Postcards Crossing

Postcard Friendship 062: Traditional Qatari clothing

2012-01-27T21:56:00.000+07:00

I am so embarrassed that it took me a very long time to post this postcard from Doha (Qatar) to this blog. This is just one of the only two postcards I have from this country. This was sent to me by a fellow Filipino who is based there about a year ago.

Members of the Qatar Folklore Group performing at the Qatar National Theatre.

In the oil-rich country of Qatar in the middle-east, men and women are completely covered from head to toe.

The men, as shown above, are wearing the traditional clothing: thobe, a long white shirt over loose pants; ghutra, a loose headdress in white or red and white held in place by a black rope-like coil called ogaal. This traditional clothing is worn with much pride - in workplaces, and in schools where it is required. According to the online site QatarVisitor.com, the thobe, with its loose concealing folds, enables men to follow Mohammed's injunction to be modest and to conceal the Awrah, the area between his navel and his knee.
Expat-residents and visiting foreigners are expected to dress in a manner sensitive to the Islamic culture.

Australian Open begins tomorrow!

2012-01-15T23:07:00.002+07:00

At last!
All the action, drama, thrill, excitement, etc. will begin tomorrow at Melbourne Park.

I won't be there but I'll be watching with my dear friend Ana (My World of Postcards) ... on cable TV and chatting via Facebook!!! WOo-hoo, I can't wait, amiga.

And thousands of miles away... look who's training intensely?

Photo Credit: PAUL CROCK/AFP/Getty Images 2012
Via Rafaholics Facebook Photo Album

That's our boy, Rafael Nadal. He ranked #2 in the world and seeded #2 in this year's tournament. See the rest of the list of seeded players here. And Here is the men's single's draw.

Good luck. Vamos, Rafa!

Sunday Stamps 048: Food and beer on Czech Republic stamps

2012-01-15T22:40:00.000+07:00

Food, glorious food from the Czech Republic!

Czech Republic's EUROPA stamp classified under the Food and Cooking category. Issued by the Czech Post in 2005.

Meat (poultry, pork, beef) is the main staple of the traditional Czech cuisine and it comes with a variety of side dishes, usually the knedliky, and goes perfectly well with a mug of beer, as shown above. A knedliky is made from wheat or potato flour, boiled in water as a roll and then sliced and served hot. Below is a photo of the food illustrated on the stamp:

I found the this photo online, almost exact copy of the stamp, save for the missing beer.

Beer is universally regarded as the Czech national drink, further proven by the fact that the nation consumes the most litres of beer per capita in the world. Such brands as Budweiser Budvar or Pilsner Urquell are renowned around the globe, yet the Czech Republic brews a total of over 470 types of beer! - Text and Photo Source

Postcard Friendship Friday 061: The elephant of Mebon Temple

2012-01-13T22:32:00.000+07:00

My entry for this week is a postcard of Cambodia. I sent this to a 6 year old boy who lives in Russia. I checked out his profile at Postcrossing and found out that he loves animals. I sort of panicked because there aren't many postcards available in Phnom Penh that shows animals.

Luckily for me, my friend who sells postcards online, has a set that has an animal in it. And this was it:

A statue of an elephant in Siem Reap's Mebon Temple.

In my message to the boy, I described to him where the temple this statue is located and how important it was at that time. I also told him that I was hoping he'd like the postcard and the elephant even though it is already several thousands of years old and made of stone.

Yesterday, I received a message from Postcrossing that the postcard finally arrived. It was registered promptly and there was a note from the boy (via his mum) saying he loved the postcard to bits. Never mind if the elephant didn't move or that it was made of stone. The important thing is that the boy was happy about it :)

Postcard Perfect 041: Saguaro, the giants of Arizona desert

2012-01-13T21:12:00.000+07:00

Who wants to go with me ... ?

Okay, boys and girls, grab your Telescopes and pray for a clear, night-sky because I will take you on a wild sightseeing and stargazing adventures... right here, at the Saguaro National Park in the US state of Arizona.

The brown earth and the field of giant saguaros. The spiral mark on the rock is also interesting.

This was sent several months ago, and my, look at the view. A far-cry from the green rice-fields of the Cambodian countryside that I am so used to. In Arizona, the desert is arid and barren, with only weeds and these thousands of ginormous cacti, known as the giant Saguaro, dotting the landscape as far as the eyes can see. Now imagine these cacti silhouetted at sunset? Fantastic, no! I'd definitely head to the nearest place where there are telescopes for sale (and binoculars) to fully enjoy the desert experience.

There are so many exciting things to do and see in Saguaro National park -- with numerous hiking trails, beautiful campgrounds and amazing birds and wildlife and fantastic night-sky perfect for stargazing - see, this is where a Telescope comes in handy. I also read from the unofficial site that the park is also popular to tourists who come to see desert wildflowers and the cacti in bloom. Now, how great is that.

Showing off!

2012-01-11T11:49:00.002+07:00

Please excuse me and indulge me for a moment.
Here is one of the Korean rubber stamp sets that I ordered. The stamp blocks are sooo cute - sooo Korean. I think when it comes to cuteness overload, the Japanese and Korean are on the top of the list.

{Kawaii} {Cute} I am such a sucker for everything kawaii. Are you?

I think I should transfer this post (and the previous one) to my crafts blog where I blog from time to time :D The posts there are intermittent, a result when inspiration sets in or I have this itch to start a new project spurred by something I'd seen somewhere.

Let the stamping begin!

2012-01-11T00:11:00.000+07:00

The year 2012 is now well underway - can you believe it?
My brothers have arrived from their three-week holiday and they brought some stuff for me. I'm so excited!

I have so many new things that I'd like to do this year. Like my friend Pinaywifespeaks, I am sort of diversifying my interests this year... aside from two new projects, I've taken up... stamping and scrapbooking! A bit of a late-bloomer, yes I am. It's just that I want to be busier this year. Besides, I've always been crafty but didn't have the proper shops here in Phnom Penh to get my materials from. So when my husband mentioned he is ordering online a couple of signature stamps, the bulb inside my head suddenly lit up!

I never had stamped before and I thought this is the right time to begin. So, while the husband was busy browsing at the online shop, I was also on the other end of the house with my laptop and ooh-ing and aah-ing at the stamp gallery and decided on getting myself a set of custom stamps that will help kick-start my stamping hobby.

So today, just less than ten days since we placed our oders, the package arrived - hurray! And my, I was so giddy! Can you blame me? This set of stamps is just so tiny... so cute! It's only for experiment so I'll see what stuff I can make out of this. If I'm already good at it and developed my own style, I'll move on to getting the proper things, the materiaIs, you know. I am excited about stamping. It's something I can do on my free time {apart from blogging, of course} and it's not an expensive hobby, too. I might even earn money from this, who knows.

Sourcing the materials, I found out, is not that difficult - you can get them by just tapping your keyboard. Thank heavens for online shops! Also, one can get a variety of discount stamps from online shops, as well as other scrapbooking materials. If you are a fan of paper products then stamping and scrapbooking might also be for you!

Sunday Stamps 047: Fijian stick insect

2012-01-08T20:57:00.000+07:00

Happy new year!This is my first post this year for Viridian's Sunday Stamps. We don't actually have a theme for this week so, here goes:

The above stamp is one of the four that were issued in 2006 and it features cotylosoma dipneusticum, or the rare Fijian stick insect.These pair of stamps were affixed to the gorgeous, gorgeous postcard from Fiji - the first in my collection - and was sent to me by my dear friend Dylan. Salamat guid, mang.

I must say that it doesn't look approachable enough so it's best left alone, lol. Here's more info about the Fjian stick insect:

The Fijian stick insect is a very rare insect that can grow up to 10 cm in length. True to its name, the Fijian stick insect indeed does indeed resemble a piece of stick. It is brown in colour, has a flattened body with expanded margins, and is covered with fearsome looking spines and fringes of hair. The Fijian stick insect, like any other insect is six legged, has three main sections: the head, thorax and abdomen, but has no wings. They belong to the order Phasmatodea. - Source

Postcard Perfect 040: Finland's snow lanterns

2012-01-04T18:17:00.000+07:00

From the winter wonderland of Finland comes this snow lantern:

Sent by Paavaliina
ID No.: FI_680448

Paavaliina loves snow and, as is the tradition in her native Kemijarvi, in the northernmost part of Finland (and the whole country), they make snow lanterns. Winter-nights in Finland are filled with fairy-like lights from the snow lanterns.

I haven't been to Finland {yet} but I already have this mental picture of this beautiful country, especially during winter. Everything is covered in snow and there is not much sunshine because the sun does not go up for many, many hours during this time of the year. I can imagine that night times are very dark with flickering lights provided by translucent piles of snowballs, such as above. Imagine thousands of tiny, flickering lights on a cold, snowy, dark winter night? It must be a magical sight!

Happy 2012!

2012-01-01T11:31:00.000+07:00

Spectacular fireworks display over Angkor Wat in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

2012 is now well under way in Asia.
Let us all enjoy the first day and first Sunday of the new year.

To all my friends, near and far, thank you for all the greetings. We should always keep in mind to do better and more this new year!
Oh, and may we all laugh more :)

Postcard Perfect 039: The Grand Canal of Venice

2011-12-28T17:27:00.002+07:00

I can't believe it is the last Thursday of 2011 today...
I thought that by staying offline meant I can have the much needed R and R but I was wrong. This week we had errands to comply for insurance purposes that include paperworks, routine check ups and some minor dental checks done on me and my husband. I wish I had one of those Dental Jobs instead of the current one I have - it is much more in demand and high-paying here, if I may say so.

Anyways, I'm joining Postcard Perfect this week after two weeks or so of absence:

A view of the famed Ponte di Rialto, one of the four bridges - and the oldest - spanning the Grand Canal in Venice.

Sent by my friend Chatru who is based in Dubai. He was on a European tour in November, and on the Italian leg of his tour, he sent me this beautiful postcard. Chat said he realised that the hotel where he stayed at, the Hotel Marco, was the very spot where this photo was taken and that he was actually looking at the very same view at one point of his stay there. Here's one of the pictures he took:

It's everything I'd imagined it to be on a busy day like above.
Photo taken from the Facebook photo album and used with permission from Chatru.

Thank you, Chat! By sending me this postcard you have actually taken me to the place you've been and I have seen what you've seen...

What's more... this postcard, although bought in Venice was mailed in Città del Vaticano, or the Vatican City - how cool is that! Here are the fantastic stamps that were used on the postcard:

My very first stamps from the Vatican City!

On the left is a single stamp issued in 2008 to commemorate the celebration of the World Youth Day in Sydney, Australia. On the right is one of the 6 stamps issued in March 2011 commemorating the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy. The above, right, stamp features the historic capital of the Regno Lombardo Veneto (Kingdom of Lombardy Venetia). The extra stamp, a smaller one you seen on the extreme right, is a reproduction of the first stamp issued in this state. Here's more information about the other five stamps in this series.

Once again, million thanks to Chatru for this valuable souvenir from Italy!

Sunday Stamps 046: The Three Wise Men

2011-12-25T17:48:00.000+07:00

Here is one Christmas stamp from an envelope that just arrived from Australia. A good blogger-friend of mine, the thoughtful Zam, now based in NSW, sent me a packet with several beautiful postcards and bookmarks.

This is actually one of the five stamps issued for this year's Christmas stamp set:

Valued at AUD$ 1.50, this stamp shows the Three Wise Men - Balthazar, Melchor and Caspar - on their journey to Bethlehem to worship the baby Jesus Christ.

Isn't it beautiful? I think it is!
Without sounding too religious {or something to that effect), the story of the birth of Jesus Christ is one of the stories that I hold dearly in my heart. It has been told and re-told to me and my siblings when we were younger by my parents so that the meaning of Christmas wouldn't be lost on us. And now that the family has expanded, the story is being passed down to my nieces and nephew so that they, too, know what Christmas is all about.

The illustration on the above stamp is something I have imagined the Three Kings to be - alit their camels, dressed in magnificent robes that befit their royal origins, and the guiding star, of course, shining brightest amongst the stars in a star-filled night.

The idea of collecting Christmas stamps from around the world excites me now. After receiving this and the previous ones from South Africa, I think I'm going to look out for others. I've checked the Post Offices online and its possible for me to order if I can't get them from swaps. I wonder if it's possible to place a special order or request for a stamp sheet or booklet printing of old or past issues of Christmas stamps?

Anyways, I would like to take this opportunity to greet all my blogger-friends and fellow postcards and stamps collectors a very happy Christmas. Here's to a meaningful Christmas to us all :)

THe Postmistress will be on holiday :)

2011-12-25T16:39:00.000+07:00

Dear friends and fellow collectors,

Due to the holiday season, I am taking time off away for a vacation. I am sorry to say that during this time, I won't be entertaining requests for private swaps. Do not worry though it is only temporary.

I might be able to post but not regularly. But I won't be able to visit other blogs, return visits, and leave comments. To those who seek swaps, just send me email via my contact page but I cannot reply you just yet. I will go back to normal blogging and swapping activities when I get back next year, {that means, next month (^.^)

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Joshua, Beebop and Chappi, my favourite children in the world

2011-12-22T22:22:00.002+07:00

Source: Vector Stock.com

And I am missing them terribly.

Pardon the gap in posting again. It's the holiday blues.

Christmas may not be officially celebrated here in Cambodia but I - and the rest of the expat community - are obviously still caught in the middle of the holiday spirit. I was running around the past few days shopping stuff, especially for my nephew and nieces at home. You see, my brothers went home for the holidays and saw this opportunity to send presents home through them. This despite my disapproval of the "commercialised" nature of the holiday. Admittedly, I found myself buying presents for the kids. I think I'm just suffering from guilt and homesickness. You know, I'm a very doting Aunt and I haven't seen them for more than three years now and I miss each one of them so much. They are sweet kids and they - two girls (ages 5 and 3) and a boy (age 7) - have been waiting for me to come home for Christmas since 2008. So I just rationalised in my mind that Christmas is for kids and, as the saying goes, it is better to give than to receive... so there you go, can you blame me? ^.^

Also, I just got my new credit card so you can say that I'm giving it a test run, lol. I don't think it's one of those rfid credit cards that many people are talking about. How do you know if your card has rfid? Please someone, tell me.

Anyways, have a happy holidays, everyone.

Postcard Friendship Friday 060: Autumn in Finland

2011-12-22T22:21:00.000+07:00

This is one of the beautiful sights I have ever seen. Autum in Finland looks stunning. Looking at this postcard, I have this strange urge to to reach out for my north face fleece jacket... I realise that I am actually imagining and feeling how cold it must be there at this time of the year.

This is an unforgettable view of Parainen, also known by its Swedish name, Pargas. Pargas/Parainen is a city in the province of Western Finland and the only one in Finland that is surrounded by water on all sides. Parainen is also known for its limeworks {you can see the largest open quarry in the Nordic countries there} and Genuine Island Ginger Biscuits. (Source)

Postcard Friendship Friday 059: Bula, from Fiji!

2011-12-16T11:10:00.002+07:00

I just received this postcard showing a stunning sunset in Fiji! It was sent by my le Fab friend and town-mate (he blogs over at Jogels) who was on an equally fab holiday in the beautiful South Pacific islands of Fiji, the home of the pearly shells.

One of the most awe-inspiring sunsets I have ever seen. So serene, so mysterious.

Did you know that most of Fiji's islands were formed through volcanic activities starting around 150millions years ago? I know, I can't imagine the time element involved in the creation of these beautiful islands, can you? It's been said that geothermal activities still happen in Vanua Levu and Taveuni. Who knows, Fiji will still expand or there'll be more new islands that will be formed out of this natural activities in the future.

In the 17th ad 18th centuries, the Dutch and the British explored the islands but it was the British that occupied Fiji lasting up to a century.

Salamat, my friend. This is my first and only postcard from Fiji and from the region of Oceania.

Postcards from Miss Igorota

2011-12-13T19:14:00.001+07:00

My husband and I made an impromptu road trip to the Cambodian border town of Bavet (an international border-crossing to Vietnam) in Svay Rieng province. What was a simple trip to the Russian market last Saturday morning to have our dose of Khmer pork-and-rice breakfast saw us end up in Bavet, some 170kms away from Phnom Penh 4hours later!

I know, we are a crazy couple, hence, the crazy road trip. But it was fun and we enjoyed the change of environment! I must say we both enjoyed unplanned, spontaneous actions such as the recent border run. Here's sharing some of the sights. I still have a lot fram my mobile phone camera but downloading them onto my laptop is proving to be a beyotch! Lol.

We drove through hundreds of kilometers of green and golden yellow rice paddies as far as the eyes can see. There are no more signs of water after several months of flooding previously.

On the road we also saw a lot of huge trucks coming from and going to the border. I wondered if these large vehicles were fitted with gps for trucks even though there is only one main road that leads to the border. You will know that you're close to the border already because of the many KTVs, massage parlours, and casinos that line up the last few kilometers. Sadly, I wasn't able to send postcards at the border town because I could not find the post office.

Of course, Miss Igorota, on the right, my traveling doll, was with me and crossed the border to Vietnam, too. Surely you don't think I'd left her behind? We didn't go that far, though, and after inhaling the breeze in the Vietnamese soil and surreptitiously taking a few photos, we crossed the border again back to Cambodia. We were back in Phnom Penh at 8.30pm of the same day, just in time to enjoy the view of the lunar eclipse that night.

Sunday Stamps 045: The world's first transparent stamp

2011-12-09T22:19:00.001+07:00

And it's from Finland, where else? They consistently produce really awesome stamps that never fail to awe most collectors, in my humble opinion.

The world's first transparent stamp. Too bad you can't see it (transparency) here.

I could not find any other information at the Finnish postal service site so I consulted Mr Google for more info. And I got what I was looking for:

With Christmas soon knocking on the door, Finland's post Itella has issued a new stamp called Frosty Night. This innovative stamp is printed on a special clear film, and it is believed to be the first transparent stamp in the world.

The Frosty Night stamp depicts the atmosphere of a Northern winter night with a frosty snowflake, twinkling stars and aurora borealis in the background.The stamp is printed with blue shades on a clear filmic self-adhesive material from UPM Raflatac. The card or envelope behind the stamp then gives its own colour to the transparent snowflake and stars. - Source

The Finnish Post Office dubbed this beautiful stamp as the Frosty Night stamp, the first transparent stamp in the world issued in 2008. Too bad you can't really see it here :(

Is it true that no snowflakes are alike? Who would know and how would they know? Oh, well, pardon the curiosity. We do not have snow from where I live and it will take some time before I get to see a real snowflake ^.^

Postcard Friendship Friday 058: Sibling love

2011-12-09T10:38:00.000+07:00

From the beautiful city of Wien, Austria comes this equally beautiful postcard of siblings!

A happy moment between siblings captured perfectly!

Who says siblings can't be best of friends?

This postcard is actually a photograph, originally, that was printed into a postcard. The kids are my friend G's, who takes really lovely photos and blogs at Mirage. She took this one morning while the kids (the youngest is not in the picture) were waiting for the morning bus to school.

Thank you, G, for sharing this postcard with me.
A postcard from Cambodia is coming your way, soon.

Have a great weekend, everyone.

Sunday Stamps 044: Limes Romanus - Gerulata and Carnuntum

2011-12-04T12:19:00.000+07:00

I had so much work to do this week, and more next week, that blog posts had taken a backseat. Before I get too engrossed researching about rapid detox for opiates I am posting my entries for this week's Sunday Stamps. Viridian mentioned last week that it is going to be a theme-free week so I had no trouble in selecting what to post today.

Here is a fantastic cover from Slovakia. It has been with me for over a year now and almost forgotten had I not checked my postcards and covers boxes again the other day.

A twin issue from Slovakia and Austria. The above cover is the Slovakian issue of the souvenir sheet, while the Austrian issue is brownish in colour but with identical stamps and sheet. Click the photo for a larger view.

This miniature sheet is part of a series of joint-issues entitled Limes Romanus - Gerulata and Carnuntum, launched in September 12, 2009 by the Slovak Post. The postage stamps show Carnuntum and Gerulata, two significant Roman settlements which lie on either side of the two countries’ shared border.

Before I begin, I hope you're ready for another learning experience. I've never enjoyed learning about history and the great battles that transpired then as I have now via the stamps I've collected. Who would've thought that stamps make good visual aids??

During Roman times, the Limes Romanus was a system of military fortresses across Europe. Part of the system made use of the River Danube to protect Roman provinces from attack by Germanic tribes.

The most prominent fortress in the Pannonia province was Carnuntum, left, whose site is close to the present-day Austrian village of Petronell. A Roman encampment was established there as early as 6 A.D. and later promoted to a town. Its most famous Roman monument is the so-called “Pagan Gate”, Heidentor in German, (shown in the stamp) that was built outside the town in the 4th century AD.

The closest Roman camp to the east of Carnuntum was Gerulata, right, uncovered in the Bratislava district of Rusovce. A fortified castel (i.e. a military camp) was erected here in the 1st century AD, which became the base for a mounted unit. It was part of the Roman province Pannonia and built in the 2nd century as part of the Limes Romanus system. It was abandoned in the 4th century, when the Roman legions withdrew from Pannonia. The map shows roads in the territory of the Roman Empire from Spain to India. In the 18th century, it was bought by the Austrian prince, Eugene of Savoy, who gifted it to the imperial court library in Vienna (now the Österreichische Nationalbibliothek). The map is included in the UNESCO List of World Heritage.

Sources:Poštová filatelistické služby Slovensko

The Slovak Spectator

Postcard Perfect 038: Dreaming of Finland

2011-11-30T22:23:00.001+07:00

Why do I have the urge to grab my passport and board on a plane to Finland? The answers, my friends, lie here:

Beautiful sights of Finland for different seasons

Most of us think snow-capped landscapes when we hear the word "Finland" but, in reality, it has a whole lot more to offer, as you can see in the postcard. Aside from the fantastic natural environment, Finland also boasts of its fine architecture, rich culture and people. My dream is to explore Finland's countryside with the help of a dependable vehicle and a trusty tom tom gps!

With a stunning and unspoilt nature and a sheer possibility to see Santa Claus in his homestead and the aurora borealis - and not to mention the fun of berry-picking every summer - I really wouldn't think twice, if given the opportunity. Who's coming with me? :)

Sunday Stamps 043: Outlaws on Chinese stamps

2011-11-27T12:57:00.001+07:00

Art on stamps - this is the theme this week at Viridian's Sunday Stamps. First thing comes to mind is a painting but then saw this Chinese stamps sent to me years ago that does not only show a painting but also illustrate one of the four great Chinese classical masterpieces, The Outlaws of the Marsh. It is a story of 108 characters - all kindhearted outlaws - who fight for people's rights against an evil, corrupt government. Familiar, isn't it? Seems like an Asian Robin Hood or any other characters in Western literature that waged war against the evil.

Here are the much-touted stamps:

Although there are lots of materials about this story in the Internet, this is the first time I've heard of it and I'm very interested!

It has been said that this story has never before shown on stamps so that the Chinese Post issued stamps in a series that span over a period of ten years beginning in 1987!

The stamps on the left are only two from the four-set in the 5th series that came out in 1997. Top stamp, Hu Yanzhuo tricks Guan Sheng. Below, Yan Qing wrestles Qing Tianchu.

Along with the stamps corresponding souvenir sheets were also issued, except in the second series. The souvenir sheetsshow a conglomeration of the stories told on stamps and are all beautifully illustrated and painted by contemporary, anonymous Chinese painters.

I'm very interested to learn more about this epic classic and I now have this urge to complete the set.

- Additional source

Postcard Perfect 037: The Sights of Aix-en-Provence

2011-11-23T19:31:00.001+07:00

Coming all the way from the beautiful south of France, the Aix-en-Provence:

The sights of Aix-en-Provence.

Aix-en-Provence is a lively city 30kms away from Marseille and best known for its thermal hot springs. It also boasts of more than 300days of sunshine. Not surprising that a lot of foreigners chose to live here, including the sender of this postcard, because of the nice weather.

In late June or July, the lavender fields of Aix-en-Provence is one of the main tourist drawers, with the beautiful rows of blue and lavender flowers dominating the landscape. Aix is also known for its art schools and universities that attract thousands of foreign students to the city.

Sunday Stamps 042: The People's Republic of Kampuchea stamp

2011-11-18T13:50:00.001+07:00

This week's Sunday Stamps is a theme-free day and our host, Viridian, suggests posting anything that we wish. So, today, I'd like to share this old Cambodian stamp, circa 1987, when Cambodia was still under the Vietnamese rule and was known then as the Peoples Republic of Kampuchea.

Baument technologique avec l'antenne de radio micro-onde
Valued at 1 riel.

It can be recalled that so much fighting happened between Cambodia and neighboring Vietnam concerning border disputes in the 60s. Then we all know about the Pol Pot regime in 1975 that lasted till 1979 when the Vietnamese troops captured and freed Phnom Penh from the Khmer Rouge. It is then when the whole country was under the occupation of Vietnamese forces and the pro-Hanoi People's Republic of Kampuchea was established.

Despite its inherent weaknesses and the odds stacked against it, which included being dismissed as a "puppet state" of Vietnam and being imposed grievous economic sanctions, as well as a debilitating Civil War, the PRK/SOC (State of Cambodia, État du Cambodge) remained stronger than its enemies.^[2] Overcoming grinding poverty and isolation, it was able to achieve the reconstruction of Cambodia as a nation. - Source

Taking into consideration the last sentence in the above paragraph, this explains why there is an microwave antenna on this stamp. It shows that the country is well on its way to reconstruction and development. Unfortunately, there is not much information to be had about this stamp. In fact, I don't think the Cambodian Post Office has a complete stamp archive. So sad really because, aside from stamps, there are countless valuable documents and records have been destroyed by the Khmer Rouge and are now lost forever.

Postcard Friendship Friday 057: I dream of picking blueberries in Finland

2011-11-18T13:11:00.001+07:00

This is another beautiful postcard from Finland showing one of its national prides and favourite summer pastimes:

Blueberries of Finland, where picking berries is a national pastime.
Postcard ID: 1138334

This card left Finland in early of July this year, the time when, the sender told me, that the blueberry season is in full-swing. This is a very charming postcard and the kind that I really like - the style of the artwork, the woods, the blueberries, and the wooden box made of birch... all capture what the berry season is all about. I'm sure many Finnish nationals who live outside their country undoubtedly get nostalgic and homesick when they receive this kind of postcard.

At the time of her writing this postcard, she just had finished picking her first berries of the season and enjoys them with her muesli. When she was younger, she said, she likes to eat them with milk and a bit of sugar. Don't we all love eating fruits with milk and sugar? I do. I love bits of information like this. It brings me to the doorstep of Sipi's beautiful country and gives me a sneak-peek of their fascinating way of life. Here's another interesting post about blueberries in Finland captured in a stamp.

Paljon kiitoksia näyttämiseen minulle kulttuuria, Sipi, siitä sydämeni pohjasta.

I have been remiss in my blogging duties

2011-11-17T16:05:00.001+07:00

I have been so lax about updating this blog this week. My apologies, dear friends, but I have a very good reason. I've been busy with a consultancy work, it's extremely hot in the city, I am feeling a bit lethargic (due to that time of the month again)... so many excuses, eh?

Wait for me. I'll see you this Christmas :)

I have so many postcards (not so new arrivals) that needed sorting out and posting but all I want to do is just laze around all day and snooze. I have also been dreaming about Kep again - it's been almost a year since I last went there. I miss the green hills, the fantastic view of the Gulf of Thailand, the sea breeze, and, of course, the fresh seafood of Kep.

My younger brother, who was recently there on a short holiday with my other brother, sent me this picture (right) adding insult to injury :( Waaaah. Sob. What a brat he is.

Anyways, the picture shows the newly-constructed swimming pool at my favourite guesthouse. Isn't the view gorgeous and the pool very inviting? I could imagine myself swimming or lazing by the pool with a refreshing drink in hand. With the nice tropical sunshiny weather there for most of the year it doesn't need any pool heat pumps at any time. My husband said we might spend the holidays there - which is great news to me!

So with that, I want to say please bear with me for the time being. I'll be back to my normal self in no time, I promise.

Sunday Stamps 041: Rugby and cycling on Italian stamps

2011-11-13T16:25:00.001+07:00

I actually have two maxicards from Italy that I am excited to share with you this week.

The Azurris, the national rugby team of Italy, on this awesome maxicard. On the left you can also see the emblems of the other countries which partake in the Six Nations Rugby Championship. Can you name one or all of them?

I wasn't a fan of rugby until recently and I love this maxicard. It showcases the Italian Rugby Team during the first time they were added to the five nations, thus creating "Sei Nazioni", or what is now known as the Six Nations Rugby Championship.

Fausto Coppi, the Il Campionissimo, or the Champion of Champions. He is an all-around cyclist, excelled in climbing and time trialling, and also great on sprinting. The Italians are so passionate about cycling.

Another beautiful maxicard honouring the most successful and popular cyclist of all time, the Italian Fausto Coppi, on his birthday. He won his first Giro d’Italia in 1940 at age 20 - to this day the youngest ever to do so. He went on to win Giro d'Italia four more times, in 1947, 1949, 1952, and 1953. He also won Tour de France two times (1949 and 1952) as well as the World Championship in 1953. More about Fausto Coppi's illustrious cycling career here and here.

Both maxicards were sent by two of my favourite Italian sisters/postcrossers back in 2009. Did you see the cool FDC postmarks on the cards? Awesome!

Grazie mille, ragazze!

Postcard Friendship Friday 056: Aboriginal Australian

2011-11-11T15:20:00.001+07:00

This beauty is an official Postcrossing postcard that came all the way from Western Australia.

The didgeridoo is an iconic Aboriginal Australian musical instrument and is used in traditional dances and ceremonies.
Postcard ID: AU 144-749

The sender said the postcard doesn't show much of a "traditional costume" (pertaining to my postcard preference) but it is a traditional way to dress for Aboriginal people. Heather, this is more than okay - this is perfect! Thank you very much. It shows not only the traditional way of dressing for the Aboriginal Australians but also two of their ancient traditions - body art and playing the didgeridoo - that still thrives amongst modern-day Aborigines.

Postcard Perfect 036: Madurodam: Mini-Netherlands!

2011-11-09T12:47:00.006+07:00

This is the world's smallest city found in the Netherlands - Madurodam:

If I'm in the country with limited time, visiting Madurodam would be the best way for me to see all of Netherlands. All the sights of Netherlands are found here, only on a smaller scale. I'd probably be feeling like Godzilla while strolling in this place.

Madurodam was built in 1952 and named after a student George Maduro, a Jewish from Curacao studying law in the Netherlands. He fought the Nazi ccupation forces as a member of the Dutch resistance and died at Dachau concentration camp in 1945. His parents donated the money to start the Madurodam project.

Here in Madurodam you can see virtually every building, every monument, palace, and tourist attraction (red light district, cheese market, various windmills, and much, much more) of the Netherlands that were recreated in miniature forms, including a railway, a highway, and the Schiphol Airport!

I will definitely write this all down in my wish-list!

Sunday Stamps 040: Going wild over blueberries!

2011-11-07T16:09:00.001+07:00

I'm late, I'm late! Sunday came flying by quickly and I had forgotten to post my entry for this week.

Here you go, anyway:

The Finnish people love their forests but they are also mighty proud of their berries, too. Every summer, I was told that berry-picking is the favourite activity to do there (and neighbouring Norway), a national pastime or an obsession of sorts for some. is In fact, they are so proud of their berries, particularly blueberries that they even dedicated a stamp to them, shown above.

In 2006, Posti Finland issued the above stamp as a definitive with value equal to the first class postage. The design shows the beloved blueberries - on a cup and others still attached to the stems - and the traditional summer dish of blueberry pie. Yum! I love blueberries in pies, muffins, and pancakes. The jam or preserve is best for sandwich spread too. Send grandma something special today, like a big jar of blueberry jam or fresh berries. Geez, it always makes my mouth water every time I look at this stamp :)

Postcard Friendship Friday 055: Azerbaijan, the Land of Fire

2011-11-04T23:10:00.000+07:00

From the beautiful, historic city of Baku, the capital of Azerbaijan, comes this postcard sent by a good friend and fellow ex-pat Myron. He is currently residing in Baku for several months now as part of an international exchange program there.

The impressive building shown in the postcard is the Azerbaijan State Academic Opera and Ballet Theatre named after M.F. Akhundov (Mirza Fatali Akhundov), a great academic and a celebrated author, playwright, and philosopher.

The building, built in 1911, was designed along the lines of Renaissance style of architecture. Today it stands as one of the most beautiful and majestic symbols of cultural life in Azerbaijan. No wonder my friend is in love with this building which is just a block away from where he lives. I wonder how many performances has he seen there, if ever he has.

Azerbaijan, located on the western edge of the Caspian Sea, sits at the crossroad between East and West (Asia and Europe) and is considered to be one of the oldest sites of humankind.

Azerbaijan is a geographical name. On the one hand this name is linked with the population, which lived in this region for thousand of years before our era, and who were mostly fire-worshippers. Local population considered that fire was their God and so they worshipped the fire. "Azer" means fire. The Turkic name "Azer" was used for this territory for a long time. The word "Azer" consists of two parts - "az" and "er". In Turkic languages, "az" means a good intention and a fate of success. Thus, the word "Azer" means "a brave man", "a brave boy", "the fire keeper". The word "Azerbaijan" originates from the name of an ancient Turkish tribe, who resided in those territories. (Source)

Many thanks, Myron. This is my first postcard from Azerbaijan and I hope this won't be the last one.

The sights of Toronto!

2011-11-02T13:33:00.000+07:00

Was running errands again earlier this morning. There was some kind of emergency at home and I had to get the stuff needed to repair a busted water pipe. I hate going out unplanned, it disrupts my routine. I so wish there are on-call handymen to do the fixing stuff at home. You know, just like the toronto bathroom renovations or repair team that are available 24-7. But I digress now.

Of course, I took the opportunity to visit the Post Office again to check if I have postcards in my mailbox. Nada. But that's okay, at least, I was able to go out of the house, had coffee and a bit of fresh air to keep things off my mind.

Here's the postcard for today, a postcard from a nice, 28-year old dude from Toronto, Canada:

The sights of Toronto. I love that apart from the various Toronto landmarks, included in the postcard is the familiar maple leaf and red-and-white colours of the Canadian flag.

Toronto is the largest city in Canada with five million people living in this multi-cultural and friendly city. It is also home to the CN Tower, the second highest tower in the whole world.

Looking at the postcard I can only imagine the vibrant city and the people of different backgrounds and culture who migrated to this country. With the influx of migrants, the demand for housing, rental or owned, must be high that there is also a high demand for work for toronto contractors. I am saying this because the sender has indicated that he works in the construction industry, basically handling toronto home additions in the company where he is working.

Postcard Perfect 035: The New Zealand Experience

2011-11-01T09:01:00.001+07:00

From the capital city of Wellington on the north island of New Zealand comes this fantastic postcard. This is also my tribute to the NZ All Blacks, this year's Rugby World Cup champions :)

Experience New Zealand, a slogan enticing tourists of all ages to a more personalised experience of what NZ has to offer.
Postcard ID: NZ - 6305

Imagine the beautiful setting where the Hollywood movie Lord of the Rings series was filmed, the mecca for thrill-seekers (bungee and base jumping, etc.), the haka, the rich culture, and more! Who doesn't want to Experience New Zealand?

Dubbed as the country of wonderful contrasts, NZ has cosmopolitan cities, outdoor adventures and magnificent scenery to explore and experience.

Brooklyn Bridge of New York

2011-10-31T18:43:00.000+07:00

Here's another postcard sent by my padangat Jaja who was recently in the Big Apple for a quick holiday with her husband. I'm so envious of the two of you - always on holiday ^.^

That's it - I will find a job soon! Any kind of job, you know. Even those Datawarehouse Designer Jobs that I am least qualified or not exactly my expertise but will take anyway so I can finance my travel plans. Desperate much? lol.

But I digress.

The beautiful panoramic view of Brooklyn Bridge and the Lower Manhattan, in the background.

Built between 1869 and 1883, the Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States of America. The bridge connects Manhattan to New York's most populous borough of Brooklyn, and is considered as one of the most magnificent landmarks in New York.

The moving force behind the construction of the bridge was a German immigrant, Joe Roebling, who worked with the Prussian government as a bridge and road builder. It was said that the idea of building a bridge across the East River came about when the ferry he was on got stuck on ice. He didn't live long enough to see the bridge completed though. Twenty other workers died while working on the bridge. (Source)

Sunday Stamps 039: Icebergs and art on Australian stamps

2011-10-30T00:49:00.000+07:00

Here are two stamps used in an official postcard from Australia that I received not long ago, featuring a iceberg from the Australian Antarctic Territory, top, and art on Australian stamps, bottom.

The top stamp is one of the 4 new stamps issued by the Australian Antarctic Territory. Each of the 4 stamps depict a picturesque view of different icebergs, each capturing the beauty of these icebergs and showing the shapes, colours, and textures. (Source)

The bottom stamp is a special issue by Australian Post celebrating the 150th anniversary of the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV). Flowers have long been the favourite subject of artists and consequently, the five-stamp set features five floral still life paintings selected from the collection of the NGV. The bottom stamp depicts the Camellias by Arnold Shore. Shore was an artist, teacher and critic. (Source)

Postcard Friendship Friday 054: The Flags and the Rock of Gibraltar

2011-10-29T22:14:00.000+07:00

The second Gibraltar postcard in my collection arrived this week via private swap. The first Gibraltar postcard is featured here.

Thanks, Rachel. I love the flags and the view of the Rock.

I did say that I like flags on postcards and so she sent me one that has not one but three flags!The EU flag, on the left, because they are Europeans; their own red and white flag of Gibraltar, in the middle; and, because they are British nationals, the Union Jack flag also flies in Gibraltar, on the right. I am amazed at how a country as small as Gibraltar can have three flags!

A pretty hand-made card from Finland

2011-10-25T21:04:00.003+07:00

I am a fan of everything handmade and I'm good at crocheting (my mum told me so!) So when I received this card from Finland, my jaw dropped!


Butterfly and flowers. It's a beauty, isn't it? Now why didn't I think of this? Sent in an envelope. Postcard ID: FI-639622

It's actually quite thick and heavy so the sender, Kajo, probably paid extra for the weight. She is a Geography and Biology teacher for upper level students in Finland. We all know how busy teachers are but the sender always finds free time to pursue her hobby - making handicrafts. As you can see from her card, she is quite skilled. I can only imagine what else she makes! Kiitos, Kajo.I bet we would be good friends if we live close to each other :)

I know not many Postcrossers like handmade cards but there are others who do appreciate them - one of them is me. It is as personal as it can get when I know that great effort and time (and love) was devoted to make this card. And this just gave me an idea :) I wish there is a decent place to get all crafting needs here in Phnom Penh, like this wool yarn shop. It has a complete array of knitting (and perhaps, crocheting, too) yarns, needles, and other accessories. Can you imagine what kind of yarn materials and colours are in store there when the seasons change? This store also sells finished products for men and women for those who have no patience nor time to knit and crochet for their own use. Like a one-stop shop. Fantastic!

Sunday Stamps 037 and 038: Two-in-one post

2011-10-23T16:29:00.001+07:00

I missed last week's meme so I'm going to put two entries in this week's post to make up for my absence. Sorry, friends, I got so engrossed with stamping and that I had forgotten our meme.

Last week's theme asks for stamps from mainland Asia. I need not look too far - I'm featuring an old stamp of Cambodia issued in 1984 when Cambodia was under the Vietnamese control (1979-1989). It can be recalled that the Vietnamese expelled the Khmer Rouge in 1979 and helped install a Vietnamese-backed Cambodian government.

Used but well-preserved.

No idea if this is a definitive or a commemorative but it does look like a commemorative issue of the 1st anniversary of the International Forum for Peace in Southeast Asia which was held in Phnom Penh in February 1983. Notice that the partially visible postmark bears the word "Kampuchea", or, Cambodia. At that time, the use of French was common and the country's official name République Populaire du Kampuchéa. Big, big thanks to my good friend thestampraider for giving me this and other old Cambodia stamps. She will soon be blogging about stamps of Cambodia that she had collected out of several years of seeking far and wide, specifically the post-1979 Cambodia stamps. You can find her newly created blog here - Stamps of Cambodia.

Next up are stamps from Japan, under this week's Oceania and Island-nations theme:

On top is a stamp showing one of the most popular sports in Japan. Baseball was introduced to Japan in 1837 and has been a popular sport ever since. Japan’s 33rd National Athletic Meeting in Nagano in 1978 was celebrated with a stamp showing a batter and catcher against a backdrop of Nagano's mountains. (Source) No info on the one below. Help appreciated :D

Stamping out loud!

2011-10-22T22:06:00.002+07:00

Well I'm back...

... and excited about my recent discovery. Well sort of. You see, when I get excited about something, I tend to neglect my blog. As you see I already miss how many posts here. Who wants to blog when there is a new hobby that I want to try out! It's my own doing, of course, no excuses anymore.

This sudden giddiness about stamping came out of a handmade card I recently received from a friend. It looks great and well-crafted, like a professional. The image is embossed and the accessories are paper distressed in beautiful shades of orange and brown (two of my favourite colours) and in different textures, too. I emailed her right away to ask about this technique and she told me it is stamping. I had to google "stamping" to see what it meant, and voila! I was introduced to a whole new world of stamping. Well, I never thought there are other exciting things with stamps and paper products other than the usual scrapbooks or notary stamps that I used to see on my grandfather's desk.

Something like this but with a more personal marking.

As I was overwhelmed by the information, she suggested some tutorial sites for me to explore as well as her trusted shopping sites to get starter kits. I'm glad she did because I am learning so much in the same speed I am munching my chocolate bar tonight! lol. I never never had any inkling about the existence or use of pre inked stamps and dies and other stamping thing-a-majigs. Oh, I am so excited about this new find that I got myself a starter kit and soon a personalised postal stamp like in this pic (left) for cool personal marks on the postcard that I will send out in the coming weeks. I have a hunch that it will take me forever to get good results at stamping, so, if you don't see me blogging here in the coming days - don't fret - because you already know what is keeping me from doing so :) tee-hee-hee.

Postcard Perfect 034: The beautiful Nettetal

2011-10-18T19:28:00.000+07:00

I was at the Post Office the other day and my package finally arrived along with several postcards! The box contained items that I (and two of my Peluka sisters) collectively ordered at an online shop. The box wasn't even full-packed. It had some clothes and hair accessories, a pair of shoes, several beauty products, a couple of ladies' bags, and a shawl and yet it was very light I could lift the box in one hand! Had I known, I could've ordered a couple of sets of bed linens but the thought of excessive tax stopped me from doing. Don't ask me about teven considering to order sohe customs tax - I don't know how they compute the ridiculous amount they are charging their customers.

Anyhoo, here is one of the postcards I received. It is an official Postcrossing postcard from Germany!

Das schöne Nettetal. The beautiful Nettetal.
Postcard ID DE-968379

Nettetal is a municipality in the district of Viersen, North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, 40kms from the city of Dusseldorf where the sender, Klaus, lives. It is the most frequented places in Germany famous for its winter attractions. But during summer, it is also a pleasant holiday destination due to its beautiful lowland landscape for exploration as well as the fascinating chateaus and castles dotting the area that are rich in history.

What is unique about Nettetal is that it is not a town itself but a federation of villages that have developed around the river Nette, and the worked-out gravel pits that now form five lakes and is quite obvious in the map-card.

Postcard Friendship Friday 053: Mapcard of Gibraltar

2011-10-14T22:17:00.001+07:00

Here is the first and only postcard from Gibraltar in my collection:

At the end of his cycling tour of western Europe, my husband sent this postcard to me before heading back to England.

Gibraltar is a UK territory located in the southern tip of mainland Spain. I guess this postcard tells us clearly about where in the world is Gibraltar.

That's the Rock of Gibraltar and my husband's bicycle.
Gibraltar - a 7km2 British-owned triangle of land on the southern tip of Spain - is a relic of the times of massive naval battles, captured to protect the mouth of the Mediterranean. Nowadays, ‘the rock’ is an intriguing blend of English and Spanish culture, with balmy weather and towering views to Morocco. - Source

My husband came along the coast, from the bottom left of the photo, towards Gibraltar, in red. He told me about the bus-loads upon bus-loads of tourists, very obvious because they're wearing name tags, wandering around the town doing touristy stuff.

Children's art in Amsterdam

2011-10-13T15:37:00.000+07:00

Here's a very interesting postcard from Amsterdam showing a bit of Dutch culture.

From a distance, they look like presents. While at the fair you can almost touch them. - Esra, 11.

The picture above was taken by one of the children of Johannesschool (John School Foundation) in Osdorp, Amsterdam, in cooperation with Stichting De Bakkerij and the Foam Fotografiemuseum Amsterdam. The children took photographs of themselves and their lives in Osdorp with the aim of promoting a better neighbourhood and a fun, safe place for children.

The photographs of these kids are then displayed to the public in a fair-like event called Foam Osdorp sponsored by the above-mentioned organisations, with balloons and trade show booths and all the fanfare. The sender of this postcard wrote that it is a part of their town's culture art that children are actively involved. I think this is wonderful - engaging children in activities like this not only achieves the goal but also allowing children to exercise their creativity and learn to socialise with other children in a very positive way and with artistic outputs.

Postcard Perfect 033: Viva, Valencia!

2011-10-12T12:28:00.000+07:00

Hola, amigas!

My dear friend, Ana, of My World of Postcards, never fails to surprise me! She was holidaying in Spain *I'm so jealous* and sent me this fantastic piece of sunny Spain that I'm dreaming about.

Viva, Valencia! It is Spain's third largest city and offers tourism that caters to different tastes.

The central feature in this postcard is the bull ring called the Plaza de Toros, an impressive building in the style of a Roman coliseum but using the ancient tradition Dorik ornament, and was built in the middle of 1850-1860. Next to it is the Estacion de Norte (northern train station) that was built in 1917. It bears influences of Neo-Gothic influence and - wait for this - inside you get a feel and view of Valencia's local culture through a kaleidoscope of typical Valencian mosaics and ceramics showing the Valencian countryside.

An online site describes Valencia as a fascinating city where ancient buildings offer a tantalising taste of centuries past and some of Spain's most futuristic architecture draws admirers from all over the world. It's a city steeped in history and fiercely protective of its Valencian culture, language and traditions. It claims to be the home of the holy chalice used by Jesus at the Last Supper and it's the place where Spain's most famous warrior, El Cid, ousted the Moorish invaders more than 1,000 years ago.

On a more personal level, Valencia is the birthplace of paella, a rice-based dish that is called - surprise, surprise - Valenciana in my hometown in the Philippines. It is also where two of my favourite people were born and bred - my good friend, Zaida Peris, and one of my favourite tennis players, David Ferrer.

Gracias por la postal, mi querida amiga. Gracias por llevarme en un viaje a Valencia. Algún día estará de gira por España junto.

Sunday Stamps 036: Queen Elizabeth on Gibraltar stamps

2011-10-09T19:28:00.000+07:00

Affixed to my one and only Gibraltar postcard (sent by my husband who was on the last leg of his cycling tour of western Europe) is this 1st class mail stamp issued by the Royal Gibraltar Post Office, the year unknown. I can't find any info from the Royal Gibraltar Postal Services site or anywhere else.

A young Queen Elizabeth on Gibraltar stamp.

I initially thought the stamp above was one of the two definitives in a set issued by the Royal Gibraltar Post Office in 2001. The design is identical, however, when I looked it up on RGPO website, there were two glaring differences. In the 2001 stamp, the words "one pound twenty pence" appears on the outer circle in lieu of the word "1st"; and, the year "2001" is at the bottom of the stamp, whereas in the above stamp there is none. Here's the 2001 definitive stamp to see for yourself.

Postcard Friendship Friday 052: The sublime Ha Long Bay

2011-10-07T15:06:00.000+07:00

Today's postcard is from another new country in my collection - Vietnam. I mentioned "new country" because the VN postcards I sent to myself years ago were not in my current album. But I digress.

Vietnam's close proximity to Cambodia made Vietnam a popular weekend getaway of ex-pats like me. I have been to Ho Chi Minh City several times already. HCMC, is the most progressive city in VN and lies south of the country, a mere six hours bus ride from Phnom Penh where I live. However, the postcard I'm featuring today shows the breath-taking Ha Long Bay, which is up north of the country, in Quáng Ninh province.

A junk boat sits in the middle of Ha Long Bay, Vietnam, with several floating villages nearby. Ha Long Bay, meaning the Bay of the Descending Dragon, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Sent by my very good friend, PinayWifeSpeaks. Postmarked 27-09-2011, Saigon 700000.

Ha Long Bay is one of Vietnam's most popular, if not the most popular, tourist destination. It is an amazing body of emerald waters with a 120-kilometre coastline in the Gulf of Tonkin, near the border of China and about 170 kilometres east of Vietnam's capital, Hanoi. The bay includes thousands of monolithic islands and islets in different sizes and shapes that create a spectacular seascape of limestone pillars. According to the World Heritage Centre online site, the site's outstanding scenic beauty is complemented by its great biological interest. Most of these islands are uninhabited but some support floating villages of fishermen who ply the shallow waters for a diverse species of fish and mollusks. Tourists enjoy a day cruise of Ha Long Bay (or for longer periods) aboard stylish junk boats and often stop on these floating villages for visitors to observe the lifestyle of the boat-people.

PinayWifeSpeaks, cảm ơn. Thank you very much.
Here's hoping my husband and I can visit Vietnam again, this time, go further north towards Ha Long Bay and to Sapa Valley. Or perhaps, the two of us together with our husbands? ^.^

P.S. I noticed that the postmark still bears the name "Saigon" which is the old name of the capital city of the French colony of Cochin-china, and later, of the old independent state of South Vietnam. Saigon was actually once known as Prey Nokor and was a very important Khmer seaport prior to the annexation by the Vietnamese in the 17th century. Yes, Saigon was once part of Cambodia and it is a very controversial issue up to now. I'll leave it up to the experts to debate on this issue.

When Saigon fell during the war - what we all know as the Fall of Saigon - the city's name was later changed to Ho Chi Minh City, after the VN's beloved hero, Ho Chi Minh. I wonder why HCMC hasn't been incorporated yet in VN's cancellation marks.

Postcard Perfect 032: The stunning skyline of Hongkong

2011-10-05T14:44:00.002+07:00

This is my first postcard from Hongkong excluding the ones I sent to myself years ago (but haven't posted here yet):

A breath-taking view of the Victoria Harbour. Muchas gracias, mi querido Luisito.

The postcard shows the modern Hongkong, specifically the central district of the island, with the skyscrapers that make up the city skyline. The International Finance Centre towers above the rest and it is said to be one of Hongkong's two "Pillars of Hercules" guarding the Victoria Harbour. It must be the Victoria's Peak at the background.

I've been to Hongkong twice but I never really got to enjoy much this city-state has to offer as I was there for less than 24hours in my visits. Since my visits were merely several hours long, I made sure I had my fill of Chinese food - dim sum, particularly. Yummy in the tummy! ^.^

After filling my tummy, all I saw were rows and rows of shopping malls - which I'm not really so crazy about except that one of my travel mates had to look for an alloc original to compare prices between HK and Cambodia. After the window-shopping we managed to squeeze in a quick trip to the Ocean Park and the Victoria's Peak (Disneyland wasn't constructed yet at the time of my visits!). Oh, the way to the Peak was a story in itself and will be told some other time!

The shopping malls are so huge and the city and the people so cosmopolitan that I feel so small and "provincial" amidst the cavernous, maze of the city, the shopping frenzy and ostentatious displays of commercialism. By golly, it was a different jungle out there - a concrete jungle!

Sunday Stamps 035: French period on 2009 Maltese stamps

2011-10-02T14:14:00.002+07:00

I have to thank my friend, Silvan, for this beautiful postcard from Valletta that I featured in Postcard Friendship Friday two weeks ago. Affixed to it is this beautiful stamp, one of the new definitives issued by the Postal Office of Malta in 2009:

Beautiful stamp, looks like a painting.

The stamp depicts a typical harbour scene during the French occupation period in Malta, 1798-1800. Note the cancellation/postmark :) Some collectors I know have received postcards with stamps that bear no marks at all. For some reason, mine has, and I like it that way.

Thank you, once again, Silvan. This is my first and only postcard and stamp from Malta. Hope to add more in my collection.

Postcard Friendship Friday 051: Camino de Santiago

2011-10-01T17:10:00.002+07:00

I'm sharing a very special postcard sent by my ex-boyfriend - now my husband - when he was on a cycling trip of western Europe and eventually went on to the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage.

A Camino de Santiago pilgrim with only his bare things and a walking stick.

After dreaming about the Camino de Santiago pilgrimage for many years, my husband was finally able to realise his dream bike trip in 2004. Using his trusty mountain bike, he left England in June to go to France and finalise his camino route while there. Kicking off his bike tour in Elne, Perpignan in France, he cycled for more than 23 days following the ancient trail ending at the doors of the cathedral in Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

Except for his mountain bike and a trailer carrying his personal belongings and tent, my husband tells me he looks very much like the caminero on the postcard - Mister Stinkee! At times he stayed in a refugio (a shelter or a hostel) when it is not already full while food is available in villages along the way.

I lifted this paragraph from my husband's Hit the Road blog, which, I think, describes the magical camino mood that continues to fascinate the millions who have done the pilgrimage by foot, bicyle, and others:

A very friendly and multinational affair all the way.
Everyone on the Camino is having a rough time, long days, hard work, sweat and blisters. The way is chosen for you, you have to climb those hills and have to stay the night on the route. Slog to a campsite or no sleep in a refuge, good or bad you get what you get. Everyone is in the same boat. Everyone pulls together. A fantastic atmosphere, all friendly, all helpful, all smiling.
There's another thunderstorm here, and people are getting soaked right now, all their gear, tiny tents and little experience and all I can hear is music, chattering, and laughter.
Superb.

I am so amazed at his wonderful experience. I don't know what makes the camino magical - maybe it's the places, or the walk itself. Or maybe the people you meet and the camaraderie. Perhaps, it is the self-introspection that goes on when you do the walking (or cycling). Whatever that is, my husband promised he will be returning to the camino and we are going to do it together. Soon, while we still can. I can't wait.

Postcard Perfect 031: Colourful macaws

2011-09-27T23:04:00.000+07:00

From Asia, we go to the beautiful South American continent... to the exotic country of Brazil.

A pair of colourful macaws, from Brazil's Amazon forest. (Postcard ID: BR-162091)

Undeniably, Brazil has one of the most breath-taking biodiversity. I have to admit, I'm afraid of birds. I'm particularly terrified of their talons and humonguos, sharp beaks. Nevertheless, I admire their beauty, like these macaws on the postcard - the blue-and-yellow macaw (foreground), and the scarlet macaw (background). Macaws are large, colourful birds. They live in the thick, undisturbed rainforest of Brazil and feed on fruits, nuts, flowers, and nectars.

These days, macaws are threatened because of massive deforestation. They are also being taken from their natural habitat to be sold illegally as pets. I believe these beautiful creatures should be left in the wild and not be taken as pets.

Sunday Stamps 034: Christmas stamps fund fight against TB

2011-09-24T21:49:00.001+07:00

From the South American continent, this week we feature stamps from the great continent of Africa.

My stamps for this week comes from Suid Afrika (South Africa) which was issued in 1966:

An online auction site says this is a one-of-a-kind issue.

This is a full sheet of mint Christmas stamps, oh what a joy! I have to thank my bestfriend, Fe, for sending this to me, along with postcards and stamps from Botswana. Salamat, Fe!

Christmas stamps were issued and sold worldwide to raise money for charity through the Christmas Stamp Fund. Proceeds were used for things such as Tuberculosis (TB). South Africa was one of the later countries to issue Christmas stamps (in 1929). Various themes are featured on these stamps, from culture, landmarks, nature, traditional arts or folk art, costumes, produce, and nature and wildlife that represent South Africa. The map of South Africa serves as the background of the sheet - very clever, in my opinon - the colourful artwork and the blue ocean pops out of the page. One of the notable features to me is that the stamps in the sheet were alternately in English and Afrikaan. Also of particular interest in the stamp design is the cross with two horizontal bars, which is the patriarchal cross, that has become known as the international symbol for the fight against TB. It is also known as the Cross of Lorraine.

The South African Christmas stamp 1966 was issued in support of Sunshine homes in South Africa. I could not find any info about Sunshine homes but I'm assuming it is a centre caring and providing treatment for people afflicted with TB. This makes me also wonder... Now that TB is no longer considered a deadly disease, I wonder if the Christmas Stamp Fund provides funding to research on other diseases such as mental illnesses and new methods of treatments, like dual diagnosis treatment and many more.

I found this comprehensive information on South African Christmas stamps.

Postcard Friendship Friday 050: Valletta, a UNESCO Heritage City

2011-09-23T13:47:00.003+07:00

I haven't exactly participated every week but I would like to mention that this postcard is my 50th entry for Postcard Friendship Friday. 50 postcards in PFF!! Yipeee! and I am posting a very special one to celebrate this milestone - a beautiful postcard from the UNESCO Heritage city - Valletta, the capital of Malta!!

A breath-taking view of the city of Valletta. Another new country that I can now tick off my list, although, I certainly won't mind receiving more!

The postcard shows an aerial view of Valletta. We don't need Telescopes to see clearly the centuries-old fortification walls and the Island of Manoel and the city of Sliema that are found in the background of the postcard. At the back of the postcard, text reads:

Part of the landfront of Valletta showing the modern Duke of York Avenue that cuts across the walls into the city. The serried walls of Valletta were the last line of defensive network that stretched out as far as Floriana.

Malta, or the Republic of Malta, is a country in southeastern Europe, situated in the middle of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily and east of Tunisia, with the strait of Gibraltar and Alexandria City to the east and west, respectively. Malti is the constitutional national language of Malta and its official language alongside English, replacing Italian in 1934.

This island-nation - just a tiny, barely noticeable dot on the world map - is an eclectic mix of influences - Northern African and Arabic. However small Malta's size is, it is packed with a lot of punch! From a distance, you will think that there's not much to see and do in this tiny rock and limestone island. Well, travel sites online tells me a different story. The city of Valletta, is like a living "open-air museum" with streets dotted with Baroque-style churches, buildings and monuments, timber balconies, and quaint cafes and wine bars.

Researching about Malta I realise that it is such an amazing country with so much fascinating history and culture. I wrote it down in my personal list of dream destination and would love to go there someday. For sure I'm going to pack a Telescope to see more of the fantastic sights, and, yes, maybe go on a celebrity sight-seeing walk in Valletta.

Oh, wait. For sure there are telescopes for sale there so I don't need to bring one myself. Extra baggage. heh.

***
Sources:
Wikipedia: Valletta, Malta
The Official Website of the City of Valletta

Postcard Perfect 030: Feel the sumo, hai!

2011-09-20T16:09:00.000+07:00

A fantastic postcard from Japan, sent by Mommy Clarissa of Brilliant Days ...

Dohyo-iri ceremony performed by sumo wrestlers.

This is a delightful ukiyo-e postcard! どうもありがとうございました！The artwork was done by Toyokuni Kunisada III, the most popular, prolific and financially successful ukiyo-e woodblock designer of his time. Ukiyo-e, according to the Wiki, is a genre of Japanese woodblock prints and paintings produced between the 17th and 20th centuries, featuring motifs of landscapes, tales from history, the theatre, and pleasure quarters.

Sumo wrestling is one of the many traditions of Japan that has survived despite the rapid development there. Sumo is steeped in formal rituals and traditional etiquettes which is why it is one of the most fascinating sports in the world. Dohyo-iri is a colourful ceremony performed by the sumotoris (sumo wrestlers) before the makuuchi (the top division in sumo) matches begin. Dohyo-iri literally means "entering the ring".

Down one aisle in reverse order of their rank comes a team of makuuchi rikishi (or sumotori) wearing keshomawashi or ceremonial aprons. These aprons are beautifully made of silk, richly embroidered with different designs and hemmed with gold fringe and cost at least a million yen. More info here.

I have long dreamed of visiting Japan and this dream of mine finally came true in 2006 when a Japanese non-governmental organisation invited me along with other Cambodians to visit the country. It was such a heady, exhilirating, exciting experience, setting foot to the pulsating metropolis of Tokyo, enjoyed its beautiful countryside, and experienced local culture and food.I planned on watching a sumo match live but, my golly, a general admission ticket costs ¥5,000 (about US$50) at the time of my visit. I figured that it is too much for a budget traveler like me. I extended my stay for 3 more days in Tokyo and the ¥5,000 would take me to several other places of interest in the city. So, I shelved my plan and went to other places instead.

Sunday Stamps 033: My South American stamps...

2011-09-18T10:55:00.001+07:00

... came from Venezuela, the exotic beautiful home country of my dearest friend, Luisito. He never fails to surprise me, sending me postcards (take note, it's plural!hahaha) while on holiday.

Anyhoo, here are the stamps from Venezuela. They are commemorative stamps in honor of the Bicentenario de la Independencia Republica de Bolivaria de Venezuela (Bicentennial of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela):

Estas tres están entre los firmantes del Acta de Independencia de Venezuela (These three are among the signatories of Venezuela's Act of Independence). From left to right: Lino de Clemente, Archbishop Ramón Ignacio Méndez, and Bishop José Vicente de Unda.

Click here for more info on the declaration of the Independence of Venezuela.

The English text of the Act of Independence is here. Just an additional info, the Russian Post issued a commemorative stamp in 2011 congratulating the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela on the 200th Anniversary of Independence.

I remember the day one of his envelopes came at the same time as Christmas presents from family arrived, including the small box of item I purchased online from a bulk shea butter seller overseas. What a haul for one day!

Muchas gracias, mi querido, Luisito. The stamps you used gave me a brief history of your beloved Venezuela. Our countries have so much similarities in history and struggle for independence, among others. My forefathers, too, fought for our freedom from Spain.

Must. Decide. Soon.

2011-09-17T09:21:00.000+07:00

I'm currently having laptop troubles. I'm using my husband's desktop computer and even if I want to publish advance posts in this blog I could not do so as my scanned postcards and stamps are in the laptop.

Big problem!

My laptop is overheating. Since last week it is making an awful, loud noise. I turn it on and for only 30mins it gets really hot I'm afraid the whole unit would melt! I scoured the computer shops here, and even online, but the spare part - the fan - is proving to be difficult to find. It brings me to the point of getting a new laptop. There may be lots of affordable mini netbooks in the market these days but I'm broke and the money I have now I am saving for a new DSLR. My husband also has desk-work, so I guess we'll just have to work out something. I only have two choices... wait for the spare part and have the laptop fixed or purchase a new one. Decisions... decisions...

For now, I think this will lesser online presence and blog posts. Just so you all know :)

**
ClipArt Source.

Postcard Friendship Friday 049: Chisinau: Cheesy what...nao?

2011-09-16T13:46:00.001+07:00

Hey, hey, hey!

After waiting for the breakdown service guys to come for a car emergency, I'm now home with heaps of postcards. I'm so happy about this particular postcard - the newest addition to my collection. It comes from a new country (and one of the hardest countries to receive a postcard from) in my list - MOLDOVA - and was sent by my good friend Maia, who is a noted media practitioner in Chişinău, the capital. I could not believe I now have in my hands two postcards from two new countries- Kazakhstan last week, and Moldova this week. What a joy!

The National Library of Moldova, nearly two centuries old. The statue in front of the building is of the poet, Vasili Alecsandri.

Founded in 1832, the National Library of Moldova is the largest in the country. The building looks impressive, no? But what till you see what's behind that massive pillars!

Its fund amounts to 2.5 million books stacked on 50 kilometers of shelves. Over the 170 years of its existence the library has accumulated an exclusive encyclopedic collection that includes traditional documents (books and diskettes) and other sources of information like compact disks and cassettes. Besides books the library fund includes over 4500 magazine names, 2500 newspaper names, and nearly 60 manuscripts dating back to the 18th century. Old books fund has 13 thousand volumes and approximately 2000 periodicals exhibited in over 20 different collections. Annually 16 to 17 million readers that go over one million storage items visit the National Library. It is attended by 500 readers and signs out three thousand publications daily. Most of its employees have higher education and are very familiar with bibliography and librarianship. (More info here.)

Moldova (Republic of Moldova) is a country in the southeastern part of Europe, landlocked and bordered by Romania and Ukraine. In the past, Moldova was a part of Russian, later on, Romania, and then back to Russia again. It is only in 1991 that Moldova declared itself an independent state, as a result of the dissolution of the Soviet Union. I am so interested about Moldova's interconnection with Russia and Romania that I did a little digging about its political history.

The interconnected history of Moldova, Romania and Russia is complex, to say the least. In the 19th century, Moldova was called Bessarabia and was ruled by the Russian Empire. After the Bolshevik Revolution in 1917, Moldova briefly declared independence from Moscow, before joining Romania. As part of the notorious Molotov-Ribbentrop (aka Hitler-Stalin) Pact that carved up Eastern Europe into Soviet and Nazi spheres of influence in 1940, Moldova became part of the USSR, with the eastern part allotted to the Ukrainian Soviet Socialist Republic. (More details here. Here is another link to an interesting article of Moldova's geopolitical history. And for a quick glimpse of Moldovan history, here's a chronological timeline of events.)

The state language of Moldova is Moldovan/Romanian while Russian is also widely-spoken there, both as a first and second language.

Postcard Perfect 029: Sunshine and smiles in Spain

2011-09-13T20:08:00.000+07:00

Hola!

Here's a new addition to my map card collection - un mapa de la diversión de España:

What a fun card is this! The playful illustrations and the bright colours do represent the fun and food in sunny Spain.

The map simply shows the fun (if not typical) things to see, eat and do all over Spain.

My heart is in San Francisco

2011-09-12T18:37:00.002+07:00

My dearest friend Jaja Mozabella sent me this lovely postcard from San Francisco when she visited her mom, the juvenescent Tita Violy.

Nothing beats the exhilarating open-air ride on a cable car scaling the steep hills, with a breathtaking view of Alcatraz Island in the background.

San Francisco is one of the most exciting and vibrant cities in California and the United States. One thing that sets it apart from the other cities in America is its rich ethnic and cultural diversity. And, add to that, there are countless of television shows and movies that were set in or about this city. Oh, and let's not forget the very popular song, I Left My Heart in San Francisco.

The postcard above shows a historical landmark in San Francisco! The steep hills of San Francisco is so known for made the cable cars a popular mode of transportation for most San Franciscans.

Ja, this post is for you and G. Happy anniversary, lovebirds. Maski na ngani belated ang greetings :) We may not be blood sisters, but waddaheck, in my heart, I will always think of you as one.

Sunday Stamps 032: Fly me to the moon and... planet Mercury

2011-09-10T23:00:00.095+07:00

With an unending fascination over our universe (or what's there in the outer space) I'm over the moon when I received an official Postcrossing postcard with this commemorative stamp affixed to it:

The Project Mercury and Messenger Mission on US Forever Stamps

It's a Forever stamp featuring the MESSENGER spacecraft in orbit around the planet Mercury. NASA's unmanned Messenger Mission is a scientific investigation project of the planet Mercury. This stamp, along with another one featuring the American astronaut Alan Shepard (featured for being the first American in space on his historic flight on May 5, 1961 aboard the spacecraft Freedom 7) were issued in May 4 this year, coinciding with the 50th anniversary of America's first manned flight. On March 17, 2011, MESSENGER became the first spacecraft to enter into orbit around Mercury. These two historic missions frame a remarkable fifty-year period in which America has advanced space exploration through more than 1,500 manned and unmanned flights. (Source)

Postcard Friendship Friday 048: North Kazakhstan Regional Russian Drama Theatre

2011-09-10T00:38:00.001+07:00

This is my most-awaited postcard from Kazakhstan! My first postcard from the said country via private swap.

Sent by Boris
Postmarked Петропавл Пстy (Petropavlovsk), Солтүстік Қазақстан облысы (North Kazakhstan Province),
20 June, 2011

The Nikolai Pogodin Northern Kazakhstan Regional Russian Drama Theatre, located in Petropavlosk City in North Kazakhstan. This theatre located in the northern region’s capital Petropavlovsk was named after Nikolai Pogodin, a famous Russian writer and playwright. Performances are given for children in the morning and grown-ups in the evening. I’m afraid there is not much information to be had about this theatre but you can find out about its history here (translated texts).

The sender and his wife confesses to being fond of this theatre and the wonderful performances held there.

Postcard Perfect 028: Battle of the lefties tonight

2011-09-06T23:52:00.001+07:00

It’s Day 9 at the US Open today and defending champion and second seed Spanish Rafael Nadal (aka, Rafa) will be playing against the unseeded Gilles Muller for a place in the quarterfinal round.

Muller and Nadal met in Wimbledon this year and, although Muller gave Rafa a tough two sets, Rafa is expected to cruise through to the next round. If Rafa crushed the very tough opponent Argentinian David Nalbandian in the third round, the odds are very much against Muller, for how can you expect a less accomplished player (Muller) to fare against the defending champion (Rafa)? Just my humble opinion, and I could be wrong. We’ll see later tonight (err, perhaps early morning hours, local time).

Muller, also a lefty like Rafa, hails from Luxembourg (officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg) and once won the USO Boy’s title some years ago. I’m a Rafa Nadal fan through and through but I’m giving a space for this multi-view postcard – my first one from Luxembourg - as my entry to this week’s Postcard Perfect:

LU – 3643. Clockwise, from top left: Cathédrale et Bibliothèque Nationale (nocturne); Vallée du Grund; Fontaine Côte d'Eich; and the Monument Nationale de la Solidarité

Luxembourg is one of the smallest countries and the second richest country in the world. It is a landlocked country bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany and has a population of over 500,000. A founding member of the EU, Luxembourg has three official languages: Luxembourgish, the national language that is akin to German; German, the first foreign language for most Luxembourgers and is used in the media; and French, the administrative language.

Postcard Friendship Friday 047: Round-shaped mapcard from Poland

2011-09-01T21:51:00.001+07:00

Look what was in my mailbox this week --

A round-shaped card showing the outline map of Poland - showing its 16 administrative regions and their corresponding coat-of-arms – over the Polish national flag (or national colours). Around the outline is Poland’s name written in different languages. Printed at the back is Poland’s national coat-of-arms.

This card was sent by Ania via private swap. What I love about this card is that it has two elements that I prefer in postcards – map and national flag – and to top it all, the shape is unusual for a postcard. Which I think is fun! This is not my first odd-shaped postcard. I have these two to boast of:

A taxi-shaped postcard from New York. One of my dreams is to gallivant around New York, snapping pictures. If I already have a baby (or babies) by then, no worries. I can always get a cool Mountain Buggy Duet Stroller for the kids to make my photo-walk easier. I know… dream on, Sreisaat ^.^

Cheese-shaped postcard from Croatia. The postcards I received from Croatia – odd-shaped or otherwise - are all enough to convince me how beautiful this country is.

These two were featured in my previous Postcard Friendship Friday posts. I think they’re fun to look at and great additions to my collection! I have three other unusual-shaped postcards waiting to be posted so watch out for them in the coming weeks.

Postcard Perfect 027: P is for Patong Beach in Phuket

2011-08-31T22:35:00.001+07:00

I was here three years ago for one month with my husband. Although not for holiday - mostly work - but we managed to squeeze in a bit of R and R on weekends there and other places, too.


Patong Beach - the main and most popular beach resort in Phuket, and the best place to play, party, and shop. (ID: TH - 78555)

Cambodia and Thailand are neighbours. Phnom Penh is less than an hour's plane ride away and about 10hrs bus ride to Bangkok. However, this is first and only official postcard from Postcrossing (one private swap). My friend, Faye, though sent me several booklets of Thai postcards as a birthday present. I might find some use for them later this year when this blog turns three years old.

Indian devotion

2011-08-29T21:37:00.000+07:00

This postcard came all the way from Netherlands:


Buddha's feet, one of the symbols of Buddhism, covered in saffron/yellow-coloured dye.

I love the massive statue and the bright colours! And look, the woman is wearing a crown of sorts. It must be some kind of a religious ceremony and she is doing a religious ritual. This postcard - captioned Indian, Devotion at the back - is something that I don't expect to come from the Netherlands. The writings on the statue look like Sri Lankan though, but I could be wrong. For a while there I thought the sender bought this postcard in India (or Sri Lanka) and mailed it when she got back to her home.

Turns out the sender bought this in a shop in her city. I found out that the postcard above is produced and sold in Europe by a company based in Germany. And my, I was drooling at the other postcards that are for sale. A bit expensive though, but for 24 pieces of good quality postcards in one book pegged at €6.90, I would gladly purchase one book if only to support their Fair Trade advocacy.

Sunday Stamps 031: The Kremlin in Moscow

2011-08-28T16:19:00.001+07:00

This week we don't have a theme so I'm posting two of the stamps that were used in the lovely Russian dolls postcard I featured two Mondays ago.

The Kremlin in Moscow. How many of you know that it is a UNESCO World Heritage Site?

One of the 12 designs in the 6th Sixth Definitives series, devoted to the different Kremlins in the Russian Federation, issued by the Russian Post in 2009. The stamps are all self-adhesive and in different denominations from 1 to 100rubles.

The Kremlin in Moscow is featured in the 10ruble-stamps above. It is the most popular of all the Kremlins in Russia and has been used as a sample for many other Kremlins around the country. But what is a Kremlin? When I was younger, we used to watch spy movies. At the very mention of the word Kremlin there was always a dramatic sound effect, almost suspenseful, sinister background music that went with it. One that made us shudder and cower at the sound of it.

According to the wiki:

A kremlin (Russian: кремль, tr. kreml, IPA: [ˈkrʲemlʲ], fortress) is a major fortified central complex found in historic Russian cities. This word is often used to refer to the best-known one, the Moscow Kremlin, or metonymically to the government that is based there. - Source

Russia's presidential administration is located in the Moscow Kremlin. During the Soviet era, the government of the USSR was located in that kremlin, but now the Russian government occupies a building outside it.
The Kremlin is often used as a metonym to refer to the government of the Soviet Union (1922–1991) and its highest members (such as general secretaries, premiers, presidents, ministers, and commissars), in the same way that the metonym Quai d'Orsay refers to the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the White House refers to the Executive Office of the President of the United States and Number 10 Downing Street (or simply Number 10) refers to the Office of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. - Source

In high school up to university, I associated the word Kremlin to socialism, the working class, revolution, fierce politics, power, you know, things that were taught in our Political Science classes. But, of course, I was wrong. There is more to it.

I found out that the Kremlin in Moscow - along with the other Kremlins in Russia - is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This walled-in city contains Moscow's greatest political, historical, and cultural landmarks. I may not have been to Moscow but, judging from the beautiful postcards I received, there is no arguing that the Kremlin is the most popular and greatest icon of Russia. Just look at the amazing display of architecture on the churches and cathedrals, palaces and buildings, walls and towers, and the medieval squares and streets there. Truly a world wonder.

Postcard Friendship Friday 046: A fun mapcard of Estonia

2011-08-26T23:36:00.001+07:00

Here’s a bright and fun mapcard from Estonia:

The people I met from the Postcrossing and private postcard swaps have become my friends now, albeit virtual. They already know what I like and don’t have to ask me if I’d be interested to swap again if they see a postcard that is in my wish-list.

Take for example this friend from Germany. She was in Talinn for a job interview and squeezed a bit of time for sightseeing in between. She was applying for one of the Room Director Jobs in one of the posh hotels there. After her interview she walked back to her hotel, passing by the Old Town in Talinna and saw this mapcard. She wrote a sweet message at the back, telling me that she knew right there and then she had to get this card and send it to me. Isn’t she a doll?

The postcard itself is quite lovely – not only does it show a map of sorts, but it also show the traditional costumes for Estonian man and woman. I’m so lucky to have a friend like her, don’t you think so?

Tänan väga, kallis sõber!

Postcard Perfect 026: Museu do Ipiranga

2011-08-23T23:00:00.001+07:00

Ahhhh… São Paulo! The sizzling São Paulo.
It is the largest city not only in Brazil but also in the western and southern hemispheres and home to the world’s 8th largest population. São Paulo is the business and industrial heart of the country and most popular for its large helicopter fleet and multitude of skyscrapers!

But away from the bustling and maddening metropolitan area is the Museu do Ipiranga (also known as Museu do Paulista), the oldest museum in São Paulo and an oasis of green that provides a totally different feel.

BR – 87759
Postmark 21 DEC 2009
Centro Commerciale, Barueri

The museum grounds has lush, well-manicured gardens, a spectacular fountain, and a museum building with a Neo-classical architectural style. It was constructed in the 19th century right exactly where Brazil’s independence was declared by Don Pedro I of Portugal. The front lawn looks spectacular indeed and the ground is wide and beautiful. It reminds me of a venue for equestrian competitions that I used to watch on TV. I can imagine strong horses and their snappy riders in crisp uniform and matching equestrian helmets. But I digress.

The museum displays Brazil’s history through its vast collections of documents, furniture, and historically important pieces of art, especially from the Brazilian Empire era.

Sunday Stamps 030: Deck your halls with Christmas holly wreath…

2011-08-21T18:32:00.001+07:00

Here’s one of the odd-shaped stamps I received. It is a Christmas stamp from Brazil:

A special wreath-shaped stamp issued by Correios Brasil for Christmas 2009 – why not? I think it’s lovely!

The Christmas wreath is one of the traditional symbols of Christmas. The wreath is traditionally made from holly (it’s also called the holly wreath) and is adorned with the Christmas star, red ribbon and holly berries. All over the world, the Christmas wreath is one of the most beautiful and most recognisable icons of Christmas. It is a western tradition but has become very visible everywhere, including here in Cambodia and in my country, the Philippines, from the porches and living rooms as house decorations, greeting cards, and also on rack card printing materials we all see everywhere during the yuletide season. For the Brazilians, the Christmas wreath is a symbol of prosperity, love, and good fortune.

Postcard Perfect 025: Lovely Russian dolls all in a row

2011-08-16T22:53:00.002+07:00

I wasn’t scheduled to go to the Post Office last weekend but since my friend and I were already in the vicinity, a morning of window-shopping, we decided to drop by. We both came home happy at the end of the day. She, with a two pairs of shoes and a new ipod nano case; for me, a new set of crochet hooks and cotton yarns, six official postcards from Postcrossing as well as two packets from Croatia and Canada. What a day it was!

Anyways, here’s one of the postcards that arrived that day:

RU – 483272

A wonderful collection of delicate-looking Russian dolls in colourful traditional folk costumes reflecting the various regions in Russia. They are not your ordinary Barbie dolls. They are made of porcelain and are delicately hand-painted. The clothes are superb, the headdresses beautiful. St. Petersburg has centuries-old tradition of doll-making that exists up to these days.

I so heart this! Printed at the back of the postcard: From Russia with Love.

Thank you very much, Mina.
Мила, из Камбоджи, я благодарю Вас очень много, с большой любовью.

Sunday Stamps 029: Wedding rings and cakes on US stamps

2011-08-14T21:34:00.001+07:00

Since this week’s theme is “as you wish” and, incidentally, this month is our wedding anniversary month, I decided to feature these stamps from the 2009 US Wedding series.

These stamps were part of the USPS’s wedding series issued in May 2009. This is how it looks like without the cancellation marks:

On the left is a pair of gold wedding rings resting on a white pillow and held together by a white silk ribbon. On the right is a lovely three-tiered wedding cake, topped with white flowers with the green leaves contrasting beautifully against the cake’s frosting. Both these write photographed by Renée Comet of Washington, D.C.

The wedding stamp reminds me of my own wedding ring. It’s also made of gold and silver and was made to order from a Cambodian jeweler. I didn’t have an engagement ring. Instead of giving me a custom engagement ring, my husband surprised me with a “promise” necklace with a pendant of St. Christopher, the patron saint of travellers, carved in it. It also came with a matching pair of earrings. They were made of silver and Blue John stone, a rare semi-precious stone that can only be found in Derbyshire’s Peak District in England, and hand-crafted by an English jeweler. Please excuse the blabs.

Looking back, I wish the Cambodian Post Office issued similar stamps prior to my wedding – they would have been great embellishments on my wedding invites. But I know of one lucky lady who got to use these!

***
Photo source: Wedding Stamps

Postcard Friendship Friday 045: Princess Nobody

2011-08-12T23:00:00.001+07:00

My entry happened to just arrive from the US. It’s an official postcard from Postcrossing:

US-1206847

Postmarked 14 July 2011
Oakland, CA, USA

This is beautiful postcard with an equally enchanting illustration of a pixie called Princess Nobody and a flock of birds, probably finches. I love how the little pixie is directing a chorus of attentive and enthusiastic finches. I wonder what kind songs would they love to sing :)

This is actually a reproduction of a vintage image from the collection of works at Castle in the Air, an online shop selling all sorts of paper ephemera and other inspiring materials and supplies.

Postcard Perfect 024: Chihsingtan Beach

2011-08-10T21:55:00.001+07:00

It is summer in the northern parts of the world, so this postcard is dedicated to all of you :D

               Chihsingtan Beach, Hualien, Taiwan
               TW 94036
                Postmarked 21 Oct 2009

Based on the postcard, Chihsingtan Beach looks lovely – beautiful shades of aqua blue and green, white pebbles, and a magnificent view of Taiwan’s Central Mountain Range in the background.

Hualien is in the eastern part of Taiwan bordered by the Pacific Ocean. It is one of the first choice travel destinations of local and foreign travelers in Taiwan because of its natural beauty. In fact the whole Hualien is a national scenic area with five of the nation’s national parks are located.

The sender said that Hualien’s sticky rice cake is popular in their country. It is packed with lots of flavours, such as sesame seeds, peanuts, and red beans.

Sunday Stamps 028: LRT on Philippine stamps

2011-08-07T23:02:00.001+07:00

My entry is a First Day Cover from my country, the Philippines, commemorating the 30th Anniversary of the Light Railway Transit Authority. The stamps also come in four se-tenant blocks (at P7 each) and souvenir sheets of four (at P10each).

A beautiful FDC sent by a very good friend Myron. Maraming salamat, kaibigan. Thank you, my friend.

On July 12, 1980, the country’s president, Ferdinand E. Marcos, created the Light Rail Transit Authority (LRTA) as a government agency. The Chairman was the then First Lady and Governor of Metro Manila, Imelda Romualdez Marcos. This LRTA confined its activities to determining policies, to the regulation and fixing of fares, and to the planning of extensions to the system. The project was called Metrorail and was operated by a sister company of the former tramway company Meralco, called Metro, Inc. - (Source)

The system was designed as a public utility rather than as a profit center. The initial assistance for building the LRT project came from the Belgian government granting P300million “soft” and interest-free loan for a 30-year repayment period.

Built in 1981, LRT is the oldest among the rail transits in Metro Manila. I love trains and I make sure to take an LRT or MRT (the newer train) whenever I am in Manila. Not only that it reduces travel time, it is also cheap and I love the convenience as it takes me around Manila, eventhough it is jam-packed most of the times. I cherish every commuting experience I have and I enjoy the view when I take the LRT.

Postcard Friendship Friday 044: A Vilinsons postcard from Latvia

2011-08-05T15:33:00.001+07:00

Sitting in one of my boxes full of postcards is this awesome postcard from Latvia (my first from that country)…

Nēģeri Pikojas, by Aviars Vilipsons (LV-13246)

This postcard is actually a free artcard/postcard from Baddog in Latvia, an advertising company in Riga that utilizes postcards as one of its advertising tools and aimed directly at the young crowd with active lifestyles. Baddog’s postcards are distributed free and placed strategically at special postcard stands in entertainment places, such as bars, restaurants, cafes, clubs and dorms in universities all over the cities in Latvia, Estonia, and Lithuania.

The illustration on the postcard above is a reproduction of an artwork of Latvia’s contemporary art-icon, Aivars Vilipsons. It is a lovely piece of work using ink on paper as medium! According to the sender, the postcard shows “black men snow-fighting”. I’m not sure if the sender’s translation is accurate, so I welcome corrections. Anyways, after searching for more information, I found out that the artwork above is a typical Vilipsons; most of his works have erotic, sensual nature.

I love the concept behind Baddog postcards! It is an interesting and unique way for companies to reach out to the young crowd and for artists to have their artworks displayed to the mainstream audience.

Postcard Perfect 023: Ciudad de Mexico

2011-08-02T21:41:00.001+07:00

Postcard du su semana vino todo el camino de México. This is the first postcard I received from Mexico sent by my very dear friend Luisito who, despite our distance (he is in Caracas, Venezuela), has constantly been in touch with me all these years. He actually sent me an envelope full of postcards he purchased (all for me, of course) while he was on holiday in Mexico, HK, and France. I thought he also included the Halloween invitations he was planning to send me, hihihi. I apologise, it’s a private joke between us.

Anyways, on to the postcard:

The postcard shows the iconic landmark El Ángel de la Independencia, or The Angel of Independence, right in the heart of downtown Mexico City. Commonly called El Ángel , it is officially known as Columna de la Independencia. It is basically a victory column based in the centre of a roundabout along Paseo de la Reforma constructed commemorate the centennial of the beginning of Mexico's War of Independence, celebrated in 1910. Crowning the column is a statue of Nike, the Greek goddess of victory, which was made of bronze and covered in 24k gold. In later years it was made into a mausoleum for the most important heroes of that war. At the base of the column the names of celebrated Mexican heroes are featured. More details about the El Ángel features here.

El Ángel de la Independencia is one of the most recognizable landmarks in Mexico City, and it has become a focal point for both celebration or protest. (Source: Wikipedia)

Muchas gracias, mi querido Luis. Besos y abrazos.

P.S. Update. The Royal Souvenir Giveaway by Postcard Perfect is already closed and winners have already been announced. Check out the page (click the badge in the beginning of this post) to see if you are in the winners list. Congratulations to all the winners!

Sunday Stamps 027: Tunisian flag on stamps

2011-08-01T13:40:00.001+07:00

The following stamps were affixed to the Tunisian flag-on-postcard that I received early this year.

The postcard (posted previously, click here) and stamps were my firsts from Tunisia.

The sender, Nour, actually sent me two postcards – the Tunisian flag-on-postcard and another one showing the Tunisian’s traditional costume for women. How the postcards got to Cambodia is a story in itself.

Nour emailed me in the first week of December asking me for swap. I don’t usually accept private swaps unless the swapper comes from a country that I consider difficult to get postcards and stamps from. So I quickly said yes but asked him to postpone the swap till after the Christmas holidays. We all know what happened in Tunisia, right? In the days that followed after our initial contact massive protests and riots happened in the streets of Tunisia (now known as the Tunisian Revolution) that stretched for months. People were clamoring for reforms. During this period I was afraid of Nour’s safety as he went to the shops in Tunis to find the postcards that we agreed to exchange and mailed them. I felt a tinge of guilt. Fortunately, Nour was safe, so is his family, and the postcards arrived in Cambodia just over a month after. Merci beaucoup, my friend. شكرا جزيلا لك من أعماق قلبي.

When I received the postcards, the old government was already overthrown and the then- President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali and his family already fled the country. And what a strange coincidence it is. If you look at the stamps, it is a commemorative issue celebrating the 23ème Anniversaire du Changement (23rd Anniversary of the Change) in Tunisia. Mr. Ben Ali, was a former prime minister who took over the Presidency in November 7, 1987 in a bloodless coup d'état from then-President Habib, was only the second president of the country, which won independence from France in 1956. I could not exactly find info specifically what is “The Change” but now I can only assume that the Movement of Change was launched when Mr. Ben Ali took power. (Source)

The Tunisian revolution paved the way for the citizens in Egypt, Libya, Iraq, Jordan, Yemen, and other Arab countries to also begin protesting against their governments. Let us hope that the mass movements going on these countries will yield positive results.

Postcard Friendship Friday 043:Tunisian flag on postcard

2011-07-29T18:17:00.001+07:00

I was arranging my things today when, of all things, I found two postcards tucked in my Harry Potter Deathly Hallows book. I was aghast about having forgotten about these precious postcards. How could I when they were, in fact, my first two postcards from Tunisia! Jeepers! Anyway, I’m sharing one here:

I rarely accept direct swaps but this one I had no problem accepting. The sender contacted me in December last year but I begged him to postpone the exchange till January as we were having a busy Christmas holiday then. And we all know what happened in Tunisia in January. Despite the massive riots in the capital, the postcards were successfully sent and arrived in Cambodia in less than a month. I am also happy to tell you that the sender, Nour, and his family are safe and sound. Merci beaucoup, monsieur!

Tunisia is officially called the Tunisian Republic ( الجمهورية التونسية‎, al-Jumhūriyya at-Tūnisiyya) located in the northernmost part of Africa . It is bordered by Algeria to the west, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. It’s capital is Tunis. In Tunisia, Arabic is the focal language. French is spoken in the media sector, business enterprises and administration departments.

Here are bits of info about the flag of Tunisia which I took from World Flags 101:

Tunisian Flag Description:
The flag of Tunisia consists of a red base with a white outline of a circle in the center. Inside the circle there is a red five pointed star which is based on a white circle and a red crescent.

Tunisian Flag Meaning:
Red is a traditional color of Islam and was the color adopted by the Ottoman Empire who ruled Tunisia from late 16th century until 1881. It also came to represent resistance against Turkish supremacy. The crescent and star are traditional symbols of Islam and are also considered to be lucky symbols. The white circle represents the sun.

Tunisian Flag History:
The Tunisian flag was originally adopted between 1831 and 1835, making Tunisia's flag one of the world's oldest flags. However, the Tunisian flag wasn't legislated in constitution until 1959, after Tunisia had gained independence from France on March 20, 1956. The current version of the Tunisian flag was adopted on July 3, 1999.

Interesting Tunisian Flag Facts:
Even though Tunisia resisted against the Ottoman Empire and Turkish rule, the Tunisian flag is very similar to the Turkish flag.

Postcard Perfect 022: The heart of Lithuania

2011-07-27T14:56:00.001+07:00

Here’s a beautiful outline mapcard of Lietuva (Lithuania) showing the country’s unique environment and natural resources.

Lithuania is a former Soviet Union state and is now one of the fastest growing countries in Baltic states of Europe. It’s capital, Vilnius, was hailed the European Capital Culture in 2009.

I am very, very surprised to see the similarity between Lithuania and Cambodia in terms of the shape of each country. Here is Cambodia’s map for comparison:

On the left is the outline map of Lithuania, and, on the right, Cambodia. They have a very similar shape, if I may say. They’re both wide on the upper part and slowly tapers at the bottom, almost like heart-shaped and carbon-copy of each other.

Sources: Outline Map of Lithuania, Outline Map of Cambodia.

By the way, if you are a fan of the Royal Family, Willa of the Postcard Perfect blog is giving away lots of Royal souvenirs. Why don’t you check out her site. Just click the logo above this post or the one on my sidebar just below the blinking text.

Sunday Stamps 026: Flamingo dance on Danish stamps

2011-07-24T19:52:00.001+07:00

Here are the stamps used in the Rotskilde Domkirke postcard I featured in this week’s Postcard Friendship Friday (see previous post):

The stamp on the left is a self-adhesive stamp used to accommodate the needs of customers for stamps in supplementary values. It was issued as part of the four set in 2010. The stamp on the right is a special stamp commemorating the 150th anniversary of Copenhagen Z00 in 2009. To mark the anniversary, the Danish Post issued a beautiful booklet disguised in zebra stamps. The booklet included stories and photographs of the Zoo (an important recreational oasis in the city, especially for families and kids) and sheetlets of four beautiful multi-coloured stamps, one shown above, featuring the flamingo dance.

The flamingos that strut around on the DKK 8.00 stamp live in the north-eastern corner of the Zoo. In the wild, the flamingos’ feathers get their pink hue from the microscopic crustaceans and algae that they consume. This is impossible in a zoo, so an alternative source of coloring has to be used. In the old days, the flamingos were fed paprika, but this proved ineffective and a special additive is now used. As soon as the air starts to warm up in spring, the flamingos start to dance. Stretching their legs and raising their heads high, they strut around, flapping their wings and turning their heads from side to side. This synchronized mating behavior ensures that the flamingos lay eggs that hatch at the same time. – Danish Postal Service

What gives this particular postcard more value is (aside from the cutesie smileys) the special red frank mark to the left to the left of the postcard. It’s written in French and the Khmer translation underneath it. It reads:

Journée Mondiale de la Poste (World Post Day)
9th October 1874-2008

I’ll try to remember the date for next year to get this special mark on the postcards for mailing :)

Postcard Friendship Friday 042: The Cathedral of Roskilde

2011-07-23T13:18:00.001+07:00

This is my first postcard from Denmark – a snazzy illustration of the Roskilde Domkirke, or the Roskilde Cathedral on the city of Roskilde in the island of Sjælland (Zealand), located in the eastern part of Denmark.

Built in the 12th-13th century, this is a cathedral of the Lutheran Church of Denmark and displays a mixture of Gothic and Romanesque architectural styles in its design. Originally, the Romskilde church was a Catholic cathedral but changed during the reformation period in 1536 to Protestant.

Romskilde was once the capital of Denmark for many centuries until the Danish Royal Family moved it to Copenhagen. Since the Reformation, Rotskilde Cathedral has been the burial site for the monarchs and a few medieval rulers, too.

The Cathedral is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1995 and, as a tourist attraction, receives hundreds and thousands of visitors every year. The Cathedral is made of bricks and the iconic spires dominate the town’s skyline. Its high, white ceilings are decorated with red crests in each section. The main attraction is the Chapel of Christian IV. The chapel, which houses his tomb as well as his queen, crown prince Frederick III and his queen, showcases walls painted in lush murals and the ceiling in blue with gold stars reminiscent of the Sainte Chapelle in Paris. The altar has a three-sectioned gold altarpiece that was made in Antwerp in mid 16th century is one of the church’s great treasures. It depicts Jesus Christ’s Way of the Cross.

By the way, the Cathedral is home to the world-famous boys' choirs, the Roskilde Cathedral Boys' Choir. The sender said Rotskilde Domkirke is an amazing church and a must-visit when in Roskilde! She bought this postcard from a stall inside the Cathedral.

Sources:

Wikipedia

Galenfrysinger.com – fantastic photos here, too.

Postcard Perfect 021: Montenegro: The black mountains of Europe

2011-07-21T14:12:00.001+07:00

This postcard comes from a country that belongs to that part of Europe which fascinates me the most because of its history, politics, culture and oh-so-breathtaking beauty – the southeastern Europe. Friends, this is a mapcard of Montenegro.

After being part of “Yugoslavia,” then “Serbia and Montenegro,” the Republic of Montenegro (Republika Crna Gora, or Црна Гора, in Montenegrin script) officially declared its independence on June 3, 2006. Montenegro—or Crna Gora in the native language— means “Black Mountain,” from the days when sailors saw dark, thickly forested cliffs as they approached. Ironically, these trees no longer exist.

The map card shows us clearly its neighbouring countries – Croatia to the west, Bosnia and Herzegovina on the northwest, Serbia to the northeast, and (although it doesn’t show) Albania to the southeast. It has the coast of the beautiful Adriatic sea on the southwest. It’s capital and largest city is Podgorica,

My friend Ana sent this card to me when she was on summer holiday in Budva, the beach destination in Montenegro. She was gushing when she wrote to me that there is nowhere else that you can find so much natural wealth, beauty, mild beaches, and gorgeous mountains than Montenegro and she wanted me to see all that – right in this map card. It also shows the coat-of-arms of Montenegro. Need I say I was so jealous? I wish I could go on holiday there, too. You can find the amazing Budva postcard she sent me here.

Hvala vam, dragi moj prijatelju, Ana.

Мојот драг пријател, Ана, Ви благодарам многу. Јас навистина го цениме твојата мисла во мене испраќање на mapcards. Дали навистина се како скапоцен камен на пријател.

P.S. If you would like to win fabulous Royal Wedding souvenirs, head on over to Postcard Perfect’s main site. Just click on the blinking, kick-ass badge on my side-bar for more info.

Sunday Stamps 025: Philippine birds on stamps

2011-07-17T14:58:00.001+07:00

This week I’m featuring stamps from my homeland. The following are definitive issues of Philippine birds:

Issued in 2007 in singles in sheets of 100 (10x10), in P5* denomination. It was reprinted in 2008.

Barn swallows (Hirundo rustica) are abundant visitors recorded from late July to early June, in a range of habitats from the coast to above the forest in high mountains. They are fast, graceful flyers that may be close to the ground or high in the sky. Deeply forked tail, dark breast band, and whitish or buff underparts that separate it from resident Pacific swallow. Barn swallows call musical twittering.

Originally an issue in 2007 in singles, this stamp is reprinted twice in 2008 marked “2008A” and “2008B”, still in P1* denomination.

Black-naped orioles are common and widespread in early second growth, open scrub and gardens, alone or in groups. It has a distinctive black and bright yellow plumage and its large size separates it from other species of orioles. This bird is fairly tame and noisy and can be heard from far away. Loud and pleasant pee-yaaaaooww or keeaaaooww call are repeated every few seconds often with several birds calling together.

NB:
* The currency in the Philippines is peso(s). Exchange rate is US$1=P43
* Info on stamps are from Philippine Stamps and Postal History

Postcard Friendship Friday 041: Corny Point lighthouse, South Australia

2011-07-17T11:08:00.001+07:00

A beautiful maxicard from Australia for this week’s Postcard Friendship Friday!
An acquaintance of mine who’s into geo-caching has an ambition of tracking down Australia’s lightstations or lighthouses. He is actually half-way there with so many documented in his caching site. He observes that most of the lighthouses in Australia have already been automated or even shut down. Some, however, are still standing in their original locations and, sometimes, they are not in the best of condition. But this one shown in the postcard is an exception. It is still in good condition.

A lovely view of the Corny Point lighthouse on the southernmost Yorke Peninsula, South Australia. Completed in 1882 and made of limestone quarried from a nearby farm. How postcard-pretty and the surrounding area is said to be excellent spot for camping or picnics, isn’t it? On the other hand, I wonder how it looks like there on rainy/stormy weather! Anyways, the stamp is one of the commemorative se-tenant pair issued in 1986 to mark the 150th anniversary of South Australia’s statehood.

A bit of history here: De-manned in 1920, the light continued to shine until 11 December 1942, when a Japanese invasion was feared and it was turned off for several weeks. It was converted to electricity in 1978. Entries from the light keeper's logs describe how it survived earthquakes and other natural phenomenon such as seeing meteors flying past. Today the lighthouse reserve is open to the public. (Source)

More about the history and operations of the Corny Point lightstation can be found here.

There is something so romantic and yet so mysterious with lighthouses… I don’t know why it felt like that to me.

As far as I can recall, I’ve never been to one yet but I see them all the time – in pictures, TV, postcards, stamps, everywhere. I guess you can say that I am so drawn to them for some reason… there is some kind of magnet that draws me to lighthouses. I am intrigue by its stories. In my head I conjure images of romantic legends, heroic sagas, shipwrecks, and ghosts (!) with the lighthouse as the central figure, it’s beacon lighting the dark, foggy, stormy nights!

Postcard Perfect 020: Russia’s world-famous onion-domes

2011-07-12T21:31:00.001+07:00

I featured this postcard before but I’m posting it again today to join the Russian people in celebrating the 450th anniversary of St. Basil’s Cathedral.

The postcard shows the Red Square, the oldest and most historical part of Moscow and home to many popular landmarks. One of the most recognisable landmarks is the St. Basil’s Cathedral – you can’t miss those huge, brightly-coloured spiraling onion domes at the middle background of the postcard! Commissioned by Ivan the Terrible and built on the edge of Red Square between 1555 and 1561, St. Basil's Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of the Protection of Most Holy Theotokos on the Moat, is one of the most beautiful Russian Orthodox monuments and it is arguably the most famous tourist attraction on the Red Square . Perhaps it is also the most photographed of all the landmarks there. Many people I know who had been to Russia never leave the country without a picture of them in front of St. Basil :)

Legend has it that on completion of the church the Tsar ordered the architect, Postnik Yakovlev, to be blinded to prevent him from ever creating anything to rival its beauty again. (He did in fact go on to build another cathedral in Vladimir despite his ocular impediment!) The cathedral was built to commemorate Ivan the Terrible's successful military campaign against the Tartar Mongols in 1552 in the besieged city of Kazan. Victory came on the feast day of the Intercession of the Virgin, so the Tsar chose to name his new church the Cathedral of the Intercession of the Virgin on the Moat, after the moat that ran beside the Kremlin. The church was given the nickname "St. Basil's" after the "holy fool" Basil the Blessed (1468-1552), who was hugely popular at that time with the Muscovites masses and even with Ivan the Terrible himself. (Source)

I would do anything – anything – just so I could visit the Red Square, see St. Basil’s Cathedral (including its interior) and also have a look at Lenin’s mausoleum which is also a stone’s throw away from it. But with the notoriously cold, cold winter in Russia, I’m wondering if they have public outdoor fireplaces for visitors to warm themselves while sightseeing. haha. I can only dream for now!

Look, even Google is paying tribute to St. Basil’s Cathedral today:

Here’s an article about Russia’s celebration of St. Basil’s anniversary.

By the way, don’t forget to check out the cool stuffs at Postcard Perfect’s Royal Giveaway! Just click the logo and it will take you to the information page. What are you waiting for, go now!

Monday mails

2011-07-11T21:38:00.001+07:00

I went to the Post Office today to check if the ps3 hdmi cables I ordered online have already arrived. I bought it on behalf of my landlord’s son who recently received a PS3 on his 16rh birthday. He needed extra cables and since it is not available anywhere in the city, he asked me to help him purchase online. Anyhoo, since I was at the Post Office, I also mailed the following postcards:

If I remember it correctly, there were two official Postcrossing postcards and four private swaps. I won’t name who the recipients are for these private swaps to keep them guessing and build excitement, in case they come back to this blog :) Anyways, you know who you are, so, keep your fingers crossed!

Sunday Stamps 024: Forever maroon and green!

2011-07-10T20:08:00.001+07:00

I’m not sure if this fits the patriotic theme at Sunday Stamps but I’m going to post it anyway. Call it pride, whatever. Three years ago, the University of the Philippines celebrated its centennial and the Philippine Postal Corporation issued special stamps to commemorate this historic event.

The stamp above is one of the four se-tenant stamps issued in 2008 and shows my Alma Mater’s seal (and in university colours, too).

The University of the Philippines (UP) is the country's premier university. It was established in 1908 by the American colonial government to provide quality education in philosophy, the sciences and the arts, as well as professional and technical training, to deserving students of all classes. From a small campus in old Manila, with only 7 colleges, it has grown into a university system, with seven constituent universities located in 12 campuses throughout the Philippines.

– Philippine Stamps and Postal History

I’m so grateful for the education I obtained at UP. Free-tuition with all sorts of allowances for four full years, including summer classes. Too bad I could not go home to join the UP system-wide celebrations but a super-senior friend kindly sent me a centennial shirt for souvenir. Super-seniors are students who take more than four years to graduate, hehehe. They’re considered “ancient” in the campus and yet loved by many. I remember them being teased about getting a seniors life insurance in case anything happens to them while they’re still in their super-senior years. lol.

Anyways, I just want to show you the complete se-tenant block of commemorative stamps, all designs depicting the symbols of UP:

Clockwise, from top left: UP seal, UP Carillon, UP Centennial Logo, and UP Oblation. They’re all in P7 (peso) denomination [US$1 = P42)

PhilPost also issued First Day Covers, mini-sheets, and souvenir sheets along with the se-tenant stamps.

Pink Saturday 018: Flowers

2011-07-09T00:01:00.000+07:00

We rarely get to dine out these days… the hot weather makes us all tired. But when the husband asked me out last week, I didn’t waste time saying “Yes!”. So we went to a restaurant offering Khmer-Thai food. Look what greeted us at the entrance…

Assorted flowers in different shades of pink and purple. There are about four kinds of flowers in that giant pot, namely, bougainvillea, orchids, frangipani, and, of course, lotus. What a pleasant sight to look at but when one is hungry – like we were that night – these pretty flowers didn’t catch our attention as we headed straight to our table.

When food was served, we immediately dug in! As usual, we ordered our favourites – spicy and juicy pork ribs BBQ, the creamy chicken amok, and the ever-present beef loklak. I allowed myself to give in to my cravings – and thank heavens for the availability of safe weight loss pills in the market! They can be purchased right away when my weight starts to go up the weighing scale again :)

Postcard Friendship Friday 040: In love with Laos

2011-07-08T21:35:00.001+07:00

Here is a postcard I mailed to myself while holidaying in Laos with my husband in 2009:

The postcard shows the tak bat. It is the Lao term for the morning rounds of monks. Buddhist monks go out of the wats (temples) quietly every morning to their community, on barefoot, to solicit or collect alms. These alms are in the form of food from the devout Buddhists who line their route, kneeling on mats. For the monks, it is the only food they get for that day. For the faithful, it is a chance to get good merits (Karma points, in other words). This is one of the beautiful Buddhist traditions and is arguably most photographed subject or as materials for most flyer printing designs there. Tak bat is observed in utter silence and has become one of the main tourist attractions in Laos, especially in Luang Prabang where the whole town is protected as a World Heritage Site.

Like it’s neighbours Cambodia, Thailand, and Myanmar, Laos practices Theravada Buddhism based on the earliest teachings of the Buddha and preserved in Sri Lanka after Mahayana Buddhism branched off in the second century B.C.

Laos is the only landlocked country in Southeast Asia and sits between the Mekong River and Thailand on the west, Vietnam on the east, and Cambodia on the south. In 1975, the Pathet Lao (Nation Lao) ended six centuries of monarchical rule when they triumphed in the revolution that established the Lao People's Democratic Republic.

The first time I went to Laos was in 2004 and I fell in love instantly with its laidback lifestyle, but, there are also a lot of incredible and relatively unknown attractions in Laos. Despite the growing tourism industry, the country remains one of the unspoilt in Asia and life here has continued in much the same way as it has some hundred years ago. The countryside is oh-so-beautiful (with green, green mountains!), the culture and heritage is rich and fascinating, and the people are among the friendliest in the region, if not the world. Upon the suggestion of a former colleague who is based in the capital of Vientiane , we traveled like a local and had a fantabulous time! To those who want to experience Laos to the fullest, that is the best way to go… And my, was it lovelier the second time around!

Postcard Perfect 019: Emerald Isle

2011-07-06T14:31:00.001+07:00

My postcard for this week came all the way from the land of poets, writers, shamrocks, leprechauns, and St. Patrick – and oh, that accent, that accent that only comes from.. I-R-E-L-A-N-D!

An island country at the edge of Western Europe that has a long history, rich culture and heritage – and lots of drinking, I was told. The weather may be awful on most days (says a friend who lives in Dublin) but it’s a lovely, mystical country, the greenest land in the whole world. No wonder it is called the Emerald Isle, the postcard shows off its wonderful greens.

Aside from English, Ireland’s official language is Irish, which is one of the longest surviving languages in the world. It is also known as also known as Gaelic or Irish Gaelic.

HIV and AIDS on Cambodian stamps launched officially

2011-07-04T21:09:00.001+07:00

Last week I was on my way to meet some friends when I happened to pass by the Post Office. I caught a glimpse of MPTC’s official launching of a new set of 4v stamps commemorating the 30th anniversary of the HIV and AIDS epidemic. This is a worldwide campaign supported by UNAIDS, WHO, ILO, UPU and other international organisations supporting the HIV and AIDS cause.

I saw something with a bit of flame on one side of the makeshift stage – it’s sort of a propane fire pit used in the program to represent the millions all over the world who died of the dreaded AIDS. I lingered a bit in the hope of getting the stamps but I was told that they will be for sale after the program. So anyway, I didn’t have the stamps yet but I was able to photograph the board with the enlarged pictures of the stamps displayed inside the Post Office.

The stamp designs are to promote safe sex, monogamy, and faithfulness.

From left to right: 1000riels, 1500riels, 2800riels, and 4000riels in denominations. A total of 80,000 of these stamps and 5,000 maxi cards depicting the two birds in the 4000riel stamp were issued. A First Day Cover was also issued but no souvenir sheet was released.

This is the design of the 500riel stamp that was rejected and never printed/issued.

Originally, there were to be a total of five (5) stamps in this set. However, due to financial constraints, as well as concerns expressed by some officials of the NAA [National Aids Authority of Cambodia] over the image depicted in the 500 riel stamp (see below), only 4 stamps were finally issued. (Source)

What do you think of the design?

The MPTC also issued two A5-sized stickers in relation to the issued stamps.

The sticker on the left shows the 2,800r stamp together with Cambodian language text stating that you are at a higher risk of getting HIV if you inject illicit drugs.

The other sticker issued shows the 4,000r stamp cancelled with the commemorative postmark dated June 5, 2011. Both stickers are being widely distributed to post office vans, motorcycle taxi-drivers, cyclos and applied to MPTC buildings throughout Cambodia.

The free sign is for the maxi cards that you see on the lower right-hand side of the picture. They are distributed to the public for free. All you need is to purchase the matching stamps and voila – you have a maxi card! I’m definitely going back there this week.

Pink Saturday 017: Celebrating French-Khmer relations

2011-07-02T07:47:00.000+07:00

We don’t have any pink today but we do have lots of red, white, and blue! There is a celebration of sorts in Phnom Penh. As you can see in the picture, the flags of Cambodia, France, and the European Union have been put up in the city’s main streets, namely Norodom and Sihanouk boulevards.

There were lots of buntings all over and streamers with the words “Vive La République Française!” and “Long Live Cambodia-France Relations!”.

By the way that’s a picture of the Cambodian Queen Mother Monineath. She celebrated her birthday last June 18. Behind that big structure is Hun Sen Park, with a lovely garden and walking and jogging paths that attracts a lot of people, locals and expats alike. This park is also close to the upscale neighbourhood with villas and houses for rent mostly for the expat market.

Postcard Friendship Friday 039: HIV and AIDS Epidemic: 30 years on and a death sentence no more

2011-07-01T18:16:00.001+07:00

Last Wednesday, June 29, the Cambodian Ministry of Posts and Telecommunications officially launched a new set of stamps (four), a First Day Cover, and a maxi card commemorating the 30th anniversary of the discovery of the HI-virus (HIV). I learned that this is incorrect. According to JournAIDS, June is in fact the 30th anniversary of, specifically, the first recorded AIDS related deaths, not the anniversary of the discovery of the virus itself. Okay, I stand corrected (I hope the other journalists know of this, too). Anyways, to mark this worldwide campaign, there was a short program at the General Post Office at the French Quarter attended by a large group of people mostly from the health and NGO sectors and local people’s organisations wearing T-shirts printed with the AIDS logo on the front. I was there but didn’t stay long enough to listen to the talks as I was meeting my friends Mumsified and PinayMum for coffee that morning.

Anyways, I went back this morning to ask about the maxi card, but to my disappointment, no one at the counter knew where they were. Que horror. So I went to the philately section instead to get several sets of old-issue stamps for a friend when the staff, who knew I am a regular at the PO, handed me this postcard:

Tuns out this is the maxi card (but without the stamp) I was looking for and it is for free! So I took about a dozen of them! lol. The maxi card depicts two birds shown on the newly-issued 4,000riel commemorative stamp. Hurray for the maxicard, but where is the corresponding stamp? Well, I’m going back to the PO again to see if I could get the it and postmarks needed to complete the maxi card.

As noted in the UNAIDS, UPU, ILO and UNI Global Union guide for the Global HIV Prevention Campaign issued in July 2010, "In 2011, 30 years will have gone since acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, or AIDS, was first identified...As operators of the world's largest physical delivery network, Posts [postal services] have a unique opportunity to reach millions of people on a daily basis, including its own employees, to provide them with critical health information such as how to protect themselves from HIV." (Source)

A bit of info on HIV/AIDS in Cambodia:

HIV/AIDS was first identified in 1991. Only a few years later, experts warned that the epidemic had taken off rapidly and that Cambodia risked becoming the Asian country with the worst AIDS problem. In response, the country attacked the epidemic vigorously, earning international recognition for its success. Between 1998 and last year, Cambodia dramatically reduced new infections and made anti-retroviral treatment widely available. By 2009, an estimated 93 percent of those eligible for AIDS drugs were receiving them. Still, Cambodia's AIDS epidemic, fueled largely by unprotected heterosexual sex between men and female sex workers, [recent data now include “men who have sex with men”] remains volatile and could spread rapidly without targeted prevention efforts, the new report says. (Source)