Before I get to the formspring post, I just wanted to say how surprised I am at everyone’s high optimism for Sungkyunkwan Scandal, haha. I figure I’m just not in a very happy TV mood lately what with real life obligations starting up again, but I’ll stick around and will probably blog more about Song Joong-ki or Yoo Ah-in the episodes in the future.
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Anyhoo, someone on formspring asked me:
I don’t want to use binders and bulky school supplies for junior year. do you have any good school organization ideas? what school supplies did you buy to stay organized?
I’m not the most organized person but I am a good stationery buyer if anything. I swear it’s my true calling in life, and whaddyaknow, such jobs do exist!
So what I suggest are Japanese-style notebooks:


I don’t have industry-related knowledge on how big the stationery market in the West is, but I’m willing to bet it’s nothing compared to Asia’s, which is why I think you’ll find superior products from Asia. Because there is such a demand for stationery in Asia, a lot of companies compete to put out good products and thus offering a large selection of options for the customer. The downside is that this leads to super saturation of the market with a lot of crappy quality products and maybe way too many things to choose from, but trust me, as a customer from America, all this variety is good :P
I’ve deviated from my point, but I like these super thin notebooks because I don’t think I’ve ever filled up a regular American-style spiral notebook up with notes for any class ever. Switching over to these notebooks was a lifesaver because of how much lighter they are. They weigh next to nothing and they can fill up with so much. So why not carry a lighter notebook as opposed to carrying a much larger, heavier one?
If access to a Japanese bookstore is a problem, Muji is a great alternative and has a great online store. Their products are handsome, minimal, and cheap. Best place ever??

Another stationery-OCD of mine is that I have to write on really tiny rule, so this wide-ruled business does not fly with me, and even American college-ruled lines are not small enough. Most of the above pictured notebooks are 6mm tall, which is generally categorized as the B5 rule in Japan. (I just bought a 5mm-ruled notebook. I feel like I’m playing with nerdy fire. Cackles.)
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