Rethink about our current way of living.

Spoonful Tote

spoonful tote1b

剛送走了出國的朋友,平日很常見面,好像更感覺不到這個人真的在離開。那一夜有一句沒一句的,清酒與紅酒,杯子換了幾個,眼前模糊的流轉,一切如常,還久違的喝多了。朋友工餘時教授陶藝,兩星期前問她會帶走哪些呢,想了想,最後只拿了兩三件陶器。這讓我想起最近的週末露營,幾回過後,大家都著力減輕行裝,背包裡的東西放進去又拿走,甚至把某些本來視為必需品的都捨棄。那日遠足,沒背上多少東西,走著便下雨,便任它打在臉上,然而濕透的很快被風乾,像剛才被霧包圍的海,能一刻間就變清,這樣忽爾,明白大自然的一念轉瞬。那基本需要,其實是什麼呢?

來自神奈川的Spoonful Tote,設計原理像日本傳統的風呂敷,可根據目的折疊成各種形狀和大小打包行李,綁起來就出發,平日也能捲起收納,不佔位置。採用了日本產石蠟帆布,由當地職人製作。一塊方布展開,將兩側的鈕扣扣上就能變成手提袋,或把大型物件如椅子折起來放進去,提起來充滿韌勁。原意是讓大家到野外活動時把用品整理,或放在車上前往目的地,好不輕鬆。

自從開始露營之後,有了點改變,變得隨時都能上路的心。假日起床後把頭探出窗,見無大風雨,便帶張椅子走到附近的小瀑布,泡好了咖啡,和書,在日落前伴著陽光讀一點,可能也只有幾行,然後睡個很懶的覺。

是兩天一夜短暫停留,還是出國離家朋友都來餞行,每個新的日常,原來都是減法,都在重新思考,如何能夠自由自在地走,離開本來堆積的熟悉。

Bidding this close friend of mine goodbye felt so unreal — the two of us see each other very often, so I could not really picture her going away. We were talking non-stop that night; from sake to red wine, we had one glass after another the entire night. Things started to look blurry as we got more tipsy, as if it was just another ordinary night that we drank more than usual. My friend is a part-time pottery instructor. Two weeks ago, I asked what she would bring with her in the luggage, she gave it a careful thought and decided on a couple of pieces of ceramic ware. This reminded me of a recent camping trip where me and my friends tried our best to pack as little as possible. We kept taking out things that we stuffed into our backpack, at the point where we even gave up items that we usually see as necessities. We did travel light that day. Soon after we started, it began pouring. The rain was splashing on our face but we did not care, as the rainwater was soon dried up by the breeze. The scene in front of us was blurred by mist, but it got cleared up in a blink of an eye. Nature can change at such a fast pace that is beyond our grasp. This made me wonder what actually did necessity mean?

The Kanagawa-produced Spoonful Tote has a similar design to the traditional Japanese wrapping cloth Furoshiki. Users can easily fold it into different shapes and sizes according to their needs, and tie it up like a bag. When not being used, this thin cloth can be rolled up without taking much of the storage space. Spoonful Tote is made of waxed canvas made by Japanese artisans. With snap fasteners lined up on the two sides of the rectangular waxed canvas, one can turn the cloth into a tote bag within a minute. Leaving the studs open, then the canvas can be used to carry bigger items like a chair. The sturdy canvas can surely support a heavy load without getting wobbly. The Spoonful Tote series was originally designed for carrying picnic accessories, so the picnic-goers can pack everything in the tote bags and put them in the car.

Camping has taught me quite a bit. I have learned to go with the flow. Waking up on a sunny weekend, I can spontaneously grab a picnic chair and read by the waterfall close to my place. Taking a pot of coffee and a book with me, I can easily spend the whole day until sunset. Sometimes I fall asleep after reading a few lines of the book, but taking a nap outside is also a nice way to spend my weekend.

Getting away from the usual routine by camping for a day or two, or leaving one’s hometown for good, these are all changes that remind us to rethink about our current way of living. These are the lessons that liberate us from the familiarity of our everyday life and learn to embrace the joy of being impulsive.


Available in LAB Collector

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