Instant gratification

I've always wanted to rock a pair of big ass headphones and after my third, or fifth, pair of cheapo earbuds conked out yesterday, I marched to Popular and gave in.  After getting Mel's go ahead (the girl is a professional musician and knows these things), I bought a pair of hot pink Audio Technica whoppers for the princely sum of $48.

At first I felt a little guilty about not doing more research or sitting on it for longer, but then I put them on, and - oh!  I was locked in an achingly sweet cocoon of soaring opera music where no one could touch me, for just as long as I wanted to stay there. 

Sometimes, happiness is just that easy. 

Bath and Body Works, in Singapore

Sindhu and I decided to hit the new Bath and Body Works in Marina Bay Sands last week just to check it out and even though I was under strict orders from my mother not to purchase anything, well, SHE'S NOT THE BOSS OF ME! 

Libby suggested that I do a short review, so here goes.  Bath and Body Works in the United States is relatively affordable and I was worried that the markup was going to be astronomical.  We were pleasantly surprised to find out that while for some products (pocketbac hand sanitisers, I'm looking at you), the markup was steep, for others, it was comparable to Victoria's Secret in that three big items (moisturiser, body spray, body wash) would run you about $48.  And the smaller body sprays and room sprays were about $10.  Not too bad, I guess.

So, I got:

1)  Buttercream Mint Candle - This candle smells like a less minty, more buttery version of Yankee Candle's Nostalgic Snow which absolutely kills me because Nostalgic Snow is limited edition and I have no idea if I will ever see it again.  Buttercream Mint satisfies my craving and it is such a beautiful, decorative green colour.

2)  Winter Cafe Candle (basically repackaged Espresso Bar) - You know how Starbucks is my second home?  This candle makes it smell like Starbucks in my room.  Dark roast coffee, with a touch of nutty sweetness and vanilla foam.  I play soft hipster music as I burn it and I feel like there's a barrista brewing away in the corner.  What's not to love?

3)  Forever Red Eau De Parfum - Okay.  I really wasn't going to buy a perfume.  I really, really wasn't.  But I read the scent description on this and... well, how can you say no to vanilla and rum?  I tried it and swooned - it's like cake soaked with heady, dark alcohol and I keep sniffing my wrist all day.  

4, 5 and 6)  I've tried the Bath and Body Works moisturisers already and I think they are just a little less rich in formulation than the Victoria's Secret ones but more complex-smelling.  So, swings and roundabouts.  I got two scents I've tried before - Sweet Pea (sweet, very slightly, pleaseantly floral) and Twilight Woods (sweet and musky, like ripe fruit and sandalwood) and Midnight Pomegranate (mostly just a clean, fruity amplified pomengrante scent).

That's pretty much it.  I'd say it was pretty restrained... for me.  Sid got a beautifully deep-scented blackberry and vanilla sugar scrub and a couple of sprays.  

We'll be back!  Till then, I had an awesome evening laughing over products with Sindhu in French accents (don't ask) and then, stuffing our faces with bak chor mee.  It doesn't get better than that.

Japan: Meiji Jinggu

While on holiday in Japan, I kept a detailed series of notes in honour of Nanowrimo.  All posts about Japan comprise excerpts from my journals. 

"4th November, 2013

Going from Harajuku to the shrine is an interesting experience.  The scenery goes from bright and overstimulating to calm and serene in minutes.  In fact, on the way in, an elaborately cosplaying couple crosses paths with a quietly refined woman in a kimono.  At the Shinto gates, we bow deeply.  My mum points out the chrysanthemum on the top beam - the family was royalty.  In fact, the shrine was built for a Meiji emperor.

The path in is wide and covered with tiny grey stones.  The buzz of the city fades away and under the canopy of trees, the air is cool and heavy and fresh.  A stream runs across the grounds, cutting under what looks like an ancient bridge.  We slow down too, taking in the lush air, the thick green.

I start noticing the children very early on, toddling carefully along the path in full kimonos and the robes and pants that little boys wear, some with make up on, hair fully coiffed.  They are such perfect, enamelled little jewels that I exclaim each time one passes, walking slowly so that she doesn't trip over her heavy clogs and hems.  

Some of the mothers are dressed up too, slender and shining with pride, slowly guiding their children across steps and cobbles.

(Later, I look up the significance of the day.  Turns out we are nearing a day when children aged 3, 5 and 7 visit shrines to ask for blessings in their finest gear.)

First, I gawk, then I go mad trying to capture all the beautiful children.  I'm torn between trying to snatch candid shots as they twist this way and that, or ask politely if I can get a picture, so I end up doing both.  Parents, it turns out, are mostly proud and happy to have their young ones photographed and even encourage them to smile.  One grandmother claps delightedly when I ask if I can shoot her granddaughter and tells me to wait before running and pulling her grandson out of the crowd as well.  They both stand there, adorable in their shell-shocked state, and I bow deep thanks.

One particular girl, I follow for ages, trying to surreptitiously sneak a shot of her looking back over her shoulder.  She quickly sees me and keeps glancing back at me, almost pleading with me with her eyes to take her picture. Eventually, I wave at her.  She grins and waves back.  I raise my camera and she stands up tall and proud, a consummate model.

I am loving the fact that I got to take pictures of such lovely children.  I would've liked to take one home in my suitcase with me, but I guess these photos are the next best thing, as are the ones I managed to get of three separate Japanese brides as they prepared for their wedding ceremony, gently and beautifully stoic in their starched white clothes.  

My mother and I watched the processions across the shrine yard in awe, then went to pray at the shrine itself.  The shrine is old and solid and graceful, all dark wood and jade green roof.  The sunlight starts breaking through the clouds, turning all the wood gold.

"Learn how to say a prayer," my mother says, pointing to a sign that gives instructions.  I toss a coin into a box, bow twice, clap my hands and close my eyes.  I'm essentially atheist but I love the Universe and everything in it and so when I start to wonder what to pray for, a part of me opens up and says, as if it is the most natural thing in the world, "Thank you.  Thank you for letting me come here.  Thank you for this chance.  I am so, so lucky and I want to thank the Universe for conspiring in this."

And I open my eyes, surprised by the sudden outpouring of true gratitude.

We finish the walk with a piping hot omelette rice drenched in beef stew and molten cheese in the tiny, neatly-appointed basement of a franchise called Apple Tree.  We spend the rest of the evening at Ropponggi Hills (move along folks, nothing to see here except toilets that allow you to play sounds to mask the tones of... your business) and Shibuya, incredibly cute, kitschy shops with multitudes of beautiful clothes and stationery and decor items I do not need.

So I sit on my hands in a cafe instead, and we share two scones with jam and cream, which feels even better.

I don't mean though, that I don't do any shopping at all.  In fact, the dressing and spirit of Harajuku and Shibuya are so inspiring and infectious that I decide that I just have to do it, to buy one thing that is in keeping with the spirit of the area, one thing that is fun and loud and a little crazy.  So, I do.

On the way back to the hotel, I watch locals bound in and out of the carriages with infectious grins.  An obachan sits and reads, following each line carefully with a bookmark.  A couple leans into each other.   What a glorious day it has been, I think, and my mind stretches back to the prayer I said in Meiji Jinggu.

Thank you.  Thank you for this chance."

While stocks last

Just looking at that Mustafa window logo makes me excited.  So much oppoortunity!

I tend to forget about Mustafa and grump about the cost of living until, every few months or so, Mel texts and suggests going there in the middle of the night.

Among the goods that are up for grabs: a pack of 12 red leaf ballpoint pens for $4.  A box of 50 Zesta Ceylon teabags (good tea!) for $2.50.  50ml bottles of Adidas Eau De Toilette for $8 a pop.  

And a camera section that I studiously ignore.

Thus friends absent speak

Friday is my default day off.  I like waking up early in the mornings, taking walks, dawdling over breakfast.  Some Fridays though, when my mother asks me what my plans are, I put on my haughty Downton Abbey voice and say, "I will now be taking care of my correspondence."

I'll be the first to admit, it's romantic to think of sitting at a desk on a windblown weekend and penning elaborate missives to various suitors (hah!), but the reality is that I also just really enjoy writing letters to friends.

There is something deeply exciting about receiving letters, postcards and packages from friends.  I love guessing what's inside, opening them up and noticing all the little personal touches like comics, drawings, stickers, the quotes that have been chosen, even the paper they were written on.  One of my most treasured letters comes from a cousin who wrote it from a cafe in France, in flourishes all over sheets of thick cream paper studded with lavender petals.  In contrast, another was mailed halfway across the world by a friend and is hastily scribbled on a torn sheet of notebook paper and covered with scrappy cartoons.

In return, I love writing letters, thinking of the surprise that people will get when they shuffle through bills and flyers.  The time delay aspect of it is exciting and I like to put a little bit of effort into the kind of stationery I use.

Previously, I would buy expensive stationery from places like Artbox or Stationery Island.  Don't get me wrong: the paper quality is delicious and the designs are ridiculously cute, but I've recently discovered that in terms of value for money, you absolutely cannot go wrong with Daiso.

I recently popped into the Plaza Singapura branch with Ann-Marie and was pleasantly surprised to see that their stationery selection has increased exponentially.  An entire aisle was devoted to letter paper and notecards and at $2 for 10 to 12 sheets of paper and envelopes, the stationery is definitely more wallet-friendly than, say, Artbox's $4 for five sheets or so.  Some of the packages even come with stickers to seal the letters with!

Needless to say, I quickly stocked up and now have enough paper to correspond with half the world. 

The designs are pretty cute if you can ignore the ridiculous Engrish.  (Actually the small ladybird notecards are cracking me up because they rather ominously warn "There is a person who wants to inform..." and I want to give them to students as encouragement for their exams.  I sometimes pretend to be menacing in class, so I know they'll get the joke.)

The paper quality is rather uneven.  I've already sent out several letters - the adorable rabbit paper, which is my favourite design, is thin though not offensively so, but the floral blue paper is actually thicker than a normal sheet of A4.  I guess it's a little bit of a gamble, but as long as you write with a ballpoint, it should be all right.

I broke the paper in by putting together a package for something that I'm doing with my colleagues, Amanda and Rebecca, called Project Box.  The idea is that every month, we'll post a package of stuff to each other based on a theme that we've picked.  The theme this month was "Greed" and we were free to interpret it as we liked, through photos, articles, snacks and so on.  My version involved collecting a bunch of things that I was feeling greedy over and paying them forward to someone else (washi tape!). 

If you like writing to friends and are not too fussed about paper quality, I highly recommend a Daiso run. 

I'm also already planning the next batch of letters and if you enjoy receiving random letters and don't mind participating in some old school conversation, I would be happy to add new "penpals" to the list!

On a sidenote, Ann-Marie and I really enjoyed lunch at Hoshino Coffee that day.  The food was simple and tasty and I was so enamoured by the way this cheesy, fluffy, golden souffle looked that I had to take a picture.

I was also in the mood for a good coffee (Ann-Marie said, quite rightly, "When are you not?!") and the latte was not foamy but quite nicely balanced. 

The rest of my weekend is aimed at wandering around and taking some photos for practice.  I hope you enjoy yours!

The Prologue sale

I was really upset to hear that Prologue was closing down.  Back when it occupied two floors, it had a really stellar range of stationery and I would spend hours strolling the aisles.  But hey, lemons out of lemonade, right?

Ann-Marie and I headed to the Prologue closing down sale and I was rewarded with this:

Twenty-three squeamishly cutesy mini stamps and two ink pads for less than $10!  

Okay, so I'm mentally eight years old.  But there are other bits of stationery and books going for 20% - 30% off!

The Prologue Sale ends 25th August.

Overjoyed (and a notebook geek out) aka cheaper than a Moleskine

Happy National Day, Singapore!

I've written about the random stack of empty notebooks that I own before, none of which were actually purchased by me.  A couple of them were Moleskines from my mother's events; there was a Moleskine-alike that has brilliant paper but that probably won't work as a journal because every single page is perforated (why!), and a Leuchtturm 1917.  

Since then, I've done some swapping and given some notebooks away.  (I can never resist a notebook-junkie friend asking to try something.)  I've also come down to the last ten or so pages in the Zequenz I'm currently using as a diary and although I love what I've done with it, I loathe the ridiculously translucent paper.  I decided to actively buy several notebooks that I've always wanted to try and have them all side by side so that I can review them and find my favourite once and for all. 

This desire was aggravated by the fact that the local stationery blogger, Wandrrlust, pointed me in the direction of Overjoyed, a stationery shop in Golden Wall Centre that apparently happens to be the only supplier for Clairefontaine in Singapore.  I have been dying to get my hands on some Clairefontaine paper to try and I thought it was a distant possibility if I ever visited Europe again.  Imagine my delight to find that it's available in my own backyard!

I've pared the stash down to five notebooks that all seem to meet most of the criteria I have and none of the notebooks that I bought are more expensive than a Moleskine in a shop like, say, Popular or Kinokuniya.  So.

I'm going to do a general overview before I get to writing in each notebook in turn.

First, a note about Overjoyed (Facebook here).

If you are a paper geek in any way, shape or form, please, please come here.

It's more an art store than a stationery shop and there are loads of paints, brushes, easels and wood pieces for people looking to do art projects.  Makes sense since it's located right next to the Lasalle College of the Arts.

When it comes to notebooks on the other hand, it has a formidable supply.  For one, they are the only shop that gets notebooks that come directly from the Clairefontaine supplier in Europe, which means that they carry Rhodia, Quo Vadis and the elusive Clairefontaine itself.

(Sidenote: I'm a little fuzzy on where the company stands right now, but I believe that Exaclair, the parent company for Clairefontaine, currently owns Rhodia and Quo Vadis and as such, there are Rhodia notebooks with Clairefontaine paper in them.  The Quo Vadis Habana is supposed to contain the same stuff.  It gets confusing when you realise that there are still Rhodias for sale with Rhodia paper in them (I can't tell if this is just another name for Exaclair paper or an entirely different product), but it's supposed to be very good as well.)



At any rate, the sheer range of paper in Overjoyed is impressive - there is a whole range of Clairefontaine paper that runs from pulpy-looking recycled sheets in the Zapbooks to the smooth as silk 90gsm fountain pen friendly stock it is so famous for and then all the way up to a 120 - 140gsm art block range.  I also saw Monologue notebooks and a whole bunch of Strathmore products.

The staff weren't overly friendly at first and eyed me suspiciously as I went around reverently handling things but when I started asking about where they got the paper from and about various bindings, they relaxed and we had a nerdy chat about the stock.  They're fairly knowledgeable and very concerned about the display and quality of the products, which is excellent news for notebook lovers.

I decided to get a range of things (a couple were presents) and for myself, I kept two notebooks, both by Clairefontaine and filled with Clairefontaine paper.  

My current stash, from top to bottom (all lined):

1)  Paperblanks Parabole Ultra Wrap Gutenberg Bible design (way bigger than A5)
2)  Clairefontaine A5 Spiral Bound
3)  Clairefontaine Jasmyn
4)  Leuchtturm 1917
5)  Moleskine

(Does it bother you that the band on the Leuchtturm is twisted?  I've just noticed it and now it's driving me nuts.)

I gave one Clairefontaine A5 Spiral Bound to my friend JM because I thought she would enjoy the paper and I gave a Rhodia Webnotebook (with Clairefontaine paper) away to my friend David.

A quick word about the stupidly-named Webbie: when I gave it to David, he unwrapped it straightaway and we fell to testing the famous paper.  I wrote with a fountain pen on the first page and there was absolutely no showthrough, which means, hurrah for markers!  The binding is not perfectly flat but I think it is flat enough and the paper is very pleasing even though drying time is a little longer.  For $16.90, I think it is a wonderous alternative to the Mole and will make a perfect regular use notebook.

Here is where the books stand at present, if I'm comparing like with like.

The Clairefontaine Jasmyn is my favourite.  I love everything about it from the vivid pattern to the wraparound cover, held in place with two magnets.  At $24.90, it is very pricey and I probably wouldn't buy too many of them but given that they are about $15 cheaper than Moles in Singapore and the pure quality of the product, I think you get what you pay for.

This is going to be my next journal and I already see myself loving everything from the lines to the beautiful little touch of the metal tag on the bookmark.

It lies flat with a bit of coaxing and even though the lines don't run all the way to the edge of the page, I don't mind because my words tend to fall off the edge and this will stop them.

This is the other Clairefontaine I bought, a simple A5 spiral bound (in my understanding they're constantly coming out with new cover patterns) and I had to give one to Jia Min to try.  The paper is a beautiful smooth 90gsm fountain pen friendly white that feels glossy and cool to the touch and for all that, it costs $6.90.  Yes.  $6-freaking-90.  I could buy a whole stack of these for all kinds of nonsense at the same price that Azone or Ugrade sells them.

To compare the two:

Both books contain the fountain pen friendly 90gsm, but the Jasmyn has the more sophisticated ivory paper and the line distribution is more to my liking.  Ultimately though, for the price, I don't think you can discount the spiral bound.

One other good thing about the Jasmyn though, is that the wraparound design means that the book won't flap open and things are less likely to fall out.  As a test, I randomly stuffed the book with thick index cards in the photo above and you can see that although the pages buckle a bit, the wraparound cover is built to be able to hold some expansion, which means that you can paste things in it!  Perfect journalling material in my opinion.

The next comparison is between the Paperblank and the Jasmyn.  I've resisted trying a Paperblank for the longest time because something about the binding and design really throws me.  Recently however, I saw a couple of videos about the high quality control of the binding and paper making process and thought that maybe it was time to give one a shot.

You can get these in Kinokuniya which is having a delightful 20 per cent sale till this Sunday (run!).

I'm both unimpressed and pleasantly surprised.  First, that the covers are absolutely stunning is undeniable.  Some of the books have metal clasps and intricate gilded covers and pages.  The Gutenberg Bible design above has the most beautifully notched spine.  The binding also suggests that the book will eventually lie acceptably flat, so okay.

This is the most pricey brand that I paid for though (still cheaper than a Moleskine!  Argh Moleskine, are you listening?) and while the paper is thick and durable, the line spacing irritates me (not in a scientific way or anything, just gut feel) and it is quite a bit more toothy than Clairefontaine.

(Clairefontaine left, Paperblanks, right)

So maybe again, not something I would purchase on a regular basis, but they will make absolutely delicious presents.  I can just see someone receiving one and feeling like they have a beautifully made, vintage-look book to write special things in.  Good work, Paperblanks. 

Now the final comparison - the ubiquitous, love-hate Moleskine and the Leuchtturm 1917.  A disclaimer: I don't think I can truly judge both books until I've used them for extended periods of time in close proximity, but this is a first impression.

Again, I was surprised here.  I expected to like the Leuchtturm a lot more.  I expected to feel like the Mole was cheap and shitty and that I would never want to look one in the face again, but what can I say?  Old habits die hard.

The inside front covers are quite similar but I prefer the Moleskine font and warmer colour.

The Leuchtturm has contents pages!  Which I imagine would be quite impressive for some people except that I have no clue what I would do with them.

Here's where the real difference lies for me.  Yes, the Moley paper is cheaper and possibly quite crappy.  But I don't write with a fountain pen so I'm not sure it will matter.  I like the colouring of the Moleskine paper better and contrary to popular opinion, I even like the obtrusive colour of the lines.

I love the fact that the Leuchtturm's 80gsm pages are numbered, but I hate that date thing on the top of the page.  Where do you get off telling me where to write the date, huh Leuchtturm?  Especially since it's right smack in the middle and I don't write the date on every page?  It looks so ugly and it completely throws the alignment of the page off, especially if you like to write left-aligned.  And why the random two languages here but three on the contents page?!  Why?! 

Ahem.  On that... impassioned note, I'll leave off here.  Ultimately, without having used any of these for a long time, I suspect that my favourite will be the Jasmyn, with the Rhodia possibly coming a close second and the Moleskine acting as a comfortable, old shoes type standard fallback. 

I'll probably have a better idea in a few months at which point, I'll do an update.  It's all a bit of a muddle right now, but there is one thing I am coming down firmly on the side of, and that is Overjoyed. 

My first visit definitely wasn't the last.
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Overjoyed is located at 89 Short Street, Singapore, Singapore 188216

Mon - Fri: 10:00 am - 7:00 pm

Sat: 10:00 am - 2:00 pm

Phone: 6333 9776