Pen-abling the oncologists

There is a thrill when I pen-able friends—that is, coax them in a way that will change their behavior positively towards trying a new pen, or getting a fresh bottle of ink, or writing on a smoother Japanese paper.

This is what Fred and I did to Rich, who has taken a liking to his Pilot Metropolitan—the "gateway drug," said Berbi, who was among the first to pen-able me. I give credit, above all, to Mervyn, for telling me to try out fountain pens a few years ago. My life has never been the same again, although, to be honest, the Pilot V5 still occupies a special place in my heart; it was my pen of choice for most of residency. I still miss it, and I'm happy whenever I see my friend, and now hematologist-in-training, Jeremiah, who remains a devoted fan.


Image credit: The Well-Appointed Desk

We brought Rich to Overjoyed, along Handy Road in Singapore, and here he was, trying the TWSBI Eco—a beautiful entry-level Taiwan-made pen with a huge ink capacity, perfect for whole-day out-patient clinics.



Fred couldn't resist the thrill of the Midori Traveler's Notebook, passport size, and got himself the brown one. I like to think this was partly due to my influence, although I may be exaggerating at this point. Our dear friend, Karen, has also taken a liking to fountain pens and notebooks—the most surprising revelation of all because she seemed like someone who could never change her mind towards her ballpoints.

I'm happy to share this fascination with them. The great thing about pen-abling friends is that when I realize I'm running short of ink, someone will tell me, "May blue-black ako, Lance. Kuha ka lang—nasa drawer ko."