Recession Indicators

I don’t know about you but the economy is going wild here. From news of tariffs by the USA, our impending elections here in Singapore and other major things happening around the world (I’m SGian, we can’t exactly type certain things out), sometimes the world feels like a mess.

For some reason 90s fashion is coming back. “Vintage” digital cameras are on the rise, so we’re back to standard definition resolution now. Not everything has to be in High Definition cause we’re catching the vibes instead.

Thrifting clothes are in. You’ll notice it by the way there’s more shops at Haji Lane and Golden Landmark Shopping Centre or other pop-ups with it.

Soon, we’ll probably have something called ‘budgetcore‘ but it’s basically just trying to use what we have and being grateful instead of buying newer disposable things.

Which is why I got a Hobonichi notebook.

What has that got to do with anything? It’s cause my friends have all told me I should get one and I have resisted until now when there is the urge to use it.

When there’s a sudden urge, then I know there will be such notable things in history that I’ll want to put down for future people to read. Actually, I don’t know who’ll read it or want to anyway but all the movies have always had a character casually having a journal revealing who is the true murderer or whatever plot it is. Or moments in time that you’ll want to look back to and say wow, you did survive.

Maybe.

Since I bought it online, I decided to get the plastic cover too and it really does make a difference. FYI, the material cover I got is the Bijutsukai (Ferry). The website’s bookmark is aquamarine and yellow but mine is not uncovered yet so no one can steal these pictures to use as their own stock photo.

The composition of the design is a bird’s-eye view from high above of a ferryboat floating on the river. Although simplified to the utmost, we can see the boatman in charge of the boat wearing a straw hat and raincoat. The light blue color of the river is struck by large white oblique lines that look like sunlight; the stripe-looking arrangement gives it a sense of modernity, even with a classical motif. The boats and flowers peeking out create a rhythm, and it looks as if the whole picture represents the time the boat spends on the river. The craft design will make you feel a refreshing breeze blowing through the air.

If you haven’t rode on a boat or a ferry, you should try it cause it’s quite soothing and you’re just out there surrounded by water, travelling.

You might want to get a plastic cover if you’re going to be the type who goes on adventures and tosses your notebook around. What I find interesting is that the plastic cover isn’t just a normal one for exercise books at school (you know what I mean if you’ve gone to Popular bookstore).

It’s even got a ziplock opening so that you can reach into the pocket segment of the original cover. I find the little details to be quite innovative.

Accompanied with the notebook is an Ohto CR02 pen. I’m spoiled by Ohto ceramic rollerball pens. I bought one Liberty Ohto CB-10NBL in Japan a few years ago and it feels so good.

It’s not an expensive pen when you actually get it in Japan, like one of the ‘common’ ones but oh my goodness. When you use it, it’s just… It just feels right?

I’m saving my Liberty Ohto for certain occasions and instead got an Ohto CR02 pen from Think at Funan, a Japanese based stationery shop. Also cause the exterior is matt and looks like it’ll be less scratched up when I toss it around.

If you ever see “ceramic rollerball” and it’s within your own budget, please try.

Ohto is just good. I’m glad I learned about this brand when I was in Japan.

Anyway, you might be wondering what’s on the ‘inside’ of my Hobonichi. Unlike my friends, I got the “Japanese Day-Free Book 2025 [A6/Monthly/Jan/Mon start]” cause I won’t write daily in the ‘one page a day’ format.

There’s different interiors you can get and day-free fits me more since I’ll write when I want to.

When the pages do get filled up eventually, then I’ll get a new refill. It’s thinner than the regular one page a day but at least I know I won’t waste days I’m not writing it in since the pages are dated.

With that said, don’t get a Hobonichi unless you feel like you want to.

Or if you do, which cover did you get or did you make one yourself?