Japanese tea ceremony

A few weeks ago, I experienced my first traditional Japanese tea ceremony. It was in honor of “Dolls Day” (or “Girls’ Day,” as it’s also called), and I was invited to attend by my Japanese 101 professor. The entire ordeal lasted a little less than three hours, in three parts. After gathering for a quick group photo in the living room, the first tea service was carried out in the back yard. In a half-circle around the tea master, with her table and all the accoutrements of a proper tea ceremony in front of her, we quietly observed as she wiped the utensils and prepared tea for each guest. The process was explained by one of our hosts, and as each guest received a dessert, followed later by tea, we were taught to receive our refreshments with proper etiquette. The exact phrasing now escapes me, but in translation, we were each instructed to 1) thank the host, 2) acknowledge the guest on our left side (who has already received the dessert or tea), and 3) apologize to the guest on the right side for partaking in the dessert or tea before them.