Arashiyama, Kyoto“Listen to the sound of boiling water. Respect all objects around you.” Maiko instructs us as we gather around her in a small room for a traditional tea ceremony. Her soothing voice puts me in a trance as she talks about Wabi-Sabi (finding elegance in every day simple things rather than chasing perfection). As I watch her making the tea, I forget about the world outside. Every single gesture is very precise, very calculated. She makes us part of the ceremony. The sound of wat...