「本身成立草途木研社是為了自己，還有一些環保理念要說，怎樣使用香港樹、珍惜我們擁有的資源。」成立草途木研社的工匠翁泳恩（Yan）說，在香港做木藝，好像撥開高高的野草向前行，所以改名草途。「但我現在反而感到名字有點棘手，有些朋友怎樣也說不對名字。」她笑說。
有一陣子，Yan忙於回覆各式各樣關於回收木的查詢，那時候香港經歷了颱風洗禮，上萬棵樹木倒下。人們開始著急，原來一直與我們生活的樹，竟是如此脆弱。不想失去，因此尋找方法把它們留下來。「我不是十分熱愛樹的人，但看到垃圾房的木家俬、樹木被送到堆填區會感到很浪費，如果燒了它們，成為生物炭也有它的用處。我以前常常駡環保署，後來發現駡是沒有用的；即使做得不好，也要鼓勵他去做好。」現在草途木研社會與環保署合作，做一些香港樹的研究，Yan說：「現在的環保政策好了一些，有Y Park、綠在區區，但相比外國還差很遠，例如種植原林給下一代使用、妥善處理棄置木家俬等等。雖然香港普遍的環保意識提升了，但過程仍是很～慢～呢。」
Yan接觸木藝以前，曾在法國唸書，夢想在香港著名的廣告公司工作，賺很多錢，有名有利。「在法國唸書時很窮但開心，心靈上很滿足，讓我明白什麼是生活。回香港後，我並沒有如當初所想在廣告公司工作，那段沒有工作、無欲望的日子，我常去海邊踏單車，舒服自在，像與當時的香港脫節了。我發現生活比較重要，即使賺很多錢也未必有一個很好的生活。」 後來，Yan為了想學懂一門手藝，而到台灣一個月，專注地學習木藝。在命運的安排下，回港後經朋友介紹與老師傅一起教班。「這兩年專注於培育年輕的木工，『香港製造』不再是『手作仔』，我們已經是一間小型工廠，製作大型家俬。」
現在做木工，欲望是需要的，但欲望也會隨時間而轉變。兩年前，草途木研社由土瓜灣工廈的小單位搬到較大的單位，也擁有了足夠資金請人。那時候，二百人前來面試，Yan當時花了很多時間逐個見面、聊天，奈何當時只能請一位木工。她說，沒有經驗不要緊，感到迷惘而來一試也無妨，她都一樣用心地聆聽每一位年輕人的想法。「這是傳承，或是給機會一個年輕人看不同的東西。做木工除了學習用手，也是在訓練內心。」
「後來覺得世界變了，慢慢覺得當年輕一輩都珍惜不到時，不要說什麼珍惜資源了。」
木工開木時，首要做的是看木紋，怎樣在不同的位置呈現木紋，這就是與木的溝通。「每天我拿起熱水壺，看到木桌，我也會由心讚嘆真的很美！我的家裡掛著一塊木板，是日本的屋久杉，像畫一般掛在牆上，我每一天看著它就會覺得很美好，這可能是因為我特別喜歡木紋，能夠看到它的美麗之處。」Yan說，她能記著每一塊木的紋理，笑言不能做木麻雀，不然的話她會經常贏牌。「始終實木的美，你是會感受到的，不是閃亮亮的，而是令人舒服的美。」
訪問期間，Yan的說話總是襯托著????木的機器聲；木工們低著頭做各種工序，沉默如窗外平靜的大海。「坦白說，來這裡之前面試了二百人，心裡也會想原來這麼多人很有心來學藝，如果我們可以聘請他們便好了！」除了請更多的年輕木匠，她的願望還有親手起一間採用木建築的日式木屋。「在香港，最出色的木建築是志蓮淨苑的主建築，不是很大，但設計和造工都很美。但這是不可能任務，根據消防條例，香港是不能起木屋的。早前替Kubrick做了兩張體積很大的高檯，內藏雪櫃，結構如起屋一般。我給它做了一個簷蓬，看起來很像日式的建築，這是一個讓我做得很開心的project。」
「香港製造，不是單單是表面的四隻字，而是包含著質素、美感，這也是不可輕易地被取代的原因。」
“I started Coutou for myself. I wanted to share my thoughts regarding environmental issues, like how to make use of Hong Kong’s trees and the resources we have,” said Yan, carpenter of Coutou. Working as a carpenter in Hong Kong is like finding your path amidst tall weeds, which is how the name Coutou (which means “weed”and “path” in Chinese) came to be. “But now I feel that the name is a bit tricky. Some of my friends just can’t say it correctly,” Yan said with a smile.
There was a time when Hong Kong was severely hit by a typhoon and tens of thousands of trees were downed. As a result, Yan received numerous inquiries about wood recycling. People were concerned; it turned out that the trees that had long been living with us were incredibly fragile. People didn’t want to lose them, so they wanted to find ways to preserve them. “I’m not a big fan of trees, but it’s such a waste to see the used wooden furniture and the woods end up in the landfill. If they are burned, at least they can be transformed into biochar that can be of good use. I used to be really mad at the Environmental Protection Department, but then I realized anger doesn’t do anything. Even if they are not up to par, we should encourage them to do better.” Nowadays, Coutou works together with the Environmental Protection Department on research regarding trees in Hong Kong. “The environmental protection policy that we have right now is better than before. We have Y Park and the GREEN — COMMUNITY campaign; but we are still far behind foreign countries for they have initiatives such as afforestation and proper procedures in handling used wooden furniture. Although environmental awareness has generally increased in Hong Kong, we still have a long way to go.”
Prior to becoming a carpenter, Yan studied in France and had dreams of working at a renowned advertising agency in Hong Kong, making a lot of money and enjoying the finer things in life. “I lived poor in France but I was happy. My soul was satisfied. And I eventually came to understand what life is about. After returning to Hong Kong, I didn’t work in an advertising agency as I thought I would. Instead, I spent some time living day-to-day with no job and no desires. I often went to the seaside to cycle. It was a carefree period and I was basically out of touch with Hong Kong. I realized that living is more important; even if you make a lot of money, you’re not guaranteed to have a good life.” Later on, the idea of picking up a skill came up and Yan decided to go to Taiwan for a month to learn carpentry. Upon returning to Hong Kong, she connected with an old carpentry master via a friend and subsequently started teaching classes together. “In the past two years, we focused on training young carpenters. The ‘Made in Hong Kong’ label is no longer restricted to only small handicrafts. We now have a small factory and are producing large furniture.”
One has to have a strong intention or aim if they want to be a carpenter in the modern world; though such intention might change over time. Two years ago, Coutou moved into a bigger unit in an industrial building in To Kwa Wan and had enough money to hire an extra pair of hands. At that time, around 200 people came for interviews and Yan spent time meeting and chatting with each one of them; though only one of them was hired. Yan said that it didn’t matter whether the new hires have any experience in carpentry and she didn’t mind if the young people just wanted to give it a try because they felt lost; she would listen to their thoughts and stories regardless. “This is about inheritance, or giving the young person a chance to see something different. Carpentry is not only about hands, but the soul too.”
“Eventually I came to the understanding that the world has changed. If we can’t even care about our youth, don’t even mention caring for our natural resources.”
For carpenters, the first and foremost in timber cutting is to look at the wood’s grain and consider how it can be best presented in a new form. It’s the communication between the carpenter and the wood. “Every time I pick up the kettle and see the wooden table underneath it, I just can’t help admiring it. It is really beautiful! I have a wooden board hanging on the wall in my home. It is Yakusugi, a Japanese cedar. It is just like a painting. I look at it every day and it makes me feel good. Maybe because I like wood grain so much, I can see its beauty.” Yan said that she can remember the grain of each piece of wood, and if she could make mahjong with wood, she’d probably be winning all the time. “You will always feel the beauty of solid wood. It is not shiny, but comfortable.”
The operating sound of the cutting machine could be heard occasionally during the interview. The other carpenters were all focusing on their task. Silence prevailed, as calm as the sea outside the window. “Honestly, I was surprised by the 200 people that came for the interview. I’d never thought there would be so many people interested in carpentry. It would be great if we could hire them!” In addition to hiring more young apprentices, Yan wishes that she could build a Japanese-style wooden house. “The most stunning wooden building in Hong Kong is the main building of Chi Lin Nunnery. It’s not very big, but the design and craftsmanship are extraordinary. Building a wooden house is impossible; because according to the fire safety ordinance, building a wooden house is simply not allowed in Hong Kong. Earlier on, I made two really large tables for Kubrick. The structure is like a house. I even made a canopy which makes the whole thing look like a Japanese-style building. I had great fun working on this project.”
“‘Made in Hong Kong’ is not mere words; it’s also a representation of quality and beauty. That’s why it cannot be easily replaced.”
