First time in four months or so that I had a tea ceremony class today. It was quite OK and I did not do many mistakes. But it was painful for my knees.

One of Mina-sensei’s tea ceremony friends also came and she made thick tea (koicha) after our class. And we could all try it. This is the first part of a real tea ceremony as I understand it. And so far we have been practicing the second, and perhaps easier part, of a tea ceremony.

After the tea ceremony we all went to a Chinese restaurant not far from Mina-sensei’s home. The dinner was quite normal until an hour into it. Then Akiko-san was going to the bathroom and sat ona chair waiting for her turn when suddenly she just fell off of the chair. It was quite scary at first, but after a while it was clear that she only fainted and that this has happened some times when she has been drinking alcohol.

  

The very strange thing was that the waitresses kept on bringing in food for us. Even though all of us was fully occupied by making sure that our frined was OK and was not harmed in any way. When she finally felt better and we could go back to eating the restaurant personell asked us to leave because new guests were coming. Very un-Japanese manner and we were all quite upset about it. Last time for them to get a visit by any of us, I think.

When Chie and I got home I checked the Internet for information about alcohol and drops in blood pressure. It turned out that alcohol in itself widens the blood vessels, which of course lowers the blood pressure. I guess that in combination with eating a lot, a general low blood pressure, that can cause a suddeen drop that makes one loose ones consciusness.