The First Postcrossing Meeting in Belgrade

well, ok...you should all know by now about the first postcrossing meeting that was held in Belgrade on 29 October 2011...if you dont know about it, you should probably blame your postman :)

It came too spontaneously, but turned out great...the only remark would be the lack of time :)
And one of the most special things about this meeting was the special postcard design we had, done by Renato. A really unique card, representing all the participants (by their usernames) and all that nicely arranged according to the country they were coming from! Can you spot me? :P
Personally I addressed way too many cards...and I have no idea how many we signed in total, but it was a LOT LOT LOT!!! Well, after all, it was the first meeting :)
Unfortunately, I didnt manage to send as many cards as I had originally planned...the time simply didnt allow it, and funny but after the postcard shopping, I ended up writing out ALL of the cards, even though I planned to bring back some home...so do the math :)
If you hadnt gotten a card from this meeting and you are sure your postman is the most reliable guy on Earth, then let us know for next time :)

and somehow this post was perfect to present this fantastic map card of Yugoslavia...it was sent to me by Renato as well, a few months before the meeting. Here all the former republics of Yugoslavia can be seen with their respective flags...and this is somewhat what our meeting was about...postcrossers from different parts of  former Yugoslavia...unfortunately, Montenegro, BiH and Slovenia were missing, but we wholeheartedly hope that on the next meeting, at least one representative from each republic would be present. Ill do my best to fill in the Macedonian spot :)

Renato used a really nice definitive from a set of 8 issued in 2007 with this one representing Kopaonik.

A big hug to all my PC meeting friends, and of course, to the ones who couldnt make it this time :)

Yugoslavia

And to make my thrill and excitement even bigger, i also found this little gem of a card....a card with the Yugoslavian flag!! I was literally head over hills when i saw this....a real little treasure in my collection...who would have thought that I would get to have a Yugoslavian flag card? having in mind that Yugoslavia ceased to exist almost 20 years ago...Im uber-content with what I found!! Uber-content!

Flag of the former Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia consisted of three equal horizontal bands coloured in pan-Slavic colours, blue (top), white and red - with yellow bordered red star, symbol of communism at the flag's centre.

I recall how in kindergarten and primary school we often had the task to draw this flag or the coat of arms...which wasnt that hard...and we especially loved drawing the star....I just wonder how would it have been if i lived in a country with a more complicated flag to be drawn....

Anyway, the Yugoslavian flag was created during World War II by replacing the royal coat of arms on the flag of pre-war Kingdom of Yugoslavia with the red star of communism. The first flag for Democratic Federal Yugoslavia had a red star in the centre stripe of the Yugoslav tricolour. After the war it was given its final shape by enlarging the star and adding a narrow yellow border.
The flag was usually accompanied on official buildings by the flag of the particular socialist republic and the flag of the League of Communists. Because of this, many buildings in former Yugoslavia still carry a three-poled flag holder.

You know...I miss Yugoslavia...I may have still been little when it went apart, but i do miss those times....I think many people actually do...

ps. the title you can read at the flag "Tito Forever", is not part of the actual flag...thats just the nostalgic feeling for what we used to have during the rule of Josip Broz Tito....