The secrets of Jin-shei

"Set in a mythical Chinese kingdom, The Secrets of Jin-shei is a timeless story of what sustains friendship — and what tears it apart. Accepting all the joys and responsibilities of jin-shei, eight girls pledge lifelong loyalty to each other: the poet, Tai, whose promise to a dying girl changes the history of an empire; the warrior, Xaforn, an orphan who will protect her chosen family no matter what the cost; Khailin, the scholar, whose thirst for knowledge leads her into a world of dark secrets and alchemy; sage Nhia, the only person with the power to save Khailin; Tammary, the gypsy girl, whose secret lineage could ruin a royal house; Qiaan, daughter of a captain in the Imperial Guard, with family secrets of her own; the healer, Yuet, confidante to the empress; and the empress herself, Liudan, whose search for family and ultimate quest for immortality holds the power to destroy them all."

This is the synopsis of the book I have finished to read today. The secrets of Jin-shei, a book of Alma Alexander... I love read.. I have read thousands books.. but this has been the first book that made me cry. Without doubt, this book has marked a before and after at my life.

Surely, I recomend it... because it's amazing.. i'm still shocked by the book...
I feel identificated with each of the girls and at the same time with no specific one, for what I'm, for what I have been and for what I wish to be... With some of them more.. with other less.. but I feel identificated with the 8 girls. Really humanized girls....

But that's not just the amazing point, how humans are they and how you can cry with them and understand they feelings.

Is the meaning of this book. The way of "jin-shei"... When I was reading it, I wished with all my soul have my own "jin-shei"..
So I explain at two girls the meaning, and I asked them to be my "jin-shei-bao". The two of them accepted. There is also other girl.. who I want to ask it.. I'll explain it to her when she will return of Japan this week. But at my heart I know that she is already my jin-shei. We don't need words... I know she is.
There is another girl... I want to ask, but I haven't courage for it, very hard...

So I have three girls with a eternal promise. Our own promise of jin-shei.

So naive~~ huh? But I like, I feel happy with this.. I feel warm to know that now.. I have my own circle of jin-shei. I wonder with what of the eight girls of the book I look more equal.
One of the two girls I asked to be my jin-shei is like Xaforn... the other is like Khailin... the one I want to ask is like Nhia... then.. I wonder if I'm like Tai... because is the one with who I feel identificated without a "I feel like her but..." but I hope that one of them can answer my doubt.

Back to the book; it will absorb you since the start. I hope that some people of who would read this will search the book and read it. And if you read it, I hope you will enjoy it as much as me... then it will mean that you have understood what is the meaning of "jin-shei".

Just as curiosity; as far as I know, in reality existed in China a secret language "nushu" and a secret brotherhood "Jiebai Zhimei" a brotherhood under sworn of heart and soul between women.

Así que prometo proteger este lazo. Y me siento muy agradecida con estas tres chicas. No espero que respondáis con la misma intensidad, ni siquiera si que tan serio es para vosotras este tipo de vínculo. Desearía que me correspondierais por igual, pero no os lo pediré. Yo soy simplemente feliz sabiendo que habéis aceptado. Porqué prometo cuidar este vínculo eterno, este pacto de almas. Este deber. Incluso más allá del tiempo.

The meaning of Kokeshi

Ok. Today a little of culture.
There is one blog I try to read often, because I find it a great blog which uses various topics, but all them of interest and also gives a personal opinion of things that sure aren't a waste of time. That's Nora's blog "Una japonesa en Japón ー　ある帰国子女のブログ" And also I find interesting that she wrote always the same entrie with both idioms: spanish and japanese. A good way to unite people of differents idioms.

The other day I read one entrie that caught my attention. It was about the japanese Kokeshi dolls. After ask her to use their information, I'm going to share what Nora wrote about this. Since you can read at her blog the same information in spanish and japanese, I'll write it with english (literally translated). So, if there are still doubts, the information I'm going to use today doesn't belong to me. I must say too, she spent 10 months collecting information for this entrie. I think that's an important point. And that 10 months weren't a waste of time.

I have to say that, I didn't know anything about Kokeshi dolls since I read her entrie, but apart I found it an interesting topic, it made me thing on something. I hope you will create your own ideas after read it too.

So well, here with the information.

** What is said about the origin of Kokeshi dolls (in blogs)
>> It means dead girl, replacing dead girls from the poorest families in the area
>> Despite being pretty, have a dark and gloomy sense, because it means get rid of a girl.
>> The sound produced when turning the head that fits into the cylinder of wood, produces a sound like the cry of a girl.
>> Represents children who were killed because it's a society that kills children.
>> I'm not surprised that represents the dead children because japanese are thus.
>> They manufactured dolls in order that disappear remorse.

....and more things.

** What is said about the name (in blogs)
(in spanish and japanese blogs)
** 子消し= 子(ko) - child
消し(keshi) - erase

** 小芥子= 小(ko) - little
芥(ke, keshi) - dust, rubissh
子(shi, ko) - child

** The real meaning of Kokeshi dolls.
Kokeshi dolls began to be manufactured in the region Touhoku (north of the archipelago) at the end of Edo period, and the oldest doll was manufactured, according to the documents, for the years 1804 to 1830 in Miyagi Prefecture.
These dolls were born as gift for the tourist who visited the hot springs of Touhoku, a rural region with a lot of snow during winter months and very hard to live. The sale of these toys helped to develop the economy of the area that it was only based on agriculture.

The art of manufacturing cylindrical wooden dolls and now varies from region and for the people who live there, was passed down from father to son, from children to grandchildren and from masters to disciples.

** The origin of Kokeshi name.
These dolls have different names by region.
Deku（でく）、Houko（ほうこ）、Kiboko（きぼこ）、Keshi （けし）、Koguesu （こげす） … entre otros.

That's why in year 1940, the artisans were brought together to give a single name, 「こけし」-Kokeshi in hiragana, and is of this way how is writen

currently.

** The why of 子消し (”erase” a child)
This word appeared for first time in 1965, in a novel of a japanese writer, where he made a pun (very typical in japanese language) without thinking of the consequences.
From that year, began to invent stories with words like "dead children" or "were killed" in some televisions programs and magazines.

That's why, the word "erase a child" (子消し）, didn't exist when the dolls were started to be manufactured, there is no point in commom

and Nora thinks that this doesn't exist with this meaning in any Japanese dictionary, but unfortunately, still now there are a lot of japanese who still thinking that is of this way because they were said or they heard that was of this way, and for foreigners... is of this way because Japanese are thus.

** The real meaning of the word 「こけし」(Kokeshi)

Currently is used this word in hiragana all over the country to refer to craft dolls, but the origin is the word 小芥 (Kokeshi)

** 小 (ko) = little
** 芥 (keshi) = poppy fruit

As you can see, the head of Kokeshi doll sesms at poopy fruit. And that's the why of the name.

Thanks to Nora for letting me use her information.