Stamps: 20th Century Inventions

Here are my contributions for today's theme at See It On A Postcard.

The stamp on the left was issued on 13 October 2011 under the theme, At Home in Germany: German Inventions. Among these 3 objects, the MP3 player qualifies for the theme. MP3 is an acronym for an audio coding format that was developed and enhanced mostly in the 20th century.

On the right , we have the Schmidt camera or telescope. It was invented in 1930 by the German-Estonian optician Bernhard Schmidt. The stamp was issued by Latvia in 2 April 2009.

~maria

Postcards for the weekend 13: Museum/university/library

For the theme this weekend, the only postcard I have for a university was featured last year. Here are two postcards instead that talk about universities:

DE-5634232, Sent: 11 Oct 2016
Traveled 10,346 km in 8 days

The sender wrote that Freiburg City, where she lives is an old university town in Black Forest Area of Germany, close to France and Switzerland. I think she's mostly referring to the 500-plus years old Albert Ludwig University of Freiburg. It is in the top 5 oldest universities in Germany along with Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg, University of Leipzig, University of  Rostock, and University of Greifswald. When I look at this card, I crave for a slice of Black Forest cake, given the colors of the costume the woman & children are wearing and the name of the area.

Direct Swap: Sent: 6 June 2015
Traveled 9,981 km in 20 days

The multi-view card shows places of interest in the university town of Plzn. For this card, the sender wrote about the degree she's studying at the University of West Bohemia. It's called Faculty of Philosophy, International Relations, British and International Studies. I wish I was able to keep it touch. She seems to be a perfect person to speak with about the Brexit and the results of the recent USA elections ...

Sadly, I don't have any library card to share, but I have at least one museum postcard.

Friendship Gift Postcard: Sent: 3 June 2016

Have you ever experienced receiving a postcard in the mail and exclaiming out loud or in your mind, "Oh! I've been there!" -- this postcard is one of those cards for me. Well, except of course those postcards that I sent to myself whenever I travel. 

This postcard came to me 2 months after I was there in Acropolis. It's an understatement to say how grand is their collection, given the rich cultural history of the place. I would love to go back to get lost once again into a different age while viewing their displays.

Happy Thanksgiving to readers & participants who celebrate and to everyone, I wish us all a good rest this weekend!

~maria

PFF: Happy Thanksgiving!

Sent: 17 July 2012, Traveled 13,633 km 

Back in 2012, I sent a get well soon postcard to a stranger who needed a liver transplant. I received a thank you card in return! With that short story, I wish to greet those who celebrate a Happy Thanksgiving! I'm linking up with my friend Beth for the Postcard Friendship Friday linky, a collection of beautiful postcard shared on the last day of the week.

~maria

Sunday Stamps: Children

From left to right --

Sri Lanka Commonwealth Heads of Government Commemorative stamp when they hosted in 2013. The stamp was issued in 14 Nov 2013. I wish I could find more information about the stamp. I'm curious about the flowers the girl in braids is holding.

Netherlands Child Welfare 2010 stamp from a set of 6. I like the soft lighting and the child not looking directly to the camera. 

Another stamp from the Netherlands, this Europa stamp is the right portion of a se-tenant with a continuous design. The left portion can be seen here , the boy is on the microphone piece of this strong telephone. It was issued on 9 May 1989.

Check out the page See it on a Postcards for more children stamps this weekend.

~maria

Postcards for the weekend 12: Books/reading/authors

Friendship Gift Postcard, Sender: Terry
Sent: 10 September 2016, Traveled 16,656 km

I've never heard of the author, Joan Aiken until I received this postcard. After researching, I found out that she's an author of supernatural fiction and children's alternate history (AH) novels. Needless, to say, I had to read further to understand her genre... I might have read AH stories and novels without knowing that they're classified as AH. 

Thanks to my sweet bookworm friend Terry for sending me this card. She wrote, "I don't know this story but it sounds like an adventurous tale. That makes me think of you. You seem brave and willing to step out into the world to see what it has to offer!"

FI-1391098, Sender: Marjut
Sent from Vaasa, Finland, Traveled 9,032 km in 21 days

I honestly didn't notice that there's a little white dog reading beside the girl until I researched about this artwork. I wonder, what book can make a canine curious? ... This painting is called Good Friends (Portrait of the Artist's Sister Bertha Edelfelt). The painter is Albert Edelfelt, one of the founders of the Realist art movement in Finland. 

I'm back from my trip tomorrow and I can't wait to make my round of visits to the linky participants from this and last weekend's parties. 

Happy weekend everyone,

~maria

Sunday Stamps: War & Peace

From left to right --

Fighter Aircraft Sukhoi of the Operation TRIKORA - A 50th anniversary Indonesian stamp issued on 5 October 2011. The operation TRIKORA was part of the efforts of Indonesia to regain western New Guinea from the Netherlands. 

60th Anniversary of Victory in WWII - A Russian stamp issued on 5 April 2005.

The Liberty Bell - As freedom is a a theme related to war & peace, I reckon this stamp can be categorized under this theme. A USA Forever stamp issued on 7 August 2009

Enfant de paix - From a 12-set warm & vibrant Les Petit Bonheurs French stamp booklet, this is my favorite among these 4 stamps. The booklet was issued 3 years ago, 12 November 2013. 

For more stamps on the theme war & peace, visit the page - See it on a postcard and other participants of the linky.

~maria

Postcards for the weekend 11: Coffee/tea/pastries

Wow!  We're on our 11th linky party, since we started on 3 September. Thank you so much to all of you who's been participating, making visits, and most of all -- showing your appreciation to each participant by leaving your comments on the postcards shared. I hope we're all having fun with our postcards for the weekend.

Pardon me, for my round of visits will be delayed for this weekend and the next as I'm traveling. Nonetheless, I'm making sure that the linky is here even though I'm away.

DE-5534053, Sender: ha45K
Sent from Germany, Traveled 10,352 km in 16 days

For this weekend, I'm a non-kitchen-genius so my idea of a theme with coffee/tea and everything usually served with either for a snack (ie, cake, cookie, biscuits) has been reduced to "pastry". I'm posting these cards ahead of time to hopefully, try to provide reference as for the inclusion of the theme. For the first card above, how I wish I have at least one of these cupcakes to enjoy with my cup of mixed lemongrass, ginger, and citrus tea at the moment.

BY-1171367, Sender: Anna
Sent from Minks, Belarus, Traveled 8,926 km in 33 days

Here's a cup of tea (perhaps coffee) with matching biscuits. I love the appearance of tiny white bunnies on this postcard. It's a work of Alyona Baranova, a Dusseldorf-based illustrator from Ukraine.

It's getting cooler and cooler here in Singapore. I'd say despite the daily downpour, I love this time of the year when I have my time out from extremely warm days! As some of you may know, our weather here in the tropics usually can only be warm, warmer, and warmest. We don't have four seasons with more significant temperature changes. This weekend until the next, I will be in a country where I can enjoy autumn colors. I'm not exactly sure though if I will very enjoy the temperature, forecasted to be at 15 degrees Celsius drop from my usual 27 - 33 here in Singapore.

Happy weekend everyone!

~maria

PFF: Autumn in Kyoto

Friendship Gift Postcard, Sender: June
Sent: 18 June 2016, Traveled 4,990 km

One of my colleagues here in the office went to Japan 5 months ago and sent me this card. It was funny because she sent it over the mail and ended up delivering it to me by hand still since she's the one who opens the mailbox.

I'm off to Japan this evening and my first stop will be Kyoto. My traveling buddies and I didn't create an itinerary for visit so I'm curious whether we'll get to see this Yamazaki Distillery.

What I'm most excited for is the autumn colors! I've never experience autumn before.

Happy Postcard Friendship Friday y'all!

~maria

Sunday Stamps: Fireworks and night views

For fireworks and night views:

UL - Macau International Fireworks Display Contest, issued in 2004

This stamp has appeared here in my blog back to 4 years ago. It came with this postcard. That is probably my only postcard from Macau and this is my only fireworks stamp to date.

LL - A 2013 issue featuring the Fehmarn Sound Bridge. It is a 963-meter long bridge connecting the island of Fehmarn in the Baltic Sea to mainland Germany. The bridge is considered a historic monument but I can't find any further information from wiki as to the reason for such distinction.

UR - It's from a 2-pc set joint issue in 2009 between Indonesia and Iran. This stamp is the Indonesian face featuring Masjid Al-Markaz in Makkasar. It is a center of Islamic studies in the eastern part of Indonesia. Its architecture is patterned with the Grand Mosque in Mecca and the Prophet's Mosque in Medina.

LR - Almost of a night view, this 2013 stamp is from the Coastlines of New Zealand set of 5 issue. This is probably my favorite among these 4 stamps shown here in my page today. I love the aptness of the name for the tiny rocky islands and the mixed hues of yellow, orange, and blue as the background.

Visit See it on a Postcard for more fireworks and night view stamps features for today.

~maria

Postcards for the weekend 10: Foods of the world (Asia edition)

Sent from Bangkok, Thailand by myself
Sent 5 Dec 2015, Traveled 1,409 km

My partner and I love Pad Thai! This is our favorite street food in Thailand. There's a food cart run by a couple in their late 50's at the end of the street of Sukhumvit Soi 11, Bangkok. Facing the Holiday Inn Express, the cart is on the right. No trip to Bangkok is complete for us without eating Pad Thai at that humble street side location. Sukhumvit Soi 11 is accessible via BTS Nana station.

Sent from Yokohama, Japan by myself
Sent 16 April 2016, Traveled 5,291 km

I had the pleasure of enjoying Kumamoto-style ramen at the Shinyokohama Raumen Museum earlier this year. This ramen style is said to be invented in Fukuoka, the origin of pork bone soup base or tonkotsu. Eating ramen at the Museum felt like an experience in a different era of Japan. The place has street and shops scene replication from 1958 Japan. It's the year when the first ramen was invented.

Outgoing: sent to Manila, Philippines

Chili Crab is on my top 3 must-try dishes for a visitor in Singapore. One must be willing to eat with bare hands to enjoy this dish the most. It is savory, rich, and fluffy. To be honest, I love the sauce more than the crab meat. But it's always fun cracking the shell and extracting as much meat as you can from the delish crustacean.

I'll be traveling to Japan & Thailand before the year ends. I'm excited to enjoy the first two dishes in their home countries. I'm also very much looking forward into inviting my whole family who will visit me here in Singapore soon to one of the restaurants that serve good chili crab. I can't wait!

Happy weekend everyone,
~maria

PFF: Warm thoughts from Finland

Friendship Gift Postcard, Sender: Tuija
Sent 7 June 2017 from Kuopio, Finland, Traveled 9,171 km

"Sometimes it is good to catch one's breath and spend the day enjoying oneself; leaving everyday worries behind, take it easy, and be happy about good things in life."

This evening I'm writing a letter to Tuija, my penpal and close friend of many years.

Happy Postcard Friendship Friday, everyone! 

Thanks Beth for continuously hosting.

~maria