Through the mailbox 2.0

Six years later (omg!) I'm back.

2020 has been a tough year for everyone around the world but one good thing that it recently brought for me is my postcard hobby.

I stopped sending and receiving postcards in 2014 when I moved away from home to go to college, with new friends, new experiences and new activities going on, my interest on postcards (and this blog) started fading away. 

There were a few times when I felt like reconnecting with the hobby but I never did until now that I've been in lockdown since mid March... Just like lots of people around the globe in these last months I've baked, I've done a bunch of jigsaw puzzles, I've watched tons of shows and movies, had a bunch of Zoom calls, I re-decorated my bedroom and I've gone a bit overboard with online shopping. Last week while trying to find something new to do, a wooden box that had been closed a few years caught my attention, it was my postcard box. I went through it rediscovering my cards and remembering the excitement I felt anytime the mailman brought a new one so a few hours later I was signing up to Postcrossing again and as I filled the about me section I remembered the blog! 

Can you believe I couldn't remember the exact name?! When I finally accessed my account I remembered that aside from receiving stuff I also really enjoyed writing entries for each postcard and I felt incredibly surprised to see people have still been visiting the blog all these years! 

So what's happening?

My first five Postcrossing postcards are travelling right now and it will be a while until I start receiving cards back so I figured in order to start things running I'll be uploading some cards I received a few years ago and never made it into the blog. 

These cards are currently travelling to the USA, Germany, Norway, Russia and Malaysia!

A new header! 

I always loved my header and felt extremely proud of it since it was made using only an iPod touch camera and Microsoft Paint. I wanted to keep the same vibe showing some of my favorite stamps so it looks pretty similar but with a little upgrade. Sadly Blogger lowers the quality of the image but what can I  do. Farewell old header, thank you for welcoming visitors all these years, you'll never be forgotten. 

More interviews! 

Some of the most popular entries on my blog were the Snail mailers around the globe interviews so I'm really excited to bring those back, hopefully I'll find people who want to participate. 

In the meantime you can check the tag to read the ones I did a few years ago. 

So to all of you Postcrossers/snail-mail enthusiasts reading this, thank you for being here! 

Stay tuned, there's many cards to come ;) 

-Niza 

 

Israel

I really like this cute map of Israel as well as the stamp, as a fun fact it's a joint issue between Israel and Nepal featuring the highest and lowest points on Earth, Mt. Everest in Nepal and the Dead sea in Israel

Israel is a small yet diverse Middle Eastern country with a long coastline on the eastern Mediterranean Sea and a small window on the Red Sea at the Gulf of Eilat (Aqaba). Israel is bordered by Egypt and the Gaza Strip to the southwest, by Jordan to the east, and by Syria and Lebanon to the north. It shares borders to the Jordan River and the Dead Sea with the West Bank and Jordan. 

Israel is considered part of the Holy Land. The three major monotheistic religions—Judaism, Christianity, and Islam—all have historical ties to the region. Israel thus contains a vibrant modern history and culture, based in part on the diverse, immigrant origins of its inhabitants returning from the Jewish Diaspora. These aspects make Israel a fascinating destination for many travelers and pilgrims. 

Israel is a highly urbanized and economically developed society and is therefore best divided for the traveler into its main cities and towns, followed by the regions and other sites.

*Source

תודה רבה (toda raba) Einav! 

Animal life - South Africa

My second postcards from Africa! It displays a very african scene which I really like, as well as the stamps

South Africa is a paradise for anyone interested in natural history. A wide range of species (some potentially dangerous) may be encountered in parks, farms, private reserves and even on the roads.

• The Kruger National Park is exceptionally well managed and a favorite tourist destination.
• Kgalagadi Transfrontier Park in the heart of the Kalahari desert with wide open spaces and hordes of games including the majestic 'Gemsbok'. This is the first park in Africa to cross political borders.
• There are also a large number of smaller parks, like the Hluhluwe-Umfolozi Park, Addo Elephant National Park, Pilanesberg National Park or the iSimangaliso Wetland Park.

 There are hiking trails available in almost all the parks and around geographical places of interest.

*Source

Dankie Rayno!

Penpals ♥

[Penpalling] 

I had my first penpal when I was 10 years old however I lost touch with her due to the fact that our teachers were the ones who handled the mailing process so when the school year ended so did our pen-friendship.
In 2011 I officially became a snail-mailer after the discovery of postcrossing and I decided to try penpalling again, since then I've received and sent lots of letters from/to many people, sadly most of them have just come and go and I don't really write with them anymore.
Snail-mail is an essential part of my life and penpalling is super special because I really enjoy the fact that I can share the love for old fashioned mail with someone else who lives across the world and we are able to build a friendship through writing (which is another essential part of my life).

[My amazing penpals]
After loosing some penpals for different reasons I took a few new ones and we are in the process of sending our first letters and getting to know each other so I hope that recently I'll get to talk about them. At the moment I want to share with you two amazing friends.
I wanted to include pics but I didn't want to post their picture without their permission (this post is a surprise) so I decided to draw some portraits...

Jackie

Jackie found me on instagram through a pic I had uploaded that had a snail-mail hashtag.
She's australian (I have to admit Australia has always caught my attention so I was excited about having an aussie friend when she asked me if I wanted to be penpals) and she happens to have a connection with Mexico, so we immediately got along.
Jackie is a fun, sensitive, adventurous, nature-loving girl and I feel really lucky to be her penpal, she's awesome and I always enjoy reading her long letters, we were very close to meeting in person last year but sadly it didn't happen, however I'm sure we'll make it happen sometime. I can imagine how fun would it be having Jackie the outdoorsy explorer and Niza the concrete loving "city rat" together and now that I think about it, that's one of the things I cherish the most about our friendship, the fact that we live different lives in very different environments but still we are very similar in many ways.

Sophie

This went the other way around, I found Sophie on instagram while exploring the penpal hashtag and after looking at her cute gallery I asked her if she wanted to be penpals.
She's welsh (another country that has caught my attention for a long time) and she really is one of the most "kawaii" people I've ever met.
Sophie is a cool, sweet, caring, free-spirited girl and I'm really glad I had the chance to meet her and befriend her. One of the things I really like about her is that she's one of those people that proves that a person should look the way they want to look and be whoever they want to be. Another thing I really enjoy about writing to Sophie is the fact that we started college around the same time so it's great to have someone to share experiences, opinions and anecdotes about our college life, specially since we live in different countries and that way we both gain different perspectives. I always appreciate how cute her letters are and I hope we get to meet in person really soon and hang out while sharing lots of laughs.



And I think that's all for now, next time I'll talk a bit more about my experience in the penpalling world. Thanks to anyone who reads this and as always comments are much appreciated!

The welsh alphabet

This has to be one of my favorite cards ever! I'm majoring in philology (linguistics and literature) and I love everything related to languages so it's very interesting to see the welsh alphabet with the changes of the digraphs and even learning some words. 

I found this video with the pronunciation of the letters in case that as me you are curious about the welsh language, very interesting!

Diolch yn fawr Fjara!

Fromages d'Italie

We have a new one for the collection, cheese from Italy!

*Chèvre des Langhe 

*Cimonino Valsassina 

*Chèvre et bouchons 

*Mortarat Ciambellina

*Chèvre aux noisettes et aux amandes 

*Gorgonzola 

*Scamorze fumées 

*Piacentino di Enna 

*Chèvre au moût de raisins Moscato

*Paglierina appassita 

*Ricotta fumée de Calabre 

*Burrata en feuille de jonc 

*Ricotta salée Marzolina

*Tomme de chèvre de la Val Cerrina 

*Provola Calabrese 

*Pecorino feuille de noyer 

*Ragusano 

*Sora

*Robiola de chèvre 

*Brillo rouge de Trévise 

*Mozzarella de bufflonne 

*Robiola vieille de la Valsassina 

*Ricotta Ossolana fumée

*Tommette Valle Elvo

*Ricotta piémontaise Seirass affinée dans le foin 

*Parmigiano Reggiano 

*Mascarpone et bouchées de chèvre 

*Ricotta piémontaise Seirass fraîche 

*Caciocavallo Silano

*Asiago 

Ačiū Alma!

München

A very original card showing different monuments in Munich and you have to love the stamp with the sunset at Niedersächsisches Wattenmeer.

Munich is the capital city of Bavaria. Within the city limits, it has a population of more than 1.4 million, making it the third most populous city in Germany.
Located at the river Isar in the south of Bavaria, is famous for its beautiful architecture, fine culture, and the annual Oktoberfest beer celebration. Many travelers to Munich are absolutely stunned by the quality of the architecture. Although it was heavily damaged by allied bombing during World War II, many of its historic buildings have been rebuilt and the city center appears mostly as it did in the late 1800s including its largest church, the Frauenkirche, and the famous city hall.
Munich is a major international center of business, engineering, research and medicine exemplified by the presence of two research universities, a multitude of smaller colleges, headquarters of several multinational companies and worldclass technology and science museums like the Deutsches Museum and BMW Museum. It is Germany's most prosperous city and makes it repeatedly into the top 10 of global quality-of-life rankings.

*Source

Danke Birgit!

Lietuva

A really nice card along some amazing stamps, I love the fact that the church ones have the floor plans on them and it's a good idea to have a stamp with a map.

Lithuania is a Baltic country in Northern Europe. It has a Baltic Sea coastline in the west and is surrounded by Latvia to the north, Belarus to the east, Poland to the southwest, and Russia (Kaliningrad) to the west.

Lithuania is justly proud of its unfailing treasures of folklore: colourful clothing, meandering songs, an abundance of tales and stories, sonorous dialects and voluble language. This ethnographic heritage is nourished by ethnographic and folklore companies and barn theatres. Recent years have witnessed the revival of ethnographic crafts and culinary traditions. Folk craft fairs and live craft days are organized during many events and festivals.

*Source

 Ačiū Ieva!

Cornish Pasty

This postcard is great because the part of Mexico I come from was a large english settlement so pasties (known as pastes over here) are one of the main dishes of this region.

And I love the gold medal winner stamp as well, I can't believe the olympics were two years ago! 

A pasty  is a baked pastry, a traditional variety of which is particularly associated with Cornwall, the westernmost county in England. It is made by placing uncooked filling typically of meat and vegetables on a flat pastry circle and folding it to wrap the filling, crimping the edge to form a seal. After baking, the result is a raised semicircular food item.The traditional Cornish pasty is filled with beef, sliced or diced potato, swede (referred to in Cornwall as turnip) and onion, seasoned with salt and pepper. 
The origins of the pasty are unclear, though there are many references to them throughout historical documents and fiction. The pasty is now popular world-wide due to the spread of Cornish miners, and variations can be found in Australia, the United States, Mexico and elsewhere.


*Source

Thank you Carolyn!

Happy new year!

I know I'm a bit late but I wanted to wish everyone who reads this blog a happy new year! If you happen to be a snail-mailer I wish you lots of postcards, letters and parcels for this year! (: Also I want to apologize for leaving the blog behind, I know in my last posts I've said the same but I was really busy and moving from  one place to another but now that I'm all settled I hope to update periodically because I still have lots of interesting postcards to show to you!

There are many interviews from snail-mailers around the globe to come, lots of postcards to write about, some new sections and this year I'll be holding lotteries for all the readers of this blog who would like to win a card from Mexico! So keep tuned! :D 

[For any requests, comments, swaps, questions, etc you can reach me at: lovebisquets@yahoo.com.mx]

A bit thank you and my best wishes for 2014 to everyone who visits!

Gotochi - Tochigi

This is my second Gotochi card but the first one sent from Japan! (The other one I have was sent from Hong Kong)

Gotochi cards are from Japan, they portray something that's characteristic from every japanese prefecture, in this case we have gyozas from Tochigi. 

Gyozas are fried dumplings often filled with meat and vegetables and served with a soy-vinegar dipping sauce. With a chewier, thicker skin than a wonton, a gyoza is a variant of the popular Chinese potsticker. Utsunomiya, capital city of the Tochigi Prefecture, is famous for its gyozas, featuring over 200 restaurants that serve the popular dish.

*Source 

Arigato Nicole!

San Marino

A postcard from a "hard to get" country! Along some of my favorite stamps, they are very colorful and lovely

San Marino (officially the Republic of San Marino) is the third smallest state in Europe and claims to be the world's oldest republic. According to tradition, it was founded by a Christian stonemason named Marinus in 301. San Marino's foreign policy is aligned with that of Italy, which surrounds it. Social and political trends in the republic also track closely with those of its larger neighbor.

San Marino is made up of a few towns dotted around the mountain sides. The capital of San Marino is itself called 'San Marino' and is situated high up on a mountain top. The capital is surrounded by a wall and three distinct towers overlook the rest of the country. The site "San Marino: Historic Centre and Mount Titano" has become part of the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2008. It lies 657 m above sea level with spectacular views of the surrounding countryside and Adriatic coast.

The towns surrounding the capital are more industrial and generally not as attractive as the main city.

*Source

Grazie Luca!

Latvia

This is my first and only card from Latvia! It's a very original card showing one of the typical dresses of the country as well as some coats of arms on the stamps.

Latvia is a European state which is situated on the coast of Baltic Sea. One of the three Baltic states, Latvia is bordered by Estonia to the north, Lithuania to the south, Russia to the east, Belarus on the south east, and the Baltic Sea on the west. The most famous travel spot is the capital Riga, a World Heritage Site. There are also many other great places to see, both urban and rural, such as Liepaja with its unique former secret military town of Karosta and a magnificent beach.

Tourists can also enjoy the wild beauty of Latvia's unspoilt sea coast, which is 500 km long and consists mainly of white, soft sandy beaches. Forests, which cover approximately a half of Latvia's territory, offer many nature trails and nature parks.

Because of a tribal past and divisions between occupying nations, there are regional differences between parts of Latvia which are interesting to explore.

*Source

Paldies Svetlana!

Bandung

This is a lovely and colorful illustration of Bandung along a curious stamp of a kangaroo... yes a kangaroo from Indonesia...

This is one of Indonesia's megacities (the Bandung conurbation is home to almost eight million people). Bandung attracts workers, intellectuals and students from across the archipelago, and its industries, restaurants and cafes throb with life. Today, grandiose art deco buildings, heaving market stalls, becak and multiplexes jostle for space in the city. For travellers, the city does make a good base for daytrips to the surrounding countryside, high volcanic peaks, hot springs and tea plantations are all within easy reach.

*Source

Terima kasih Jennifer!

La passion du chocolat

For my first post of 2014 we have chocolate!

*Macarons
*Religieuse à l'ancienne
*Tigré
*Saobo
*Tartes au chocolat
*Opéra
*Moule à chocolat
*Eclairs
*Forêt noire
*Criolo
*Menthe
*Mini-criolo
*Tigré
*Opéra
*Brownies
*Religieuse
*Décor en chocolat
*Mousse
*Mousse aux trois chocolats
*Chocolats brut

Aitäh Jalutaja!

Snail-mailers around the globe: Portugal

More Snail-mailers are sharing their experiences with us! This time we have Rita from Portugal, a super sweet traveller that answered to my call looking for interviewees to participate here, she shares with us some fun stories and facts from different countries, check it out!

In what snail-mailing activities do you take part?

Penpalling and postcard swapping.

How did you became a snail-mailer? 
I was talking with a friend from Belarus about my postcard collection and he told me about Postcrossing and since then I’ve been an active member in the postcard exchange activity.
 

For how long have you been doing this? 

I’ve travelled since I can remember and from each trip I’d bring some postcards with me, but it's been only a year since I started exchanging postcards. I also exchange postcards with my friends, for example, when we go on holidays.

Can you show me 3 of your favorite postcards and make a little explanation on why you like them? 

This postcard has a huge meaning for me. It was sent by my 6^th grade Portuguese teacher, one of my favourite teachers, when she went on her honeymoon. 

I bought this postcard in 2000 when I went to Santa Park in Finland, where we saw Santa. For many years I thought that Santa was real, I mean he was just in front of me! I also had a great time there. I feel so nostalgic when I look at it.

This one has a funny story. Also in 2000 I went to Sweden with my family. My dad arrives to the car, gives me this postcard and says “Hey Rita I bought this postcard of you.” Being innocent as I was (6 years at that time) I really thought this was me (impossible!) I resembled so much to the person on the card.

How much does it cost to send a postcard in your country? 
For Europe it costs 0.70 euro cents (0.60 for Spain) and for the rest of the world it's 0.80 euro cents (up to 20 grams). 

Do you have any themed collections? If you do, why are you collecting them? 

I collect mostly multiview touristic cards but I also like other topics like postcards related to my favorite films and series for example.

If you are into pen-paling, from which countries do you have pen-pals from? 
That’s a good question! Well I have many penpals hehe, they are from: Canada, Macedonia, Sweden, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, Belarus, among others.    

Have you discovered any destination you'd like to travel to thanks to a postcard? 

Oh gosh, I've fell in love with so many places! I discovered the beauty of the Middle East, specially Saudi Arabia. I would also like to go to Papua, New Guinea and Trinidad and Tobago. Romania and Bulgaria are definitely on my top 10!

Please share a few facts about other countries you've learned thanks to postcards or letters:

• That the Hajj is the largest regular human gathering worldwide, receiving around 5 million muslims.
• Borobudur is the biggest Buddhist temple, it has 1460 relief panels and 504 effigies of Buddha.
• Temple Bar is one of the most visited sites in Ireland.
• The dutch word for "pancake" changes every year.

A few fun/strange/surprising facts you'd like to share about your country? 

• In the XV and XVI centuries, Portugal was one of the riches countries in the world, due to the maritime exploitation of the Indic Ocean.
• We are known for our wine and our Mediterranean diet.
• There's a huge arabic influence in our country, most of the words beginning with Al- are from arabic origins, as well as words related to agricuture (Almeida, Almada and laranja).
• In summer we enjoy eating snails.   

In your opinion, what is it that makes sending postcards and letters through snail-mail special?

Snail-mail gave me the chance to meet wonderful people and learn about their lifestyle and country. Some of them even turned out to be my best friends. It is such a good feeling to receive postcards and see the beauty of other countries, when sometimes we don’t have the chance to go to those places. I like all the process that it's involved, choosing the card, writing on it, hear the reaction of the receiver and seeing another one in my mailbox! 

Obrigada Rita!