Ikebana Update

My lovely flower club deserves an update all its own.

When I last mentioned my kadoh, the teacher was constantly telling me that my arrangements were substandard, and that as a non-Japanese, I would never truly understand the principles involved. This treatment continued for a good 4 months. It was exceptionally frustrating, as there are two newbies in the club, and their arrangements would be redone even more than mine, but without the criticism.

But I stuck with it, and eventually, my suspicions were confirmed. It was less about my lack of ability or even my non-Japaneseness. The teacher assumed I would lose interest after a few sessions, and she was uncomfortable around me. Once she realised I was sticking around, and that I was serious about the club, she relaxed. And now I seem to be her favored student. Apparently I have a natural knack for the flower arranging. Still raw, of course, but since my mother's into roses, I must have inherited a flower talent. Or so the reasoning goes.