#Maiko week day 5: field trip

[unsualfan]

Maiko week day 5: Field trip

"Little moments"

When Mai was a young child she was sent by her parents for a field trip to camp Apoy. She had to go since her parents told her so. Thinking it would be boring she was relieved to find out Zuko was going too.

(This is the fic I wrote for Maiko week day 5 fieldtrip. Sorry if I made spelling and grammar mistakes. English ain't my first language 😶)

@idonthatemaiko

There was this camp in the fire nation where young fire nation kids would go on a fieldtrip at some point. The camp was called camp Apoy. Mai's mother, Michi told her that she should go because she went there as a kid and that maybe she would enjoy this fieldtrip. Mai thought the sound of camp apoy seemed boring but it beats being around in her big house with nothing to do. She cheered up a little when she heard Zuko would go too.

The day before she was going to the camp she visited the royal palace and talked to Zuko on the garden. She found out Azula wasn't coming. "Yeah she's not coming she boasted earlier that instead she would learn more advanced fire bending training while I would be at camp and she is gonna get better at fire bending than me." Zuko said. "This fieldtrip is gonna be boring but I have no choice because my parents said I had to and also said this fieldtrip is educational" Mai said. "Yeah its probably boring but at least Azula won't be there, I'm sure she's gonna burn the entire camp." They both laughed. Secretly Zuko thought it was best that Azula wasn't coming because he and Mai can hang out without her interrupting. Mai also thought the same. There were still kinda mad at the time Azula made them both fall into the fountain.

The day of the fieldtrip arrived Zuko was riding in a carriage pulled by ostrich horses and was accompanied by his Uncle Iroh. He told Zuko the things to be expected at this fieldtrip turns out Lu ten also came here when he was Zuko's age. The camp was very old and popular since many children from different fire nation schools go there every year. Mai was already there along with other 13 children from another school. She assumed they were all classmates because they wore uniforms in different shades of orange and a little red. She thought the uniform was awful because it was orange. To Mai orange was an awful color. Mai also thought the kids looked like siblings or it could have been the tacky uniform they were wearing that made them look similar to each other.

A carriage pulled up. Mai was a little excited she thought Zuko had arrived but felt disappointed when a little girl stepped out. "Bye Anda have great time" "Bye mom" she waved back and went to the other kids. Anda was already friends with the other kids. I guess these kids are gonna have fun since they are all friends already. If Zuko doesn't arrive this fieldtrip is gonna be boring for me.

Mai thought. Just then another carriage arrive and this time its Zuko. Mai felt relieved and Zuko was happy to see her. He waved his Uncle goodbye and went to Mai.

"Hey"

"hey, you're a little late"

"Yeah my Uncle had to stop at a shop we saw on the way here and look he got me this paper dragon that they were selling"

He pulled it out his pocket and showed it to Mai. "That's cool" Zuko pulled another paper dragon. "Uncle also got another one this one's for you." "Wow thanks this is cool." They were playing with the paper dragons when another carriage pulled up. A woman stepped out. Mai recognized her. "Zuko isn't that your mom?" "huh?" He turned around and his mom was standing behind him. "Hello Zuko I see you're already having fun with your friend."

"Good day Ms. Ursa"

"Good day to you too Mai" She said with a friendly smile. And then a head popped up behind her. It was Azula. "Heyyyy Zuzu!!!" she said teasingly. "Azula?! what are you doing here? I thought you said you had fire bending training with dad." "Well I change my mind so I asked mom if I can still catch up to this fieldtrip because I would rather spend time with you brother" She said with a fake friendly smile. Zuko frowned. "Luckily I got here just in time and besides I'm already more advanced than you are at fire bending." Zuko was not happy to hear that and he had a bad feeling that Azula was gonna humiliate him. So much for spending time with Mai. He was certain Azula was gonna bug him the entire fieldtrip. "Alright have fun now and look out for each other" Ursa said. "Sure mom."

A man arrive. He was shorter than an average adult but he was taller than the kids. He also looked young for an adult. He introduced himself as Dai and he was gonna look after the kids and teach them all about the fire nation in this fieldtrip. "Well I guess I must get going your fieldtrip is starting very soon, bye for now" She kissed Zuko and Azula on the forehead before heading off. "bye mom"

Dai checked if all kids were present and said the first activity they were gonna do was hike through the woods to get to the mountain. He then grouped the kids in two so that they would walk in pairs and he would have an easier time keeping an eye on them during the hike. Zuko was paired with Azula and Mai was paired with a girl named Marita. Then they started the hike. While hiking on path that led to the mountain. Dai talked about how this camp used to be inhabited by spirits then became a village of fire nation commoners and war and blah blah. He could have told this story a thousand times. It was obvious that this wasn't his first day at the job because he was excellent at keeping the others kids interested. Mai was bored. Zuko and Azula already heard this story told by their Uncle Iroh. Then Azula had an idea

"Mr Dai Zuko is being mean to me he keeps making me trip over!" Zuko didn't know what to say and before he knew it Dai switched him up with the girl Marita and now he was at the front of the line paired with Mai. Dai put him at the front so he could keep an eye on him thinking he was a mischievous kid but it was all Azula. Now Zuko is walking side by side by Mai. Despite the chattering of kids behind him he could hear Azula giggling at the back. Very funny Azula he thought. A few minutes into the hike he realized that it wasn't so bad since she was at the very back and can no longer bug him. Him and Mai was talking, exchanging jokes and then behaved themselves when Dai turned around then continued talking once he had his back turned.

The path that they were hiking led to a creek. "Alright kids let's stop here for a while before heading up the mountain for lunch." The creek had plenty of minnows and the other kids took of their shoes and wanted to catch the minnows with a jar. Mai didn't feel like slipping on the creek and getting wet so she sat at a large rock. Zuko didn't expected it but Azula joined the other kids. "Come on in you, two minnows aren't to be afraid of." Azula said. "This is childish I'm not going in you're just gonna push me and then laugh." Zuko replied.

"I wouldn't do such thing I just wanted to have fun. Let's play game called who can catch more minnows in a minute"

"Alright fine but if you push me I'll grab your ankle and bring you down with me"

"pinkie swear Zuzu I will not push you"

Zuko got in the creek and started catching minnows with Azula. Mai still didn't wanna go and just sat at the rock. Zuko won and caught plenty and kept them in the jar. "Hahah I win Azula" it felt good to beat her. "Well congratulations Zuzu" she was suspicious happy. Azula would have not let him beat her. "Alright kids times up time to head to the mountain." Dai said. Zuko got out of the creek but when he put his shoes back on he felt something move and that startled with making him fall on his butt. Luckily Mai caught the jar he was holding that had the minnows on it. Azula burst out laughing. "Azula >:( ! " She was still laughing. Turns out she fooled him into playing with her just so she can prank him and put minnows into his shoes. Zuko stood up and felt humiliated and he was very mad at Azula.

"Come on you three we have to get to the mountains for lunch time." They lined up with their pair and headed for mountains. I can't believe I feel for that. Should have known she wasn't actually gonna play with me. Zuko thought to himself. He noticed that Mai was still holding the jar with minnows. She was looking at it while they were walking. "The minnows swim in circles in this jar they're stuck in here just like how I'm stuck in my house most of the time." She said.

"You can keep it if you want to"

"really?"

"yeah I don't feel like taking that home with me and then getting reminded of the time Azula pranked me."

"I'll keep them as pets and I'll have company in my boring room"

They looked at each other and smiled. It was a good thing Azula was at the back. If she saw this interaction she would have teased them non stop.

They didn't go all the way up since it would take too long and they were still kids and would get tired easily. They stopped at a part of it that had seats and tables. It had a great view of the part they hiked and the creek was visible from there too. There was a wooden fence at the edge so they can admire the view without falling off. The kids went running into fence to see the view. Zuko and Mai followed them "Careful now children don't fall off. This site used to be very popular long ago and fire benders who wish to learn the art of bending would come here because you can really feel the heat of the sun and also legend says this used to be a dragons nest." Dai told them.

After the admiring the view they all went to have a seat and have lunch. Azula, Zuko and Mai sat together and traded some their lunches.

After eating Azula noticed some flowers near them and they looked wilted. She wanted to do some fire bending and thought it would be nice to burn them since it already looks dead. Zuko noticed this right away.

"Azula don't you could set the whole mountain in flames"

"I know how to control my fire Zuzu and besides these flowers look dead it's ok to burn it"

A kid named Rous heard this and said "These flowers aren't dead its just the way they look" "How would you know it's obviously wilted already" Azula replied. Dai saw this and said "He's right these flowers are still alive. It has many names and origin stories but it's for sure that it's rare and cost a lot of gold pieces if you sell it and" blah blah. Mai wanted to get one flower sure the flower looks wilted but to her it was interesting and she wanted one. She was about to grab one but Dai stoped talking about the flower and stopped her before she got one. "Oh no you can't grab one the flower has thorns and you might hurt yourself"

"aw"

"Well look at the time let's head back down your parents will pick you up"

While walking down the mountain Zuko tapped Mai's shoulder and gave her he flower. "Woah how did you get this I thought it had thorns on it?"

"Well I used my fire bending to cut one"

Zuko said while hiding his hand behind his back. He had a few scratches from the flowers thorns. "Thanks" They smiled at each other.

They were back at where they started and a carriage was waiting for all the kids. Iroh was waiting for Azula and Zuko he had come to pick them up after spending the entire day playing Pai sho and drinking tea.

Uncle Iroh asked them as they went inside the carriage

"So did you have a great time?"

"Yes kinda" Azula said giggling

"Azula put minnows in my shoes"

"It was just a prank Zuzu cheer up"

Mai's mom came to pick her up. Seated inside the carriage she held the paper dragon, the minnows jar and the rare flower. "Aw I see you had fun after all" Michi said. She said that because Mai had a smile on her face holding the little gifts Zuko gave her. She didn't even realize she was smiling.

[eevesdrop]

Maiko Week 2021, Day 5: Field Trip

"How will we get there?"

"On Druk! He's big enough now!"

"...you sure?"

"Of course, Mai."

@idonthatemaiko

[lilytcyip]

December 31st, 2019

1.3 tera v w/ rjin & ggao

1.4 cactus & la foret w/ jng

1.8 talked it out with jng ; tried to understand that if i were happy, what more could you ask for

1.11 cyns bday dinner

1.11 craft beer w/ aleung & lwong

1.13 arisu & standing egg with efeng & aleung ; drove on highway for the first time

1.18 west dineout w/ annie pkp

1.19 glass w/ fifi

2.10 first snow of the year

2.3 cny lunch at home with the fam - tong yuen & poon choi

2.4 mooseknuckles - grateful

2.5 lunar new year

2.16 hangiout with mamayip & sis: beta 5, fixing the parka, meetfresh, miku sushi dindin

2.17 mom leaving for 2 months, wandering earth with the yips

2.19 happy hour cactus w/ fifi

2.20 kokoro lunch & shopping w/ rjin

2.20 so hyang w/ veda & nwu

2.21 black been noodles & tonkatsu lunch & usagi matcha sweets w/ ewong

2.22 green leaf sushi & grounds for coffee w/ vtan

2.25 sushi mura w/ acao ; larry berg planes and kisses for the first time

3.13 mental health talk w/ nwu & tchiu + jamjar

3.15 virtuous pie & nanas green tea w/ rjin

3.16 wine night w/ claw, aleung & fsyal

3.17 tabom & stanely park w/ jerpilla

3.23 pool & rc shopping with jyang

4.3 studying with jyang on campus & langara bye

4.9 studying with jyang at my house

4.18 ramen danbo & official date 

4.20 so hyang & off the grid waffles w/ ayip

4.26 sci ning off w/ aleung, claw, fsyal, lwong & mcheung

4.27 clay llama terra pot class

4.29 so hyang budae jjigae & yifang w/ ewong

4.30 rc shopping & sushi lover with the yips 

5.1 maenam, kits beach & rain or shiine ice cream w/ rjin

5.2 our first little tiff & being called chubby by mlo

5.3 shopping w/ vchan, aleung & fsyal

5.7-5.11 LA trip

5.8 LACMA & melrose & century city field

5.9 warner bros tour

5.10 malibu

5.28-6.1 hokkaido, japan

5.29 a 2-floor hotel with own onsen

5.31 otaru food adventures

6.1 doraemon painting & royce airport

6.2 macau: got scammed by taxi & lost luggage

6.7-6.15 inner mongolia & beijing

6.18 first co op offer 

6.21 fire port party at fifis house

6.29 pottery painting w lwong, aleung, vchan, fsyal

7.5 brunch w/ rjin at jethro’s fine grub, baker & table

7.6 nwu’s birthday dindin at coast, hangout with aleung & nwu at nightingale

7.14 leavenworth cherries

7.17 brunch w/ rjin at OEB

7.19 nightmarket w/ jyang, mlaw, rjin

7.21 beach day w/ aleung, fsyal & lwong; hy’s with fam

7.24 chau veggies w/ acao

7.27 shiok & icy bar w/ ewong

8.3 first day of work at doctors office

8.4 escape room w/ vchan, fsyal & jyang; bowling & anh and chi

8.17 dindin w/ fsyal, aleung & tlim; double date walks at olympic village with ancas

8.18 - 8.19 kelowna

8.18 polar grove & penticton lazy river, mission hill

8.19 kayaking, quail’s gate

8.24 lit night at fifis house with the girls and boys

8.25 aleung’s bday harrison trip

8.27 work shopping & nuba w/ fsyal

8.28 sleepover w/ rjin

8.29 brunch w/ aleung, moii cafe chill with fsyal too

9.3 first day of co op work

9.7 grave of the fireflies & wildtale cuddles

9.14 eric chou meet & greet

9.19 amandarachlee neg comment and posted my encouragement on her story

10.5 maiko parfait & shopping w/ jyang, earls with the amigos

10.18 gmen & oncecake: melody, rillakuma, card & collage

10.24 dark table w/ rjin

11.7 moii after work 

12.15 baking custard souffle pancakes w/ ewong

12.18 office christmas party & bbt w/ slim

12.19 glow

12.21 fifi’s christmas party

12.22 christmas market w/ rjin: churros & chimney cake

12.23 psyc team secret santa & mahjong

12.25 christmas dindin at market by jean-georges

12.26 birthday dindin at zeferelli

12.27 ring & birthday dinner at brix and mortar w/ jyang

12.28 skated alone, worked out, baked & dindin at botanist

looking back at it now, i definitely went out a lot more compared to previous years LOL i had some struggles in january, and at multiple points in my life i blamed myself for being ungrateful, for seeking more when i already had so much in life compared to other people. my friends were there for me and i wouldnt have been able to live through it without them. then again, during reading break in february, i got myself into the same hot mess and i was sad about it for a week and i blamed myself for getting so attached so quickly. because of these experiences, my expectations were v low and i didnt really expect anything when i talked to jyang, what they say really is true, you get it the moment you stop seeking for it. it comes and find you (: the 3 most important that happened this year is burbur, co op job & me getting more comfortable around doggs; this is a big deal !! i actually like cuddling dogs and i feel less scared of them as long as i have some time to get used to them!! im proud of myself for making progress with my phobia! after i started my co op job, bc i didnt have a lot to do, i felt like i wasnt actively contributing to my workplace and that i was very useless. i still feel the same way now, but i think i am slowly getting used to it. thankfully, my coworkers are VERY nice and i enjoy working around them. while i did not get a different position for january, im still grateful that i got an extended placement. nonetheless, meeting with the different PIs and sumeet pointed me in the right direction of looking for nserc / volunteering opportunities when i do go back to school. AND ofc burbur! im grateful that we were able to be there for each other for the past 8 months, both the ups and downs and i am so so thankful that we’re understanding and patient with each other, as we help each other learn along the way and help each other become a better version of ourselves. this companionship is better than i have asked for and i always remind myself to focus on the important things rather than the minor inconveniences. this year, in terms of fitness goals, ive been doing really well before asia. but ever since i came back, it all went downhill and i gained back all the weight that i lost this year year LOL so in 2020, one of my biggest goal is to eat healthy again, and workout more consistently. getting a job in sept kinda interfered with my progress too, bc i was so tired after work, even when i wasnt doing anything and i stressed eat bc i felt terrible. a lot of diff factors made me feel super stressed, and the fact that i wasnt eating clean / exercising reguarly made me feel worse about the whole situation ): so in 2020, maintaining a healthy lifestyle will be one of my top priorities and gifting myself a healthy body is one of greatest things i can do for myself. this also contributed to the lack of journalling near the end of the year, it felt like bc i wasnt doing the things i was “supposed to do”, i just felt so bad whenever i couldnt tick off that particular habit whenever i fill in my trackers. but tonight, i watched this video and it talked about habits should be for awareness, not for self-hate or self-loathing. this is something that i need to keep in mind. ever since april really, the issue of leaving my house and meeting up with my friends have always stressed me in fear of dealing with passive aggressiveness with my mom lool everytime i get inviited to plans, i just get anxiety about having to tell her about it LOL and even when im out, having a msg/ call for her freaks me out in fear that she will get mad at me for being home late and etc and fifi really woke me up with her words, i should just care less LOL i need to stop caring so much about what she thinks, bc at the end of the day, this IS my life and if i never make any changes, i will never be able to grow and be independent. i think this pree much sums up all my events and emotions in 2019, the last year of the 2010s. in the next decade, a lot of things will happen as i will be in my 20s - 30s, where new opportunities will arise, and graduate uni, do my masters, find a job, maybe even marry and move out LOL the 2020s will definitely be an impt decade, but just for next year i want to:

1. understand that i am old enough to make choices, and in general, care less about what she thinks

2. at the same time, i want to appreciate and be grateful for what my mom, dad and annie have done for me; a lot of the times, i feel like i take them for granted just bc i know they will always be there for me and this is not how you should treat your biggest supporters

3. trust that everything will workout in the end, while you may not be able to envision what you career / life would be like when youre 30, you can definitely take small steps and move towards your goal

4. be mindful of what i eat and exercise regularly (4x hiit & cardio a week) ; treats & sweets in moderation; use those habit trackers for awareness, not for self-loathing / self-hate

5. create art regularly, read more and at least do 5 duolingos every week! 

every year, time just seems to go by faster and faster and i feel scared at times. as i type this, theres only 8 minutes left of this decade LOL so in 2020, continue to live in the moment, be present, cherish those that are around you, and have faith that everything will come together, one piece at a time. at the same time, always rmb that you can make small changes to be a better version of yourself, whenever & however you want and this is the 1 thing that other people can’t stop you from doing! 

[geisha-kai]

An interview with former maiko Toshichika, who is now a barista at %Arabica in Kyoto

How did you become a maiko?

I grew up in Ibaraki prefecture and when I was in junior high school, we went to Kyoto for a field trip. During that trip, the most memorable part was seeing a maiko on the street. From that point on, I knew I wanted to become one. After junior high school, I saw an advertisement for maiko recruitment and then I immediately applied and went to Kyoto for the interview. After passing a one week probation period, the mother of the ochaya asked me to join them. I was 15 years old then.

How was life like in the okiya?

A typical okiya has two to three girls, but my okiya was a larger one with six to seven girls. The rules at okiya were very strict; we weren’t allowed to have cell phones, laptops, the internet, and of course no boy friends. Day off is only once in every three months. No salary is given. Every night we receive tips from clients, but we pass them all to the mother. We always trusted mother and didn’t question how much we earned. If we wanted to buy something, we went to the mother for money. We had to keep our hair styled for 1 week so we could only wash our hair once a week. The okiya follows a strict hierarchal relationship, and when we first join an okiya, we are assigned to an older sister by the mother, and the sister teaches us all the rules and manners. We also inherit our maiko name from the sister. For example, my sister’s name was Toshi-hana and my name was Toshi-chika.

Day in the Life

A typical day starts at 9am, and then go to practice at 10am — practice ranges from 30 min to 3 hours depending on the schedule that day. At 4pm, I will apply make-up and get dressed. Afterwards I will meet my first client at the ochaya and start my work. Usually I have two dinner appointments per night. In order to ensure our safety, there is a system called ichigen okotowari (no first timer policy), so that the new clients must be introduced by existing clients. During an engagement, it will either be done in a group or one on one. My main goal is to make the client(s) feel comfortable and happy by providing entertainment via conversation, musical performance, and dance. Being in the presence of a maiko is supposed to be similar to a fantasy; we were trained to not talk about real daily life. I tried my best to bring customers to a different dreamworld. When clients go to the toilet, I will wait right outside the toilet, so that their mental state will keep being with me and would not go back to their actual lives. It’s a whole different reality.

What was your favorite part of being a maiko?

My favorite part was learning how to wear the kimono (Yuka-chan will teach us how to wear a kimono at the end of this post)! I also had the opportunity to meet important people regularly, and learning the social skills was a great experience.

What was the most difficult part?

There are many things to learn and sometimes it was a little overwhelming. I had to learn Kyoto dialect, how to sit properly and move with grace, maiko/geiko hospitality customs, traditional dance (odori), Japanese guitar (shamisen), Japanese drum (tsuzumi), singing, calligraphy, and tea ceremony. The lessons and work itself was not physically straining but it did take a toll on my mental well-being.

Most embarrassing moment?

One time, I was supposed to perform at a dancing event and each maiko was supposed to put a signed handkerchief inside their kimono and throw it to the audience. When the handkerchief is folded correctly, it flies beautifully like a paper airplane. I was running really late so I had to quickly stuff it inside my kimono. At the finale, I threw my handkerchief into the audience but it went down without flying and landed right next to me, which looked really stupid. Later, I got scolded very badly by the mother (laughs).

Has anyone ever fallen in love with their clients?

The clients are typically much older than us so we look at them like a father figure, but there were times when the clients brought their sons, and the sons fell in love with us.

Why didn’t you become a geiko and became a barista instead?

After 5 years of being a maiko, I felt that I wanted to see a different world. Since I spent most of my teenage years being a maiko, I felt ready to move on. On my day off during my maiko years, I loved going to cafes, and seeing the process of making latte art was such a magical experience for me. After retiring from being a maiko, I went back to my hometown and started working for a cafe. But because I missed Kyoto so much, I moved back and worked at another cafe. One day, I participated in a latte art class at % Arabica and Junichi asked if I was interested in working for % Arabica, so I gladly accepted the offer!

Text by %Arabica, more on their website!