top of page
Search

27.october.2024

Dear reader,


Yesterday evening, I heard fireworks in the background. Our neighbourhood had been celebrating something I wasn’t privy to and the air was soft, tender. The wind had barely grazed my cheeks before it was gone but there was a tingly sensation that lingered. As though it was delivering featherlike kisses to anyone who crosses its path.  


We’ve been notified by local farmers that for Okayama this year, we’d be skipping autumn so to speak. That while the temperature is steadily decreasing, it’ll move straight into winter. Their crops rely on more accurate information and therefore, the reliability of their source holds higher accuracy levels of prediction. I guess us, mere mortals will simply have to take their word for it. 



We’ve been back for almost 2 weeks now. The general consensus and what we’ve been told is that when you enter isle of dreams, things begin to slow down. You find yourself being able to breathe in the present, to think about the steps you’ve taken to get here, and to wonder about what’s next.


I don’t deny that the life we live here is slower than the usual chaos back in Singapore. Which inadvertently, allows us to be that much more deliberate. But if I may reveal my deepest, darkest secret - I struggle with that sometimes. You know the sentiment of not appreciating what you have till it’s gone? I realised I find myself yearning for our life here while I’m away, then not taking the time to soak it in when we are back. My heart breaks a little every time I catch myself in that situation. 


It’s funny because as I’ve said before, nothing we do here is special. But I think that in itself has made me overlook the importance of the choice we made to live the way that we do. That this really is an incredible space. That we are in an extremely, extremely fortunate position. That the people who made the time and choose to come through here are nothing short of enchanting. 


Everyone has left something. Their mark. They always want to. It’s their way of saying thanks. And a silent promise to return. We have art murals on walls, a zine that’s coming out, new floorboards, a kitchen counter that would not have been possible if it weren’t for the strength of many to help transport it into its place. 



And then there’s the way we have friends who possess the magical ability to translate the mundanity of what we do here and retain these memories for years to come. Sam worked on the garden, he installed a new fence and also added more bits to what Anna and Kin worked on last year. I have evidence of that, but I personally feel that it dulls in comparison to the way he sees isle of dreams. I don’t know how, except maybe him and his camera is basically a prism. You could be standing there in the same space and yet once the light catches and a simple click of a button at the right moment, everything changes. It makes you double take, and before you know it, your breath has been stolen. Enclosed below is a snippet.











If anyone wants to revisit any more of these fleeting moments, well, thank fuck that everything on the internet lives forever. It’s the reason why I created the “in the eyes of” highlight on our Instagram page. They can be found on his instagram page, here.


So while you take your time to peruse, and you should because these pictures are incredible, I’m going to attempt to Ferris Bueller this chapter. To stop and look around once in a while before I miss it.


ash

18 views0 comments

Recent Posts

See All

Comments


isleofdreams.space

  • alt.text.label.Instagram

©2023 by isleofdreams.space.

bottom of page