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Archive for April, 2008

Countdown to the 2008 Chicago Pen Show:
48 Hours More To Go

April 29th, 2008 03:04:50

It’s 48 hours more to go before the official start of the 2008 Chicago Pen Show! From May 1 to 4, pen enthusiasts from around the world will converge in the Windy City for the greatest and largest vintage pen show on Earth. And Rhodia will be there! Of course we cannot miss it! Although the official schedule says 1st of May, you have until the weekend to prepare for the much-anticipated auction, which will take place in the evening of May 3. Sunday, May 4, it will be open to the general public, and that’s when we hope to see you guys! And there’s plenty to be excited about! Including the much talked-about Rhodia ePure notebooks. We’ve learned that it will be available for purchase from Pendemonium at the show. So keep an eye on it.

Another item from parent-company Clairefontaine’s line-up, which is generating buzz, is the eco-friendly Calligraphie notebook line called “Forever,” which is made of recycled paper.

Except at the show, these two items are not yet available for sale here in the US. So if only for that, you should save the date, and head to Westin-O’Hare, which is just next to the airport, off at I-90, this coming Sunday. See ya!

Chicagoing!

April 28th, 2008 02:04:00

If the world is Rhodia Drive’s home, Chicago is Rhodia Driver’s bedroom. Yes, Chicago! My kinda town. The City of Broad Shoulders. The bailiwick of the Daleys. And if the stars would align, the host of the 2016 Olympics. It’s many things to many people. Today, I’d like you to take a peek at my lair, with the hope that in the near future, you would also welcome me to yours.

It’s been said that the history of Chicago can be divided into two: Pre and post-Great Chicago Fire. That 1871 history-defining tragedy burned down practically the whole city. But it also gave rise to modern architectural revolution, starting with the likes of Louis Henri Sullivan, followed by the iconic Frank Lloyd Wright, and carried on into the present and beyond by Bruce Graham of the Sears Tower fame, Frank Gehry, Zaha Hadid and many more. In the not so distant future, Santiago Calatrava will also debut his Chicago Spire, a twisting like heaven that would alter the terrain of city’s skyline.

True, Chicago has a long-held reputation of biting cold winter, that challenges the toughest of the tough. But the gorgeous sun, shining upon Lake Shore Drive, while you are running along the lake, is so worth the polar weather trouble. For maximum effect and fun, visitors are advised to come to the city during the this warm season. Your visit is also best enjoyed with a bottle of drink and some famous Chicago hotdawg, while watching a Cubs game at some guy’s rooftop overlooking Wrigley Field. Ah! That’s life!

Speaking of fun, Chicago will host this week Looptopia 2008, an All-Night cultural event slated on May 2, 2008. So mark it in your calendar for our new Chicagoing section.

Are you in Chicago? Tokyo? Manila? Paris? London? Montreal? Singapore? Sydney? Wherever you are…do tell us about your own city, your events and why it is unique from the rest of the world. Every last Monday of the month, we hope to continue this kind of tradition of introducing or re-introducing your city to us. I hope you dear readers will join us.

Flickr Friday: Penguin

April 25th, 2008 06:04:00

It was only last week when I wondered not too subtly if there’s ever a “Rhodian” who’s into animals beyond the feline species. The answer is absolutely yes. In fact, we found one with a cute pug. Today, however, we’re going to talk about penguins, the favorite pet, of this week’s featured fan. No, he’s not keeping a penguin in his own home, only the inanimate representation of it. But it does tell you he’s into this cuddly bird mostly found in the coldest end of the planet. Flightless, maybe, but this avian regular of Antarctica is a mighty creature that has survived the test of time.

Flickr Photos via Penpenpen

Every day is Earth Day

April 22nd, 2008 05:04:00

At Rhodia, every day is Earth Day. We practice what we preach. Rhodia, like all Clairefontaine paper, is recyclable and biodegradable. It maintains high environment standards, and it is doing so by making its own paper, and in the process, controls the environmental impact of the enterprise. Rhodia ensure that endangered wildlife habitat is protected, worker health and safety laws are kept, and the rights of indigenous communities are respected. Meanwhile, write to us how you are celebrating Earth Day this year, and what are the efforts you are making to save the planet.

Via Vickerey

Rhodia Calendar: Clairefontaine turns 150

April 21st, 2008 01:04:13

In an era of instant messages and 15-minute YouTube fame, you become more appreciative of age and longevity. Like vintage wine, they progress in taste as they advance in age. Clairefontaine, the French parent-company of Rhodia notebooks, epitomizes that brand of staying power. This year, the paper mill company established by Jean-Baptiste Bichelberger in 1858 in the Vosges mountains of France, turns 150. We just got hold of its anniversary banner, and it’s bursting with colors that exude so much energy; a visual testament to its embrace of 21st Century technology with a touch of 19th Century elegance. It’s a well-earned anniversary, mind you, surviving even the ravages of World Wars. Under its present CEO Jean-Marie Nusse, it continues to be a trailblazer in quality paper products, including our very own “orange notebook.” Now, Clairefontaine has gone beyond its confines, by partnering with Unicef in supporting initiatives to educate impoverished kids from around the world. In 2007, it donated € 453,245 or almost three quarters of a million dollars for education of Moroccan school children. There’s also an ongoing movement to help save the Earth, yet another cause worthy of praise. So, here’s to many hundred years of existence!

Flickr Friday: Animal Soup

April 18th, 2008 12:04:06

What is it with cats and Rhodia Drive? As we scour the vast World Wide Web, we have noticed that a number of our Rhodia enthusiasts are into cats. A few weeks back, we might recall that we also featured one of our feline-loving friend, Taiyo Fujii. Nothing against dog lovers or fish collectors, but in fact, this Rhodia driver is also a cat person. The same maybe used to describe our latest Flickr Friday feature, Animal Soup. You don’t have to look very far for proof that this San Diego resident is a “cat-woman”. From printed shirts to her oil crayon drawings, it’s all kitty devotion. We asked her how she got interested with our orange notebooks, and we’re very glad to report that she “got hooked on Rhodia pads” after reading RhodiaDrive. Neat! We ask you the same question, and while we’re at it, please also let us know if you’re a Rhodia cat or a Rhodia dog? Or, who knows, a Rhodia fish? We’d like to hear from you guys! And do share with us your latest photos. Ja, matta ne!

Flickr Photos via Animal Soup

Where In The World Is My Rhodia?

April 14th, 2008 08:04:10

Milwaukee, Wisconsin 4.13.2008

On a blustery Sunday afternoon, my Rhodia found itself face-to-face with Santiago Calatrava’s Quadracci Pavilion of the Milwaukee Art Museum. The cold wind blowing from mishigami, the “great sea” that is Lake Michigan, was unrelenting. But it never dampened the impact of the Spanish architect’s first building in the US. This architectural marvel, dubbed by the museum’s director as “a monumental project, encompassing an exceptional architectural and engineering masterpiece” is simply stunning. One of the many awe-inspiring features of Calatrava’s addition to the original Museum buildings designed by Eero Saarinen and David Kahler, is the The Burke Brise Soleil. You don’t have to be an architect to appreciate this wing-like extension of the building. And we’ve learned that it’s not just there for the sake of aesthetics. It’s actually there to serve as a sun screen, and it can be raised and lowered to control both temperature and the light coming into the glass-enclosed reception hall of the structure. On this particular day, as museum-goers enjoy the last day of a special exhibition, Art in Bloom, its wings were cooped, like a bird on a shivery April day. While there, we also took the chance to pose in-front of the orange sculpture, “The Calling”, by Chinese-born American abstract expressionist, Mark di Suvero, an apt conclusion to our fun-filled, albeit brief and beer-free trip to Mil Town.

Every second Monday of each month, we will be featuring a new, “Where In The World Is My Rhodia?” segment here. Please do send us your photos with a brief description of your trip, and let’s circumnavigate the world, Rhodia style!

Flickr Friday: Happiness in Taipei

April 10th, 2008 09:04:16

Flickr Photos via Ahappiness from Taiwan

Palm Rhodia

April 7th, 2008 12:04:59

Leave it to a fan to cook up a new Rhodia invention. True to his roots, our enigmatic friend from Japan, Kerogun, posted a rather ingenious application of “the orange notebook with a cult following.” And thanks to YouTube, we get to enjoy his simple yet imaginative work. And it is such a utilitarian novelty, in the sense that the notebook’s cover is used (re-used and recycled for that matter) with a purpose, of serving as a protective gear for a technological gadget that’s centuries ahead of it’s papyrus counterpart. Yet, they’re a perfect fit. Kerogun’s creativity speaks volumes, about how communication must stay the same, despite the rapid advancement in technology. If you guys have a video about Rhodia, share it with us, and we’ll feature you here!

Via Kerogun on Youtube.

Flickr Friday: Remembrance

April 4th, 2008 01:04:55

“Free at last! Free at last! Thank God almighty, we are free at last!”

On this 4th day of April 2008, we remember the 40th Year Anniversary of the death of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., an icon of peace and equality. Share us your thoughts about the man from Georgia, who set out to become one of the most respected figures in America and throughout the world.

Flickr Photos via Awungfoo, Bonard and BBDancer79

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