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| Pumpkin, vampire, ghost, cat and witch |
Although I do not celebrate All Hallow's Evening, I would like to share this postcard with all of you who enjoy this celebration. Happy Hallowe'en!
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| Forest from 1975 (left) and Hello Kitty summer greetings (right) |
These are the stamps I showed
last time as part of my Hello Kitty collection.
Postcard from: Yubari, Hokkaido, Japan.
Received: October 2012.
Language: English.
Envelope: no.
Stamps: one 20 yen forest stamp issued in 1975 and one 50 yen Hello Kitty from 2012 summer greetings series.
Thank you very much, Erisa-san!
Here in Westerland, Hello Kitty is a cute and pink character that little girls like to collect and to play with it. Therefore, I am looked at as a childish weirdo who hasn't grown up yet... because I like it so much that I buy all kind of merchandising. However, in her country of origin, Japan, Hello Kitty can be found everywhere. She is a symbol of kawaii design by Sanrio and targets all ages.
Hello Kitty clothes, accesories, stationery, home appliances and yes, seasonal stamps, are made and sold everyday. Here is my current collection of Japanese stamps depicting this little cute female cat (and her boyfriend!):
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| Hello Kitty in Kinkakuji (left) Dear Daniel in Kurumabiki (centre) & Hello Kitty in Fujimusume (right) |
♪ Hello Kitty and Dear Daniel acting kabuki from 2011 Greetings: summer season.
I think I have shown this set
here before, but anyway, I don't mind seeing it again. It came on the most careful wrapped letter ever along with another Kitty dressed in
kimono to embellish even more the airmail stick.
♪ Dressed in Chinese qipao and holding a fan for the commemoration of Expo 2010 Shanghai (held from May to October 2010).
Snoopy and Charlie Brown have been featured in Japanese stamps too (2010 Greetings: Snoopy - letter version). Isn't their postal service cool?
♪ A shaped stamp with Hello Kitty wearing sunflowers for the 2012 Greetings: summer season. ♥
An old forest stamp from 1975 completed the postage this time. Wonderful combination!
* Source:
Philately in Japan.
Am I really that childish for liking them so much? Don't think so. ♪
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| Kaiserstrasse |
This was
Kaiserstrasse, or Imperial Street, in old
Königsberg, East Prussia (nowadays
Kaliningrad, Russia).
Igor is 12 years old and has joined Postcrossing because he would like to send postcards around the world. I suppose he is learning English through this project with the help of his parents and teachers. Well done!
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Kremlins
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On the flip side, more stamps from the Kremlin series issued in 2009: one 4 R (Nizhny Novgorod) top left, one 1 R (Astrakhan) bottom left and two 10 R (Moscow) on the right.
Postcard from: Kaliningrad, Russia.
Received: May 2012.
Language: English.
Envelope: no.
Stamps: one 4 R (Nizhny Novgorod kremlin), one 1 R (Astrakhan kremlin) and two 10 R (Moscow kremlin).
Спасибо, Igor!
{RU-987498}
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| Strawberry jam recipe |
Janet sent me this funny recipe of strawberry jam written in Mandarin. Fortunately, I can just follow the pictures to understand what is needed, because I can't understand the characters! Love that look on the left strawberry, poor thing is scared.
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| St. Valentine's 2012 |
This stamp is more beautiful that it seems at first glance. It is nicely carved and comes with this couple of hearts for celebrating 2012 St Valentine's. ♪
Postcard from: Changzi, Taiwan.
Received: May 2012.
Language: English.
Envelope: no.
Stamps: one St. Valentine's carved rose from 2012.
Thank you, Janet!
{TW-558271}
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Drawing hands, 1948
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This time it was a wonderful drawing by Dutch graphic artist M.C. Escher, known by his mathematically inspired impossible creations. Two hands drawing each other, but -- which hand is the 'real one' and which hand is being drawn?
Postcard from: 's-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands.
Received: May 2012.
Language: English.
Envelope: no.
Stamps: one
Licht stamp for Europa.
Thank you very much, Marcel!
{NL-1237408}
