A blog about writing, sketching, running and other things
This is from last week’s 5k – I just realised that I forgot to post it. Ain’t Tel Aviv gorgeous?
The promenade cafes and restaurants are packed with people watching the World Cup, including random bystanders.
The sunsets at this time of year are some of the best:
I usually run with my running group midweek, and then I rarely have time to stop for photos. This week was crazy in terms of scheduling (as will next week), so that meant either running by myself midweek or giving up on my runs, and I am NOT bailing on my runs. They help me keep grounded and sane in this crazy time.
There’s a new sign on the Tel Aviv Port deck, and I really like it:
Get it, Te-love-iv?
There was also a very colourful and very popular Chinese food festival in the Port’s farmer’s market area. I got slammed in the face by a Chinese dancer waving long ribbons around, but it didn’t hurt, it just made me decide to circumvent the festival on my run back.
The lifeguards still leave their posts way too early, but that doesn’t deter people from swimming in the sea. A little over 5k done and dusted, with some hill repeats in the middle. I hate hill repeats.
I didn’t feel like breaking the tea table out for a gongfu session with all the fixings, but I really felt like some Shu pu’er, so I improvised a quick tea setting. This is my Shu Yixing teapot. I have two more teapots that I’m now prepping to be my Oolong and Sheng teapots, to replace the lower quality teapots that I’ve used so far.
The tea is from the Chinese Tea Company in Portobello road, London and it’s fabulous, like all the teas that I get from there.
I like my journals to be filled with little sketches and bits and pieces that I collect here and there (labels, business cards, etc). It brings the entries to life, especially when I read through them later on.
So for instance yesterday I created a 3 minute sketch of a group of ladies enjoying themselves at a local cafe:
And here’s today’s page, about to be filled with notes:
So if you go to lunch somewhere, remember to grab their business card so that you can stick it in your notebook later.
Woke up and left early for an 8k run this Saturday. It was supposed to be super hot later on, so I tried to get my run done with before 7:00. I missed by a bit, but not by much. I was feeling depressed and anxious because of my mom, but as usual, pushing through the first kilometres brought on that welcome endorphin hit.
Swallows were out and about.
8k run complete. When in pain, run.
I was eying the Caran d’Ache 849 line for a while, wondering whether to try one or not. On the one hand I really liked their design. On the other hand, they’re ballpoint pens, and I have very little use for ballpoint pens. They require pressure to write with, and with my carpal tunnel problems, ballpoint-caused pain is what made me research and get into fountain pens in the first place.
Then I started getting emails about the Caran d’Ache 849 collaboration with Nespresso. From Cult Pen’s website:
In 2015 Nespresso launched its Second Life project, the aim of which is to recycle its aluminium coffee capsules and use them to create other products. Caran d’Ache’s 849 was a perfect candidate! An exclusive alloy using the aluminium from the Nespresso capsules was created in order to meet the 849’s quality requirements, and the ‘Darkhan’ capsule was chosen to lend its dark blue colour to the Nespresso 849 Limited Edition.
Well that got me hooked. I enjoy Nespresso’s capsules and especially its design, and I was intrigued by the idea of its capsules (which I recycle) ending up in such an iconic pen. A quick order from Cult Pens (who now have free international shipping for orders over £50) later, and this arrived:
The packaging is recycled, beautiful, and really evokes a Nespresso capsule sleeve:
The pen has ” Made with Recycled Nespresso Capsules” screen printed on it as well as all the usual, understated Caran d’Ache branding.
I took advantage of the free shipping to also order an 849 Tropical pen, and unlike that and other, more standard, 849s, this pen has a textured, beaded body. If you have sweaty hands, this is a blessing, of course.
Although it’s a metal-bodied pen it is surprisingly light and very well balanced. Even if you have tiny hands you shouldn’t have any trouble using this pen for long periods of time. The knock is so smooth that it doesn’t click, which I found a bit annoying. I’m used to pen knocks clicking unless they are faulty, and so I found myself constantly pausing to check if the mechanism had fully engaged before I started writing.
I don’t use ballpoints for writing, especially not for long periods of time, but this pen is obviously built to be a workhorse. Nothing rattles when you write, the refill is smooth, with no blobs of ink and no problems starting. Thin white streaks appear now and then while writing, but that’s to be expected and is hardly noticeable. Unlike many ballpoint refills, the Caran d’Ache Goliath refill that comes with this pen dries almost immediately, even on Moleskine paper, making it friendly for left-handed writers.
All in all a great pen, and a perfect gift for the Nespresso lover in your life.
Yesterday was the 20th anniversary of the Tel Aviv Pride Parade, a huge, fun street party sort of affair, which I missed because I was with my mom in hospital. She got released home on Friday afternoon, but has to go back for more tests on Sunday, which makes none of us happy. And when I’m not unhappy or stressed I go out for a run.
Started out at 6:20, hoping to get 7k in before the sun started blazing (wear sunscreen!), but I forgot that my usual route was going to be partly blocked because of the Tel Aviv Triathlon. It made for a challenging and interesting run at least.
6:20AM and look at that sun already blazing:
Some of the decorations for the Pride Parade were still up on the beach, and some of them will stay here permanently:
The sprint category of the triathlon was just about to start as I tried to run past them and into the TLV port and park:
Here I was forced to go on several diversions before finally making it to the park for the halfway point of my run.
Whenever life sucks, go for a run. I guarantee that you’ll feel better.
Kuretake brush pen on Moleskine pocket sketchbook. Trying to sketch something every day to get ready for the Urban Sketchers Porto meetup. 2 minute sketch.
Waterman 100 year fountain pen with Sailor Epinard ink on Moleskine pocket sketchbook.
Writing at Large 