Nanakusagayu

Luckily I could book my favorite teachers’ slots, I took two lessons today.

First, it was with teacher N. 
We talked about her wedding plans for the future since I used to be a wedding planner. 
She wants to marry in Japan, if her dream comes true, I’d like to help her. 
We wanted to talk longer, but we didn’t have enough time. 
To be next time.

---

Second, it was with teacher I.   
We talked about Japanese customs.
She asked me if people eat rice porridge with seven herbs in Japan. 
She talked about “nanakusagayu." 
Honestly, I don’t like rice porridge, so I didn’t prepare that.
She also doesn’t like rice porridge, she told me they eat rice porridge when they are sick in the Philippines. 
Same as in Japan, but in my case, I don’t like rice porridge, so my mom used to make small rice balls with miso paste called “misoonigiri” when I was sick.

She asked me that Japanese people go to shrines to burn some things on January 7th. 
I made sure she mentioned “dontosai." 
I explained to her we go to bring kadomatsu, shimenawa, and lucky charms for last year to a shrine, because we’d heard lucky charms’ benefits are only for a year. 
She was surprised to know that, and she asked me “If you lost your lucky charm in the middle of the year?” 
I answered “if I lost them, I must go to the shrine immediately to apologize and pray for forgiveness, and ask not to give me any punishment.”  Fortunately, I’ve never lost them yet though, and hope never happens from now on.