Edition 1
The Mottainai Mindset
Field Notes from the Art of Slow
The Sunday Notes - Nomadic Stories
Step inside The Sunday Notes, a nomadic journal of lifestyle, craft and culture. We share slow stories for fast minds, field notes from makers, off-grid kitchens, creative retreats and modern rituals.
Inspired by Japanese values and blue zone living.
Since 2019, Chop Suey has called Portugal home-base, the land where sun, salt, and soul collide. In a world of creatives, conscious entrepreneurs and next-gen rebels, the flow is present. Along the way, Chop Suey wanders nomadic paths, open to adventures and finding satori on the way.
Honouring the ancestors
Chop Suey has no memories of grandfather Jacques. It al comes from stories, fragments that show what legacy truly means. His life carries the essence of Shu Ha Ri, that Japanese philosophy of first honouring tradition, then learning, and finally shaping one’s own path. For grandpa, it was all about family, community, education and nature. And let’s face it, the man breathed style.
In our workshops we pass on this tradition, honouring the principles of Shu Ha Ri. We create space for ambitious souls to participate, to learn and re-create in an environment designed to soften social pressure and to quiet external triggers.
By lowering expectations, interactions can develop naturally. Conversations feel more intuitive and collaboration grows through shared interests.
Drifting between Dust and Tide
In the sunburnt hills of Alentejo, where cork trees cast long shadows and sheep wander without hurry, minimalism wears a different face. Here, wabi sabi breathes, in layers of stones, chipped tiles, faded fabrics and things too lived to be new. Every crack tells you time has passed and left something behind.
Down by the coast, the rhythm shifts. Surfers dance with the tide, hikers move along the Fisherman’s Trail. Just beyond the shoreline, a sunken fishing boat rests in the water, telling unknown stories. Slowly the sky melts into gold, salt and sand stuck to your skin, a glass of wine in your hand. Enjoying a calm balance while reflecting on an amazing day. Kids are done by then, too tired to walk properly, dragging behind. Still half in their own world after a full day of playing outside with wind, water and sand. No screens, no structure, just running on energy until it runs out.
That’s Chop Suey, drifting between dust and tide. Always moving, grounding, finding beauty where life simply is.
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