Three Unforgettable Moments

Hi, this is Jiro.

Honestly, I was of two minds when recently　I was asked to guide a few visitors from London, mainly at a Japanese tea ceremony. They were the parents of a newly married Japanese-English couple who had just welcomed a baby. The baby’s mother—the only bilingual person in the family—was unable to attend the tea ceremony because she had just given birth.

Saying to myself, “I’m not a professional interpreter, so they won’t expect too much of me,” I decided to accept the job.

It turned out to be a far more enjoyable and memorable experience than I had expected. Today I’d like to share the three moments that impressed me the most.

First

I am not very familiar with Japanese tea ceremonies, so I read The Book of Tea by T. Okakura, a classic introduction to the Japanese tea ceremony.

While reading it, I came across a remarkable passage.

There are three kinds of tea: boiled tea, whipped tea, and steeped tea.
Cake tea is boiled. This is classicism.
Powdered tea is whipped. This is romanticism.
Leaf tea is steeped. This is naturalism.

When I quoted these lines, they looked both surprised and fascinated.

They even laughed when I confessed that I had read the book only the night before, just like a student cramming for an examination.

Second

In the alcove hung a scroll bearing the expression 一期一会.

When they asked me what it meant, I was ready to explain because I had often reflected on its meaning in my own daily life, just as many Japanese people have.

Literally, 一期一会 means “one opportunity, one encounter.”

People often say that history repeats itself. But does it really?

Nothing ever repeats itself exactly. Every moment happens only once. Every encounter is unique. That is why each moment, and each meeting, deserves to be treasured.
They listened quietly and thoughtfully. I had the feeling that what I truly wanted to say had reached them.

Then one of them made a comment that I will never forget.

“I think we mean almost the same thing when we say, ‘You can’t step into the same river twice.’ In fact, not even once, because the water is always flowing.”

(I later learned that this idea goes back to the ancient Greek philosopher Heraclitus.)

I was so moved that I found myself speechless for a few seconds.

It feels wonderful when you are able to exchange deep reflections through English.

Third

Because they had just become grandparents, we naturally began talking about how life changes when a child is born.

“When your child is born, your whole view of life changes.”

“Yes, indeed.”

We smiled and nodded to each other.

Moments like these are satisfying in a different way because they allow us to share simple but profound human feelings.

Looking back, accepting this request turned out to be one of the most enjoyable experiences I’ve had using English. I’m glad I didn’t turn it down.

If there is something related to English or English learning that you’ve been hesitating to do, I’d encourage you to go for it.

Like me, I think you’ll be glad you did.

Go ahead!

I’m sure it will be worth it.

Good luck!