Konnichiwa, everyone! My name is Mariel Ypil from the Philippines, an artist-in-residence for the month of November and also as an intern for Studio Kura. It`s nice meeting you!
The twenty-sixth of November, 2018. Dark grey clouds hung on the horizon as I walked to Ikisan Station, catching my breath in order to meet up with my fellow artists-in-residence to reach the 11:47am train to Meinohama Station. My mind whirled in excitement for our trip to Nokonoshima Island, famous for its flower gardens and scenic views of the ocean.
Instead of taking bus number 98 to Meinohama Ferry Terminal, we decided to walk there and see what we will discover along the way. True enough, a warm and cozy scent of freshly baked bread hung in the air from a quaint bakery with flowers, beckoning us closer. It worked its magic and we continued our journey with freshly baked bread in our pockets and warm smiles decorating our faces.
Seeing the ferry for the first time, my heart leapt once again. I admit I get really excited about things so much. The salty cold air whipped through our hair, the vast expanse of dark blues and greys looked cheerful despite the lack of ideal sunlight. I am reminded of my father who has been working as a Marine Engineer in the oceans for thirty years — so this is what it feels like to be on a ship. No wonder he gets really excited just talking about it. Now the day seemed even more promising now.
This is a photo of how the ferry looks like. This was taken during our return trip, however.
Snapping a quick selfie before the ship started its journey, Ana, Elysha, Carly, Anna and I am quite giddy about our adventure up ahead.
The island was huge, dotted with trees of green and orange. Lining up the way to the park were these adorable flowers and wonderful cafe. Inside you will see lots of quirky and vintage curiosities, as well as DIY tables that I really wanted to acquire…if that was possible.
