We've been gone for a while and it really isn't surprising at this point, but we do have our reasons and we talk about them in this episode.  Other than catching up with each other after our respective literal and figurative moves (Ryan to another country and job, Jika to another employer), we go into our newest finds, what we're excited about, and our most recent learnings too about what makes us do what we do or do not in this happiest hobby of ours. Yes, everyone, we're demotivated and that's actually been a good thing. :)

Here are the usual links relevant to the episode: 

And for our Pen Noobs Podcast Links:

So it's Pride Month and we'd thought that it'd be a right enough time to celebrate not just queerness in the now-conventional sense, but also queerness--the characteristic that distinguishes, sets apart, makes special--the habits and things that we know and love in the hobby. This isn't an episode about buying yet another thing, but really, just celebrating the innovations and aspects of pens and stationery that are not so conventional but oh-so attention grabbing.   

* Apologies for the audio flitting in and out in the end because, as it turns out, our mic's USB was loose in its port. 

Here are some links of note:  

We support local LGBTQIA+ organizations that you can look up or help out via the following links: 

And our usual Pen Noobs Podcast Links: 

So we're a spot out of sorts in this one but we showed up regardless because we want to talk about current events but, technically, cannot talk about it given the current climate in our country. Thus, we resort to talking about the issues relevant to our circumstances through pens and stationery controversies as of late. There aren't any noob discoveries in this one but we do cover the Noodler's Ink Volcker Green and Bernanke Red controversy, harken back to the Hobonichi Michael Jackson line recall, and update you about the Esterbrook-Skybambi property rights thing (which we hinted at previously in ProperTEA talk).

Anyway, LINKS!

And our usual Pen Noobs Podcast Links: 

If you're part of Fountain Pen Palengke (FPP), the Philippines' Facebook marketplace for fountain pen and stationery lovers, Sir Alden Castaneda would be no stranger despite being largely an enigma. Ryan and I only met him recently for this episode, after two years of buying our pens/half our pen collections from him. He's a "power seller" with a remarkable manner of penabling. His posts are reliable and always attention-grabbing in their selection and composition. He'd pick a theme to tie some 5 to 10 pens together with the caption (often a story that's rooted in real life or, other times fantastical; sometimes an allusion to poetry and other times a relatable anecdote). 

In this episode, Sir Alden shares his stories with us and, by extension, with you. Sir Alden is a maker of stories and, as will be revealed in this episode, a keeper of them too. This episode may have taken a while to churn out, but trust us when we say that this is one of the more heartfelt, earnest, and endearing ones too. You'll surely feel warmth after this episode. 

Anyway, here are some Sir Alden Castaneda seller highlights for you to get a sense of why he's one of our favorite--maybe our actual favorite--seller and "tito" in FPP. 

Here are our usual Pen Noobs Podcast links: 

Happy anniversary to us and thanks for being here to tune back in. Ryan and I have been on a month-long hiatus, not to take time off, but really because work has been relentless. However, we're back and happy to catch-up with each other and with you. In this episode, we cover our personal highlights, look-forward-tos, and leave-behinds, and close things off with the quickest "fast talk" rounds we can muster for each other. Keep listening till the end for our giveaway mechanics, where we're to send off one of Jika's bespoke leather 2-pen cases by the end of April. :)

Anyway, that's all and, well, THANKS so so much for being here and being here for the past year. <3

PS: Ryan and my political allegiances in the upcoming May 2022 Philippine Elections are quite transparent, so if you want to learn more about the candidate we vouch for and help out in her campaign too, go to: https://www.teamlenirobredo.com

The Pen Noobs Podcast Links

Before we get to the description relevant to this episode, Ryan and I thought it important to dedicate a space to important current events and the things we can immediately do to address them: inform and encourage. We want to emphasize that, despite the leisure-related topics this podcast covers, we still are educators and citizens and humans at core; as such, we cannot be impartial.

You are all likely aware of what’s going on in Ukraine right now, what with war befalling them over the past two days, so here are a few credible organizations where we and our audience can extend our help:

Regarding what we can do closer to home, Ryan and I both support the presidential candidate and current Vice President Leni Robredo, and if you do as well or want to help out, you can volunteer or help out in any way, shape or form via: https://www.teamlenirobredo.com

Anyway, onto the episode description! :)

You might have noticed that we are fascinated with the mechanics of purchasing and selling—essentially, consumerism and the greater cogs that make it so—thus, we talk about the big CON[sumerism] in this one. We digress a bit into vacations and skin care but also go through different interesting theories regarding why the heck we like and buy what we like regardless of the price of a product or the hassle of purchasing it. In what ways is a sticker pack the same as lipstick in economics? Are you a challenge consumer or a convenience consumer? Do our pens increase in value?

PS: Thanks to our economist colleague, Angel, for helping us with the economics of things. :)

Again, here are relevant links covered in this episode:

The Pen Noobs Podcast Links

Jika took one for the team by being a guest alongside her one and only, Paulu (pronounced "paul-oo"), an artist and film scholar. In our desire to discuss consumerism and love, there was no better way to celebrate and critique these two themes than through an interview of a pen couple. Ryan prepared the cheesy questions, and Jika and Paulu willingly and honestly answer all of them.  

Here are the usual links:  

Guest Links:  

The Pen Noobs Podcast Links 

The amount of times "noob" is said in the thumbnail is no joke, but rather a way to impress upon our viewers/listeners that there are, and have been since 2018, more than 2 pen noobs. This episode's guest is Ronin Bautista of pennoob.com, known for their helpful articles on everything from the Troublemaker Inks duo, pen people profiles,  the Tomoe River Paper ruckus, and helpful fountain pen related lists for Filipinos to find what exactly they're looking for locally.   

We apologize for some lag in both video and audio, but hope that you persist to tune in because there is gold in this conversation. :)  

As always,  

Jika and Ryan   

Again, are some links of note: 

The Pen Noobs Podcast Links