hobo in kyoto

Sorry for this throwback post. 

Went to Japan with my family in July last year (2018). I just managed to take one photo of my hobo while I was there.

Yeah, my hobo visited his home country :) This photo was taken in Kyoto, at Higashi Hongan-ji temple. As you can see, it's not far from Kyoto tower. I wish I could visit Japan again. Although I have swear I wouldn't buy stationery again, it's still hard to resist. You just can't. They have so many cutes, various types, and excellent quality stationery. There's no country can beat Japan in this case.

hobonichi yerevan

Barev dzez !

Hello from Yerevan. Last December (2018), I managed to visit Armenia. It was my first time and had somekinda mix feeling. I was thinking to do some research, visiting some museums, etc. But it was cold outside and I stayed in a cozy apartment. So I spent most of my two weeks at home, met my new lovely friends, and getting to know the city. 

One thing for sure, I brought my hobonichi and didn't miss the chance to take pic in front of the landmark. So here's the pic of my proud hobo in front of the Cascade in Yerevan, Armenia. 

Hajogh !

hobonichi sydney

Last August I had a chance to visit Australia. It was a business trip and I  was part of a team. Didn't have time for fun or look for stationery, but I managed to take picture of my techo in front of the famous Sydney Opera House.

See ya mate !

hobonichi paris - hong kong - jakarta

This year I consider myself as lucky for having a chance to travel to some places. And I took my hobo with me. Taking pictures in some landmarks are mainstream. I don't care. I'm talking about my hobo, and it deserves a chance for some memorable selfies.

First thing first. PARIIIISSS !! Oui, oui.. Been there for a week, juggling between task and personal things. I felt as if I went home. So I didn't manage to visit many touristic places. Anyway, Eiffel is still majestic, and on the last day --just few hours before leaving to the airport--  I ran to Trocadero just to have few shots of Eiffel with my hobonichi. Oh, there's Tokyo Tower postcard on the cover.. Quite similar, but I'm still a fan of  Eiffel.

Couple of months later, I went to a conference in HONG KONG !! It was my first time to Hong Kong. It was summer, very crowded, very tiring.. Pheeww.. To be honest, I didn't quite enjoying my time there. Besides, staionery are more expensive here than Japan. Many sellers or shops imported goods from Japan. But still, I bought some (err.. quite a lot though) stationery here. Anyway, I was lucky that the hotel had superbe harbour view.

Well.. back to Jakarta again. Nowadays it's quite gloomy here, downpour almost everyday. I like rain, though.. as long as it doesn't turn into flood. One thing I hate from the rainy season in Jakarta is the horrible traffic. Anyway, I can write the story of my city in my hobo. That way, it's gonna be less frustrating living in this city.

See ya in another journey. Different time, different place, different story. Ciao ciao !

toko buku sekawan

Heya there.. If you've been spying on my blog, you should've known that I liiiike to visit local bookshop or small stationery store. This time, I went to "Pusat Buku Sekawan" in Solo City (Surakarta), Central Java. 

Sewaktu saya kecil, saya mengenal namanya sebagai Toko Buku Sekawan. Yap, saya pernah diajak ke toko buku ini oleh sepupu dan orang tua saya saat sedang berkunjung ke kota Solo. Sebelum toko buku besar dengan nama terkenal masuk ke kota ini, sepertinya toko buku Sekawan adalah salah satu yang terbesar (dan terlengkap?). For sure it was pretty impressive for me.

Sayangnya pekan lalu saya agak terburu-buru saat ke Solo, sehingga saat di toko buku itu pun tak lebih dari 10 menit. Tetep ajaaa.. sempetin beli alat tulis yang menarik. So, these are what I've got.

I don't see these kind of books quite often in big bookstore. The left one is stenography book for shorthand exercise. Buku yang bersampul warna kuning itu bagian dalamnya semacam buku garis tiga (untuk belajar menulis sambung), tetapi berbeda. Buku ini lebih rapat garis-garisnya, dan digunakan untuk belajar menulis cepat (steno / shorthand). Saat ini, stenografi sudah jarang dipelajari, sehingga buku semacam ini saya asumsikan sudah cukup jarang ditemukan. Besides, the cover is pretty vintage.

The right one is books for music notation. Buku untuk menulis notasi nada ini pun menurut saya cukup unik, meskipun pasti bisa juga ditemukan di toko buku besar. But this one has also unique cover. The font makes a sudden throwback into the 80's or even 70's. 

There are also some other interesting objects, such as buku tulis cap Kera. But I didn't manage to find it as I was in a hurry. My sis said she bought some on the other day. Meskipun banyak produk alat tulis yang unik, sebagian besar produk-produk yang dijual sebenarnya produk masa kini. Toko ini menjual buku-buku pelajaran juga, selain stationery. Sayangnya saya tidak sempat melihat-lihat ke beberapa lantai lain. Perhaps I felt directed into notebook area when I saw a lifesize standing cardboard of Rio Haryanto for Kiky books ;) Agak nyesel nggak sempet selfie sama Rio..

Kalau lagi jalan-jalan ke Solo, monggo mampir ke Pusat Buku Sekawan di Jl. R.A. Kartini no.4, Timuran, Solo. I will try to visit this place again next time. See ya.

agenda scolaire

My fondness to agenda scolaire is a subject to be discussed. Throughout the years, I always have the urge to buy one (or two, or three.. helas), but this agenda is more likely to be only available in France. The daily agenda of Quo Vadis may also available in several other countries, though. But even if it's available to be bought online, the shipping cost would be more expensive than the agenda itself.

When I had a chance to visit Paris last May, I managed to run to Quartier Latin area. So in a hurry, as it was nearly closing hours, I grab two planners from Gibert Joseph and another two from Gibert Jaune. Both Gibert Jaune and Gibert Joseph are the big bookstores on the area. Anyway, the agendas I finally bought are as follows..

- a pocket planner (Gibert Joseph store brand, made by Oberthur)

- an Exacompta Forum Winner planner (one day per page)

- a textagenda one day per page (Gibert Jaune store brand, made by Quo Vadis)

- a Moleskine Peanuts weekly notebook pocket (18 months limited edition)

left : pink agenda Gibert Jaune, right : blue agenda Exacompta

I made my first encounter with "one day per page" agenda during my school years in Paris, back in 2003. At first, I thought it was too bulky to carry around. Besides, why would I need a whole page just for one day? I learned my classmates noted everything on their agenda. So I tried and developed the habit to write down everything, scribble here and there, jot down what's on my mind and noted all the meetings or rendez vous. The agenda has also became a place for brain dump and a not-so-secret diary. I have shared a short review about agenda scolaire few years ago here.

Let's move on. Another must-buy agenda for me is this pocket agenda made by Oberthur, licensed to Gibert Joseph bookstore. I really like the simple design and it's quite thin, light enough to be carried around on your pocket.. err, if you have big pocket actually. As for the page layout, it has a weekly spread on the left page and lined page like this.

I don't know why I bought those agendas while I already had planners for this ongoing year. Perhaps for the sake of nostalgia. Anyway, Hobonichi actually offers similar lineup. The A6 sized techo has one day per page layout and the Weekly has the same page layout to the pocket agenda. I have never bought the hobonichi weekly, as I always have more compact pocket weekly moleskine for the past few years. Ah yes, I think I will blog about the Peanut weekly moleskine later. See ya later then.

midori traveler's notebook

Last week, I had a chance to go to Hong Kong. It was for academic conference, but I managed to visit Log-On, a famous lifestyle and stationery store. I went crazy when I saw various Midori Traveler's Note items. I bought the Traveler's Notebook set. I get the black leather cover (passport size) because I'm very comfortable with this size. It's just a slightly smaller than A6, about the same with pocket moleskine. For me, the regular size of Traveler's Notebook is kinda strange. Anyway.. I also bought a plastic pocket, a the grid notebook refill, a set of rubber bands, a charm (Braniff logo) and some sticky notes. The passport size notebook cover cost me HK$ 300 (about Rp. 550K) and the refill note etc cost around HK$ 25 - 80 (around Rp. 50K - 150K). By the way, I also got my notebook personalized with my name embossed on the front cover. Nice.

french stationery

These are the things I bought when I went to Paris last May. I have posted these on my instagram. But I think I have some infos to share regarding these items. These things are quite familiar to French pupils or students, but not so known in Indonesia.

First of all, fountain pen set. Pena Maped ini nggak mahal karena termasuk alat tulis sehari-hari. Di Prancis, anak SD wajib belajar nulis huruf sambung pakai pena begini. Harga pena Maped ini sekitar 6 euro (setara Rp 90 ribu). Nah, yang di tengah itu adalah cartridge (katrid) atau isi pena. Biasanya, pena yang murah meriah begini memang pakai katrid sekali pakai, bukan pakai pompa barel seperti pena mahal. Katrid seperti ini juga banyak dijual di toko alat tulis atau supermarket kalo di Prancis. I bought these things in Monoprix. Sebungkusnya ada sekitar 12 katrid, harganya murah (lupa tapinya). Sedangkan yang di samping kanan itu adalah penghapus tinta. Bentuknya seperti spidol putih di ujung satunya untuk menghapus tinta, dan warna biru untuk menulis di bagian yang dihapus. Kertas yang sudah terkena hapusan tinta biasanya jadi rusak karena cara kerja penghapus tersebut adalah mencairkan tinta, seperti thinner. Sehingga, untuk menulis kembali di bagian yang sama, kita harus menggunakan bolpoin atau marker khusus yang tidak merembes di kertas.

Next thing is a pencil pouch or trousse in French. Bukan sembarang tempat pensil. This is Asterix pencil pouch.. Aaaa.. !! I like the colour and the character. Sebenernya sih, yang jadi idola adalah Obelix hihihihi.. but Asterix is also my favorite. Belinya susah pula, musti di Parc Asterix. Ke tempat ini pun harus penuh perjuangan. Naik RER (urban train) dari Paris sampai CDG airport, lalu nyambung naik shuttle bus sekitar 30 menit. Anyway, harganya sekitar 10-15 euro. Agak mahal untuk tempat pensil biasa. Yaudah lah yaaa...                  

toko merbabu semarang - revisited

I actually have visited Toko Merbabu in Semarang in February. But I can't help for not visit it again. This time I went there with my sister and these are what I bought.

toko nam bie - semarang

Toko Nam Bie is one of the oldest shop in Semarang, Central Java - Indonesia. Located in the corner of Jalan Pemuda (used to known as Bodjong street), this shop is said to be established since the colonial era. I asked to one of the shopkeepers (a lady, whom I assume about 40 years old) about when the shop was firstly open. She answered "it's been here since a long time ago, before I was born" .. Well, not quite exact year I expected, but I will try to ask for a short informal interview with the owner next time if I had a chance.

Anyway, the interior of the shop is very modest. It really looks like we're stepping into the old days. Quite magical for me.. what a legacy. There are glass cabinets / showcases where you can take and see the items or ask the shopkeeper to get them for you. From what I see, the shop sell a wide range of basic office supplies. What I mean 'basic' is nothing fancy or cute.. However, I still managed to get some cute and unique stationery here. I'm in da house, y'all..

Here goes the list of what I bought. Oh by the way, they give you 10% discount when your bill exceed 20k. Woooww.. what a nice surprise. So I 'only' have to pay 67k for these things :

• 3 exercise books of 3-lined (for handwriting)
• 2 ballpoint pen in blue and red batik pattern
• 1 ZA knock ballpoint pen, which reminds me of the old Pilot knock ballpoint pen, when I was in primary school 
• 1 DR drawing pen 0.1
• 1 correction tape in the shape of whale
• 2 pencil sharpeners, each in the shape of puppy dog and brown racoon
• 1 acrylic ruler which has a mini magnifying glass in one end
• 1 green stapler remover

Overall, I'm really glad to be part of this shop's history. I've stepped into the shop and bought some things as well. Long live stationery.

cute erasers

See how cute they are? Guess what.. they're all erasers in the shape of Elephant, Tiger, Cats and Dogs. I have them as travel souvenir from pak bos. He bought them in a shop in harbourfront Singapore. Don't remember which shop but I definetely love to go there one day and get me some more cute stuff. 

Oh, and I won't use them as eraser, for sure. These are for collection. Period. 

kehujanan

Beberapa pekan terakhir ini, setiap menjelang sore hari, selalu aja hujan badai di Jakarta dan sekitarnya. Tempo hari, saat bareng pak bos pulang naik kereta, eh..hujan deres banget begitu kami turun di stasiun. Sebenernya sih,  lumayan pede karena kami udah pakai jaket hujan, payungan, dan backpack pun udah terbungkus rain cover. Tapi, setibanya di tempat, tetep aja basah kuyup. Pfftt..

Kalo udah begini, musti ada tindakan penyelamatan yang disesuaikan dengan tempat tujuan.

• Segera mandi (+keramas) jika tiba di rumah. Tapi kalo tiba di tempat yang tidak memungkinkan untuk numpang mandi, cuci tangan sampai siku, dan cuci kaki sampai dengkul dengan air bersih + sabun. 
• Segera lap dan keringkan seluruh bagian tubuh.
• Asumsinya, rambut dan kepala nggak basah karena ketutup hood jacket dan payung. Tapi kalo basah juga (mustinya sih nggak basah banget kayak abis keramas), segera keringkan pakai handuk. Kalo nemu toilet yang ada mesin pengering tangannya, mungkin bisa dimanfaatkan untuk jadi hair dryer darurat.
• Ganti baju + daleman dengan yang kering. Asumsinya bawa di tas atau ada di loker kan? (see post : musim hujan) Kalo dibungkus pakai ziplock, dijamin nggak basah meskipun air hujannya tembus ke dalam tas.
• Minum tolak angin biar nggak masuk angin hehehe..
• Jemur atau angin2kan payung, jaket, rain cover tas, sepatu crocs atau sendal jepit di lorong atau teras ruangan. Biar cepet kering, bisa juga diletakkan di deket blower outdoor ac (kalo memungkinkan). 
• Keluarkan semua barang bawaan dari dalam tas. Cek apakah ada yang basah. Segera pisahkan barang2 yang basah dan keringkan atau jemur di dalam ruangan. Kalau bagian dalam tas udah dilapisi tas plastik kresek atau ziplock, mustinya sih nggak bakal basah banget. 
• Keringkan tas pakai tisu atau kertas koran bekas, lalu angin2kan. 
• Istirahat sejenak 5-10 menit, lalu lanjutkan aktivitas yang akan dikerjakan.

Proses tersebut diatas dapat memakan waktu 30 menit sampai 1 jam.. so, take your time. We need to stay calm to stay warm.

musim hujan

Sebenernya gue seneng pas musim hujan tiba. Suhu udara jadi nggak terlalu panas dan jadi waktu yang tepat untuk menikmati teh anget sambil nyemil gorengan hehehe.. Tapi, musim hujan juga nyebelin kalo sampe banjir, macet, becek dimana-mana.. apalagi kalo ditambah kereta gangguan sinyal dlsb. Solusinya adalah musti persiapan ekstra kalo ke kampus. Barang bawaan jadi lebih banyak.. padahal, gembolan yang gue bawa sehari-hari aja udah kayak apaan tauk.  Pfftt..

So here goes my extra gear during rainy days :

• Pakai tas model backpack. I personally prefer Eiger (local brand), or American Tourister (affordable brand from Samsonite) or Jansport. I currently use AT Citipro series with rain cover stored neatly on the bottom of the bag. 
• Pakai Crocs shoes. Kalo cuman sekedar kuliah atau ngajar, sepatu Crocs tipe malindi dan sejenisnya masih acceptable koq.. jadi nggak perlu bawa beban tambahan berupa sendal jepit atau sepatu kerja. 
• Bawa payung dooong.. ini mah wajib. Kalo bisa, yang "lipat tiga" biar nggak makan tempat. I have this small and compact umbrella from Esprit.. but apparently it's not as sturdy as I expected.
• Bawa rain jacket atau windbreaker tipis yang bisa dilipat / digulung sampai ringkas. Mine is from Roxy, bought online.
• Bawa handuk kecil dan tissue buat ngelap-ngelap kalo tetep kehujanan basah kuyup
• Siapin 1 set baju dan daleman dalam tas plastik atau ziplock dan simpen di laci meja kerja atau locker (atau bawa di dalam tas). Kalo nyampe kampus basah kuyup, masih bisa ganti baju kering dan terhindar dari masuk angin. 
• Ada baiknya barang bawaan yang penting di dalam tas juga dilapisi plastik (kresek atau ziplock)
• Bawa syal / pashmina atau cardigan tipis buat di dalam ruangan. Meskipun hujan, AC di dalam ruangan tetep nyala kenceng kaaan..

Next time I will share for other preparation during this rainy season. Stay dry, stay warm.