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}
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Stoat in winter coat
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I am always happy to receive such postcards showing animals I cannot find at my country. A stoat! I have only heard of them at fairy tales, and just because (shame on them) royalty used their fur to make luxury clothes. Isn't it beautiful and elegant, alive?
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| HockeyBird |
The official stamp of the ice hockey world championship 2012 tournament to be organized in Helsinki portrayed the widely noted mascot HockeyBird. The stamp is designed by Lead Artist Toni Kysenius of Rovio Entertainment. Finland and Sweden shared the hosting of the ice hockey world championship tournament in 2012 and 2013.
Postcard from: Äänekoski, Western Finland, Finland.
Received: May 2012.
Language: English.
Envelope: no.
Stamps: one
HockeyBird stamp.
Thank you, Suvi!
{FI-1421652}
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| H.M. Queen Paola of Belgium |
Slowly, all members of the European Royal families are making their ways here! Meet
Paola, Queen of the Belgians, posing for her official portrait and wearing family jewels.
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| Tulipa bakeri - lilac wonder |
A nice calm stamp picturing some watercolour Tulipa bakeri - Lilac wonder
issued in 2009 for European postage.
Postcard from: near Bruges, Belgium.
Received: May 2012.
Language: English.
Envelope: no.
Stamps: one prior A stamp with tulips.
Thank you so much, Christine!
{BE-151974}
***
This is entry number 100. Happy anniversary to the blog!
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| Tō-ji |
This breathtaking sunset view is Kyōōgokoku-ji, the five storied pagoda of Kyoto, also known as Tō-ji ("East temple"). It is one of the
historic monuments of ancient Kyoto that were declared
World Heritage Site by the UNESCO. They are part of the Japanese history from the times when Kyoto was the capital of the country. The temple is located in the ward of Minami.
As a note side, I love Japanese Western handwriting. It has an unique air! I would show it here if it weren't so unpolite towards the sender.
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| Bee (left) & modern art painting Dancers (right) |
What do people think about when they hear Kyoto? Geishas, of course. It wouldn't be a proper Kyoto card if it hadn't some geishas on it. Besides the stamp of a modern art painting of women wearing kimono, there is a little cute sticker of a geisha apprentice alongside my address. ♪
The stamp on the left depicts a bee (I love Japanese culture of respecting and admiring the nature in all its aspects) and the one on the right is a painting called
Dancers and issued in 1980 as part of the series
Japanese Modern Art.
Postcard from: Kyoto, Japan.
Received: May 2012.
Language: English.
Envelope: no.
Stamps: one bee 20 yen and one modern art painting 50 yen.
Thank you so much, Reiko!
{JP-269068}
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| U.S. parcel post · 50 cents |
Stamp-themed postcards! Aren't they pretty? This was a 50 cents old stamp from the USA featuring a dairy farm. It came from Wisconsin and was sent by a Postcrosser who is on 10 top senders from this country (which, in my opinion, given the large number of users, is quite impressive).
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| Legends of Baseball 2000 (top) & birds (bottom) |
On the flip side, these amazing sets of stamps:
Legends of Baseball issued in 2000 on the top (
Eddie Collins and
Jackie Robinson), facial value 33 cts, and birds from the
Wildlife from Canadian-United States Border sheet on the bottom (mallard, Canada goose and blue jay), 13 cts each, issued in 1978 for the
Canadian International Philatelic Exhibition. Wow! I feel lucky today
As a 1978 girl, I am touched. ♥
Postcard from: Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, USA.
Received: May 2012.
Language: English.
Envelope: no.
Stamps: two 33 cts Legends of Baseball (2000) and three 13 cts birds from wildlife series (1978).
Thank you very much, J. Tills!
{US-1687340}
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| 츄츄캣 |
I am about to die of cuteness. Before joining
Postcrossing, I have never heard of Jetoy cats before. Once there, I noticed these postcards were very popular and no wonder they are. These illustrations are superb.
Jetoy is a Korean company and this character is called 츄츄캣 (literally, Choo Choo Cat). On this card, white and black kitties are enjoying a trip in the hot air red balloon. ♥
My first Choo Choo card! ♪
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| 44 eurocent |
The stamps, however, aren't related to the postcard (how cool would be to have Choo Choo stamps?!). I recall one of Limner's Dutch readers once complaining about these stamps. The funny thing is the came uncancelled. There isn't a single scratch on this card. Did the postofficers respect Choo Choo cats and protect them devotely? Who knows.
Postcard from: Dordrecth, South Holland, The Netherlands.
Received: May 2012.
Language: English.
Envelope: no.
Stamps: two 44 eurocent from 2007.
Thank you very much, Nanda! ♥
{NL-1222469}
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| Wang Jian's water & ink painting |
A water & ink Chinese painting from a series of postcards called "Appreciation of Famous Chinese Paintings". I love it. This one, although similar to another one
I received before, was painted by artist Wang Jian (ca. 1598-1677). Sadly I don't know the title of this work. I can't read Chinese characters!
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| Happy New Year |
This beautiful red & gold stamp is a greeting stamp for
New Year issued in 2007.
And what do you think about the red ink cancellation? So cool.
Postcard from: Zhuhai, Guangdong, China.
Received: May 2012.
Language: English.
Envelope: no.
Stamps: one 3 yuan (元)
Happy New Year stamp from 2007.
Thank you, Fengyi! 谢谢
{CN-595569}
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| Victorian Houses |
Danielle went out for holidays too and sent me this wonderful card of San Francisco's famous Victorian houses and city skyline. The lighting of this picture is just amazing because despite having the cold colours on the front and the warm ones on the back you don't miss the perspective at all.
Postcard from: San Francisco, California, USA.
Received: August 2012.
Language: English.
Envelope: no.
Stamps: $1.05 amish carriage at Pensilvannia county stamp. ♥
Thank you very much!!
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| Collegium Maius |
Marcelina is a student and sent me this card of the Collegium Maius, the oldest part of the main University in Krakow.
At first, in 1400, it was a building with lecture halls, later a library, and now this is also a museum of Jagiellan University. There are beautiful historic rooms with original furnitures, collection of the European art or science instruments. Three times a day, the courtyard clock performs little show with wooden figures of kings and famous professors parading to solemn music.
I wish you could see her handwriting. Gorgeous! I had received cards from other postcrossers from Poland with a similar style. ♥
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| Watteau's Standing woman |
The stamp is Watteau's 18th century Standing woman (Stojąca kobieta zwrócona tyłem pocz. XVIII w.) from a series of Lost works of art issued in 2011.
Postcard from: Czestochowa, Poland.
Received: May 2012.
Language: English.
Envelope: no.
Stamps: one 3 zl with Watteau's
Lost works of art.
Thank you, Marcelina!
{PL-437800}
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| Piața Unirii in Focșani |
This postcard marked a milestone on my postcrossing stats: postcard number 50! That meant I could send ten cards at a time, which I actually don't (because I don't have the money). Mircea sent it from his hometown. He is on top 5 senders from Romania.
Piața Unirii means Unification Square and is located in downtown Focșani. The obelisc is called Monument of the Unification.
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| Pulmonaria officinalis (left) & Amaranthus caudatus (right) |
Two beautiful nature stamps from 2012. The Pulmonaria officinalis is 1L and is paired with the brown bear; the Amaranthus caudatus (love-lies-bleeding) is 60 bani and comes with the turkey.
Postcard from: Focșani, Moldavia, Romania.
Received: May 2012.
Language: English.
Envelope: no.
Stamps: one 1L and another 60 bani from the animals and flowers series.
Thanks, Mircea!
{RO-43719}
I came back home from my holidays to find these wonderful postcards in my letter-box:
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| Eestimaa |
1. Angla windmills.
2. Taevaskoja and Ahja Primeval Valley.
3. Kingfisher.
Elena, who lives in St-Petersburg, went to Tallinn for holidays and sent me this. Elena was once my swap partner on Postcrossing and we have been swapping cards regularly since then.
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| Nissi by Mari Kaarma |
Postcard from: Tallinn, Estonia.
Received: August 2012.
Language: English.
Envelope: no.
Stamps: one 1€ stamp from 2012 featuring a
woman of Nissi parish in late 19th century dress.
***
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| Police of Poland promotional card for Euro2012 |
Ania worked as a volunteer during the last Eurocup which was hosted by Poland and Ukraine. She gathered a few promotional postcards from the event and offered to send them to her readers. Of course, being a footie fan I requested one! Now I have a souvenir from the championship my country won.
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| Gniezno (left) & Sieradz (right) churches |
Postcard from: Otwock, Poland.
Received: August 2012.
Language: English.
Envelope: no.
Stamps: one 2zl Gniezno's church and two 20gr Sieradz's church.
***
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| Die Mosel von Koblenz bis Trier |
Leonie, on the other hand, went to a short holiday trip to Trier and sent me this wonderful map card of the Moselle river from Koblenz to Trier with pictures of all the worth visiting buildings (castles!) along the river banks. What a wonderful place Germany is!
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| Pfälzer Hütte |
Postcard from: Trier, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany.
Received: August 2012.
Language: English.
Envelope: no.
Stamps: one 0.75€ stamp from 2012 featuring the Pfälzer Hütte, an Alpine refuge located in Liechtestein.
***
Thank you very much, ladies! I really liked your postcards and reading about your travels. ♥
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| Mandarinka |
The adult male Mandarin duck is a striking and unmistakable bird. It has a red bill, large white crescent above the eye and reddish face and "whiskers". The adult female, on the background, is similar to female Wood duck.
In traditional Chinese culture, Mandarin Ducks represent a life-time couple and are regarded as a symbol of conjugal affection and fidelity. The species was once widespread in eastern Asia, but nowadays the population has reduced in Eastern Russia and in China to below 1,000 pairs in each country.
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| Victory weapon (left and centre) & the Hare (right) |
Military stamps commemorating the 65th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War, " Victory weapon" (Оружие победы): the BT-7M tank (left) issued in 2010 and the GAZ-67B 4x4 (right) from 2012.
The Hare stamp from Russian Fairy Tales series on the far right.
Postcard from: Moscow, Russia.
Received: May 2012.
Language: English.
Envelope: no.
Stamps: two Victory Weapon vehicles (BT-7M & GA3-67B) and one 0.10R The Hare.
Thank you very much, Maria!
{RU-948378}
