Happy Chinese New Year 2021.
It is indeed a much quieter CNY but with family members online it is still merry and special. CNY as any celebration is defined not by the amount of people around you but by the love you are surrounded with.
I lost my father early 2021. I purchased this pen as a remembrance and tribute to him. I will always see this pen as a reminder of him.
Always remembered and loved. Never forgotten.
I saw this pen many years back but it never sparked any interest. I was at awe of its design but it remained unattainable to me, financially. Back then any product carrying the Porsche insignia was only for the elite.
Slowly over time my mindset changed from just make do to wanting more in life. With my friend leading the path, I realized that there is more to life than just surviving and making ends meet. You need to enjoy and live life to the fullest. No regrets.
Hence, from the first car my dad allocated us siblings, a 130Y Nissan Sunny, in time I purchased my own “genuine” Honda Civic EG9 1.6 Vtec, as my first car. It was initially Graphite Black which I subsequently changed after many years to Electron Blue. The B16A engine was torque and health with many external mods including a Tanabe G Medallion exhaust system. WKE123, was the number plate.
The same friend who led me on the JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) path, said something to me that I will never forget. Always keep upgrading in life. Don’t remain content and become stagnant. This is the same friend who said why waste money and drive BMW when a Honda Accord performs similarly at a much lesser cost. Indeed over time his mindset had evolved when he drove a friends BMW. He did the same to me, he said sitting in the passengers seat and drivers seat of a BMW is completely different. He basically forced me to drive his car.
He handed me the keys of his E46 325i and said step on it and kept forcing me to accelerate during corners and not hold back. That short 15 minutes drive, changed my perception. Everything about the car oozed quality. From the moment I held the steering, I could feel that it was completely opposite a JDM car. And mind you at that time I had even taken a ride in Tan Sri Azman’s 500hp R33 skyline.
After driving the BMW, I could not drive my Civic anymore. The STRESS!
Months before my son was born in 2008, I upgraded to a Volvo S60 T5. I did not follow the path my friend went as I wanted a turbo. Boost was on tap and the car was sturdy. Most noticeable when it rained. There was no longer clunking sound of rain drops hitting the roof when it poured. That was the first comment my wife noticed when she compared it to my civic.
Overtime, with the blessing of god before my daughter was born, I added a Mercedes C200 to the stable.
I wanted one more car in addition to the Volvo and Mercedes and that materialized when I managed to own my very own Porsche 944 Turbo. Shortly thereafter we celebrated my fathers 80th Birthday in One World Group banquet hall in Glenmarie. 200 of his closest friends attended including Tun Salleh Abbas and Puan Sri Jeffrey Cheah. The event was grazed by 501st Legion Star Wars.
I am happy that I managed to achieve this for my father. I wish I could have done more.
The Porsche, I took him on a few rides as he kept telling me to slow down. Furthermore, it was more at home in the workshop than with me. It would be with me for a few weeks and than a month in the workshop for numerous repairs and upgrades. The circle kept going like that.
Nothing like opening your front door and seeing that Silver Porsche, compared to the Volvo or Mercs.
But as God warranted, it was not meant to be.
You can read more on what happened to the car in one of my previous blogs or the following news paper clipping.
https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2017/10/296734/porsche-944-turbo-goes-flames-shah-alam
I am grateful that God had allowed me to celebrate his 80th Birthday and take rides in that car before my dear father left us. His health was already not so good in 2017 due to stroke and I just needed to ensure I did the birthday celebration and purchase the car, as my final effort to bring him happiness knowing he did all right by us and we are nothing without his sacrifice and love. He had worked tirelessly through his life, for us.
This is why this pen is so important and I needed to purchase it. It was purchased on 11 February 2021 from Isetan KLCC. 39 days after his death. This Porsche pen will always be relevant and close to my heart.
The pen was enclosed in this soft supple rubbery case. Similar to the Lamy 2000. Nice, slick and clean designed pen. It is I think the heaviest pen that I own for its size.
Every inch of this pen oozes quality. Reminiscent of my Porsche 944. Although it was an old car, the door still closed with a solid thud. The pen is the same. The metal cap is solid, sturdy and heavy. I feel that I can hurl the cap at someone in self defense without causing it much damage except the occasional scuffs.
The cap is the screw on screw off type. Just about a twist and half to uncap it. The screwing mechanism is super smooth and precise. Just like the 944 manual gearbox. Agile, precise with a click. I don’t think i have any other pens in my collection that is as robust as this but so smooth to uncap. The barrel of the pen is the same. Smooth as silk to unscrew.
The exterior intersection between the barrel and the cap the Porsche Design engraved.
The weaving of steel barrel is reminiscent of any heavy duty piping on sports cars.
Stainless steel metal weaved hoses on a sports car. See what I mean!
The end of the cap has miniature balls that further acts as additional roll stoppers, should you accidentally leave your uncapped pen unattended.
The nib is as all Pelikans, top notch and super smooth. On the first ink fill. It wrote without any fuse and no skipping whatsoever, even on fast writes. No other pen in my collection can do this. Even my Montblancs had skipped once or twice but not this pen.
Anything with the Stuttgart emblem must reflect so. That is what I see from this pen.
There are many reviews online expressing their opinion they will not purchase it, given its price point. But for me, it is more than a pen. It is a memory and a significance remembrance.
Free Pelikan ink was provided with this purchase for Isetan KLCC Valentine’s promotion. I choose the Orange Mandarin.
The ink is a beautiful reflection of Mandarin Orange and true to the CNY spirit.
2020 and 2021 is NOT a year you GET EVERYTHING you WANT. BUT a YEAR to APPRECIATE EVERYTHING YOU HAVE.
My father, always remembered, never forgotten. God bless all.
