Old-School Police Car

Right across from our parking lot stands a police station (talk about maximum security ).
I… don’t think this car is being used anymore. But it’s so cute that I just have to share it.

You see that brown thing behind the windshield? Yeah, that’s a shot gun right there. lol

Iroshizuku Ink by Pilot

I walked in University Bookstore (the one in U District) today to pick up a notebook for my first-day-to-work tomorrow. I originally planed for a Rhodia top-bound notebook, but to me pleasant surprise I stumbled upon a full rack of Clairefontaine notebooks. Having always loved the smooth paper made by those darn French people, I easily picked up a spiral-side notebook.

Oh, let’s back up a little. Today is the day before University of Washington starts, so the bookstore was PACKED with freshmen and sophomores, headlessly purchasing stationery and books and whatnot which they sure will soon find out to be “optional college accessories”, as I had realized. It was a bizarre feeling though, to be among a category of people to which I can no longer refer myself. Do I miss being a student? Not so much. But I sure do miss that exciting feeling to prepare for a new curriculum and aiming to 4.0 every single class… and I suppose the obligatory “yeah I bombed it” afterthought.

Anyway, enough of this sentimental stuff. I walked over to the middle island where they display “my kind of toys” – Acme, Retro 51, Parker, Faber Castell, AND, a new member to Bookstore’s line and the protagonist of today’s post, Pilot. They had some lower-end fountain pens as well as some Vanishing Points. I’ve been very interested in Pilot’s Vanishing Point line for some time. My loving brother originally bought me a Vanishing Point for my birthday last year because he knew that I wanted a fountain pen to just carry around and not worry if it gets scratched. But then I, with his permission, exchanged it for a Namiki Falcon (I’ll need to review that some other day). And so ever since then, I’ve wanted to “repurchase” a V.P.

Now, I did not buy a V.P. because it was like $150… and I already spent my “spontaneous buy” fund yesterday. LOL Of course, more to come on that.

What really caught my eye today, was this:

Iroshizuku ink made by Pilot.

Alright, first of all, the packaging.  Are you kidding me! This is the most gorgeous ink bottle I have ever seen. Good-bye Visconti and farewell Montblanc. I’m just gonna let the picture do the talking.

According to their website, “Iro” is a Japanese word for coloring, and “shizuku” means droplet. There are at least 16 colors in this product line; all of which drew inspirations from the beautiful Japanese natural scenes such as landscape or plants – a very Japanese philosophy. It works! The colors, from what I can tell in the bottle, are very elegant and humble. Unlike some European inks, these colors are never too vibrant or too exciting, yet they still deliver the punch line “I’m not using black or blue”. For example the Momiji (red leaf), is a beautiful red maple leaf color that reminds you of autumn instead of RED; the yama-budo (mountain grapes) is a humble purple color that’s darker and more taken-back instead of FUNKY PURPLE (I <3 Husky Purple!).

This Tsuki-yo (Moon night) is a blue-black shade ink, which reminds me deeply of the gel pen “Uni-ball” made by Mitsubishi that are (were?) so popular in Taiwan. I tried taking a picture of the ink written on paper, but I don’t know whether it’s the camera or the lighting that I just can’t get the color right… probably my cellphone camera. I even tried correcting it on Photoshop, but then it only opens another wound reminding me that I don’t know how to use Photoshop…

I tried. I really tried…

MSRP: $35 + tax
I paid: $26 + tax (surprise U-Bookstore rebate in my student ID)
Thought: $25 for the bottle… but somewhat worth it. XD I would LOVE to have a full collection of this ink, but maybe only when $35 means less significant to me than it does now. I might also need a glass display cabinet… LOL