yoda character!
A most enjoyable part of the day was sipping tea in the tea garden and Shoin building after watching the Tea Ceremomy and simply strolling around the gardens to enjoy their beauty and serenity. It was also helpful that docents were there to answer questions about the plants and the layout of the garden.
.
