Sunday Stamps - (K) Karate World Championship in France 2012

For the letter K - Karate

2012 - France - Sport (Sporting events)

Printer: Phil@Poste Boulazac

I came across a very informative post about the mini-series containing this stamp while researching about it. The post can be found here. Saves me some typing time (wink).

I would say though that I love how the Eiffel Tower is depicted with brushstrokes here against a bright red sun. Simple yet beautiful fusion of French and Japanese icons.

Sunday Stamps - (J) Japan's International Letter Writing Week

For the letter J - Japan's International Letter Writing Week 2013 & 2014

(L) 2013 - Shirasuka (Shizuokal)

Released: 9 October 2013

Designer: Tamaki Akira

(R) 2014 - Setchutsubaki ni suzume

Released: 9 October 2014

Designer: Tamaki Akira

According to this website, Japan's International Letter Writing Week issue is an annual series since 1958. It has the aim of contributing to world peace by encouraging cultural exchange between people of the world through writing letters.

The stamp designs for the year 2013 and 2014 were from The Fifty-Three Stations of the Tokaido and one more painting by Utagawa Hiroshige that were not featured in the past. Hiroshige-san is considered as the last grand master of the https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ukiyo-e Japanese woodblock prints and painting.  

For more stamps with the letter "I", visit See It On A Postcard

Postcards for the weekend 74: Serenity/Peace/Calm

Friendship Gift Postcard, Sent from Yachiyo
Sent 16 Feb 2012, Traveled 3,022 km

I received this postcard from a Japanese acquaintance 6 years ago. The postcard didn't make any sense to me until I had the chance to travel to Kyoto, Japan and see an actual Zen garden back in November 2016.

This rock Zen garden is of The Temple of the Dragon at Peace (Ryoan-ji). This garden and the temple are listed as one of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

On this postcard, the garden is viewed at a seated position on the veranda of the abbott of the monastery/temple. There has been plenty of attempts to explain the careful placement of stones in the garden. According to a Garden historian, Gunter Nitschke, "The garden at Ryoan-ji does not symbolize anything, or more precisely, to avoid any misunderstanding, the garden at Ryoan-ji does not symbolize, nor does it have the value of reproducing a natural beauty that one can find in the real or mythical world. I consider it to be an abstract composition of natural objects in space, a composition whose function is to incite meditation."

Wishing you all a calm and peaceful weekend,

~maria

Postcards for the weekend 45: City views (night time)

For the night time city views theme, I'm sharing cities in Asia. 

Postcard sent to self, Sent from Taipei, Taiwan
Traveled 3,248 km

The Taipei 101 skyscraper clearly towers above any other building in the city on this scenery. The temperature of the print on the translucent material on this screen postcard offers a somewhat close to reality view of the city of Taipei. This first postcard is the fanciest I own to date. 

Friendship Gift Postcard, Sent by Renz & Raqz
Sent 14 July 2013, Traveled 2,994 km in 5 days

This is Ginza Street in Tokyo at night. The entire street with its neon lights was just magnificent and breathtaking when I saw it for real back in November 2016. 

Postcard sent for swap

Singapore Chinatown is recognized as one of the cleanest Chinatown all over the world. Seen here in the foreground is the Tooth Buddha Relic Temple and behind are the tall buildings in the cental building district of the city.

Postcard sent for swap

Behind those buildings on the Singapore Chinatown is the iconic Singapore Merlion. It's always very nice to visit Merlion Park in the evening as the area is full of lights.

Postcard sent for swap

And for this fifth postcard, here's one from Metro Manila -- a city where I lived for 11 years before moving to Singapore. This is a skyline of Makati, the central business district area. I worked for 5 years on the 29th floor of the leftmost building called RCBC Plaza. 

I'm sorry everyone for the late posting this weekend. I'm organizing a regional sales meeting at work, happening this Tuesday to Thursday (wish me luck!)

Happy weekend folks,

~maria

Postcards for the weekend 28: Japan

The theme for this weekend is from a country you have visited or a favorite place in your country that you have visited. I'm sharing postcards for the former.

Last November 2016, I traveled to Japan with my partner and four other friends. Our first destination was the old capital of Japan, Kyoto.

Postcard sent to self from Kyoto, Japan
13 November 2016, Traveled 5,368 km

I would admit that I was faked in a kinda ignorant way by women walking around in kimono. I thought these are real Japanese women who roam around as part of their local tourism board initiatives. But then, I came to a realization that many of them are tourists who have rented a kimono for the day. Many boutiques offer such experience including photo shoots.

JP-905949, Sent from Saitama, Japan
Traveled 5,368 km in 17 days

I can still remember how delighted I was when I received this postcard and the explanation behind the photo back in December 2016. This was one of the fishes we were wondering about the name when we're in our Japan holiday. It's a narrow and long fish with not much flesh but very tasty. It was explained by the postcard sender that this fish is locally called as autumn sword fish or sanma. Its common name is Pacific saury.

Postcard sent to self from Nikko, Japan
16 November 2016, Traveled 5,368 km

Nikko, our second destination in Japan is a town renowned for lavishly decorated shrines and temples. On this postcard is the heavily decorated Yomei-mon Gate at the Toshogu Shrine. It was under renovation and covered by scaffolding and while plastic drapes when we were there. Nonetheless, the rest of the place was equally astonishing. More details about this UNESCO WHS can be found here. 

Postcard sent to self from Tokyo, Japan
20 November 2016, Traveled 5,368 km

Our third and final destination was the bustling and busy capital city of Tokyo. The atmosphere was a stark contrast with that of Kyoto and Nikko. Tokyo was a maze of tall buildings, colorful neon lights at night, and people on the go regardless of the time of the day. 

Japan was a balance of relaxation with the charm of the old world in Kyoto and Nikko, and adventure with the action-filled urban atmosphere of Tokyo.

Happy weekend everyone! Looking forward, as always, to see the postcards you're sharing for this weekend's theme.

~maria

Sunday Stamps: Roosters or Chickens

The year 2017 according to the Chinese calendar is the Year of the Rooster. This stamp was released by the Japan Post on 1 November 2016. The central design is a Kurashiki Hariko rooster. Kurashiki Hariko is a papier mache, traditional craft from Okayama Prefecture. It is special for being all parts of the papier mache are handmade by craftsmen. There is a shorter version of this stamp, which can be found here.

To view other stamps featuring roosters and chickens, check out the page See it on a Postcard.

~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

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

Postcards for the weekend 7: Children from JP, USA, & PH

Sent from Yokohama, Japan by myself
Sent on 30 May 2015, Traveled 5,291 km

Since Feb 2015 when I started traveling mostly around Asia for work, I've been sending myself postcards from my trips. This one is from my first trip to Japan. There's a poem/song about Akai Kutsu that tells the story of an adopted girl, best remembered for her red shoes. According to our Japanese business partner, the little girl with red shoes is a metaphor for little girls being adopted by Americans back then, leaving Japan through the port of Yokohama. I found an article here that elaborates more about a little girl with red shoes on.

Friendship Gift Postcard, Sender: Terry
Sent from Arkansas on 3 May 2013, Traveled 13,544 km

This second card is among my favorites! Terry said that these two friends -- the blonde girl is her and the other one with black hair is me. Terry and I met through a postcards exchange group in Facebook. We became close friends through the years since meeting each other back in June 2012. Terry pointed out to me that by the leg of the stool, there's the ME initials. ME is for Mary Engelbreit, illustrator of children's books.

~maria

Minato Mirai 21 - Day & Night View

I was sorting out my recently received postcards last weekend and I had a pleasant surprise! I noticed the postcard that my colleague sent to me from her Yokohama trip back in April is the day time view: 

Sent from Yokohama, Japan, Traveled 5,291 km

...of the postcard I sent to myself when I went there in May:

Sent: 30 May 2015 from Yokohama, Japan
Traveled 5,291 km

One striking difference between the two postcards though is the presence of the Cosmo World Ferris Wheel on the night view postcard. It was for a time considered one of the biggest clocks in the world. It was mesmerizing to watch with all its magnificent changing bright lights!

I very much wanted to ride the Ferris Wheel as I haven't experienced this at all! We didn't have enough time so perhaps I'll try the one here in Singapore.

Have you experienced riding a Ferris Wheel? Was it fun?

~maria

Our World and Grati - Tuesday!

Friendship Gift Postcard, Sender: Renz & Raqz
Sent: 14 Jul 2013 from Narita Airport, Japan
Received: 19 Jul 2013, Traveled 3,040 km in 6 days

I was continuously on the go; traveling overseas and really committing my time and energy for the new job lately. Being back here in Singapore from a trip in Japan, I have this intense need to just slow down, breathe, and meditate. At the same time, I am anxious about getting my ducks in a row after being overseas for 3 weeks, understanding the roles and responsibilities for my position and structuring the objectives and goals moving forward.

Since writing has always been an effective strategy to calm my nerves, I decided it would be inevitable for me to keep on trying to draw a clear line between simply sharing straightforward facts and interesting information about the postcards and stamps I post here on my page and the blog being a live journal. Oh well, no one really said I shouldn't mix the two, right? I reckon, it's probably nice for my blog visitors too to read on how I'm able to relate or on why a postcard or a stamp is significant for me. So from now on, this page will no longer be so trying hard to stay with a rigid writing format :) I think it's easier that way.

Last month, I was invited by Darla, a co-participant to the April A-Z Blogging Challenge to sign-up for another linky party. I didn't have the time to find out more until today and the linky @ The Writer's Retreat has since closed up. There's a linky party though on Vidya's page that is refreshed every month! Hurray! Vidya is Darla's inspiration for Grati-Tuesday. I believe the gratitude posts are consolidated at Vidya's page via the Gratitude Circle. 

And so now, for my much needed pause from the hustle and bustle of life, here's a 5-point gratitude list from the first 6 months of this year:

1. For a chance to explore roles and responsibilities for a technical position in an inter-national level for a biomedical testing and measurement manufacturing company. Two years ago, it was just a dream to be in this position.

2. For people who are confident in my capabilities to carry on with a position that I had no experience in an inter-national level. These people are also supportive; guiding and teaching me how to navigate the complexities and struggles with this new position.

3. For my first trip to Europe! For a little brown girl from a small island in the Philippines, that was such a big dream came true!

4. For an experience to party until early in the morning. I've always been the "kill joy" and it's nice to learn how to step out of my comfort zone in regards with socializing. I'm glad that despite staying out late under the influence of alcohol, I didn't go overboard; being dead drunk, wild, and crazy.

5. For being able to fly out of Yokohama, Japan area safe and sound after experiencing 2 earthquakes in a period of 4 days. That was my first trip to Japan and I want to keep good memories from that one.

I'm smiling after creating this list. It helps put things in life on a better perspective. 

The modern Tokyo postcard is my contribution to Our World Tuesday. 

The list is for my sanity and the Gratitude Circle ;-)

~maria

Y is for Yakushima Forest, Japan

Postcard Swap, Sender: Mitsuyo
Sent: 27 May 2013 from Osaka, Japan
Received: 5 June 2013, Traveled 2,667 km in 9 days

Yakushima Forest was listed in the UNESCO WHS in 1993. The forest which can be found in almost round small island of Yaku, is of rich flora. In its greenery can be found sugi, an ancient specie of Japanese cedar.

~maria

J is for Japan's Saihō-ji Temple, Kyoto

JP-426642, Sender: blue-dream
Sent: 21 Jul 2013 from Tokushima, Japan
Received: 30 Jul 2013, Traveled 2,557 km in 9 days

Blue-dream filled me in about the details of the place, with her writing at the back of the card:

The picture is Saiho-ji temple, which is famous for its moss garden. So another name is The Moss Temple.  It is registered as a UWHS (in 1994), as part of the Historic Monuments of Ancient Kyoto. 

Furthermore, she wrote:

By the way, you look like Japanese actress Akiko Hinagata. Please check her on the internet!

I did check on her but there isn't much resemblance. But thanks to Blue-dream, she gave me the confidence I got the looks for TV!! Haha, I can dream. After all, it's a dreamy day today -- Friday and I'm dreaming it's already Saturday :p

Aside from the A-Z April Challenge, I am also sharing this postcard for the Postcard Friendship Friday linky of my dear blogger friend Beth. Check out her page for more beautiful postcards! :)

~maria

Winter in Japan

JP-339971, Sender: Saya
Sent: 23 Nov 2012 from Obihiro, Japan
Received: 12 Dec 2012, Traveled 3,790 km in 19 days

Still with the cold weather as inspiration, I'm sharing today a postcard from the Kikuchi Haruo 's photo collection. I asked my friend who's studying in Japan to translate the characters for me. He said it's an image of a blue river in the town of Biei in Hokkaido, Japan. Blue river is the translation for the characters on top, Hokkaido Biei for characters on lower left, and Kikuchi Haruo on lower right.

Saya wrote: Hello/Konnichiwa. Greetings from north of Japan... It is very cold today. This is winter scenery of my region. It's beautiful.

I can imagine that blue water is indeed icy cold! Good thing though not everything is frozen and there is still flowing liquid on this stream.

Sharing this for Our World Tuesday.

~maria

Fall Colors

US-1586397, Sender: Lori
Sent: 12 Mar 2012 from Salt Lake City, Utah
Received: 29 Mar 2012, Traveled 11,830 km in 17 days

I'm longing for vacation, I want to go hiking where the leaves are yellow, gold, orange, and red -- On a trail that would hopefully bring me into a surprising view at the end of the path. The Emerald Falls would have been perfect destination, only that it's on the other side of the world for me. At the back of the card, this view is described: Water cascades over a sandstone and shale shelf of at Zion National Park's Emerald Falls... The name 'Zion' meaning "place of refuge", was given to the canyon by Mormon pioneers.

JP-396140, Sender: Ichigo
Sent: 27 Apr 2013 from Kariya, Japan
Received: 9 May 2013, Traveled 2,771 km in 12 days

Another fanciful place to spend a leisurely walk around would be under these maple leaves in Kyoto. And yes, Japan is closer to where I am compared to the USA... But then, it's expensive to go to Japan! Perhaps in the future :) For now, I'm contented to dream about a picnic I'll have Saturday next week along East Coast in Singapore with my beau. Nature there won't be bathed in fall colors but at least there would be fresh air and my favorite scent of grass, leaves, and woods. I just can't wait! For now, I have to tackle another major exam, coming up next week (I'm fervently wishing it will be moved into a later date though!)

Have a good weekend everyone, whether you will be relaxing or still working (like me!)

~maria

Assortment of Hearts

JP-373345, Sender: Harumi
Sent: 24 Feb 2013 from Osaka, Japan
Received: 8 Mar 2013, Traveled 2,628 km in 12 days

My submission today for the Guest Heart Thursday is an assortment of hearts. It was sent to me last year for my birthday.

My favorite hearts are:

From the 2nd row - the leaves of different colors forming a heart and the luscious red lips

From the 3rd row - last on the row, the wings of the butterfly

From the 5th row, - the heart on the middle, a fan of a geisha I believe

~maria

Horikiri Iris Garden

Facebook Postcard Swap, Sender: Inga
Sent: 15 April 2013, Sent from Niederaichbach, Germany
Received: 19 April 2013, Traveled 10,106.9 km in 4 days

Here is another reproduction from the 'One Hundred Famous Views of Edo' series by the woodblock print artist Ando Hiroshige. This view is no. 56 in the series. The garden is in a little village north of Tokyo. It is one of Tokyo's oldest gardens.

This artwork dates back to the Edo Period, Ansei Era, Japan. The artwork shows iris blooms in the foreground and visitors, who are for sure caught in awe by the beautiful garden, in the background. The irises in the garden started with three specimens, and now has 200. Iris is a genus of 260-300 specimens, so the Horikiri Garden surely has a lot on it already. Iris means rainbow, referring to the wide variety of flower colors across its specimens.

~maria

Okita from the Kansei Era, Japan

Friendship Gift Postcard, Sender: Leo Baluyot
Sent on 01 April 2013, Sent from Narita Airport T1, Japan
Received on 10 April 2013, Traveled 13,183 km in 9 days

Leo wrote: Here's some tea to relieve your stress from all the DRMP (residency) stuff. Konichiwa from Tokyo!

Reading on the internet about the artwork on this postcard was very interesting. I learned that Okita was a waitress, depicted on this artwork serving a cup of tea. She's a waitress at the Naniwaya Teahouse, near the Niomon Gate in the grounds of the Asakusa Kannon Temple She was reputed to be one of the Three Beauties of the Kansei era (1789-1801). *

The postcard is a reproduction of the original ukiyo-e artwork by Utamaro Kitagawa, one of the famed woodblock painters in the Japanese rich artistic and cultural history. Ukiyo-e means "pictures of the floating life (or everyday life)". This artistic style was most prominent during the 17th up to mid 19th century Japan, also known as the Edo period.

Submitting this card for Beth's Postcard Friendship Friday.

Happy weekend everyone!

~maria

Source: http://www.adachi-hanga.com/en_ukiyo-e/item/utamaro060.htm

Plum Garden at Kameido

Friendship Gift Postcard, Sender: Leo Baluyot
Sent on 1 April 2013, Sent from Narita Airport T1, Japan
Received on 10 April 2013, Traveled 13,183 km in 9 days

A close-up wood print of an unusual variety of plum tree by the ukiyo-e artist Hiroshige Utagawa. This postcard reproduction from the series "One Hundred Famous Views of Edo" is by The Adachi Institute of Wooden Prints. 

Linking up for the very first time with Sakura Haruka's Wordless Wed. I am happy that my first image for her linky party is very appropriate for Sakura, which as we all know, means 'cherry blossoms'. The postcard was sent by Leo from his visit to the most recent Japanese Cherry Blossoms Festival.

~maria

Ships ahoy!

It's 2:08 on a Sunday morning. Here I am, intoxicated with coffee from a night out with high school friends. At 6 AM, I should already be starting my 5 hours journey to reach my hometown. The trip would be 3 parts: 3 hours by bus, an hour by a ferry/ship, then another one hour by a land coaster / van.

One of the biggest ironies in my life is my fear of riding a ferry / ship even though I am doing this almost 4 to 6 times a year! Well..I don't know how to swim! So...speaking of ferries / ships, here are some of the stamps that I'm sharing with Viridian's Sunday Stamps theme for today:

These Nippon stamps came with Crystal Concert Hall postcard, received on September of last year. I wish I have more information about them but I don't...if someone can provide, I'd be truly grateful.

This other stamp came with a postcard of Iduki, India. It's a part of a commemorative issue for the naval fleet review in December 2011, when the Supreme Commander (former President Pratibha Devisingh Patil) assessed India's Navy & Coast Guard. In India, this review happens once in a tenure of a president. 

Wishing every Sunday Stamps participant and everyone a happy Sunday while I'm enjoying my home bound journey :)

~ maria