My UAE: The Chado Teacher (Japan)

Sharjah: With just two weeks until the AFC Asian Cup UAE 2019 kicks-off, we explore the host country through the eyes of expats from across Asia.

Sat inside her small decorated cubicle, Ai Yuasa is wearing a bright white Kimono and a smile on her face as she immerses herself in the traditional Japanese tradition of "Chado", the ceremonial preparation and presentation of a type of green tea called Matcha.

What looks like an everyday scene from a daily life in Japan is actually taking place 5,000 miles away from Yuasa's hometown of Tokyo. More specifically in the Japan pavilion of Dubai's 'Global Village'.

"I came to the UAE six months ago to work as a tea ceremony teacher," explains Yuasa, as she presents us with Chawans of tea. "It is a lovely Japanese tradition and a part of our culture I am happy to bring here. Matcha is good for health and Japanese people drink it almost every day, so it holds an extra special importance to us.

"The UAE is a really interesting and exciting place; you come across people from many different cultures and backgrounds, so it is a good experience for me coming from Japan.

"The culture is very different to Japanese culture. In Japan we are very quiet and shy, but here it's bustling and so exciting all the time.

"I live in Sharjah now, and I commute to Dubai for work. Sharjah has lovely nature, with the sea and the lake, and it is overall a very nice place to live.

"When I am not working, I usually go jogging by the lake side in Sharjah. It helps relieve the stress of daily life. I also like to experiement with Arabic food. I find it difficult to remember the names of dishes, but Arabic food in general is tasty.

There aren't that many Japanese in the country, so I would like to send a message to Japanese fans to travel to the UAE, not just to support the Samurai Blue, but also to experience the country. It is an exciting experience and a good place to visit.

I am a huge Kashima Antlers fan, I was happy to see them here for the FIFA Club World Cup, and I am looking forward to seeing Japan at the AFC Asian Cup next month, especially my favourite player, Yuto Nagatomo!


Source: the-afc.com