My Grail Fountain Pen...never thought I'd manage it so soon!!

Hi...

This was two weeks back and happened on a Wednesday...that was the day when I was finally able to lay my eager hands on my grail pen...Montblanc Meisterstuck 149...this fountain pen, the king among pens (IMHO), was in my sights for the last 15 years or so...days before fountain pens became my regular passion...at that time I didn't even venture to find out the price of this pen...and after I got a job and all that the passion to own and write with a Montblanc got intense(r)...and a few years later, I heard that MontBlanc had opened their boutique in Hyderabad...I tentatively called them one day to find out the price...they quoted a price which was double my monthly salary at that time!!!...and whenever I telephoned to ask the price, it would have increased and I would find it impossible to even think of buying one... and sometime around 2007 December, I happened to join the fountain pen network and met Hari and one of the first things that I told him was that I wanted to own a Montblanc Meisterstuck 149...he kind of laughed...I think the pen is one of the targets of FP lovers...and it took me over a year since to even think of seriously buying the pen...I wanted to buy it from the boutique, but knew that I could never afford it on my own...I then asked for contributions from near and dear ones...!!! and my near and dear ones were so good that they generously contributed...I could collect quite a bit, but still needed an equal amount to run after the increasing price of the pen...then one find day, Hari told me that he would soon be acquiring his MB 149...and he then told me that he'd be getting a pre-used pen from one of the sellers on FPN...I then saw that this was a sensible way and asked Hari to help me out...the money that I had collected would cover the pre-used cost of the pen...Hari got in touch with Bryant Greer who owns http://www.pentime.net/ and Bryant sent me some pics of the prospective MB 140 and I was hooked!!! right and proper!!! and Hari helped me a lot in acquiring this pen...right from getting in touch with Bryant to sending him the money and keping track till the pen reached me...and it took close to 4 weeks for the pen to arrive from the US...and to add to my anxiety, there was a major incident with the post office...which unnerved me and finally, after a great deal of waiting...I could get it finally...never thought I'd see and have my own Montblanc Meisterstuck 149... (the first photo is taken by me; the other two are taken by Bryant)

Second visit to Books Sale

I just couldn't resist going back to the Best Books' used books sale just one more time...the proprietor had told me on my previous visit that he'd search for Dave Barry books and asked me come back again before the 20th...and when you know that two or more Dave Barrys could be hiding in there somewhere, you just can't afford to miss the chance...so I thought...

So, once again, I dropped down mid way on my way home from college and went to YMCA... as soon as I entered the room where the books were stacked, I saw Dave Barry coming towards me with two books in his hands...I thought 'wow! if not any more Dave Barry books, at least I got to see Dave Barry...' how cool is that?

I left Dave Barry to his devices and went straight to the counter...the moment the proprietor saw me, he shook his head...and made a clicking sound...and said 'nahin hai, sab'... I still had some time, but I didn't feel like browsing...I thought I'd walk over to Al Classic (permanent) used books sale near Sangeet and see if I could turn my disappointment to appointment...while I was thinking of going out, Shruti called on my mobile and I was talking and looking at the titles on a shelf in front of me...I had seen this shelf during my previous visit and didn't expect to find anything new...I reached the last row and I thought I saw the words 'Dave...' on the cover...I pounced on it and it turned out to be one of the Dave Barrys that Vinod had mentioned...Dave Barry's Only Travel Guide You'll Ever Need ... I was enthused and emboldened now and started my hunting all over again...hoping to snare the other Dave Barry...Dave Barry in Cyber Space...I spent around 15 minutes searching and was not able to locate...maybe, somebody has purchased it...so I thought...then the proprietor's assistant came over to me and gave me a book...I was delighted to see that it was a Dave Barry...but it was not Dave Barry in Cyber Space...the one I was looking for, but Dave Barry's Greatest Hits...so what...? my mission was accomplished...partly...I went looking for two Dave Barry books...got three, one of them seen by Vinod and two which I got on my own...one more is still lurking somewhere...today is the last day of the sale...should I go again...one last visit...? what say you?

What I finally bought at the used books sale...

I landed at the books sale at YMCA on Wednesday evening on way back home from college and needless to say, I was looking only for Dave Barry and Elmore Leonard…I found Maximum Bob soon enough and picked it up…saw some other novels and books that I thought I should buy, but then felt that I might not read them…but I couldn’t locate any Dave Barry books…I eventually had to ask the proprietor at the counter…he pointed to a shelf and there it was…a Dave Barry book. But it was neither of the two books that Vinod had seen when he visited the sale…the one I saw was Dave Barry Turns 40 …

I got Maximum Bob for Rs.45 and Dave Barry Turns 40 (hardback) for Rs.95…I then found a long-searched-for novel in the adjoining room where pulp fiction was stocked…The Silence of the Lambs… I had seen the movie sometime during 1990-92 in Pune. I didn’t understand much then and don’t remember anything now, but liked Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter …I’d seen Hannibal, its sequel, when it was released here in Hyderabad and liked it…Anthony Hopkins was as usual brilliant, but I would have liked Jodie Foster to have reprised the role of Clarice Starling…

I must be one of the few persons who’d read the sequels first and then came to the first one in the sequence…I had read Hannibal and Red Dragon earlier and had bought these books at a used books sale and so, I was kind of determined to buy The Silence of the Lambs too at a used books sale…and I found it here…might go there again today and see if the proprietor has managed to locate the other two or any other Dave Barry book…

Thanks Vinod…for the tip (in/advertent?)…much appreciated…I have already read 5 episodes from Dave Barry Turns 40...and Dave Barry is true to form...

Book Pointers from another Blog?

I had been noticing this ‘Old Books Sale’ (by Best Books) banner every morning our college bus passes YMCA at Secunderabad for the past 10 days or so. And every morning I see this banner, I promise myself that I’d get down near YMCA on my way back from college and see what I can lay my hands on. This wasn’t happening and I felt bad for myself.

Then on Monday, I went across to Vinod (Ekbote)’s blog and saw this post on ‘A midweek haul at a book sale.’ This was about the books that he’d bought at this ‘Old Books Sale.’ As I was reading, I reached a particular point where I strongly felt that Vinod was talking to me! He wrote, “I saw two books by Dave Barry – Dave Barry in Cyberspace and Dave Barry’s Only Travel Guide You’ll Ever Need. I also saw Elmore Leonard’s ‘Maximum Bob’ that I have.”

Vinod is the person responsible for introducing me to Dave Barry and Elmore Leonard. In the case of Dave Barry, Vinod actually gifted me my first Dave Barry – Dave Barry is not making this up. I had also subsequently asked him if he’d come across any more Dave Barry books during his various visits to book haunts across Hyderabad.

After I’d heard Vinod talking passionately about Elmore Leonard’s novels, I couldn’t resist reading his novels and found and bought three in a used book store and read them. I was hooked, but couldn’t locate more. Maybe I didn’t search in the right places.

Now you know why I strongly felt that Vinod was directing these sentences at me…!!

I have become notorious in my (own) eyes for not posting in my blog regularly…but, this time, believe me, I will post on what happened next…the next day…