The price of moleskine journals here in Kuala Lumpur is pretty high, so I've been for the look out for a suitable and cheaper replacement for quite some time already .... but still going back to the pocket moleskine.
I found out about a moleskine lookalike by Rhodia at www.blackcover.net called Rhodia Webnotebook.I would like to own one, to test one out for myself. After reading the full review, and some googling, this notebook will not be any cheaper than a moleskine. How soon this will arrive Malaysian shores is also a big WHEN?
So, I'm entering the giveaway contest organized by www.blackcover.net, to try out my luck in winning one. Who knows, if I win one, I might get hooked to the Rhodia Webnotebook .....
Wish me luck.
Hungry ... I went out for lunch to a nearby restaurant where I usually
get my regular fix of fried rice. The first thing that I noticed was
the absence of the usual chatty voice of one of the waitresses. When
asked, the owner said that she could not afford to pay the monthly
salary of the waitress, so she had to let her go ...
What happened?, I asked. The reply I got was just as I suspected. The owner of the restaurant said ever since the increase in fuel prices, she has been getting less and less customers. In order to cover the increase in fuel expenditure, her clients had to cut down on eating out. The regulars who often come for casual chit-chat over a few cups of teh tarik now do that at their own homes. I noticed a few of my colleagues bring in their own lunch to work, instead of going out to the restaurant for lunch. All these had reduced her overall operating income.
Things were made worse when her cook demanded a higher salary to cover for his commuting cost due to the increased fuel cost. The restaurant owner had to increase the cook's salary, because without the cook, she would have no restaurant to manage. She had to pay more for a cook and covers the waitress part herself.
One customer, sitting at a table adjacent to mine, overheard the conversation joined in the chat and said, "Sejak harga beras naik, nasik goreng Akak dah naik harga dari RM3.00 ke RM3.50 ... mana tahan!" (Since the price of rice went up, your fried rice is now up to RM3.50 from only RM3.00) , he said he had cut his lunch spending by half, only going out for lunch every other day. I understand how the restaurant owner is feeling right now ... confused, but she had to set her priorities, otherwise, she would be running her business at a loss.
If this trend is true throughout the Malaysia economy, I fear a recession is not far ahead.
As it is now, the government had cut down spending to ease their burden on fuel subsidy. Cancelled or deferred projects means a lot of businesses would be losing a lot of potential income, not to mention the negated employment opportunities. The company I worked in (automotive business) depends on the success of these business entrepreneurs and professionals. The more they earn, the more they'd spend on automobiles. If these people reduce their spending, my company would suffer a reduced income, and I could go the way of the waitress at the restaurant.
This seems so familiar .... Keynesian theory, Paradox of Thrift, at work???
The Plan was to go out with my friend Adib a.k.a. Berisman, and enjoy some good photos at a Photo Exhibition, organized by the Kuala Lumpur Flickr Group ... KLickr.
The Exhibition was fun and I picked up a few ideas throughout the slide show presentation ... BUT the highlight of the day was finding this little journal (or notebook) at a book fair at a nearby shopping mall. The stop to the mall was just for lunch initially, but the crowd at the bookfair was so ... soooo ... irresistable.
This is the journal I got myself today. A Peter Pauper Press Pocket Journal.
The cover is thick, really thick, without any plastic, leather or faux leather wrapping. Just thick cardboard, with a glossy finish. This A6 sized (3-1/4 in. x 5-3/4 in.) journal is decorated with plaid pattern on the cover. Slightly taller and a wee bit wider than the pocket sized moleskine. The journal comes with an elastic band to keep the 192 lined page journal closed as well as an accordion style pocket attached at the inner section of the back cover.
Comparing the paper quality with other notebooks I've used, This one here is no Rhodia. The paper is a little rough but thicker than the plain pocket moleskine I normally use. I tested the paper for fountain pen friendliness, and my combination of Pelikan M215 Fine Nib, paired with Sailor Blue ink can be friends with the paper quite well. I observed very minor feathering, and bleed through is minimal. The ink bleeds through to the other page only if I write too slowly, or when I place the nib too long at a single point, while thinking of what word to write next.
This journal by Peter Pauper Press is available online.
The best part is the price. At RM14.00 (US$4.95), I can get three of these journals for the price of one pocket moleskine, with some change to spare for cab fare. Here, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a pocket moleskine cost somewhere between RM50.00 and RM56.00. I really think this is a good buy, a good low cost alternative to save some dough to cover for the higher fuel prices we are paying today.
I already have a bunch of unused journals that I've collected but seeing this one here, makes me want to get a few to add to the collection. These are some of the unused journals in my collection.
And I have a few more A5 and B6 sized journals/notebook which are not included in the "group photo" :-D ....
I may not use all of them before the end of the year but these little gems make great gifts.
