Page 53 - BSAM 2016 Q4

On his arrival we formed ourselves in a row, standing like soldiers, to do our respectful bow.
We talked for over an hour with the teacher who, despite the bus loads of tourists and customers, seemed to care only for us that day.
He warmly o ered tea, Japanese sweets and delicious mandarins from his garden.
He explained on a scale of seven items, based on rarity, what is it to a man to become great in his eld.
Commitment is the foundation, without which, learning is below zero; is, together with the will to become greater and the desire to grow, are part of those qualities you can in uence through self control.
en comes creativity and ideas that increase with experience.
Talent, and even more, sensitivity, are absolute characteristics, dormant in some individuals that can be awakened if properly stimulated.
During the interview the teacher was pretty amazed that I spoke in Japanese, but to tell the truth, I expected a better performance from myself.
On the way back I felt really blessed, I thought of the bonsai which had impressed me the most and the meeting with the teacher.
Now, a er a few months, stronger with much more in-depth study of the language, I am about to leave for this fantastic adventure to learn about traditional Japan, which in some ways, is not much di erent from the teaching method of great artists of Italy.
And of course my heartfelt thanks goes to Massimo Bandera, Sawa Nakamura, Yukiko Deangelis, and my family for indulging in a dream that can be called unusual, eccentric and idealistic, but that relies on the passion for beauty in general and love of Nature, towards which everyone should experience a strong tie.
Top and middle; The great master, Masahiko Kimura, warmly o ered tea, Japanese sweets and delicious mandarins from his garden.
I want to thank Mr. Marco Invernizzi to helped me with my studies at the Istituto Superiore Umberto Primo di Alba, better known to students as the Wine School, where I gained the remarkable botanical knowledge that is always helpful in the eld of bonsai.
If you ask me what I think is the meaning of doing bonsai, I reply that it is personal growth and it is equivalent to condensing a part of yourself, which are ideas, that before the creative process exist solely in the mind of the author and soon a er, are given to others as emotions contained in a form.
Bottom; Alessandro, Professor Sawa Nakamura and Masahiko Kimura.
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