Port Erin, Isle of Man

I was supposed to do other stuff....but I totally overslept....consequence of a day-to-day lack of sleep....sooner or later it catches up with you...well, i have still tonz of work to do, but at this point Im really not into it...and yeah, its been over 10 days since my last post....will get down to that bit later....lets not spoil my new country :)

Isle of Man....when i first heard about it (and i did so only when i joined postcrossing), I totally mis-translated into it...that is, I translated the word "Man" too literally.....even though as a linguist, i am SUPPOSED to know that you DONT translate names of countries and such....
This card is just really great, not only for being my first from the Isle of Man, but also, it has a picture of a train on it, and if im not mistaken, on the picture in the top right corner, thats a lighthouse...well, it looks like that, and thats a natural place for a lighthouse to be....but maybe some local could confirm it just to make sure...
As for Port Erin, its situated in the southern part of the Island...meaning "The Iron Port" or "Lord's Port"....
Ok....I just found it....that is NOT a lighthouse but a tower...the Milner's Tower....well, there is quite a story behind it, as well as regarding the railway museum on the island (the locomotive you see is called No.11 Maitland)...I really hope to receive single-view cards from these places so i could get into an in-depth monologue about them :P

Thanks a million to Andy for sending me this one!

Nathan Road, Hong Kong

This is actually my first received card in 2010 :)

The card is called "Neon Fantasy on Nathan Road"
This is a composite creation made up of many of the best neon signs on both sides of the harbour. Many of the sins represent some of Hong Kong;s best restaurants and night spots. The street is real and is also known as The Golden Mile.
The card is great, the street looks incredible, but in real life such places with soooo many lights flashing around are gonna give me nothing but a headache...I guess i wont be wrong if i say its a rather noisy street as well...I dont understand the majority of these signs, but i think Dani might have fun while trying to read them all and understand them....and tell me whats in here...and maybe we can go for a drink here some day...one day :)

stamp from 2006 from a set of 16 definitives representing birds, and here is the Red Whiskered Bul Bul.

Thanks to Iris for the card, even though I told her she shouldnt be sending me one...its nice sometimes when people go against my word ;)

Pantanal, Brazil

Not the kind of surrounding Id like to be trapped in...

I know that some people would keep this as a pet....but personally I cant imagine even touching such a creature...I have already posted about Pantanal, so you can read more about it there, instead of me repeating myself with the same data.
Today ill show you one cartoon about an alligator....one of those cartoons I watched when I was little...and which nowadays just bring nostalgic feelings to me of some better times...
Now THIS is a cute alligator..he he :)  The Walli Gator...with the unforgettable Macedonian synchronization....I miss these voices....

Misery Bay, Canada

I left this last with a purpose....due to the name...

Though I must admit that just after posting 3 cards I feel sooo much better already! Its been proven before that this place makes me feel better even when Im at my worst....but unfortunately, time sometimes just really isnt on my side...
A lot of things going on...and I think that once it starts happening, it just cant end....starting from technical issues and the fact that my brand new lap-top is at the service, since its HDD failed...maybe I would have taken it more easily if it didnt happen on the same day I got so much work to do....and I have to wait for two more weeks before the new HDD arrives from the manufacturer...I just think that at least I saved most of my files from there...
As I said, work...days of work overload....and those days run way too much opposite of smooth...and i just feel like stuck among issues i cant solve and which might have not such nice consequences upon me...im supposed to be working right now as well, but man, i so much cant...I just C-A-N-T! But I know its gonna be another sleepless night later due to that...
And a number of other nonsense happening which just cant let you enjoy things...until you eventually reach the point where you dont feel happy with anything or anyone...thats why I chose this card...reflects my mood somehow (though as I said, i feel better already after spending some time here).
I just dont know why they call it Misery Bay...looks really beautiful...

the three great stamps from the Canadian Artists issue...Bryan Adams, Edith Butler and Robert Charlebois.....and the cute ladybug stamp.

Thats all folks...thanks for reading...I cant really promise when Ill next post here....might be tomorrow....might be in two days, might be after a week....its just impossible to plan it....but at least, im still around ;)
Thanks for the support!

Vatican City

Sorry for the silence these past few days....you know how it goes with me....sometimes im able to write every second day...sometimes it may take a whole week between two posts....

And lets start off with something really extra....well, I do have some other cards showing the St. Peter's Square in Vatican.....but this one feels more special than them all....first of all because it was sent as a total surprise...second...well, ill tell you the second reason later ;)
Funny but, what comes on my mind regarding Vatican right now, apart from the Pope of course, is what happened during the Christmas Eve mass..when this lady attacked the Pope...when I watched it on TV she seemed to have done it with such ease...as if the guards were in some slow motion....and of course, she was said to be mentally unstable...cant claim if she really was or no, but its funny how when people go to court coz they are guilty of something, their defense is that he or she did it coz was mentally unstable, was unable to think rationally coz of this or that, has serious psychiatric disorders, etc etc etc...and of course, judges cant fight against that the same way they would if the person who did the crime is said to have been completely sane....

well, this is the second reason why this card feel so special...it has a Vatican stamp on it and is postmarked directly from Vatican City!!! Wohoooo!!What a joy!! This feels like a real rarity!
The stamp is from a set of 7 issued in 2009, commemorating 80 years of Vatican City...and of course, it shows the Pope....

Kotor, Montenegro

One of the way too many cards I bought this past summer....too bad that with the huge cards, you cant actually grasp their actual size through here...

The old city of Kotor is one extremely beautiful city (all old cities seem to be)..... I had the chance to visit it and climb up the old fortress until the very top, where the victorious flag stands. It was a great day, esp. since I didnt really plan it ahead...but I really loved it. The several things you MUST have in case you decide to go up to the top, are: a camera, comfortable non-slippery trainers, water and to be in a good physical condition....otherwise you'll run out of breath on the first corner :)

And its really enjoyable up there....calm and peaceful and you can just enjoy the view in front of you..the city of Kotor, the Boka-Kotor bay...the Adriatic Sea.....ahhhhhhhhhh...

I just wanna thank to Anastasia for making me company on that day, and for actually convincing me to go....made the trip feel really great (along with the postcard hunt afterwards.....I always laugh when I remember the post office we went to and the cute guys who worked there :P)

Lisa Simpson

Something for the Simpson lovers.

the USPS issued these stamped postal cards (but since this was sent inside an envelope, not much of a point to show the stamp of a blank card, and either way, you know the Simpsons' stamps already)
I think that so far I miss Bart and Maggie from this series....
I love the Simpsons, and Ive always loved Lisa...coz of her down to earth character, yet extremely smart and gifted....of course, she has had her own moments, everyone does, no?

"Lisa Simpson is vegan, a lover of the blues and an all-around know-it-all. If you are looking for a pen-pal who writes back promptly and uses complete sentences, send this card to her"

Ok, i definitely dont fall into that category...If you had ever had the chance to write with me, you are more than aware that I dont write promptly, neither that I use complete sentences....my letters are a real chit-chat :)

And yeah, I used to wish that my real family would take me away....now....well, it doesnt really matter anymore...

Budapest, Hungary

Been a while since Ive posted something Hungarian here...

I know Ive spoken of Budapest before and I know that I will speak of it again since I have too many Budapest cards....so instead of talking about it, this time ill show you just two links Ive overtaken from Kriszti...the first one is a really beautiful video about Hungary...and I love the music as well!



on the second link you can read loads of info and facts about Budapest and Hungary too, and as well browse lots of beautiful pictures

http://www.earth-photography.com/Countries/Hungary

and here come two nice stamps....the one on the left is from 2001 from a set of 6 definitives showing chairs, while the other one is from 2003 and is called European car-free day....respect!

Abu Dhabi, UAE

As announced, here is the UAE card I said i was gonna post....for the wrong reasons probably :)

Well, postcards should be posted due to what they represent and show to the viewer...but sometimes...more than often..I just want to deviate from all that....and as I already said, Im dedicating this card to Nadal's win of the Abu Dhabi tournament ten days ago. It was some sort of a mini tournament, I didnt even have a chance to watch it, but I was more than delighted to see him win the title. After a really odd year last season, winning the first place on ATP, than falling back second, with his knee problems and his tendinitis...and what I found out just recently, his parents' divorce..Nadal certainly had a tough year...and it was a quite disappointing one for his fans...esp. watch him at the end of the year lose all three matches in the Barclays ATP World Tour Finals...so Rafa, winning a title after all that, was pure delight....so thats why I felt I needed to make a post related to it...and since I had this Abu Dhabi card, none other could have been more perfect.

here is a short preview of Rafa's final played against Soderling:

isnt he just adorable? :P :D

I just really hope i would have the chance to get to see more of Nadal in situations like this, this season.

And lest not forget the card coz it certainly is an amazing one.
It shows the Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque in Abu Dhabi, which is one of the largest mosques in the world and can accommodate more than 30,000 worshipers.
On the inside it is filled with swarowski crystals and 24k gold....and if to some it looks familiar, the building was inspired by the palace in the Aladin cartoon.
Dont really remember Aladin so I cant confirm if this is true or no....

the stamp is from 2007 from an issue of 7 stamps from thr 5th definitive series.

Taiwan

A very interesting card I got from Andrea for the Winner Of The Month contest

The card is called "Dancing with the Gods"...it has no further information, and  I couldnt really find any on the internet regarding this particular card, but i guess is that its one of those common rituals that exist in many religions, dedicated to the Gods. Calling them, bringing them sacrifices etc.

I like how this person is dressed and the make up as well..actually, at first I thought it was a woman...then I got a closer look and saw its a man....

                                                 

and two beautiful stamps. the one on the right is a part from an Ancient Chinese Painting "A Hundred Deer" by Ignace Sichelbart. There is a total of 8 stamps in this issue.

The other one is from a set of 4 stamps from 2008, called "Regional Opera Series-Taiwanese Puppet Postage Stamps" (The Scholar Knight of Yunjhou)

Greece

A card which has to be commemorated since its my first official one from Greece.

GR-8348

For a long time I was wondering how it would be if I got a Greek address or if a Greek person got mine...I didnt mind at all sending one to Greece....I was more reluctant about the other person's reaction, since when it comes to political issue you just have to be prepared for everything...esp. if the reaction comes from one of the two involved parties.
And then this lovely card came from Dimitris...without any problem....with a nice message on the back. I must say I was delighted.
The funny thing is that after I received this one, in less than a month I got two more Greek official cards...all beautiful and all nice and kind.
I liked it that not once a political issue was mentioned and wasnt the basis of those people expressing some sort of antagonism or so.
I appreciate it from these people...and as you know, the last thing I want to discuss in depth here is Politics and Religion.
We can meet for that someplace else...

and here are a bunch of great stamps!

The top and bottom one on the left side are from 2009. The bottom one is from a set of 9 stamps and is dedicated to Greek actors. Here you can see Manos Katrakis. The stamp in the middle is from 2008 from an issue of 10 stamps representing Greek Islands....here you can see Chios.
As for the two stamps on top, I couldnt find any info....the official Greek Postal site, just works with some errors, unfortunately.

Enoshima Electric Railway, Japan

A train card coming from Japan.

I like it how they have matched the colours of the train with the natural environment...looks real nice.
The Enoshima Electric Railway is said to be established in 1902 and runs between Fujisawa & Katase (Enoshima).
Its a local train...well, surely doesnt seem to be an express one :)
I recall some of the Murakami books talked of people taking the train to travel from A to B...i doubt it was one of these kind of trains...and this also reminds me i need to finish the Murakami book I started few months ago...but I just dont seem to have the focus for reading lately...nothing surprising =[

Apart from being a train card, there are also, two great train stamps! Bingo!!!
However, as it happens often with the Japanese stamps....I couldnt find much info about these. I hope that soon, the Stamps sector at the Japanese Postal site, will soon be translated into English.

Doha, Qatar

I had totally different plans for this card, and sort of saved if for that special purpose, but obviously I planned things too early...as the saying goes, dont count one's chickens before they're hatched....

But I so much wanted to count those chickens, and I had such solid ground to do so....and everything was going ok, and then all of a sudden, things just changed for 180°. I couldnt figure out what went wrong...all I know is that I was devastated and totally bummed. I still feel so.
And before it arises any confusion, im talking about the tennis tournament which took part in Doha last week....yeah, the whole fuss revolves around tennis....I know its stupid and childish, but thats how I react....when I support something, I support it 10000% and I feel with every single second of it.....if its a good result, i feel overwhelmed as if something terrific has happened to me personally....if its a bad result, i feel as its my own loss..i know im taking things too personally, but actually, thats what also brings the beauty of watching sports..the excitement is greater....but well....you win some, you lose some...
Im talking of the final here between Nadal and Davydenko....Nadal won the first set with 6:0....no one could've imagined that from then on, things will go downhill for him...i still cant figure it out if its Nadal who lost concentration and played badly, or if its Davydenko who resurrected.....it was a nail-bite in the second and the third set...Nadal had match points...couldnt make it....after all, it was some great and exciting tennis indeed, but I really really wish Nadal had won this one....just as much Davydenko deserved to win this title, so did Nadal....the next tournament is in Australia..so I guess I will be saving one for until then....which reminds me, I have an Abu Dhabi card left as well...Ill post it next time...to commemorate Nadal's win there last week.....

Btw, on the card you can see the Maritime Museum in Doha. For some reason, I couldnt really find some info about it...

Ljubljana, Slovenia

This is my first, and so far only official from Slovenia

SI-15671

what I insanely love about this card is the choice of the sender...coz on this card you can actually see the monument of France Prešern...I think its not hard to guess why i so much appreciate the sender's choice here...apart from that, you can also see the Three Bridges with the Franciscan church and the Šmalc (former Hauptman) House.
I dont know if i had shared this with you before.
As some of you may know, Skopje suffered a disastrous earthquake in 1963, 26th of July..the city was immensly destroyed and many areas had to be rebuilt from the scratch, since around 80% of the city were destroyed. Many countries from all over the world (78 to be precise) gave their hand to help us, to rebuild the city, to find shelter and food for the homeless ones. All the  countries from former Yugoslavia helped as well...and the area where I live now, was helped by Slovenia....so hence the certain Slovenian distinctions.
As for France Prešern, he was one of Slovenia's greatest poets, and I hope Ill have a chance to talk of him more in depth with some other card.

the stamp is from the flowers set of 17 stamps issued in 2007, with this one showing the Saw-wort.

Montana, USA

And a nice Montana view for the end....

This is the Absoraka Mountain range in Montana, which is located near the Beartooth mountain range. This range forms a natural border between Montana and Wyoming. The highest peak, Frances Peak, rises to 13, 153  above sea level.

so long :)

Честит Божиќ * С Рождеством * Merry Christmas

...to me and to everyone else celebrating it today! Even though I can say we are like a minority compared to the people celebrating it on 25th December, im still glad and thankful that people DID remember I celebrate it today and expressed their kind regards. Thanks everyone!!!!
Im not in a real Christmassy mood....I think that (as ive said before) the whole euphoria goes to New Year's....and Christmas is more like a calm day, spent with your family...no presents here at Christmas...no fuss...except two non working days....I really really hope dear Mr. Postman will brighten up my mailbox tomorrow....lack of mail has been making me really cranky :P

it has been a nice day....I must note that the weather outside was absolutely gorgeous! 14 degrees (yeah, few days ago we had snow...)...But it was just really nice! I also had this unfinished task to do, but I gave myself the freedom not to work today and just enjoy myself....and it felt good! Plus there is tennis :)

Today wont be a regular post day...Ill just show you the Christmas cards I had received so far....enjoy! :)

just want to point out, that cards are posted in order they were received...I dont want someone to feel wrong if his or her card is among the last or so :)

and of course, with some Christmas cards, come the Christmas stamps! I wont go into details for each and every one of them...ill just post them here for your own pleasure....and I must say that Russia never ceases to amaze me with their lovely colourful stamps! Just beautiful!!

I know there are too many images and that this post may seem über chaotic, but there was no way I could exclude any of these cards....and it only Christmas once a year...so you'll get by :)

Once again, thanks to everyone who remembers that our Christmas is not celebrated in December, but in January....it really means a lot to me!

Will be back with the regular posts from tomorrow on, so stay tuned!