Postcards for the weekend 89: Anything you wish

TW-1110457, Sent from Taoyuan, Taiwan
Sent 16 December 2013, Traveled 1,171 km in 23 days

It's been almost 4.5 months now since I took a hiatus from blogging. I didn't totally stop from exchanging postcards though and I have plenty of beautiful postcards to share! Postcards are probably one of those things that I would always love despite the fact that I'm needing more and more storage boxes to keep them neat and tidy.

So the Postcards for the Weekend has now officially resumed. HOWEVER, I'm having issues with the linky tool. Pardon me! I will update this post as soon as that's sorted out.

I hope you've all been well and I'm looking forward to another series of beautiful postcards party!

~maria

Postcards for the weekend 56: Children

October 6 is recognized as Children's Day in many places around the world. Hence, our theme for this weekend: children.

Friendship Gift Postcard, Sent from Sherwood, Arkansas
Sent 10 September 2016, Traveled 15,650 km

This book cover postcard is entitled "A Necklace of Raindrops and Other Stories". It was illustrated in 1975. I like the silhouettes in the foreground, with the little girl who seems to be marveling at the sight of something in the sky.

TW-505373, Sent from Kaohsiung
Sent 22 Mar 2012, Traveled 890 km in 8 days 

This photograph is from an exhibition, according to the sender. It seems that the little girl's name is Miyako.

FI-1999405, Sent from Nokia
Sent 29 Jan 2014, Traveled 8,982 km in 17 days

This one was sent for my birthday 3 years ago. I love the jolly faces and the merry-making on this postcard!

Have a great weekend everyone,

~maria

Wild Flowers

FI-1911627, Sender: Sokal
Sent: 30 Oct 2013 from Kuoio, Finland
Received: 7 Nov 2013, Traveled 8,736 km in 8 days

Not that I want to classify this pink flower as wild flower, but this pink flower that I can't identify very much describes my recent found love of wild flowers -- which I also can't identify!

On Thursday, I was junior tour guide to our foreign guests. As mentioned in my previous post, where I also have a photo in the entrance of one place we visited. They were here for an International Atomic Energy Meeting, hosted by the Philippines. Some guests left Thursday and Friday, some left only today. And earlier, prior to their flight, I was once again, a tour guide. Wow! I think I should probably consider changing profession.

On these tours, I believe I literally "stopped and smelled the roses". Where in this case, are not roses but wild flowers. Here are two snap shots I got:

My thoughts wandered on those places damaged by the typhoon. I know rehabilitation will be an extremely long process, but I wish it won't take too long for flowers to bloom in those lands once again!

Lovely weekend to everyone!

~maria

PS. I'm linking with Beverly's Pink Saturday. Perhaps a blog hopper can help me identify what these flowers are ;-)

Beacon of Hope

PL-688784, Sender: Ania
Sent: 18 July 2012 from Warsaw, Poland
Received: 24 September 2012, Traveled 9,394 km in 68 days

The Rose-bay Willow-herb Fairy is a beacon of hope. This fairy brightens up forlorn places and neglected spaces with a blanket of bright pink blossoms. Her charity extends to other fairies and humans, as well. She flies to rescue any struggling Flower Fairy and takes pity on troubled humans, sometimes even granting their wishes.

How I wish this fairy will notice me. I know it's a selfish wish as for sure many would want to be noticed by the Rose-bay Willow-herb Fairy, too... But I guess the good fairy will notice us one human at a time ;-) Ania the sender said the fairy gives optimism. True to its description; I strongly agree! I know the fairy will look my way and Big Dad will make my wishes come true if it's according to His great plan for me. So I tell myself to 'relax and just keep on persevering', good things come to those who toil tirelessly while waiting.

I'm enlisting this fairy with Beverly's Pink Sunday roll. Happy weekend ye all!

~maria

Source of fairy description: http://www.flowerfairies.com/US_version/finder/start.htm

International Day of the Girl Child

Postcrossing Direct Swap, Sender: Jack-Liu
Sent: 4 Aug 2012 from Shaanxi, China
Received: 28 Aug 2012, Traveled ~1,847 km in 24 days

I am following Shiela at A Postcard A Day's theme on International Day of the Girl Child for this post. This international day of observance was declared by the United Nations last year and is celebrated on 11 October.

This girl child wearing a traditional costume was sent to me through a direct swap in Postcrossing.com. Jack-Liu wrote: ... in China, people won't wearing clothes like this although it's very gorgeous [sic]  

I have a very close friend who has a Chinese boyfriend. I wonder if she gets me as a bridesmaid on her wedding, I might be able to wear a gorgeous dress like this. ;-)

The postcard came with a nice stamp from the Overseas Chinese Culture set issued in 10 July 2011. It makes me smile that Jack-Liu picked a matching pink stamp for the pink skirt and ribbon on the dress of the girl child.

For more postcards, check Beth's Postcard Friendship Friday and for more pinks, hop on to Beverly's Pink Saturday.

    

~maria

Paris vs. New York 2

Facebook Postcard Swap, Sender: Terry
Sent: 3 May 2013, Sent from Sherwood, AR
Traveled ~12,288 km

My first Paris vs. New York post made me hungry, now I'm thirsty. 

The title for this comparison is l'apéro - the colloquial form of l'apéritif. According to Uncle Wiki, "This name is given to a drink, usually alcoholic, taken before a meal. It also relates to the 'social event' that happens alongside the actual drinking, for example going over the days/weeks events or just keeping up to date with friends/family events also involving little munchies, crisps, pastries, etc."

On the French side, of course we have bordeaux, which refers to grapes used to make the wine. Bordeaux is a place in southwest France notable for producing wine. It has a rich heritage of wine production and wines produced using Bordeaux grape varieties have registered names or are trademarked. For easy reference and for universal parlance, the wines are referred to as bordeaux.

On the American side, we have cosmo, or cosmopolitan. It is a cocktail made of vodka, cranberry juice, triple sec, and lime juice. It's served in a martini glass, garnished by a lemon twist. It became popular because of the HBO show, Sex and the City. This cocktail is light and fruity, a good choice for a casual night out with girl friends as seen in that tv series.

Personally, wine drinking appears to me as classic and relaxed, while cosmo (cocktail) drinking is hip and bubbly. I was first introduced to cosmo drinking; it's more of a feminine alcoholic drink. Now with the French beau who has a sommelier friend and housemate, I got to try different bottles of good wine. My taste has since preferred the more refined sensations of drinking wine. On a second thought though, both wine and cocktail drinks make me dead sleepy so I guess the difference doesn't really matter in the end. 

Yesterday is a 'Be An Angel Day' -- it's all about making the world a better place through acts of kindness, care, and support. I would like to note that in my deltiology and philately world, Terry - the sender of this postcard is one of my angels. She often sends me extra/surprise card with the cards arranged for swap. Also, the sisters Clytie of Random Hearts and Beth of The Best Hearts Are Crunchy are my angels, too. They allow me to share my postcards and stamps collection to a bigger audience.

Sharing with Beth for the Postcard Friendship Friday and Paulita for Dreaming of France, cheers for the weekend and for next week, everyone! 

~maria

Beschuit met muisjes

Friendship Gift Postcard, Sender: Aritha
Sent: 29 April 2013, Sent from Veenendaal, Netherlands
Received: 7 May 2013, Traveled 10369.34 km in 9 days

Aritha said that beschuit met muisjes is a cracker with pink and white mice on it. The cracker is actually rusk, a hard and dry biscuit. Rusk is baked twice, hence the texture. The mice are the aniseed sprinkle, coated with colored sugar. The sprinkle is called mice because the stem of the aniseed resembles the tail of a mouse. The aniseed is believed to aid lactation and the muisjes to symbolize fertility.

This white and pink beschuit met muisjes is eaten when a baby girl is born in the Netherlands. There is a a blue one for when a baby boy is born. Orange ones were sold in 2003 in honour of the birth of Princess Catharina Amalia. Parents of the newborn baby serve beschuit met muisjes to visitors. Older siblings bring beschuit met muisjes to school to share with their friends.

I think this is a beautiful Dutch custom. I'm thinking of what Filipino custom we have for when a baby girl/boy is born but I can't can't get out something right from the top of my head...

~maria

Missing sweet hearts.

NL-1798791, Sender: Mary
Sent: 4 April 2013, Sent from The Hague, Netherlands
Received: 19 April 2013, Traveled 10,429 km in 15 days

Mary asked if we have these sweets (snoepjes) here in the Philippines. Apparently, we don't and I would love to try them! I wonder if they're hard or marshmallow-ey soft...but I think they're more rock hard, but the melt-in-your-mouth type -- like dry meringue?

Hmm, I wonder too, who took two pieces of my heart-shaped sweets out of my postcard? Mary said that the sweets have a little bit of different tastes/flavors. So now I'm really curious what flavor/s are those two sweet hearts that had gone missing.

~maria

Hope

Facebook Postcard Swap, Sender: Skopry
Sent: 21 November 2012, Sent from Geisengen, Germany
Received: 20 December 2012, Traveled 10,386 km in 29 days 

Hope --

It is not easy to see the beautiful things of life in the time of sorrow,

but you should never ever stop to believe in the good.

Happy weekend,

~maria

Crystal Concert Hall - Sapporo Snow Festival

This is a replica of one of Japan's concert hall during the 49th Sapporo Snow Festival. The festival ran from 5-11 February 1998 with 330 snow and ice sculptures in display.

I wish I have the readily-available knowledge to determine exactly which concert hall in Japan this crystal ice replica is, but I don't :( Mr. Wiki has a list of different concert halls in Japan, though.

What's more impressing about this card was the message at the back:

"Thank you for fund-raising and the rescue for the earthquake on 3.11. Japan revives without fail. Please come to Japan to play someday! -Your Japanese friend, Midori"

I am delighted to know that the the efforts of Filipino soldiers sent there to help during that state of calamity in 2011 was appreciated. Tomorrow marks the first anniversary of that day, I hope that affected places in Japan have remarkably recovered by now and that we, and our neighboring countries would continue to help each other in times of need. 

And yep, I would really want to visit Japan to see all the picturesque places described by one of my favorite authors, Haruki Murakami in his novels. Or perhaps, time my visit with the next Sapporo Snow Festival? (My, my!! I should have went there on my birthday for the opening event! The festival ran from 6-12 Feb this year! Oh! I'm dreaming. :)

This post is for Beverly's Pink Saturday blogfest, because who doesn't love the idea of all pink and lovely on a weekend when it's time to rest and unwind? ;) Go check out her page to make your weekend more lovely.

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I'm delighted to feature the Backyard Neighbor, Jeanne for the Pink Saturday weekly challenge. Check out her page for pink tulip memories. :) And may I mention, tulips are in my favorite flowers list. I wish I can receive a postcard with tulips soon!

Hope everyone is having a lovely weekend!

~ maria

Flowers from Russia

Yihee!! I am glad that at last, I am posting my first ever and official Postcard Friendship Friday entry. The other one is kinda void because it was posted on an early Saturday.

And I am sharing here what I deem as the loveliest postcard that I've received so far. With the stress level and mental pressure that I am undergoing right now, this one is truly something really calming and comforting. Thanks so much to Anna who sent me the card all the way from Russia.

Truly, I can feel the delicate petals and smell the fragrance of these dainty pink and white flowers. I hope I can be as free as this butterfly, who doesn't have to worry about anything other than hopping from one lovely flower to another. This is giving me the good vibes for a lovely weekend. Happy Postcard Friendship Friday and happy weekend everyone!

Postcard ID: RU-460949
Traveled 8,222 km in 30 days