my collection 090621

Update on my fountain pen collection.

1) Sailor 1911 large black, chrome trimmed, Naginata Concord nib
2) Sailor 1911 large black, gold trimmed, tombo dragonfly maki-e, Naginata Cross-point nib
3) Sailor 1911 large black ribbed, chrome trimmed, Naginata Togi nib
4) Sailor 1911 large yellow, gold trimmed, Naginata Cross Music nib
5) Sailor 1911 large demonstrator, chrome trimmed, medium nib
6) Sailor Susutake, aged smoked bamboo, Naginata Emperor nib
7) Pilot VP Yellow
8) Pilot Fermo Green
9) Pilot Custom 823, gold trimmed, black ends, SE clear demonstrator
10) Pilot dragonfly wings maki-e
11) Danitrio Mikado raw ebonite, soft medium nib
12) Danitrio cum laude brown celluloid
13) Stipula LE Pinocchio #13/881 brown ebonite
14) Stipula Suprema Amber 52 degrees nib
15) Stipula Etruria Ocean Blue
16) Stipula Etruria Alter Ego
17) Aurora 88, black
18) Aurora Optima, burgundy, chrome trimmed
19) Aurora Talentum, black, chrome trimmed
20) Aurora Archivi Storici
21) Delta Dolce Vita Soiree, black
22) Parker Duofold Centennial True Blue LE #608/5000
23) Pelikan Souveran M1000, green
24) Waterman Kultur, blue demonstrator
25) Lamy Safari LE blue
26) Lamy Safari LE lime green
27) Lamy Safari LE orange
28) Lamy Al Star Silver blue
29) Cross Townsend, chrome trimming
30) Laban Kaiser, pseudo ivory chrome trimming
31) Omas Green Arco
32) Visconti LE #682/1069 Casanova "The Erotic Art Pen" *new*

coming:
- Nakaya long cigar
- Edison Brockton
- Sailor PG KanReki 60th Anniversary pen

the erotic art pen

i could not resist buying this off the net when i saw it.
brand new in mint condition, this was selling at one third of the price.
and i'll tell you why i think this is a bargain.

1) it is a limited edition pen #682/1069, a tribute to giacomo casanova and called "the erotic art pen".
2) barrel and cap is made of black lucite with fine brushed sterling overlays depicting two lovers locked in embrace.
3) the pen is a power filler.
4) comes with a matching travelling inkwell.
5) it is my first visconti.

this is what's etched on the pen.



i filled this pen and i found that the power filler is fantastic.
performs much smoother than stipula's power filler.



the nib is medium though writes almost like a broad.
and is a very wet writer indeed!
the ink just gushes forth.
'broad', 'wet', 'gushes', get it?

blog or tweet

there are moments when i wonder if my particular "smart arse" tweet entry should instead be my blog entry.

Blogged by mobile

what i discovered today

1) just knowing that i am supposed to be receiving emails can lift the spirit.
2) not everyone is out to be the joker.
3) if your gut feel says on, then turn it on.
4) gmail is behaving strangely of late.
5) there is nothing wrong with my nokia e71.
6) there may be something wrong with my other nokia.
7) homemade sushis are tasty.
8) a get together with 12 kids and 10 adults in this hot weather can sap your energy quickly.
9) i've been awake for the last 19 hours and i still can't sleep.
10) my brand new visconti limited edition erotica fountain pen has not been given any attention at all since i got it today. what gives?

tweet

being up in the early dawn and listening to the chirping of birds is uplifting. a good start to any day.

what if

what if
i told you that i fed a starving kitten i saw this morning.
and then i scrunched it up into a pile of roadkill beneath my car tires, accidently.

what if
i donated all my clothes
and kept only what i need to wear for a day.

what if
i got up one night
and decided to walk out in my boxers and t-shirt aimlessly until the sun rises.

what if
i mixed all my inks together
and inked all my fountain pens with the goo i created
and left it for 40 days.

what if
i decided that my happy home
is still missing a touch of happiness.

what if
i disagreed with all the personality theories
and go with my instinct on human nature.

what if
i don't want to love anymore
and wait for the day my life expires

what if
i went all ballistic with the $2 extra i have to pay
for my water bill, just because there's a drip i have not fixed.

what if
nothing made sense
and in the process of finding that sense, i lose it all.

and what if
all the if and if and if
is just a ruse
for me to fill up my blog?

then i would say, it worked.

then, and then

then, and then, there are times when i want to just say F,F,F it all!

nights

there are many nights
when sleep comes easily
laced with untroubled dreams.

then there are some nights
when the mind is full of thoughts
and i find myself staring at the rotating fan on the ceiling
wishing for bliss
that just never comes.

days

there are many days
when my steps are light and easy

then there are days
when my heart feels heavy
and my steps falter

and i just want to curl up in bed
and escape into my storybooks.

really

i tried. but i have nothing to say. absolutely. completely.

bam!

i don't like how i feel about 'me' today.

i think i will go for an extreme haircut today.

yes, i think that's what i'll do.

barber shop

our typical local indian barber shop has not changed much through the years.



you can still get a decent haircut ranging from RM6 - RM13, depending on the location of the shop and the extras you get for a haircut. if the shop is air-conditioned, then the price is at least RM10 for adults. oh, you do get the endless streaming of indian music to go with your haircut. entertaining.



most of the barber shops belong to an association. much like franchising i suppose, since the layout and decor in any shop you go to is similar, differing only in the preference of strong solid colour on the wall or floor. tacky but comfortably familiar. mcdonald's must have learned some from them.



oh yes, barber shops compete for customers too. as an added incentive for giving them business, some reward you with a sealed cup of mineral water once you're done. most include a shoulder massage and an expert crack of your neck after your haircut, if you so wish. no, none for me thank you.

a shave and trimming of facial hair is extra. very popular as they do a real good job, the traditional way. the way they handle the blade reminds me of the show "sweeny todd: the demon barber of fleet street". less bloody i assure you.



some barbers are really good. some, as expected will butcher your hair. that's fine, my hair will grow again. and i'll go to a different shop the next time. if my haircut doesn't look like my chosen style from the model hair chart, i could always go to a different shop on the same day and have a crew cut for another RM10. and that whole traumatic experience would cost me RM20 at the most.

i would only start worrying about a bad haircut once my hair stops growing. even then, a clean shaved head can be endearing.

email drafts

whenever i write emails, i sometimes end up keeping several drafts.
i write one email. i stop.
then i start on a fresh email on the same topic.
if i can't end it, i stop. and start on another.
then another.
until i get one that i'm happy to send out,
out it goes.

it's much like writing a letter.
you start off, then find that it doesn't really sound quite right.
you discard the letter.
and start on a new one.

the only difference between letter writing and email writing
is that, the discarded paper drafts are in the physical bin.
the email drafts, i just leave them stacked in my draft folder.

why?
because though the topic is the same, the contents in each draft is different.
so are the style and emotions.
quite fascinating re-reading something i meant to discard,
to find that in that few minutes on the same topic,
it all came out different.