Origami

Wednesday, my friend Michelle and I attended a lesson in origami, the Japanese folk art of folding paper to create something decorative or useful. Below you can see our first go, a simple pencil, followed by a more complex item, a card holder.

I'm reminded of our first trip to the Children's hospital when the physician asked Roo, amongst other appropriate age level skill questions, to demonstrate how to fold a piece of paper. I wanted to blurt "we don't teach our four year olds origami" but before I could, Roo successfully made a crease. Wednesday's teacher explained that the skill is taught to children to improve concentration and because it is believed that using all fingers in a dexterity exercise stimulates brain activity.

Interestingly, we learned that during the era of the Samurai, it was considered rude to give a gift unwrapped. Oddly, the wrapping wasn't meant to conceal the item. In fact, it was suppose to be very obvious by the shape of the wrapping what was inside. And, if the giver incorrectly wrapped an item in order to deceive the receiver of the contents, the giver would have no option other that to take their own life. Fortunately, the appropriate etiquette with modern day origami is not so extreme.