Asian Traditions and Lifestyle

Traditional Dress *Kimono - Means ‘the thing worn’. Was worn by commoners or as an undergarment to aristocrats. Eventually it would be worn by both males and females. It is still seen as a symbol of Japanese traditional culture. The Kimono would be tied up with an Obi and came in many different patterns and fabrics.

Make-up *7 steps to make-up in the ancient chinese culture: Korean 1. Powder Base 2. Apply Color (white) 3. Darken the Eyebrows 4. Apply the ‘Forehead Gold’ - gold powder applied. Then floral imprint on top 5. Paint the Dimples 6. Decorate the Cheeks 7. Apply Lip Color Korean Chinese Japanese

Feet Binding Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMdmSerORw0 *Feet binding was seen as a symbol of beauty as the foot would resemble a lotus flower. *It was also used as a sign of social status and wealth. *In order to obtain a husband, you had to have your feet bound. The goal was to achieve the ‘Golden Lotus’ which was a foot that was 3 inches long. 4-5inches was acceptable and known as a ‘Silver Lotus’ and anything longer than 5 inches were known as ‘Iron Lotuses’ and your chances of finding a suitable husband were dim. * Feet binding would start as early as 3 years old and no later than 8 years old. It was a very painful process to endure and the pain lasted a lifetime as the small feet made it hard to walk. * In fact, many girls died during the process of Feet Binding due to the toes and bones of the foot breaking and disease setting in.

Feet Binding

Family Lifestyle *Family is very important to the Asian culture. The well-being of the family is the number one priority. To put one’s individual needs before the family would alter the harmony of the family and bring dishonor. Bringing honor to the family is looked upon very highly. * In very traditional families, you should speak only when spoken to and only if you have something to say. Self control and keeping one’s emotions in check is also expected in the Asian culture. * Many chinese practice Feng Shui which is harmonizing everyone with the environment around them. *Education is very highly valued in the Asian Culture

Education System *A good education is something that is both socially expected, but also expected by the family. * In Asian countries, almost 100% of their youth attend both elementary and secondary education. 90% of their students that start college, finish and obtain a degree. Comparing that to the US where only 50% of students that start college, finish and obtain a degree. To do well in school is to bring your family honor in the Asian culture. * It is also the parents responsibility to ensure their children succeed academically. Many parents in Asian culture will sacrifice their own time to help their children. Many Asian children also attend night and weekend school to achieve the highest grades possible. *Many Asian children are motivated to do their best and beyond because of parental demands, fear of failing, pride and competition. Many see education as the only way to succeed. * For Asians it is not a question of ‘IF’ they are going to go to college, it is ‘WHAT’ is the best college they can get into and ‘HOW’ long will they be there to achieve the best career they can. * The whole concept of the Asian Education system is based on how much can one succeed both academically and career wise.

Fun With Origami

Origami Definition Origami, (pronounced or-i-GA-me) is the Japanese art of paper folding. "Ori" is the Japanese word for folding and "kami" is the Japanese word for paper. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EWRnLEGDMw0 This video is a little corny so play if you want but don’t have to.

The Origins of Origami. . . Although Origami is known as a Japanese Art, it actually began in China. The Chinese invented paper around 100 A.D., and when the invention spread to Japan around 600 A.D., so did the art of paper folding.

The History of Origami In ancient times, Origami could only be used for special occasions because the paper was scarce. The figures made from origami were shaped like animals, costumed people, and ceremonial designs that had special meanings to them. The constructions were done using a single sheet of colored paper that was often, though not always, square. There were no directions back then. None of the folding instructions were ever written down for the models. They were passed down by generation through learning and practicing. The art of paper folding was not called Origami until the end of the nineteenth century. By the 1950’s origami gained popularity from world famous origami artist Akira Yoshizawa (1911-2005).

First Book on Origami The first known book on how to make an origami object was written in 1797 and is called The Secret of One Thousand Cranes Origami (Hiden Senbazuru Orikata) Pictured to the left are pages from “The Secret of One Thousand Cranes Origami”..

Akira Yoshizawa (1911-2005) He is considered to be the grandmaster of origami for developing origami as a creative art and creating many new folding styles. Pictured above are pages from “Dokuhon, Vol.1 ”

Examples of Origami Folds Different types of folds http://www.oriland.com/oriversity/symbols/a_symbols.asp Aloha Shirt activity http://www.tammyyee.com/origamishirt.html

Han characters

Ink stick Paper Ink stone Brushes

THE BRUSH Among the various tools of calligraphy, writing brush is particular to China. The brushes are varied, and white goat's hair, black rabbit's hair and yellow weasel's hair are three major types. On the basis of the function of tip, the brushes are classified into three groups: "Hard", "Soft" and "Both". Writing brush has such a long history that prehistoric painted pottery, inscriptions on oracle bones, bamboo slips and silks are all writing materials for brush

THE INK-STICK The ink-stick is the unique pigment of Chinese traditional painting and calligraphy. At the initial stage natural ink or half-natural ink was generally used. It was during the Han that artificial ink appeared. The raw materials of ink-stick were pine, oil and lacquer.

THE PAPER Paper is one of the most famous Chinese inventions. It is widely accepted that paper was invented by Cai Lun in the Eastern Han. However the archaeologists have discovered paper of Western Han such as "Fang-ma- tan" paper, "Ba-quao" paper, "Xuan-quan" paper, "Ma- quan-wan" paper, "Ju-yan" paper and "Han-tan-po" paper. After the Eastern Jin Dynasty, paper was extensively used instead of traditional writing materials such as bamboo slips and silks. Various methods of producing paper emerged one after another.

THE INKSTONE Inkstone is the most important of "four treasures of the study". Because of its solid texture inkstone can be handed down from ancient times. In the ruins of primitive society the archaeologists discovered simple stone ink-slab that needed a pestle to grind pigments. After artificial ink-sticks appeared in Han, pestle gradually disappeared.

The 5 Principles: review Posture: It is important to sit up straight. Good knowledge of the tools: It is important to know the proper techniques for using all tools. Control: You must know how to control the brush. Rhythm: The characters should flow smoothly down the page. Balance: Make sure all the lines are the right thickness and length.

Golden Rule 1: Start with the upper part of a character, then move downward. Golden Rule 2: Start with the left part of a character, then move to the right. Golden Rule 3: Horizontal brushstrokes precede vertical brushstrokes. Golden Rule 4: Diagonal brushstrokes to the left precede diagonal brushstrokes to the right. Golden Rule 5: Finish everything inside the box or wrap before closing with the last stroke. (The Box Rule)