Love Peace and so on—Nomad studio

Love Peace and so on——Nomad studio

“Love and Peace are the most important things in life.”

“Let’s always remember that we are a part of nature and we coexist equally.”

Taiwan is an island country surrounded by the ocean. We get used to the sound of the ocean, the movements in the mountains, and the smell of the soil. Located on the northeast coast is Nomad Studio, a neighbor to nature.

Nomad Studio founder, Mongren, wants people to know that Nomad’s mission is connected with nature. She moved away from the city and found her calling- to devote herself in environment preservation, to make more people fall in love with the sea and redefine the meaning of life.

Q Can you tell us about yourself?

Hi! I’m Mongren, I am the director of Nomad Studio. I am also a marine educator, the kids call me Teacher Coral. Our studio is located on the northeast coast, Naoao. It is managed by my husband and I. We are both deeply in love with the ocean and are dedicated to work with it.

Nomad currently provides scuba dive training programs, family dive experience, and marine education lectures. Ever since I was embraced by the ocean, I devoted myself to marine education. I really hope that I can utilize what I have and do good for the earth. Because we wanted to raise people’s awareness of the ocean, we had held marine lecture tours in the country, and we’ve been giving lectures at different elementary schools and kindergartens every week. We also have beach cleanup activities for adults and kids to join.

Why did I start getting into marine education? Here’s why. We dive into the ocean every day, the ocean is our life. Everything in it is just like an old friend of ours. Sometimes we’d see fish roaming around the beautiful coral reefs, and suddenly we’d see a bunch of garbage. The fish would eat the plastics, and huge fishnets would be stuck on the coral reefs.

Coral bleaching is happening every single day. All the colorful corals are bleaching and dying slowly but surely. We did not want to see the ecosystem vanish, so we decided to share what we have observed.

Everyone of us and everything in this world are connected, nothing is irrelevant. If I started sharing something about the corals, one person would begin to change, then doesn’t that mean the world would change even just for a little bit? And what if I share it with more people, wouldn’t that mean that the world becomes a better place? This is our belief that “Every single person has the power and ability to do something good for the earth. The change starts with one person, and the world would change, too.”

Q When did you start living your life by the ocean? How does it affect you? And what differentiates it from city life?

We hope each one of us to be respectful, humble, and grateful for mother nature.

“Let’s always remember that we are a part of nature and we coexist equally.”

I moved away from the city 4 years ago and began my life by the ocean. I never thought how much love I would have for the ocean that has always accepted me. Life by the ocean is as close I can get to nature, I have a more intimate connection with nature and it completely changed my perspectives. Nature has taught me so many things, especially the ocean.

I began to look at the world from Earth's perspective and I began to pay more attention to nature and the environment. I want to do something for the earth to make her better. I have never felt the way I did while I was living in the city. We cut down so many trees and clear the vegetation just so that we can build more shopping malls, fashionable shops, and skyscrapers.

We destroyed and demolished nature, and we built a concrete wall. We are hiding behind the wall refusing to look at nor listen to the truth. I am glad that I can be who I am, that I can utilize my humbling power to tell more people what we know.

Q What was your intention when you started Nomad? Did it develop the way you expected it to be?

“To be able to see the sea everyday is happiness. Dedicated to rove around the ocean as nomads. Hope to own 2 little sheeps and 3 little dogs, and be a hippie running around on a northern Swedish grassland in 50 years.”

Five years ago we were on the road traveling, the tent behind our little old car was the only shelter for two months. We stepped away from the internet, crossed the valley to the desert. We were drowning in each other’s love and nature, and we started thinking about “Life”.

We began to wonder, “What is life?” “What does it mean to live?” We wanted to use our studio to share the happiness, issues, and what we do with others. Our studio isn’t luxurious like the dive resorts, we don’t have sumptuous decors nor any dignifying interior design. But what we Always have is a heart full of love, tenderness, and that loves sharing.

Most of our lives are related to the ocean, we live by the ocean so we work with it. It opened our eyes, to see how truly magnificent the undersea is. Our intention to open the studio was to let more people know how wonderful the ocean is. The longer you spend with the land and the ocean, you’ll realize you’re not only looking at its beauty, you’re also looking at its sorrow.

So I decided to share everything I see.

I even started taking lessons all over the country, to learn more about marine conservation and marine life. When you spend enough time under the ocean, you’ll want to know more about them. I’ve never thought that I would be a teacher or a lecturer, everything happened organically. It just feels like something I’m meant to do. If every person has a mission on earth, then I think mine is to share the ocean I see with more people.

I feel like a missionary when I give a lecture. Except, I’m preaching about the beauty and the sorrow of the ocean, and I want to raise people’s awareness that we’re a part of the island, we coexist with nature.

Q What does nature mean to you?

Nature is gentle, generous, and loving.

Humans have created so much damage on this blue planet. Even so, I’ve never seen Mother Earth treating humans with hate, it’s still loving and welcoming.

“Everything is connected”

Everything on earth is connected, they’re linked together to build a bio network. We’re nature and nature is us. Every decision we make has an impact on nature, and eventually it always circles back to humankind. There’s no definite death in nature. Every organism transforms into nature in a different form. One day, our skin and flesh will start to wither, our bodies will slowly return to Mother Earth’s embracement.

We’ll become a part of trees, soil, moss, or wild ginger flowers; or maybe even corals and the sand under the ocean.

Time is not linear for nature, it circulates, like tree rings and moon cycles.

Q How do you usually start your day?

“Love and Peace are the most important things in life.”

In the morning, I enjoy being on the balcony that is facing the ocean and writing down what I’m grateful for in my gratitude journal. I would close my eyes to feel, feel the air that I breathe, the breeze, and the sun that’s caressing me.

I’m grateful for the universe, the earth, the wind, the ocean, everything. I thank you for your existence. I usually start off by thanking nature, then my body, and then everything else around me. After writing, I would bring my mask and fins, walk to the beach and dive into the ocean to start my day.

Q Can you share with us your impression of inooknit shoes and your thoughts after actually wearing them?

inooknit reminds me of the summer love, the lemon soda, and the walks on the beach. After receiving inooknit shoes, I wore them to the beach. The color is just like the summer sky, and they’re so comfortable to walk in, they’re very soft.

I used to wear some flats that were too stiff and too flat, it wasn’t a pleasant experience. On the other hand, inooknit shoes are soft and they have thicker insoles that support our feet. It’s great to shove them into your luggage and pair them with a beautiful sundress on a date.

Q Any future plans?

I like to share what I know about the ocean with the kids, they have a kind heart and a love for the ocean.

I plan to create a space where children can hang out, it’s going to be so much fun. Besides fun, it is a space full of love and acceptance. We should love the earth, love the world, and love ourselves. Our lectures mainly focus on nature and environment, we learn about the ocean and mountains. We look forward to more diverse topics like global culture, LGBTQ+, and even learning about emotions.

In the future, I hope to hear these kids say things like:

“School was exhausting today, ugh. Let’s go hangout at Nomad before we head home.”

“I’m not having a good day, let’s go to Nomad instead.”

We have not settled down the name yet, but that would be the kids’ conversations about it. A lot of parents here need to work on the weekends and there are many in grandparent families. The parents don’t have much time to spend with their children, so the kids would just stay home when they’re on vacation.

In our space, the kids can experience various types of classes and we can also be part of the love and companionship they need.

We’re currently planning to look for a space. Wish me luck!

Photographer/ Chang Yu Hsuan @shotbyje9_3

｜Nomad studio｜

Director ｜Mongren X Joe｜

Nomad Studio has a special plan. We’re going to share the lifestyle and studios by the ocean. There are many different ways of living, ours is just one of them.

I hope you find yours.