(CW: a blister is pictured in this post. I know that freaks some people out.)

As reported earlier, I have been taking a taiko class on Sunday mornings. Taiko are the Japanese drums usually played in an ensemble; “taiko” means “big drum” in Japanese. If you’ve never seen it, here’s a group from the same place.

Dance Brigade, Dance Mission Theater

We have had five of our six weeks of class, and by last week I had a significant callus at the base of my ring finger as a badge of progress.

This week it was bothering me during class, so I put a bandaid on it. That was a mistake; within ten minutes it had blossomed into a blister. Another badge!

I may be proud of these physical signs, but I’m not a masochist; I’ll put moleskin around it before next week’s class and “show and tell” for our families and friends. It would probably be wise to take off my ring on that hand also.

The students bring the drums into the studio and put them away again after class, and I’ve noticed the last couple of weeks that the drums are considerably lighter than they were before. This is improbable, so it must be another sign of the physical effects of intense drumming, even for only about an hour a week.

It is so much fun. I might need to sign up for the intermediate class.