Postcards for the weekend 66: New year 2018

FI-3139697, Sent from Jamsa, Finland
Traveled 9,288 km in 10 days

So the Christmas festivities are almost over as we are ushering in 2018. I've been wrapping up 2017 with some cleaning. This makes me wonder ... what happens with all the Christmas decorations? It must be a lot of money, that could just end up in the bin. Modesty aside, my Christmas decorations are recycled. So my mini Christmas tree and other Christmas ornaments are to be kept in the storeroom. I'm proud to have used these items for the 3rd year this time! How about yours?

RU-5286150, Sent from Barnaul, Russia
Traveled 6,078 km in 32 days

In addition to physical cleaning of my living space, I've also been reflecting on the past years. As cliche as it is, I'm also one who makes New Year resolutions. I've been deeper and deeper into my thoughts; finding meaning in my 30 years of existence. Perhaps this time around, I'll pen down 12 items that I'd like to work on or improve in 2018! One item to represent and work on for each month of the new year ...

I'm sure that most of us are engaged in several happenings during this time of the year. Hence, I'm keeping our linky open until mid-week! I hope that compensates for my tardiness this weekend :)

Happy new year everyone,

~maria

Postcards for the weekend 65: December holidays

FI-3122027, Sent from Lahti, Finland
Traveled 9,247 km in 12 days

This is the very first Christmas-themed postcard I received this year. I'm very pleased with the bright and glossy finish of this postcard. I reckon there's no heater inside Santa's workshop ... Santa and his helpers' cheeks are all extremely red!

Friendship Gift Postcard, Sent from Singapore
Traveled 2,391 km

A card that I've received 4 years ago from Singapore when I was still living in Manila. The sender of this postcard loves to draw. This postcard featured a festive illustration of the Singapore's icon, Merlion at the back:

If you noticed, the message was written for Krissa. I'm Krissa to family and friends. It wasn't until I entered university that I was called using my real name, Maria Kristina. In the Philippines, children are usually given official long names and shorter nicknames.

Speaking of family & friends, I won't be spending this upcoming holidays with loved ones. For those of you who are, I truly wish that you make memorable moments with your family & friends.

We will not have any linky for next weekend ... So please allow me to greet all of you a Merry Christmas in advance!

~maria

Postcards for the weekend 17: December holidays

As mentioned last weekend, I'm going to share illustrated December holidays postcards for this weekend. I have three cards for this second set. I love this first card with the Santa Claus and the heart-shaped cookie. I think more than Valentine's Day, Christmas is a season of expressing love to people dear to us. It's always the best time of the year to gather and celebrate with family and friends. Time is such a hot commodity nowadays and for someone to put an effort to give time; it could only mean one thing -- love! I might be putting more perspective into it than necessary but living on a separate country away from my immediate family and on a long distance relationship with my partner, it means so much to me to travel or conversely, for them to travel so we can be together.

NL-2157975, Sent from southern Netherlands
on 31 Oct 2013, Traveled 10,398 km in 52 days

My partner was here in Singapore last weekend. This weekend, my whole family flew in from the Philippines. It makes my heart melt with joy, knowing that their journey by bus - ship - bus - taxi - airplane - train has finally brought them to me. If you dare ask, the whole trip took them two days!

Friendship Gift Postcard, Sent from Kuopio, Finland
Received 1 Dec 2016, Traveled 8,726 km

I think this Susan Wheeler illustrated postcard well represents the joy we have, gathering as a family for Christmas time. We don't have an infant on a pram and snowfall, though. My parents, born and raised Catholic -- asked me over the phone two weeks ago while discussing the trip, "Can we attend a church service there on Christmas day?"

"Well, of course mother!", I replied.

FI-1923136, Sent from Kuopio, Finland
on 11 Nov 2013, Traveled 8, 749 km

I'm happy to find another illustrated postcard to share this family tradition of attending a church service on Christmas. If you notice on the Susan Wheeler card, she had her initials on the lower right portion of the artwork. On this one, Stina Broome, the artist has her name neatly penned on the similar spot (only lower).

I hope we're all having a splendid experience with people we love at this time of the year! Merry Christmas everyone!

~maria

PS. Thanks so much in advance to my blogging friends who will find time to link up this weekend. I'm keeping the linky open for 3 days instead of 2 this weekend to give chance for more of us to link up. For some of you who cannot, please don't feel bad nor apologetic about it. As mentioned before, our linky party is a fun activity; we shouldn't feel tied down by it. ;-)

2016 Finland Christmas stamp

This stamp came with the most recent letter I received from my pen friend Tuija. Inside the envelope came a strip of paper with the information about the stamp:

In response to public demand, Itella Posti Oy published Santa Claus' very own special stamp.

The Joulun Taika (the Magic of Christmas) stamp is based on  Antti Kurola's impressive photograph. In the magical picture, Santa Claus is throwing snow into the air with both hand. Behind the snow-covered spruce tree forest is the city of Rovaniemi. This is considered as the Christmas city in Finland.

For more Christmas stamp shared for today, please check the page See It On A Postcard.

~maria

Postcards for the weekend 16: December holidays

As a Christian, one of the most awaited holiday for me during the year is Christmas. It's when the weather is cooler and the environment is merry almost everywhere.

For these two weekends with the December holidays theme, I will split my postcards between real-life photos postcards and illustrated postcards. For the first set:

Friendship Gift Postcard, Sender: Dr. Arnold
Sent: 5 June 2016 from Greenland, Traveled 11,538 km

This postcard makes me miss hearing children's choir during the mass. The youngest choir I had the pleasure to listen to recently are teenagers. There's just that mesmerizing sweetness and innocence in the voice of children that I long to hear live again.

Friendship Gift Postcard, Sender: Terry
Sent: 9 July 2015, Traveled 16,656 km

This postcard is from a set from Garvan Woodland Gardens at the University of Arkansas. Annually, around 1.7 million sparkling lights are arranged throughout the gardens for the holiday feature. By the look of the postcard, it must be enchanting when the lights shine bright against the dark.

US-4376395, Sender: Nancy
Sent: 1 Dec 2016, Traveled 15,145 km in 14 days

This card is among the most recent Christmas cards that I've received. It came this week. According to the postcard, each year, hundreds of thousands of visitors flock to the Country Club Plaza for the spectacular Christmas lights. The installations last from Thanksgiving night until the end of the holiday season. The fireworks on this postcard makes it look like even more radiant!

Friendship Gift Postcard, Sender: Tuija
Sent: Dec 2013, Traveled 8,726 km

This last card for this weekend is half real life and half illustration postcard. The dog on this postcard is Vilma, pet and companion of my penfriend Tuija, Vilma is a litter reject Mittelspitz but my sweet friend took her and they've been with each other for many years now. I always love reading news about Vilma on each and every letter Tuija sends to me. 

Until next weekend for more Christmas postcards!

~maria

PFF: Christmas month!

Friendship Gift Postcard, Sender: Tuija
Sent: 01 Dec 2014, Traveled 9,160 km 

It's Christmas month! Although in my home country, the jolly atmosphere of Christmas starts as early as September. Here in my host country Singapore, I think it's right after Deepavali. 

I received my first Christmas card for this year two days ago. It's also from Tuija, my Finnish pen friend who also sent me this red & white postcard 2 years ago. 

Are you excited for the holidays? For more pretty postcards, please visit my friend Beth's page for Postcard Friendship Friday. She always have very nice vintage postcards to share.

~maria

Winter - ey Atmosphere

This is my first Sunday Stamps post for 2014 - so let me greet and wish every passionate philatelist and stamp enthusiast a Prosperous New Year! :)

Today's theme is anything you wish. I'm taking Viridian's lead and posting this stamp with a winter atmosphere. It came with a Christmas card from my long time pen pal from Finland. The holiday season is over. But we're happy here in Manila; we're still enjoying a relatively cold weather. Our usual tropical, humid, and warm weather will be back by end of next month, so the low temperature at this time of the year is indeed an extended holiday treat for us!

I can't help but be amazed and afraid at the same time though, about this polar vortex affecting the USA and the winter storms in Europe. I'm still haunted by the tragedy of super typhoon Haiyan... I pray that no similar amount of damage will ensue in those places affected by these extreme weather conditions.

~ maria

Inspiring Peace

Facebook Swap, Sender: Abran
Sent: 15 Oct 2013 from Los Angeles, CA
Received 22 Oct 2013, Traveled 11,734.53 km in 7 days

Today, I woke up to the sad news that one of the brightest beacons of peace ever-lived on Earth, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela had departed. It's half an hour past 1 PM in my side of the world and I've been tuned in to 94.7 Highveld Radio for live stream of Mandela tributes. It's truly amazing what his spirit has achieved and the inspiration he's given us all. In one way or the other, the peace he worked so hard to achieve for his people and his country is very much a part of the worldwide peace each of us enjoy in our daily lives.

Madiba, may you now eternally be with the One who never fails to grant us peace. You will always be a source of inspiration in my life!

Sharing this card with Beth for Postcard Friendship Friday.

~maria

Share the happiness!

DE-235834, Sender: Jardinantoine
Sent: 14 Oct 2013 from Brussels, Belgium
Received: 20 Nov 2013, Traveled 10,517 km in 37 days

Hurray! One of the happiest seasons of the year is almost here -- Christmas!! I'm thrilled to post my first December entry for my blog this year. I'm not a fan of carbonated drinks, I don't drink soda as much as possible but that doesn't prevent me from loving Coca-cola's tagline, "Share the happiness", which is also very appropriate for this holiday season.

In line with this postcard, I'm happy to share, too (forthose who haven't seen this on the news) that Coca-cola Philippines, true to the Coca-cola tagline, have made a very charitable and generous act. Since 18 November, they have suspended advertisement campaigns to route the funds for these instead to helping those affected by the Super Typhoon Haiyan. Here's a link for Coca-cola's press release about this.

This Coca-cola postcard is among the first Christmas-themed postcards I got this year. Together with the cheerful front design, I got an equally delightful treat from the back of the card!

It's a lick-taste-smell Belgian chocolate stamp! When the taste is a bit disappointing, it does smell like chocolate! Wonderful enough... Kudos to whoever thought of this idea (I'm too lazy to run a research right now :p ) I think this is a winning way to get people back into the art of sending letter, postcards, and other stuff in the mail!

Sharing this heart-shaped chocolate with Clytie's Guest Heart Thursday. How I wish I can also share my actual experience of "lick-taste-smell" with this stamp, how I wish I took a video! It was my very first time to actually "taste" a stamp! Goodness... perhaps next time ;-)

~maria

PS. And I just realized, 6 December, tomorrow is St. Nicholas Day in Europe. St. Nicholas is identical to the American's Santa Claus. So let me also take this opportunity to greet my readers from Europe, Happy St. Nicholas Day!!!

The Physics of Santa Claus

Friendship Gift Postcard, Sender: Tuija Thil
Sent from Rovaniemi, Finland, Sent on 05 Sep 2012
Received on 19 Sep 2012, Traveled 8,792 km in 14 days

Fact: Santa Claus is so fat he warps space-time into a black hole and then travels from house to house through the resulting wormhole. The reason people never see him is because any light reflected off him is not able to pass the event horizon. As his energy is released in the form of Hawking radiation Santa must consume milk and cookies to assure he maintains sufficient mass, otherwise he might be seen.

Furthermore, it is a misconception that Rudolph has a red nose. His nose is actually green, but appears to be red due to the electromagnetic Doppler shift caused when the sleigh travels at such a high rate of speed away from the observer. Rudolph was once asked how this light is able to pass through the event horizon of Santa's black hole. His response, "All I can say is that's just the milky way."

I found this Santa anecdote on one of my friends Facebook wall. Of course it's just a joke but it's too amusing not to share! Pardon me folks, it's the trying hard physicist in me kicking in! 

The card by the way is from Santa Claus Village in Rovaniemi, Finland.

Happy Friday everyone! I'm jumping onto Beth's Postcard Friendship Friday page...Come on, blog hop with me!

~maria

Santa-believer Me!

DE-1784034, Sender: Antje
Sent from Wuppertal, Germany, Sent on 04 Dec 2012
Received on 20 Dec 2012, Traveled 10,319 km in 16 days

I rarely share long status messages in Facebook. (And in fact I haven't really shared one before!) But I was exceptionally inspired than usual last night and posted:

I thought Santa forgot about me...but yes, 20+ girls still get their Christmas wishes coming true! Got mine 50 mins before the 25th is officially over... 

Sobrang salamat po (thank you so much) Big Dad for sending Santa my way even I'm a big girl now! I'll do my best to be even nicer this 2013...so perhaps my gift can come a little earlier next Christmas? Kidding...early or late, just please don't ever erase me on your list even though I'm already a toothless and demented old woman...

I hope everyone's wishes for Christmas came true! If not, I'm sure it's just a little late (like mine almost was). So let's just keep the faith that Santa will drop the gift any time soon. After all, Christmas doesn't really have to be just on the 25th right? ;-)

May we keep the spirit of Christmas: happiness, forgiveness, faith, hope, and love alive all year through! Merry 'all year long' Christmas everyone!

I wish the same for my co-bloggers, readers, and friends in the postcards blog sharing community! ;-)

~maria

Pasko Stamps from 2011

Christmas in our local language (Filipino) is 'Pasko'. I remember when I was a kid, during my early years in grade school, our teachers would quiz us about Christmas symbols. This set of 4 stamps is just perfect learning aid for that! Here we have Christmas bells, the Christmas flower - poinsettia, Christmas presents, and the Christmas lantern or 'parol'.

Parol is my favorite Christmas symbol. It It is also one of the most popular decoration for Christmas in the Philippines. It is a reminder of the star which guided the three wise men to the newlyborn Jesus Christ inside a humble manger in Bethlehem. 

Two days before we celebrate Jesus Christ's birthday. I wish everyone a warm and cheerful celebration with family and friends. May we all be blessed and may we multiply these blessings through kindness and love, not only during this holiday season but all throughout the next year.

I'll be in an internet hiatus from now and until Christmas to spend quality time with family. But, sharing these stamps first with Viridian's blog hop and checking what others have posted before I say 'au revoir' to my buddy Net for a few days. ;-)

Merry Christmas everyone! :)

~maria

Seasonal Greetings!

Friendship Gift Postcard, Sender: Valeria Novik
Sent from Minsk, Belarus, Sent on 04 December 2012
Received on 20 December 2012, Traveled 8,968 km in 16 days

Here's a surprise card I got yesterday. :D

Valeria wrote at the back of the card:

Thank you for our swap this year. I would love to wish many exciting cards and letters, love, harmony, joy, and happiness. How have you been? How do you plan to spend your holidays? Best regards, Valeria.

Thank you so much Valeria for this beautiful red seasons greeting cards. Thank you also for the well wishes. I also wish the same for you and your family!

Let's hop into Beth's Postcard Friendship Friday page to check out more Christmas postcards ;-) 

Sunday Stamps # 101: The Nativity Scene

First, my apologies to Viridian for being an absentee from the Sunday Stamps blog hop...I hope in the spirit of the holidays you can welcome me again in your stamps blogger community. Thank you for the comment on my Singapore post that I'm being missed. It means so much to me. :)

I really had to look hard at the back of the postcards and letter/cards envelopes I've received for a Christmas theme stamp cause I don't remember having received one...

But wow! From a set of 6 stamps attached on this beautiful envelope I received from Poland in March 15 this year, I found this stamp of a nativity scene! The nativity scene has a special place to my heart. I believe I've posted an entry before, explaining the nature of my first name. My parents played Mary & Joseph for the Nativity Scene of our parish church. Hence, my name Maria Kristina -- from Mary and Christ (Jesus Christ) since my mother was 6 months pregnant to me at that time. 

The nativity scene is also one of my favorite Bible verses in tangible form:

For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

For my readers who celebrate Christmas, may the Christmas symbols continue to remind us of how much Big Dad loves the whole world (Yep, I believe there would be another wonderful holidays celebration this year, the world won't end on 21 December '12!) 

For my readers who aren't into the Catholic/Christian faith, may the symbols and spirit of this holiday season inspire happy and warm thoughts. :)

A great week ahead for everyone! Sharing this post to Viridian's Sunday Stamps on the page dedicated for the love of postcards and stamps.

~maria

11 Days Before Christmas! :D

Friendship Gift Postcard, Sender: Abran Ochoa
Sent from Santa Clarita, CA, Sent on 24 November 2012
Received on 12 December 2012, Traveled 11743.6 km in 18 days

Abran wrote:

Hi Krissa! How are you dear? I hope very well! I hope you've been in good spirits. Wishing you and your loved ones a very Happy Christmas and great 2013! Thanks for your cards and hope we'll swap more soon. God bless my friend.

Thank you so much for the wishes Abran! This is my very first Christmas card and written well wishes received for this year. ;-)

And I surely missed the Postcard Friendship Friday blog hop, so join me in as I link with Beth and the other PFF bloggers!

Eleven days to go before Christmas. I hope despite life's constant challenges, we're all filled with good spirit and cheers! Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!

~ maria