Classes, Cooking, & Celebration

After dinner on day 6, the academy students practiced calligraphy using kanji (pictographic characters representing various words) they chose themselves. Day 7 progressed as usual with language classes into the morning and afternoon. After reviewing topics such as counting in Japanese and how to tell time, the beginner class learned how to describe the weather. The advanced class created a presentation on how to properly prepare shiratamadango (a type of Japanese dessert similar to mochi). After classes ended, advanced students presented the recipes and academy students split into their hans to prepare the dessert. After a majority of students had finished cooking, they celebrated George's birthday with a personal cake and card signed by all the students. Shaved ice, ice cream, and anko (red bean paste) were also provided to enjoy with the shiratamadango. Students will receive an additional calligraphy class after dinner and finish their kanji creation which will be 3-D printed into a stamp traditionally called "hanko".