Dubai, UAE

Well, after almost a whole week of silence, here i am. I think that ever since my concert got cancelled like two weeks ago, things just got hectic in general. They are gonna continue be like that for a while, until like mid of June at least, and ill definitely definitely have a busy summer...well, at least i managed to get to the post office today, which i feared wouldnt happen, since when i woke up it was raining heavily...and after all that heat i was complaining about, now its actually really cold and i somehow manage to get soaked on daily basis, since it rains every single day here...I really really hate this weather we are having here...well, lets get down to something useful...like stamps and postcards for example :)

My aunt gave me this card, and it was sent, as usual, by her friend Savica. In case you havent been here before, Savica is a friend of my aunt who lives in Switzerland and who travels somewhere each time she gets a chance...well, the good thing is that she always sends my aunt a postcard and since my aunt doesnt collect them, moreover complains she has nowhere to keep them, she gives them to me :) But I actually wish for once I receive a card from UAE addressed to ME, not my aunt...or someone else....well, maybe, some day....if anyone from UAE is reading this, and wants to swap, do let me know :)
Savica says that Dubai has changed a lot since the last time she had gone there, that new things are being built all the time  , and that there are building sites all around, dust and noise. But she says that the weather is great and the sea as well....
Well personally i dont like being at a place like that...when someone in my neighbourhood is having a house built or just does some renovation, i go crazy with all those hammers, drills, concrete mixers...and the worst thing is that they usually start working at 7 or 8am in the morning...urgh...
Im glad that for a change i can see something else from Dubai than the standard pictures...this card is called Dubai Marina, and it says: an awe inspiring city - within a city delights residents with its unique lifestyle.

Dubai Marina is a district in the heart of what has recently become known as 'new Dubai'. It was inspired by and designed to model the highly successful Concord Pacific Place development along False Creek in Vancouver, Canada. It is entirely man-made and will contain over 200 high-rise buildings and some supertall skyscrapers. Unlike other parts of Dubai there is a publicly accessible foreshoreway around the marina and some sections of public oceanway along the beach.

I think i was a bit lucky when searching for info for this stamp...i absolutely DONT understand a single thing in Arabic, so i have no idea whats the Arabic thing written on the stamp...but at least the year was written in a normal way.
So this stamp is from an issue of 7 definitives, from 2007, called the 5th set of Definitives. This new design shows the word "Emirates" in Arabic, shaped as a falcon. The backgrounds of the 7 denominations are all in different colours.

Matterhorn, Switzerland

Here is something really nice coming from Switzerland. I really love such idyllic mountain views. The Alpines  simply remind me of chocolate production for some reason.

This mountain here is called Matterhorn and according to Caroline, its Swiss' most popular one. With its 4,478 metres, it is one of the highest peaks in the Alps, and its 1,200 metres  north face is one of the Great North faces of the Alps also one of the deadliest peaks in the Alps. 
Although not the highest mountain in Switzerland, the Matterhorn is considered to be an iconic emblem of the Swiss Alps and the Alps in general. It lies on the border between Switzerland and Italy. 
The mountain derives its name from the "Matte", which means 'meadow'  and "Horn" which means 'peak'. 

there are two stamps on the card. The one on the left is from 2008, from a set of 4 definitive stamps called cereals, and the one here, represents the rye. The other one is a Special Stamp from 2009, called, Preserve the Glaciers.

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Here is a card that a really really love! I love educational and 'did you know' cards, and this is my first 'did you know' card and its a great great great one! I know you have all at least heard about Martin Luther King....but here you can learn a bit more about him.

Martin Luther King, Jr. was born Michael Luther King, Jr., but later had his name changed to Martin. His grandfather began the family's long tenure as pastors of the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, serving from 1914 to 1931; his father has served from then until the present, and from 1960 until his death Martin acted as co-pastor. Attending segregated public schools in Georgia, he was graduated from high-school at the age of 15 and received a B.A. degree in 1948 from Morehouse College, a distinguished institution in Atlanta.
Martin Luther King, Jr., was the youngest man to have received the Nobel Peace Prize. He was named Man of the Year by Time magazine in 1963, and became not only the symbolic leader of American blacks but also a world figure. One the evening of April 4, 1968, while standing on the balcony of his motel room in Memphis, Tennessee, where he was to lead a protest march in sympathy with striking garbage workers of that city, he was assassinated.

As for the stamps, i think you are all more than familiar with the 94c. one :). I think that Kelly used another 4c one due to the postage rise in the US...im not sure how much have the prices gone up though, but until now, all the cards i had received had a 94c. stamp...so this is my guess why there is an additional stamp of 4c. on this card.

Shanghai, China

Well, after a dreadful Sunday, having to spend it in bed mostly, i think im finally getting back on track a bit....except that i just feel really weak, and tired....i hope ill manage to make this update...

CN-64769

Here is a really nice official Chinese card, called the Morning Melody of Shanghai. It says that The morning  of the developing Shanghai, whose melody is a variation overflowing with vigour and magnificence, has been the most passional overture of the urban symphony.

Here are some more vivid descriptions regarding the Shanghai melodies....its longish, but i really think its worth the read...and see Shanghai in some different aspect...

- Underground and stage
Every morning in the subway station, the train roaring in and speeding away in the rush hours; the train doors open slowly with sharp sound of the brake, throng in the train rush out, while the crowd on the platform try their best to get in. The horn in the station constantly broadcasting: “crowded, passengers who can not get on, please wait for the next one." But the doors of the crowded train still cannot be closed. The steward on the platform is yelling “get in, get in” at the same time try his best to help the passenger get into the carriage, then the door gradually close with tootle sound of the train.  The crowded subway carriage shows the fast rhythm of Shanghai in another aspect; get into the crowded carriage, moving forward with the roaring train, this is one portraiture for the development of Shanghainese. Many people can not give up the crowded and busy carriage, the sound people crushing into the train from the platforms becomes an usual sound to many people.

- The Bell in Old Drong
Old drong is one characteristic of Shanghai, where some aged men live; the ringing from the old drong has been a warning from the residents committee to remind people close their doors, windows and gas for decades. This sound makes people feel warm, full of local distinctive cultural characteristic

- The Sound of Heaven
When taking a walk in the Shanghai street, shopping with such beautiful music, seems that it is in one fantastic city, when the tension in your body gets released, and you enjoy the fun of walking in the streets in Shanghai.

- The Sound of History in the city
Occasionally we can hear some old Shanghai songs in the streets, whose music sounds warm and familiar. This sound is unique Shanghai’s characteristic from which more people know Shanghai. You can hear the history of Shanghai from the sound, some of which is worth preserving and valuable.

Regarding the stamps...wow, i never thought it would be this difficult to actually find info about the Chinese stamps. I really should have taken that Chinese course at University....at least i would have had some basic knowledge and could have identified whats written on the stamps...like this, the job is much harder to do.
The stamp on the left is from a set of two, issued in 2007, called, the Special Stamp for New Year....so i guess it says "Happy New Year" on it, or i might be just rambling...i dont know.
The other stamp was issued in 1997 and belongs to a set of 6, called Maiji Grottoes. The one here in particular represents the Xieshi Bodhisattva.

Garfield

Here comes Garfield....and his teddy bear :) The text on the card actually says "You are my hug-bear". Doesnt it feel rather odd that Garfield can show affection towards something that is actually NOT food?

Something special regarding this card? I received it from someone who is also in the field of translation and who is also a huge Placebo fan....i dont get everyday to meet by chance people who share such things with me...and who actually feel the music the same way i do :)

Well, i wouldnt talk about Garfield again, just share with you some fun stuff, as usual...enjoy :)

The Garfield head is actually a drawing on the back of the card, which i thought was really neat so i had to include it along with the stamp.
As for the stamp....i think i have told you that i love Finnish stamps for a number of reasons....and hence i love Finnish postcards as well...
The stamp is from a 2009 issue from a series depicting national parks, showing different aspects of the nature and the seasons of the year. On the stamp you can see the Pallas-Yllästunturi National Park, where you can admire the winter scenery of  Western Lapland, fells, untouched forests and marshes. The photo shows the fells of Pallas, Taivaskero, Pyhäkero and Laukukero.

Trenčin, Slovakia

Here comes a card from Slovakia...i think its been a while since i had posted one...

Trenčin is a city in Western Slovakia, near the border with the Czech Republic. The site of Trenčín has been inhabited since time immemorial. Trenčín Castle, a typical medieval fortified castle is situated high on a rock above the city. Trenčín is best known for a Roman inscription on the rock below the Trenčin castle, dating from 179 AD, the era of the Macromannic Wars. The castle is the third-largest castle in Slovakia. And you can actually see the castle on the card. From what i could comprehend from the back of the card, on the bottom line, the two small pictures in the middle show, the Hotel Tatra (the left picture) and a Synagogue(the picture on the right).

this is one of the cards i received time ago with many others in an envelope, so now i can actually show you the stamps that are on the envelope.
The stamp in the middle is from 2008, from a series called "Personalities", showing Eugen Suchon.who was a Slovak composer, pedagogue and theorist,one of the most notable members of the founding generation of the Slovak ‘modernist’ movement in music.
The stamp on the left is from 2007, called, Museum's Treasury - The Gospel Book of Nitra.
As for the two small stamps on the left....they are definitives from 1993, called Dubnica nad Vahom.

Yay! I managed the update today!!

Dudipatsar Lake, Pakistan

Mmmm......snow....i would kill for bits of it right now...its over 30 degrees outside and its just May....I really hate the hot weather in Skopje, coz it feels unbearable...its not just hot...its tough to breathe and makes you feel weak...yesterday i had to do some stuff and had to walk/cycle....when i eventually got back home i was so exhausted of it that i crashed down to sleep at 8pm....and woke up sometime around 11pm....which of course resulted in a total deviation of my sleeping biorhythm, as if it wasnt already too messed up...argh, i dont wanna predict the summer...sometimes it can actually drastically change and be cool....but i recall days and weeks of 50 degrees when you just really cant do anything....dont come here in summer...really!

Ive already posted another card from Pakistan some time ago, which also shows the Kaghan Valley but from some different aspect.
I have to say that this card has one of the loveliest images ive seen.....and proves how poor my knowledge of Pakistan is...well, my knowledge is poor on any near/middle east countries. Thats mainly coz of the media, and the daily dosage of news where they'd show dusty streets with people fighting/shooting/throwing bombs....they'd talk (and still do) about self-suicidal bombing attacks...Casualties....military troops etc etc. So from all that i wasnt really able to grasp the 'other side' of these places but thanks to postcards, i have the chance to do so, and i apologize for all my ignorance regarding any place in the world....im anxiously trying to change all that, one step at a time...
Kaghan Valley is renowned for its countless glistening jade lakes, but the gem of gems in this treasury of natural jewels is Dudipatsar Lake. Boasting a height of 3,800 metres, the lake offers peace and tranquility in July, with its waters reflecting the ring of ice-encrusted guardian peaks. Dudipatsar lies 18km to the east of Besal, a settlement in the Upper Kaghan Valley.

There are 3 stamps used on the card. The first one was issued in 2005, and belongs to a set of 2 stamps commemorating the 50 years of IBA (Institute of Business Administration). The stamp next to it was issued in 1994, 1 of a set of 12 featuring Mohammed Ali Jinnah, while the stamp at the bottom features Nishan-E-Haider which is highest military award given in Pakistan, and the youngest of its recipients, Rashid Minhas Shaheed, a pilot officer. This stamp was issued in September, 2003.

A curious lurking cat

Here comes a card from one of the RR's from Ksenia ...a Kimi look-a-like :))) Just lovely!

I honestly didnt expect at all to receive this kind of a card for the RR but when i saw it, I was more than pleasantly surprised...you know how much i love cards with a cat that looks like this....moreover, its exactly how Kimi looks like when he would climb on the terrace of my parents' bedroom, and observes whats going on down there. with his head half outside. I often wonder if he will ever get the urge to jump....
Next weekend there is some sort of an event at the city centre, where they will be giving homeless cats and dogs for adoption...its all astray animals who have been picked up from the streets and who have indeed been vaccinated, and now they are just looking for a cosy home. I really want to go and take a look...problem is, both my mum and I fear that we wouldnt resist it, and would come back with some creature...and then we will have a problem since Kimi is not really fond of other cats around and doesnt know how to fight for his territory and actually lets other cats eat his food or sit at his own place while he observes from afar....a really really stupid cat...regardless how much i dont want to admit it, he is.
Well, i dont know....we are already accommodating and feeding a bunch of neighbours' cats...one more or less, whats the difference...though i would prefer to take a puppy.....but lets not get my hopes too high...

Ksenia used a stamp issued in 2001, from a series called Polish Mansion houses (a set of two stamps). The interior of these houses is transformed into museums. The one used here shows a late Baroque wooden mansion house reconstructed at the beginning of the 20th century which at the present is the seat of the Museum Castle in Janowiec on the Vistula River.  

Berlin, Germany

Here is a card with some special thrill....I hope this wont sound wrong or creepy, but memorial centres and cemeteries are fascinating me...I dont know...they have some sort of tranquility note that eases me in a certain kind of way...i dont think i can explain it properly, so i wont try to do so...otherwise,  i will tangle up myself in my own flow of thoughts :)

Here you can see the Memorial to the Murdered Jews of Europe, situated in Berlin also known as the Holocaust Memorial since its a commemoration to the Jews murdered in the Holocaust.
According to Eisenman's project text, the stelae are designed to produce an uneasy, confusing atmosphere, and the whole sculpture aims to represent a supposedly ordered system that has lost touch with human reason. A 2005 copy of the Foundation for the Memorial's official English tourist pamphlet, however, states that the design represents a radical approach to the traditional concept of a memorial, partly because Eisenman did not use any symbolism. An attached underground "Place of Information"holds the names of all known Jewish Holocaust victims, obtained from the Israeli museum Yad Vashem.

I think i will definitely add Memorials and Cemeteries to my wishlist....

Amaharashi, Japan

Thursdays....I love Thursdays...coz my Fridays are free...well, i do have a bunch of things to do tomorrow, and some work-related, but its far from tense as it is the other 4 days....I dont know, the more i see the end of the school year, the more i yearn for it...i feel exhausted and i can also feel this impatience inside me growing...i have it whenever something lasts long and the end is coming near, but its still NOT there...well the part between 'not there yet' and 'finally over' is the hardest one for me...coz you can see the end of the tunnel, its within your reach, but still you miss a number of steps to get there :)

Here is an official card from Japan......called, Amaharashi Seaside Quasi-national park.....Quasi???? Quasi??!!! Is 'quasi' here used in its actual sense? If yes, then what kind of a national park is a quasi one? And what does one National Park have to do to deserve the 'quasi' title? I stumbled upon several definitions while trying to 'unpuzzle' myself. And this is what i found out:
National Parks are prominent natural landscapes (including seascapes) that are sufficiently representative of the landscapes of Japan.National Parks come within the scope of the Natural Park system. Natural parks consist of National Parks as well as Quasi-National Parks and Prefectural Natural Parks.
The differences among them are as followed:



1. National Parks: 
- Designating party - Minister of the Environment
- Requirements for designation - Must constitute a landscape that is representative of Japan relative to the places with the same type of landscape as well as constitute a prominent natural landscape that can be introduced to the world with pride.
- Governing law - Natural Parks Law
- Party responsible for administrative management - Ministry of the Environment

2. Quasi-National Parks:
- Designating party -Minister of the Environment
- Requirements for designation - Must constitute a prominent major natural landscape comparable to the landscape found in Natural Parks.
- Governing law - Natural Parks Law
- Party responsible for administrative management - Prefectural governments

3. Prefectural Natural Parks: 
- Designating party - Prefectural governors
- Requirements for designation - Must constitute a prominent natural landscape that is representative of landscapes at a prefectural level.
- Governing law - Prefectural ordinances
- Party responsible for administrative management -Prefectural governments

Ok, im not really familiar with the government systems in Japan, but i can say that i do have it all a bit clearer...i dont know their exact criteria in determining whats National and whats Quasi-national, but at least i can grasp it better now.

Ok, the stamps were put in an awkward position/relation to each other, so thats why the image looks like this...my address is at the speech-bubble you can take a peek at :) It has happened with some other Japanese cards as well...
How are you supposed to find stamps-info, if the stamps section at the Japanese post office web site is in Japanese only, there is no year printed on the stamp...well, i wouldnt be surprised if those Japanese characters tell the year actually, but how am i supposed to figure it out?
I tried several places, but none really user-friendly (unless you have 24 hours available not to do anything) So in case someone can give me more info about these particular stamps, please, leave a message. You know of an efficient and very informative web-site regarding Japanese stamps? Do let me know as well :)

Florida Orange Meringue Pie

Well, its my mum's birthday today...and since i didnt manage to make her a real cake, ill give her one in this way. I did buy her a present though :)

Im not very fond of fruit cakes and pies, though i think they are much more suitable than the chocolate cakes for these hot hot days...and its awfully hot here...over 30 degrees...its tough..

so, what do you need for this Orange Pie:
-1 1/2 cup orange juice; -1 1/4 cup sugar; -6 Tbsp. cornstarch; -Dash salt; -4 eggs, separated; -1 Tbsp. lemon juice; -3 Tbsp. grated orange rind; -1/2 tsp. grated lemon rind; -1 1/2 cup orange sections; -1 9-inch pie shell, baked;- Meringue

Eating Well in Florida:

Mix sugar, cornstarch and salt in 11/2 qt. saucepan. Stir in orange and lemon juices gradually. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly until mixture thickens and bubbles. Stir in orange sections and boil for 3-4 minutes, stirring constantly. Mix 1/4 of hot orange with slightly beaten egg yolks then blend all back into orange mixture in saucepan. Continue to boil and stir for 3-4 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in orange and lemon rind. Pour into hot, baked pie shell. Spoon meringue on hot filling, sealing to edge of crust. Bake at 375 degrees until delicate brown - about 7-10 minutes. Cool away from draft.  Meringue: Beat 4 egg whites and 1/4 tsp. cream of tartar until foamy. Beat in 1/2 cup sugar 1 Tbsp. at a time. Beat until stiff and glossy. Beat in 1/2 tsp. vanilla.

ENJOY!

I like it when people use stamps other than the infamous 94c. of the US Virgin Islands.
There are 3 different stamps on this card, a 10c one from 2006, and two stamps of 42c, from 2008 and 2009 respectively.
The 2009 stamps is from the commemorative issue, dedicated to the 200th anniversary of the birth of Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865). There are 4 stamps in the set, where the one here shows Lincoln in his function of a president,conferring with generals Ulysses S. Grant and William T. Sherman toward the end of the Civil War. The depiction is based on“The Peacemakers” (1868), a painting by George P. A. Healy.
The 2008 stamp shows the to all of you very well known Pongo from the 101 Dalmatians (I simply love that cartoon!). Its a commemorative "The Art of Disney" stamp, Imagination Release.
The smallest stamp (the one on the left...i dont know how i ended up doing the stamps backwards) is called "American Clock" is actually a reissue of the 2003 definitive stamp featuring an artistic rendering of the dial, or face of a banjo clock.

Struga, Macedonia

Well, i think its been a long time since i had shared with you a Macedonian card....so while anticipating for the summer holidays and beaches and water to swim in, here is something to have a look at...

Struga is a town situated at the Ohrid Lake, and is in fact, some 20km away from Ohrid, but Ohrid is the one who dominates in popularity and so. The last time i went to Struga was actually the year when i finished primary school, so do the math...15 years....
I think that Struga is much calmer than the busy crowded and MUCH MORE expensive Ohrid. But the problem with Struga that many people have is the fact that many Albanians live there, and there is this eternal tussle going on regarding that issue, so many people just avoid Struga coz of that...unfortunately, throughout the year, there have been incidents between the Macedonians and Albanians living there, to the extent that the pupils protested and didnt go to school...since there were fights among them and they just demanded different schedules as they wouldnt have a chance to be at school in the same shift.
I know people who have apartments/houses there and who spend their entire summer in Struga, and they have no problems with anything, but i guess that the majority of people has developed some sort of antagonism to this...
One of the reasons why I respect Struga, is that its the host of the Struga Poetry Evenings, and is considered to be the world's largest poetry gathering. Each year, they award the Golden Wreath to one of the poets, and so far, people like Pablo Neruda, Allen Ginsberg, Miroslav Krleža, Artur Lundkvist, Desanka Maksimović, Seamus Heany etc etc etc, have been awarded this wreath.
They are usually held in summer, in late August, so if you happen to be in Macedonia, this event is highly recommended for attendance....it is also supported by UNESCO.

20th May.....the day that wasnt meant to be =(

Well, here i am....and instead of catching my bus to Belgrade, im going nowhere....unfortunately...hence my mood in the past days...if that can be called a mood at all.....this is the day ive been anxiously anticipating for months, or better said since last September when it was announced that Depeche Mode are gonna be touring again...this is the day that I dreaded since the very same day...and unfortunately, the day i wont have a chance to fulfill my dream....simply, the concert was cancelled...along with a number of others...the real shock was when i read that the concert in Athens had to be cancelled at the very last minute, before the guys actually went on stage....thats when the ghosts and the shadows started haunting me, giving me some bad sign...then it was Istanbul that was cancelled...and then, it was four others...Bucharest, Sofia, Belgrade and Zagreb....when i read this i was totally lost...i wanted to cry, but i couldnt....i just felt totally down and bummed out and just totally empty on the inside...I know to many it sounds as if im making a drama over nothing...but to me, Depeche Mode are not just my all time favourite band...their real impact is far beyond that...there is an emotional  connection i would never be able to explain...with their music i had managed to get through many of my hard times...with their music, i was able to face and live my own feelings and fears and joys and doubts...with their music i had often been able to give my feelings a meaning...you know, when you feel a certain way, but you cant find the right words to express it? well, Mr. Martin L. Gore has written it all down for me...their power on stage is one of the most amazing things ive seen and felt...and i have to say ive been lucky to actually experience it...3 years ago...regardless how pathetic it sounds, thats the best event thats has happened to my life, EVER!  Depeche Mode are an inherited part of me....and thats why all this is feeling so hard on me...its like a dream being broken into thousands of tiny little pieces....

Im really sorry im bothering you all with this....but i really need to commemorate this day to myself in any way...coz today is when i actually start to realize what has actually happened (its like a post-shock state).
 I even planned to stay in Belgrade by the end of the week, since my manager gave me two days off to go to the concert, and then was the weekend and just a perfect way to spend some time in the city i love so much...there was even the plan to meet with some of the Serbian postcrossers, but they will have to do without me this time :) The problem is, i dont know the right way to grieve all this...and i just still feel its chocking me on the inside...the worst part is that, I and all the rest of the DM fans, have no idea how the condition of Dave Gahan is right now..everyone is extremely worried, coz no news at all is actually WORSE than any sort of situation update...that gives a lots of room for opening rumourss and speculations and right now the official Depeche Mode message board is a place of insanity, with people's attitudes ranging from anger to fear to total impatience...and its getting worse and worse...unfortunately, im into that category too....the lack of news is killing me...not about further cancellations or the reschedule of the Belgrade concert...the fact that no one knows how Dave is doing is whats bringing loads of drama, and of course, the fact that many people have booked train/plane tickets, hotels etc. and now it all may be for nothing...its a real real chaos...but i just want so suppress my selfish attitude of *I* didnt go to the concert...this is not about me anymore...its about Dave and Depeche Mode...and all my thoughts and prayers for the best possible outcome regarding all this...I just wish it didnt feel THIS sad =|




Get better soon Dave....our hearts and thoughts are with you! I REALLY want to do the "NLMDA" wave at least once more in my life :)
Cheers to all the Depeche Mode fans out there, to all the soul sisters and soul brothers and any DM fans who happen to come across this post.

Tioman Island, Malaysia

Huh, i dont know about you...but whenever the school semester is approaching to its end, im becoming more and more impatient for it to be over, longing for some break, wanting to get away from everything and everyone...wouldnt mind if i end up at a place like this one...

this is one of those places which you can call, the paradise of Earth...or thats how the image of paradise is portrayed through the travel agents'. But it is indeed amazing, and i have it thanks to my dear Lyan :) And thats just coz i had it on my wishlist ;)
Hmm, well, ok, some education time...since i missed it with some of my students (coz they were just in some chatty mood) i guess i will still need to fulfill my required dosage of teaching and you happen to be the victims..yeah, i can be cruel and mean sometimes :)
Tioman is a small island in the state of Pahang. Its beaches were depicted in the 1958 movie,"South Pacific" as Bali Hai. Well, i havent heard of this nor i know this tune (im not very movie-wise since I rarely watch TV honestly, but Bali Hai reminded me of another song, i thought is worth sharing:





i think that the song does indeed create an atmosphere of being on a beautiful tropical island...and i have a great respect for Charlotte and her voice, too bad i hadnt found a reason to share her with you before...

According to legend, Tioman Island is the resting place of a beautiful dragon princess. Whilst flying from China to visit her prince in Singapore this beautiful maiden stopped to seek solace in the crystal-clear waters of the South China Sea.Enraptured by the charms of the place, she decided to discontinue her journey. By taking the form of an island, she pledged to offer shelter and comfort to passing travelers.

Hmm, i wonder if her prince wasnt killed from worries while waiting for her :)
Btw, while we are at the educating point...Lyan, i need your help with some stuff...my blog diagnosis ended up with 697 urls restricted by robots...i have no idea why...i used to have a few but they always decreased and increased and never went over 40 or so...sooooo, i was wondering if i could get some insight on this coz its annoying me, esp. since i have no idea where did the problem arise all of a sudden and its getting worse every day...rapidly =|

I like the unusual stamp format. Its from a 2008 issue, belonging to the Cultural Instruments and Artefacts, Series II.  This one here represents a Coconut Grater or "Kukur Kelapa" (I suppose thats how you call it in Malaysian....)
The coconut grater was once a very important tool in every Malay household as coconut milk is an essential ingredient in Malay cooking. Although its usage by the city folk have reduced due to the preference of electric tools, this tool is still much in use in the outskirts.
Some myths about "kukur" is that it is either male or female. Women are not allowed to use male "kukur" especially during major feasts.
Lyan...thank you!!!!! :)

Maria Cristina Falls, Philippines

Well, not so far from Malaysia, are the Philippines and lets see whats happening there...

I got this card in the Different Countries RR, showing the Maria Cristina Falls on the island of Mindanao in the Philippines. They are sometimes called the twin falls as the flow is separated by a rock at the brink of the waterfall. Apart from their beauty, the falls are also the primary source of electric power for the city's industries, being harnessed by the Agus VI Hydroelectric Plant.
Do you know that at the time of writing this, Postcrossing has 100 013 members??? I wonder who became the 100, 000...before i went to work it had 99, 9something...and i wondered when the 100, 000 will happen, and while i wasnt looking, it did...so, CONGRATS! and a THANK YOU for making this whole project possible...im actually proud and happy to be a part of it :)

the two stamps belong to a set of definitives from 2007, issued December 10th, called simply Philippine Birds. All these are from a value of 7p.There are other sets issued with a number of other values, on the same theme.
The stamp on the left features the Pied Imperial Pigeon, while the other one, the Spotted Imperial Pigeon.

Virginia, USA

My last card for today comes from my dear Chrissy .....

Well, Chrissy knows i love flag cards, so she thought i will maybe like this one...well, there is never a miss with flag cards for me ;)
Well, since the back of the cards are somewhat smarter than me (sometimes) ill tell you what it says :))

VIRGINIA

A deep blue field contains the seal of Virginia, with the Latin motto "Sic Semper Tyrannis" - "Thus Ever to Tyrants". Adopted in 1776. The two figures are acting out the meaning of the motto. Both are dressed as warriors. The woman, Virtus, represents Virginia. The man holding a scourge and chain, shows that he is a tyrant. His fallen crown symbolizes his loss of authority over commonwealth. Eight U.S Presidents came from Virginia.

Chrissy, have you maybe considered to run for one as well?? You'll have my support :)
And thanks a million for the card...its just perfect for me! :)

Connemara, Ireland

Well, i guess i rushed out with that Norwegian card, and should have saved it for today...it would have been a nice way to congratulate them on the Eurovision win! :) Well, i didnt watch the contest, i have stopped doing so a year or two ago, but i did watch the voting and those were some incredible votes for Norway!! Well, i cant judge if it was better or worse compared to other songs, coz i didnt hear the others...the Norwegian one was fine, and im actually glad they won...you already know why :) No no, not coz its Norway....

Well, instead of Norway, ill give you something Irish...they have beautiful nature as well.
Connemara - this is the name given to the western portion of Co. Galway which lies between Lough Corrib and the Atlantic. It is a region of superb scenic grandeur dominated by the rocky mountain range known as the Twelve Bens. Connemara has inspired many famous paintings and a tour of the district is indeed a memorable experience. The Gaeltacht (Irish Speaking Area) provides students of Irish with excellent opportunities for learning the language.

Well, i have to say that ive always found the Cletic languages rather difficult and odd...and back at university when i would have come across some Celtic manuscripts or readings, i honestly couldnt understand a thing...

Mumbai, India

Especially for Ksenia...and all other railway lovers....this is the Shivaji Terminus, the busiest railway station in Mumbai! And if you take a closer look, you will actually see a river of people...and well, it even seems scary :) I honestly dont like crowded places...they make me feel uncomfortable with myself...and i definitely wouldnt want to travel in an overcrowded train. It happened to me when i was a kid and when i was going with my grandparents on a visit in Serbia...we actually had to STAND in the hall for most of the trip...the only place we could sit on was on our bags...can you actually imagine? a trip of 300km or so in that manner?

Well, this busiest railway has earned its status of a UNESCO and it was built by the British in the 18th century. Ever wanna take a ride on a train somewhere in India??? Take a look...



and another one...



hmmmm...not your dream ride i guess...

well, lets see the stamps...there were two on the top, where they are supposed to be, and one at the bottom right corner, right below the address.
Both of these are commemorative stamps (yess! i learned the difference between 'commemorative' and 'definitive' ) The stamp on the right was issued in December 2006 to commemorate the worlds' aids day, while the one next to it is from the 2008 Jasmine collection and belongs to the category of scented stamps...and it does smell indeed...its lovely!

As for this rose stamp....it is a definitive issued in 2002, featuring a rose...though i cant say im utterly sure about the validity of this information....

Well, in any case, thanks a lot to Nagi for sending me this absolutely great card!  

Prijedor, Rep. Srpska (BiH)

As for my last card today, ill take you to Bosnia, or more precisely, Republika Srpska...now, as usual, i dont wanna go into politics here and discuss claims of territories and recognized states...all i want is to show you the card coz its a really nice one...

Prijedor is the third largest town in Republika Srpska and along with its region, it has been known for not such a great past, coz it has suffered numerous mass murders and it has also been a place of mass rape executions of the people.
Well, with this bridge and the river, reminds me of Skopje a bit...esp. regarding some postcards.

I must say that the stamps are very beautiful as well. The smaller stamp is from a set of 4 definitives from 2008, representing the flora of Republika Srpska, this one in particular shows the Gentiana asclepiadea.  The other stamp is a commemorative one from a set of 2, belonging to the European Protection issue and here you can see the Ugar River Canyon.

Ive looked at some other Republika Srpska stamps, and i must say i find them reaaally nice!

Mtskheta, Georgia

Well, i didnt really believe i was gonna make an update today, but i really need to keep my mind away from things, and i just dont know what to do with myself and i think that its better to post something...it will keep me distracted for a while and i also have a huge reason to do so, since i have received a new country in my mailbox today...GEORGIA!! With an enormous thank you to Khatuna! And not only she sent me a new country in my collection, but the way she did it is more than special...but i will get down to it later.
I know some of you know why my bad mood, and i wont annoy you with it now...i will do it during the following week though :)  Just please, bear with me in the following days....

Apart from actually getting a new country, i received a new UNESCO as well...some cards just arrive on a day they most need to do so....i havent received mail for several days and today, after what had happened yesterday, i was on the verge to cry coz there was no mail today...but the postman came a bit late than usual, and cheered me up....with LOADS of mail :)
Mtskheta (which i honestly dont know how to pronounce) is the oldest town of Georgia and is located approximately 20 km northeast of Tbilisi (the capital) at the confluence of the Aragvi and Mtkvari rivers (ok, definitely if i ever go to Georgia, i would have trouble with pronouncing basic stuff...due the high number of consecutive consonants).
On the card you can see the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral (IV-XI century) and due to its historical significance and numerous ancient monuments, the "Historical Monuments of Mtskheta" became a UNESCO whs in 1994, where the Svetitskhoveli Cathedral is amongst the most significant monuments of Georgian Christian architecture, and are historically significant in the development of medieval architecture throughout the Caucasus.
My personal knowledge about Georgia? Apart from knowing the capital...it can equal to 'none'.

Now, what amazed me from Khatuna was that she had sent me two cards, in an envelope...but EACH card was written, stamped AND postmarked, and afterwards put in an envelope...and then the envelope had great stamps as well...and i was like, OH MY....this is just amazing!
All of the stamps are just amazing...here you can see  two stamps regarding the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008 (i think that many countries have issued such stamps, including Macedonia).
The other stamp has been issued in the honour of Rabbi Abraam Khovels, who is considered as a spiritual and civic leader who lived in Georgia more than a century ago.
Again, Khatuna...thanks a real real lot!!

Storfjorden, Norway

When i found this card in my mailbox, i got a chill down my spine...i shuddered all over...and i was just thrilled! Wanna take a guess why?

NO-22145

Norway...just the name of it gives me a shiver....but this fjord here....fjords are so fascinating and so amazing to me...and so beautiful....just look at this absolutely breathtaking view!! And you know why im even more excited about it? Coz i got it as an official! We've had this small "discussion" over at Ksenia's the other day, whether people at the official site put less effort to send you a nice card, compared to the cards you can get thru the swaps/tags/RR's etc....
Well, i can say that with me its sort of balanced...i have received amazing cards through all those ways..just as i had received cards which were rather disappointing...again, as an official, swap, tag etc.
I think that when you swap with someone, its sort of a deal and you may more easily determine what would be ok for the other person, esp. if you have already sent him or her a card, you know what may be right for them...I dont wanna sound too picky coz im actually not...but the disappointing times for me when i had received  a card that had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to do with my wish list...not even close to it..and that its like obvious that they have sent you the card just so that they get rid of it...or cards which are like billion years old and even have that awkward stale smell...yeah, ive received such...as a swap...so now you do the math who puts more effort...you can never know...probably sometimes its harder to determine thru the official what the person may like, esp. if they have the "I like all kinds of cards" thing...not that im gonna send them just anything i have lying around...but its harder to pick, and there is a chance you make a mistake...
I just wanna say that im happy that people like Joey exist on the site and send me cards like this...this is my second official from Joey (the first one was this amazing Lysefjorden i fell in love with..)
I think that the debate could go on forever...what im trying to determine is, whats worse, when you arrange a swap/tag/rr...to get a crappy card or not to get a card at all?
Btw, Storfjorden in English means "Great Fjord"...

the stamps is from the 2008 issue of Touristic Stamps (If im right with what ive read, every year Norway issues a set of Touristic Stamps). The one here is representing the Sunnmøre Alps, which is the favourite haunt of hikers and climbers.

Joey, thanks again for this stunning card...i truly hope, not the last one :))))

Australia

I dont know if im unconsciously choosing the cards for the updates, but ive been posting maps in every single update...well, not that i mind, it feels nicer for me to have a little bit of everything, but now that i realized it, i felt weird about it.

Its a really nice map, as well as my other Australian one...I would love to visit Australia one day (well i would love to visit every single place in the world actually)...but i dont think i would love to live in Australia.
I dont know if you knew, but many Macedonians live in Australia...the thing with them  is, i dont know if they get culturally over-enlightened, but they really feel very self-centered with themselves. A friend of mine went to Australia several years ago to visit her relatives who are Macedonians but have lived there for their whole life. And this is what happened to her. She wanted to watch something, and one of the relatives did this.."So, this is a V-I-D-E-O R-E-C-O-R-D-E-R...you use it to watch films....and this is a T-A-P-E! You take the tape, and, see this opening in the recorder??? Weeeelll, you put the tape in it and you GEEEEENTLY push it inside. Then you take this, which is called a R-E-M-O-T-E C-O-N-T-R-O-L...It is used to change channels, like this (and he shows her how to do it.)
And my friend was just speechlessly watching him...she couldnt believe it that he treated her like a retard and she wondered if she should tell him how many videos in her life she had actually watched...i guess thats coz of the lack of information people have about Macedonia...we are far from the greatest or most developed country in the world, but we are not from the Stone age either...funny though, many Macedonian immigrants do treat us like that forgetting they come from here as well....its an absurd situation...not to mention the Australian-Macedonian language they had invented...its a mixture of English and Macedonian, and its just....awful and ridiculous. I wonder how shocked they would be if they actually knew we have iPods as well....
Well that would be all for today....see you soon...hopefully

Montevideo, Uruguay

Yup...here it is!   101!   No no no, not 101 Dalmatians....its the 101st country! :)
I know some of you voted for Uruguay and you were really close actually, and i DID expect Uruguay to arrive, but Uzbekistan just forestalled it and arrived first...i hope you dont feel as in all those lottery/bingo games where it always takes *just a tiny tiny little* to have won the grand prize, but that tiny little, always seems to be missing....

Well, i must say that i LOVE my Uruguay card...not coz its  from a new country, but first, the card is just beautiful, second, it has a flag picture on it, and third....it comes from Montevideo and has the name written on the front of the card!!! I think you may know that i have a soft spot for places' names, and that some of them just sound really appealing to me for whatever reason...well, Montevideo is just one of them...it feels as such a strange and interesting and just lovely name...
In this lovely night view, you can see the Independence Square...here is whats written at the back of the card:
It emerged as a result of the demolition of the Fortress Walls. Carlos Zucchini started building it in 1837 and it was redesigned by Bernardo Ponchini in 1860.
The monument of our national hero, José Artigas, is situated in the middle of the square.

Do you know what they say about Uruguay?
Uruguay used to be South America's best-kept secret, with a handful of Argentines, Brazilians, Chileans and non–South Americans in the know popping in to enjoy the pristine beaches, the atmospheric cities, the huge steaks and the happening nightlife. Then the peso crashed, the place became a whole lot more affordable and people got curious. They came, loved it and went back home to tell their friends. Who came, loved it and went back home to tell their friends.

I love this self-adhesive, unusual stamp...well, stamps which differ from the 'regular' rectangular shape, are unusual to me. The stamp was issued in December 2008, belonging to a series of stamps representing flowers and shows the Flower of the CEIBO (National Flower).
Now, i dont know if this kind of a large rectangular cancellation is typical for this part of the world...i have it on my cards from Costa Rica and Nicaragua too...well, i find it interesting...i find loads of things interesting, esp. the ones that differ from the traditional things, or at least the ones that *I* am used to...

Arizona, USA

I got this card as a total surprise from my dear Carol...and its a great card indeed!

The card is called "Rock Art"....An exquisitely designed petroglyph panel in the backcountry of Petrified Forest National Park eloquently speaks to the artistry of its carver. The five-toed mammal with long tail has the attributes of a mountain lion but its curved horns resemble those of a desert bighorn sheep. And the lizard figures appear to merge into human forms. Hybridized creatures occasionally appear in rock art of the Ancestral Pueblo People.
Carol thought i might decipher what the artist(s) had said since i am practiced (uhm) in the field of translation..
Well, after consulting my text-books and dictionaries, whats carved in there, says: Get better soon dear Carol, and let those around you be well soon as well!

;)

And i have to thank Carol for always using lots and also, different stamps...and doesnt use the standard 94c stamp everyone is complaining about since they see it more than often :)
And i must say a big thank you to the US postal service for actually NOT destroying one bit of this card and for leaving it intact...i dont know about you, but most of my US cards arrive with paper torn from the back, or missing....

Alberta, Canada

A beautiful Alberta sunset covers fields of barley with an orange glow....

Really nice view...and whenever i look at this field, i get a feeling that the barley actually feels like cashmere, and when you bring it close to your face, you just rub it and it feels sooo tender and smooth...just like some clothes you had washed and you had used some beautifully scented fabric softener...i love using those when i wash my clothes...afterwards they smell fantastic and feel so soft....I used to use one chocolate scented softener and boy, i had an itch to literally eat my clothes...it was amazingly good!! Unfortunately, i havent been able to find it in the shops afterwards....apart from one flower-scented, i also have a Vanilla fabric softener in the bathroom...but i think that the chocolate one is irreplaceable....unless i come across a coconut scented one...then i might change my opinion :)

No stamp on this card...i guess Canada has a lack of stamps as well sometimes....or just has some lazy postal clerks....
I know that according to the rules, all international mail here HAS to have stamps on it...and that its the postal-workers' duty to do that if i lets say hand them out my mail with no stamps...but i know its a way too risky thing to do, so i always try to get my stamps ahead, and sometimes i need to visit a bunch of post-offices before i actually find ones....but so far i think i actually havent failed in it...and i hope i wont in the future as well

Thanks for reading...and wish me all the good luck in the world in your thoughts...im gonna need it....

Kyiv, Ukraine

I have received some great mail today (and in a huge amount) so i really feel that i owe you an update...again :) Problem is, the reciprocity of cards i receive totally outnumbers the ones i upload here, so im just getting more and more behind with it all....and i had got my 101st country as well...but i wont tell you yet which one is it coz i simply havent been able to scan anything...and i dont wanna leave it until tonight or tomorrow or etc...so i guess you just have to stay tuned and patient until the next update to see it ;)

This magnificent card came as a lovely surprise from dear Ksenia. These Ukrainian cathedrals just have something special in them..i dont know if its coz of their colours but they certainly dont resemble a typical cathedral...this one is more like a castle that had come from a Disney Fairytale...i just cant decide if it belongs to Snow White, Cinderella,  Mulan or the Sleeping Beauty...though from the entire tranquil atmosphere around it, i would go for the Sleeping Beauty :)
This is the St. Sofia Cathedral, dating back from the XI century, and it is a UNESCO whs as well!! And no, i still havent updated my UNESCO list...i will, i promise.
The St. Sofia cathedral is an outstanding architectural monument of Kievan Rus'. Today, it is one of the city's best known landmarks and the first Ukrainian patrimony to be inscribed on the UNESCO whs list. The cathedral's name comes from the 6th-century Hagia Sophia cathedral in Constantinopole.
I havent come across the "Kievan Rus'" term before, and i was surprised to find out that it was a medieval state which existed from approximately 880 to the middle of the 12th century and was founded by the Scandinavian traders called Rus. Rus' polity is considered an early predecessor of three modern East Slavic nations, Belarusians, Russians and Ukrainians. 
Is this another history lesson i hadnt paid attention to? 

From what i could gather, the stamp belongs to a set of 7 definitives, issued in 2007, featuring art and antique objects...i still need to get used to this 'definitives' word...

And Ksenia...dzięki! :)))))))

South Africa

Yeaaah!! A map card again! A lovely one! Thanks to Gisela!
Wow, its soo blueish that it gives me a real thrill!

Apart from South Africa you can as well catch a glimpse of Lesotho, Namibia, Botswana, Swaziland, and something else for which i need high-diopter binoculars coz i recognize letters properly.
I used to think that Johannesburg is its capital, but actually its only the largest city...while the capital is Pretoria (an executive one), then you have Bloemfontein (as a judicial capital) and Cape Town (as a legislative capital).
I guess due to the position of Lesotho and Swaziland it would be impossible to have a South Africa map card only...but then again, i cant count this card as both Swaziland and Lesotho, even though i would love to...coz i actually want a real card from there, not something 'mentioned' somewhere else...

before you get all the question marks around your head, the stamp is actually upside down...sorry if your neck hurts from bending...i just would need some help with finding info about this stamp....my effort was unsuccessful...so anyone, philately wise, any help would be appreciated...and right now the only person i can think of who is especially interested in aircraft, is Glenn...so Glenn, if you are reading this, please, help! :)

Serbia

And something splendid from my dear Ana....

I really feel like opening my own postcard-production company...not that we have SO lousy cards...but compared to many out there, most of them are, well, just not so beautiful...i dont know if its coz im just more than used to them, or to seeing all those places, but sometimes i think that the majority of our postcards lack some sort of an artistic and emotional touch...I wish we had a beautiful series of postcards as the one above here...
This card fits perfectly into this collection of Serbian cards (though i think i still have one left unuploaded).
This is the part of Serbia called Vojvodina, or if it makes more sense, the part closest to Hungary...when i went to primary school and when Yugoslavia still existed we learned of these as the Autonomous republics of Vojvodina and Kosovo.
On the card here, in the upper part, you can see Novi Sad seen from the Petrovaradin's Fortress and next to it is the Lake Palic.
On the down line of pictures, you have the Crepaja Village, then Bečej - Dunđerski Castle (one of the rare renovated castles in this part of the world) and the last picture portrays the "Obedska Bara" Nature Reserve.

Well, all i can say is that its a lovely card...Анчи, хвала ти највише! Стварно си супер! :)