Ikebana-Japanese Flower Arrangement

I just came back from Sakura Club just now..,and we did some Japanese Flower Arrangement today...This picture is taken before we begin our class:Before that, as usual we started our day with reading our Toyota Citizens Pledge, which says among other things:

1. To nurture greenery, to protect our rivers and to respect the rich nature around us.
2. To value the benefits of sports, to broaden our knowledge and to raise the level of culture.
3. To work with a willing spirit and raise healthy children in a happy family atmosphere.
4. To help one another and to broaden our circle of friends, so as to warm our city with friendship.
5. To revere life and to abide by the law in order to make our society a safe and pleasant place to live in.

Then we went on to singing our Sakura Club song which goes like this...

Sakura...,sakura..,yayo ino sora wa
Miwatasu kagiri
Kasumika kumoka
Ni o izu izuru
Iza ya..,iza ya..
Miniyukan...

Today's session was flower arrangement which was done in Keifu style. These are the materials needed for the project:-

There are three main branches called Shin, Fuku and Tai play an important central role and are arranged in triangular. There is a base of them or Hanaza, which makes a foundation vigorously with bushes of flowers and leaves.

In arranging the flowers, place Shin or the tallest one a little backfrom the center of the Kenzan. Put Fuku or middle-sized one to the left front and Taior shortest one to the right front. Complete the arrangement by forming Hanaza with some flowers and leaves, adding Ashirai or supplements to fill the gap. Shin leant to the left from the center called "Hongatte" and "Gyakugatte" the other way round.
The sensei was very helpful and patient teaching me doing the arrangement..,with Umair on my lap and sometimes clinging around my legs..,I am definitely a slow learner and need time to put things together. This is she fine-tuning my floral arrangement putting the leaves facing forward...with me snapping the picture away..

But, at the end of it, looking at the finished product, I am definitely proud of my achievements!

This is us inside the classroom with our finished products on display...

At the end of the lesson, after clearing up our working table and the room, we were served tea and some Japanese sweets and fruits to enjoy with our friends...

I made three new friends today..,Natalia and Kasia (picture below) from Poland, and Rajeshwari from India.

For our next session which is on the 18th of November, Godwilling, we'll be making a trip to Toyota Automobile Museum in Nagoya.