Cambodia

The joys of the chilly weather were unfortunately very short-lasting and here we are, back to the terrible summer heat - more unbearable here in the concrete-jungle of the city... I have had my days of such high-temperatures while being by the lake or the sea, and everything just feels so different...but except for a lousy river, not much else can save us here....

So let's see what have we got for today...

First we go to Cambodia....I know it is one of those really rare countries, but I have received quite a few from there...but I don't know why I haven't posted any since 2010...I really make some poor choices sometimes (and regarding postcards, another one will follow somewhere below...)

This super-super cool card arrived from my amiga Zarah showing a Khmer family of 5, riding a moto through the jungle...
Ok, this doesn't really look like a jungle to me, but then on the other hand, I've never been to one, so who am I to be playing an expert here :)

The moto is the most common mode of transport in Cambodia, and if 5 people seems like over the limit, Zarah says she has seen 8....I am trying to imagine how they have been all positioned...but I can't :)

the stamp is from a set of 5 issued in 2009, commemorating the 1st Anniversary of the Establishment of the Temple of Preah Vihear on the UNESCO World Heritage.

Hmm, ok, something to put on my to-visit list when one day I visit Cambodia :D

btw, note the cool 12.12.12 cancellation ;-)

muchas gracias amiga!! I know you've been busy, but hope you are doing fine! :)

Titanic, Canada

as for my last choice today come these two cool Titanic cards, sent by two dear people respectively.

As many of you probably know, 2012 is a year commemorating the 100 year memorial of the Titanic disaster so many Postal services have issued a commemorative stamp (even Macedonia..though I cant say the stamp is anything special, plus as usual, the face value is totally useless....it is enough not for one, but 3 postcards actually..so unfortunately, cant be something to be used on daily mails).
Anyways, Canada also issued the Titanic stamps, plus it issued a reprint of old Titanic postal cards, each one with a matching preprinted stamp. The card above shows the bow of Titanic and I received this card from Glenn as a part of his National Postcard Week Quest! Im honoured and touched to be one of the chosen for this, since you can use like just seven cards. So to be one of those, means a real lot!
I hope that next year Ill be able to take part in this too...though im not sure how ill manage it with Sunday, since post offices here do not work and our mailboxes are not operational..but we'll see...there is till plenty of time to come up with a plan.

as i said, these are matching stamps to go with the card...

the second card shows Titanic's prow and propellers...im not sure if i got the terms 'bow' and 'prow' correctly here, so sorry for any potential misuse.
This second card came from Bryon who as you could have figured out by now, loves making surprises and putting smiles on people's faces :)

I dont know if there is any point in asking if you had watched Titanic...i could say I guess you have...well, I watched it when it came out to the cinema, so long time ago...for that age i was, it was not bad...but even then, Leonardo was not someone i fancied..neither Kate...plus lasting over 3 hours...give me something else please!
I wonder if they're gonna maybe make a movie soon about Costa Concordia......

thanks so much Glenn and Bryon for always cheering me up! I hope I manage to do the same...at least from time to time!

I would like to say that I would try to squeeze in updates every day for the rest of the week....but lets not get overambitious...every second day would be perfectly fine :)

stay well!

Bicycles

Have I ever told you how much I love my bike and that it is my main means of transport from April till November, weather permitting?
Well, Ive obtained a number of bicycle cards over the time, and I thought it was about time to give them some attention...Im still not sure if Im gonna start a collection of bicycle cards....though it is very probable to happen...I mean, cards with bikes are just so charming!

the one above is from one of my fairies, and this is from the Bryon fairy :) It shows a lovely mountain bike and mine is just similar to this one....though due to problems with the gears, it is not suitable anymore for mountains or some tougher destinations, but it definitely does its job for my everyday needs....I should maybe start thinking of a new one (my neighbour has a fantastic mountain bike which i used for a few months last year while mine was at the repair service (read, at home, in the back of my yard, waiting for my dad to find the time to fix it).
However, for now, finances are focused on some other stuff, but in the future i will get down to getting a new bike maybe.

RU-683432

this is a great official card I received, showing some retro bicycles. Ive always wanted to try out those old bikes with the HUUGE front wheel, and a totally small one. I really wonder how does it feel to be riding such a bike and esp. how easy/difficult it is to get on/off. The Kripper (the tricycle) also seems extra cool!
Im just not sure if the bicyclette is just the french term for a bike or there are some differences between a bicycle and a bicyclette? anyone?

sorry for the slightly sidelong scan...I noticed it once i had uploaded the cards, so honestly, i didnt feel like doing it all over again :)
I had this card in my favourites for a long time, and in the end got it twice within a very short period of time :) The first one was sent by dear Peggy for her awesome Choose a country RR, while the other one for the favourites' tag :) Peggy says that there are 18 million bikes in the Netherlands, and 17 million people!? With 15.000 km of cycling paths! And here comes my frustration....recently, there was this law adopted, for cycling...which says that, you must ride your bike on a cycling path, or if there is no cycling path, on the ride side of the road, next to the pavement...otherwise, you pay a fine of 25 euros! For the love of God!! First of all, there are BARELY any cycling paths! And the ones existing, are almost always occupied with parked cars, or construction works or people walking and also, bus stops are always at the cycling path with people waiting, or people getting off the bus which makes it a great opportunity to simply stumble upon someone getting off! And in the end, it will be me paying the fine! I just dont know what smart head says that we should be riding ON the street, next to the pavement, and how on Earth could they find it safe? Not to mention that again, with the buses, and cars parked just right there, it is impossible to have a normal ride.

Here is a short reportage about the cycling paths in Skopje...it is in Macedonian, but however, the pictures say it all...and frankly, that is the route I also use =/ I guess they should invent flying bicycles....

http://greenbox.com.mk/blog/?p=3743

so, i cant promise when my next update will be...I have a lot of other things to catch up with, but I hope to see you soon...'till then, stay well :)