京都 四条/カフェ

Ok, I "cancel" my doubt from the previous post, and decide to write a new one after dinner - as I have fell in love with this city after night falls! 

Had dinner at a cafe, that was converted from an old house of Kyoto. It's filled with beautiful illustration of bears, and also a lot of architecture related books. The shop owner/designer must be some crazy architecture fanatics or an architect.... and Japan always make me fall in love with architecture, their architecture is just different from the rest of the world. They must also have a very very ging publishing/printing industry, all their posters are so nice, every tiny city has beautiful posters at the JR station...
I guess it's like Spirited Away (same from Izumo-shi) everything is closed under the bright sunlight, but as night falls, and lanterns are lit, everything comes to life. When at Shimane, there were also a lot of other things that reminds me of Spirited Away!
Once again, it couldn't be explained in two dimensions, it's the politeness, smell of the wood, texture, the content of the books, petit flowers, the music that adds up.....
Bike back to the home along the dark alleyways .... so calm and quiet, the old lady has already laid the bed for me in my tatami room....

京都

Parted with Choi Sz at Hiroshima. Currently at Kyoto, finally back to a place with wireless internet in the room. Staying in a Japanese style home here in Kyoto, there's a very beautiful cat here : ) 

Was planning to stay in Osaka last night, but after a series of battle around Osaka station yesterday evening, I decided to give up, and travel to Kyoto immediately. The station was filled with construction (just like Tokyo Station's endless renovation) - and people were running around catching trains (they knocked down my luggage twice) super scary! I thought I should be able to cope with all these very well, as I am from a BIG city (HONG KONG!!!) But it's just too scary, like a factory! So different from the peaceful hills I have been in the past week, where people all wear a smile on their face. (Everyone was sleeping on the train in Osaka). It's impossible to act like a flaneur wandering aimlessly in Osaka. Went back to Osaka Ikea this morning, I realize that, comparing to the many foreign cities I travelled to - Japan is one of the few places that I feel most like a "foreigner" even though I also have black hair and yellow skin, but there is just something different. Even the view from the JR trains, is so unique, both in a positive and negative way. There are always real surprises. It really feels like being in a foreign country. 

Spent a day in Kyoto on bike, it feels so great biking around, but at the same time so dangerous! hahaa, my skills not too good!! Just remember that Phoebe used to bike to Minto house in first year, UNBELIEVABLE! I don't think it's true, it's probably a lie! Many people thought that I would like Kyoto, I am not too sure, but we will see! 

There's also a very exciting discovery at Ikea today. 

So many people wearing Yugata (the summer kimono) here in Kyoto, thinking whether to just stay in tonight! Don't want to go out until I get one!!

And.. a lot of business matter to deal with!

Let me say add oil to myself! 

絵本x忠雄

Visited Tadao Ando's beautiful design in the suburb of Himeji today, a Children centre and a space museum + overnight stay rooms wrapped in the serene bamboo forest. Even my uncle auntie and Jaci were really impressed! It was built and designed around two decades ago, but still looks so clean, new and modern. ehon x ando......

the craziest of all is the picture story book library facing the pond, and the big round arts and crafts room!!!

every space opens to some open exterior view, or slow flowing water

So far we visitied Ando:s work from -the-high-art-museum, to this museum, that interacts with everyday life

Meditational Space

The architecture that calm one's heart, thought of kitty's dissertation, and experienced at Himeji today. Was thinking that I won:t have the motivation to see all the Ando's work if yu tsz wa is not coming wor, but then I still went to Himeji today - and loved it.... a lot.... I guess it:s about the whole experience, all the special viewpoints, the serenity, the light, the inter-play between outdoor and indoor, the conversation with the friendly people - and I wrote in my moleskine - wouldn't it be great if there's such a place in Hong Kong? Beautiful architecture - not one that's just a visiting point, but a space that you would alwasy want to use and revisit! Wanting to sketch it - but realize that it's at once so simple yet complex to sketch.........

Just thought - the space could be in no way designed and experienced two-dimensionally. It has to be designed in model - and experienced in reality....

there are two blocks, and a Japanese house/garden in between.... it's such a mystery how the traditional architecture and the modern one live in such harmony

I always feel weird when I talk about architecture - doesn:t seems like it's the ME i know.... lol

Why, doshite... archtiecture, fascinates me - too?

瀨戶內當代芸術の朝聖

One of the new "art house" of Naoshima, first experience of 直島錢湯

Choi Sz and Maoshan watching sunset outside SANAA's port...

famous yayoi kusama's pumpkin and best favourite SANAA's work! 

素顔の直島

Naoshima, beautiful as ever before but 暑いね

草間彌生 choi sz & maoshan's morning walk

just the two of us at moi favourite cafe of naoshima - matcha latte.s

hedgy, blackie and collin @ entrance of Chichu Art Museum 

the cat cafe 民宿we are staying at tonight

jaci just wrote a postcard to my dad saying 「女古長你是一個大肥人，你真好笑」 lol

A day of sunshine and flowers

wow, today is overwhelming, i don't know where to start. But I could proudly say that our previous hard-work has came to a first stage of success! So I could go to Japan without BIG worries, or a feeling of back to zero-directionless-state! I must say that I feel very very thankful, and fortunate, that we are given such a precious chance to handle this business, and do hope that everything goes well, of course I will work hard too! I am not normally a person who talks about 緣份but this time it's all really the right timing, the right people, the right aim, the right Japanese connections, and it's a thing that I DREAM to do, but have never thought I could be able to achieve in at least a decade. 

I was really more thinking that even though it's so great, we are most likely to have to give up this opportunity. But as many times in life, miracles happen, and they do not just happen in a coincidence! So I believe that we must be confident in ourselves too! Then we all had a nice afternoon tea at Clipper Lounge at Mandarin Oriental.

Apart from that, delivered my first lamp to my first customer, Wai sum! I have five customers so far. From the past few days, I realize really, that I don't earn a lot from selling the lamps anyway, but having friends that are interested already means a lot. Big thanks! there are two shops that would like to sell too! But of course there are other considerations too... Wrapped the lamp with white flower today, special thanks to Joey at agnes b. who's also a handcraft lover. : ) Shall we still go for my agnes b fleuriste next time or try something new?

in short, those who want to know more, I will update you personally. and keeping the tradition of silent revolution, i hope that I could be given the chance and time to continue to work hard and keep up these dreams, you will know more when it matures. 

Will be leaving for Japan tomorrow, not looking forward, but things always turn out good when I get there, like every other trips. I will miss Hong Kong SO MUCH, as usual :P

I feel so blessed.