Unwanted, Recycled–and Otherwise: Received from Austria, Belarus, Canada, China, Finland, France, Greece, Hong Kong, & the U.S.

I am SO behind on posting postcards I’ve received.  I grabbed a big handful to scan, and the main theme for most of them seems to be “unwanted cards.”  We’ll soon get to what that’s all about, but I want to be sure to start with two cards I really do like!  Both of them found their way to me in Postcrossing Forum tags.

I just love this sketch of a Hong Kong storefront & apartments; it really takes me there!  The sender asks, “have you tried egg tart before?  It has to be my favorite Hong Kong snacks.  California has always been somewhere I desperately want to visit, and hopefully I can visit there soon!”

That breathtaking mountain view came to me from Shaanxi, China, and the sender tells me it is called Hua Mountain, and “it’s a little dangerous to climb, but because of the wonderful scenery, lots of people still trying and enjoy it.”

Next up, the kitty classroom, comes to me from Belarus, thanks to a Postcrossing Forum “favorites” tag.  I’m so forgetful, I didn’t even remember having marked it as a favorite.  Good thing to check those once in a while!

Another cat, this one riding a tortoise, and it comes to me from France as a regular Postcrossing card.  The sender’s writing is quite difficult to decipher, which is a lesson to me, even though I THINK my printing is neat, that I could stand to try harder.  I thought she wrote that she is in the “Louie Valley,” but a consult with Ask Jeeves (or whomever it is running the internet these days) let me know she probably meant Loire Valley.  Also, if I’m reading this correctly, she hopes to open a bed & breakfast next summer.  Or it could be that she just got back from a waterslide with Santa–I just don’t know.  Well, I do know I prefer the latter.

These next 3 cards all came my way via swap-bot.  The big building is the Fine Arts Gallery in San Diego, California–but the card was sent to me from a swapper in the state of Georgia.

I think the Santorini, Greece, card actually came to me from that locale.  The sender wrote:

“You can walk to the top.  To get to the volcano you can get a small local boat to take you straight there.  Otherwise you can take a tour that includes Thirasía.  When you get to the top, the view of Santorini is incredible!  This is must place to visit if you here.  You can jump into the warm springs if you want.”

The last card of that trio is the boat on the river.  The card was sent by a swapper in Illinois.  She sent it in a “recycled postcard” trade, but if she did indeed but a new backing on a card she previously received, I sure couldn’t tell–and I picked away at 3 of the 4 corners!  When I do these, I always like to leave the original stamps exposed (but on the bottom left of the new backing), as a bonus for the new recipient.  Anyhow, this card’s sender says the scene pictured is the Mississippi River, a sight she’s never seen in person, but that she imagines herself taking “an old time paddle wheel river boat ride down this river, if they still exist.” They do.  No, I’ve not been on the Mississippi, but more than once, I HAVE ridden a riverboat on the Rivers of America.

There’s a tag on Postcrossing Forum called “The Card You Want to Get Rid of,” and if I’d had this next card, I’d have sent it off in this trade, too!  I might just send it out in the next “recycled postcard” trade in which I participate.  The sender is in Tampere, Finland, and she told me, “I find this tag superb; it’s hard to find a suitable recipient to every postcard, but every postcard deserves to travel.”

Another postcard I’d be happy to get rid of is the “Been there, done that, got the t-shirt” card–that comes from Sheffield, England, in a swap-bot trade.   The sender wrote the card on July 11, telling me: “right now it is nearly 10 a.m. and it’s raining, and probably won’t stop for the rest of the day.  Typical UK!”

Still more cards getting no love: the trio below were sent to me together from Spruce Grove, Alberta, Canada, in a swap-bot “I Don’t Want These Postcards” exchange.  I’ll have to post them in my page of cars available for trades!  That one that looks like a b&w “magic eye” game will probably have to go out in another round of these “I don’t want it” tags!

This next card came my way from Graz, Austria, in the “recycled postcard” tag I’ve been mentioning, and I may just have scanned & posted the other side here before, but I didn’t mark it as such, so either way–here we go.  In this tag, a person is supposed to slap a new backing on a postcard they received from someone else, & then send it to their assigned partner.  Let this serve as a warning that all glue sticks are not created equal; there was no postcard attached to this backing.  When you flip it over, all you see is shiny streaks.  In any case, I thought you might enjoy reading the hand-written recipe.

Well, it’s just about stamp time, so let me ask you now:  what are your favorite cards this time?  Which ones would you first choose to send off in a trade of recycled or “I don’t want this” cards?  Remember, one good use of a postcard you don’t think anyone else will love, is as a vehicle to send a message to your elected representatives!

Aren’t Movie Ads Always Better Than their Movies? Sent to Belarus, Chile, China, Germany, Japan, Russia, South Africa, & the U.S.

Starting with a trio of cards going out in a swap-bot trade.  The giraffe goes to an animal lover in Santiago, Chile; and the lighthouse goes to a lighthouse lover in Newnan, Georgia, U.S.A.

Next up is an image from the book “Furqan’s First Flat Top,” by Robert Liu-Trujillo. That goes to Kloof, KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

The “California Has Everything” card went out in a Postcrossing Forum tag to Hidaka, Saitama, Japan.  The Postcrosser said she liked map cards, so there she goes.  Not great for navigation, but I don’t think that’s necessarily what most map card lovers have in mind.

This movie poster postcard is going out to Shenzhen, Guangdong, China, in a Postcrossing Forum “last movie I’ve seen” tag.  Nice when the theater has free postcards for their movies!  Sometimes I like the availability of postcards more than I like the movies I see.  Such was the case with this film.

I have clicked on Postcrossing’s “send a postcard” button 3 more times, and landed on eastern Europe with each click.  The gargoyle head goes to Bad Säckingen, Germany, and though I’d love to know more about it–including where it can be found–this card is from the Disappointassortment, so zero information was forthcoming.

The scene from Hearst Castle goes to a castle lover in Minsk, Belarus; and the tiger should be landing in Yaroslavl, Russia.

Time for a look at some of the back sides: Stamps!  Stickers!  Washi tape!

Hungry Canines & Junk Food at the Beach: Received from Australia, Taiwan, & the U.S.

It’s been a cool, interesting couple of weeks for mail, and this post barely even scratches the surface–but let’s do it, anyhow!

Whoa, look at Br’er Fox!  I got that due to a Postcrossing Forum trade in which we were to specify which Disney cards we would like to receive.  I provided a very long list, but many items would be obscure.  This Postcrosser in Atlanta, Georgia tagged me before he realized he didn’t have any of the cards–but he is an artist, so he didn’t let that stop him.  He writes:

“Disney’s rendition of the Uncle Remus stories were a big part of my childhood, and Br’er Fox was one of my favorite characters.  Growing up in Yorktown, Virginia, and living in Georgia, I have a big passion for Southern culture!  I hope you’ll enjoy this piece!”

Oh, yes!

The pork is from La Vernia, Texas, thanks to a trade of upcycled cardboard on swap-bot.  The sender doesn’t sing the praise of her product, but she does say she hopes I am well & finding lots of interesting things in my mailbox.  This was certainly one!

Look at that dog, looking at the pork! This cool card is from a Postcrosser in Taiwan, who says:

“I wonder do you have a blog about experiences of travelling & tasting.  I LOVE TO EAT, too!  And I 100% hope we could share with each other.  Do you cook?  I hope you’ll like this card I bought from a road trip to the east part of Taiwan.  Definitely it was a trip about tasting food.”

Taiwan is definitely a food destination on my list.  Yes, I spent 2 hours at a night market once on a layover–a mad taxi dash from the airport and back–but I need to go for real & stuff immerse myself!

Look at that gorgeous view of Hanakāpīʻai Beach, on the island of Kauai, Hawaii.  I’ve not been to Kauai in over 30 years, and that’s a very sad thing.  Cindi sent that to me, and tells me the beach down there is a 2-mile hike from the trailhead–and it looks worth the walk, to me!

That long expanse of beach in Byron Bay, New South Wales comes via a swap-bot “I don’t live here” trade, from a swapper in Australia who tells me:

“I have not been to Byron Bay in well over 20 years, even for a visit.”

Based on this photo, I would like to see Byron Bay, and I hope not to wait 20 years to do it!

Finally, from Falls Church, Virginia, comes the Kool-Aid box.  Yes, another food package postcard tag on Postcrossing Forum!  The best part is the back–full of washi tape & old stamps, and you can see it below.

I See I’ve Left Several Comments on My Blog: Received from Germany, Indonesia, South Africa, & the U.S.

I just grabbed a bunch of cards at random, ones I’ve had for a while, but apparently have not logged before.  They’re not too interesting, so I photographed them a bit differently than usual, just to spice things up.

Those toys have waited MONTHS for their moment in the spotlight.

On the left-hand side, we have a couple of pieces of recycling.  The “Fisherman’s Friend” box panel was sent to me from someplace in Germany, thanks to a swap-bot trade.  The sender writes:

“Do you like the mint??!  From time to time they are nice, but sometimes they are too strong.”

When I told her that I had heard the name of the product, but was not aware that it was some kind of mint/candy, she expressed surprise.  I mean, it could be anything, right?  A net, rubber boots, intense skin repair lotion…

Look below for the stamps from this card, helpfully annotated by the sender.

The Ouma panel is from a product called “rusks.”  I had to look that up.  And it’s been some time, and I don’t remember, so I’ll look it up again now…

Okay, Wikipedia tells me “a rusk is a hard, dry biscuit or a twice-baked bread. It is sometimes used as a baby teething food.”  Yum!  The sender, a swap-botter in Dalview, Gauteng, South Africa, tells me:

“Ouma is Afrikaans for Grandmother.  We all love these rusks.”  

I think my favorite card this time is the one at top middle: Hotel Preanger (this word means, I am quite positive, “Before Anger”).  I received it through a Postcrossing Forum tag trade, and it’s from a 15-year-old boy in Indonesia.  Reading the message, I feel as if I’ve shared it here before, but I didn’t make any such notation on the card.  These cards are all old, and bear no notation of having previously been recorded here, so who knows.  I know I don’t read this blog!

Okay, that’s not true.  I see I’ve left several comments.

Anyhow, the sender writes:

“I’m new to Postcrossing and I’m enjoying this activity so much.  This activity of course will help me improve my English skill.  Oh yes.  A little info about this postcard pic.  This hotel, Preanger Hotel’ is a luxury hotel for high-class people.  The luxury renowned since Dutch-East Indies Colonial era and still hold its status as the most luxury hotel of its era.”

It’s a pretty fair bet that when I finally make my way to Indonesia, I’ll be staying elsewhere!

The lady who fell asleep reading was another swap-bot trade, this one sent to me from Atlanta, Georgia.  The topic was “what are you reading,” and the sender told me:

“I’m currently reading Criminal by Karin Slaughter.  She’s from Atlanta, which is where I live, so it makes for an extra special read.  She has a great way of building suspense in her books.  I truly love her writing.”

That card at top right, I’m not sure if I put it up at the correct orientation.  It was sent to me from somewhere around San Diego, California, part of a swap-bot “I HATE this Postcard” trade.  Here’s how the sender feels:

“I just don’t get modern art.  I just don’t get it.  🙂  I think this is hideous–but I’m sure other people really like it.  Maybe you do too?”

Nope.

Finally, at bottom right, comes my one regular Postcrossing incoming this time around.  It’s from Stelle an der Saale, Germany.  This man writes:

“I’m from lovely East Germany.  This postcard is about a united Europe in solidarity and democracy–and young people caring about that in my beloved city.  We need facebooklikes 🙂 !”

I apologize to you (but mostly me) if I’ve previously shared any of these cards before.  I can promise you it won’t happen again–but I won’t say why that is.

Oh, yeah!  Have a look at the stamp & sticker highlights!  What do you think of these?

 

I Don’t Like Any of These (Quite Nice) Things: Sent to Canada, China, Ireland, & the U.S.

Checking in again with more proof of my support of the USPS:

Pig-Pen went to Wuhan, Hubei, China, in the Postcrossing Forum China Meets the World tag.  The recipient said she’d like to read some good quotes, so I shared a couple of my favorites from Groucho Marx:

“I find television very educating. Every time somebody turns on the set, I go into the other room and read a book.”

“Outside of a dog, a book is man’s best friend. Inside of a dog, it’s too dark to read.”

Monarch butterflies: the only reason I pull off the freeway in Pismo Beach, California, other than to perhaps pick up a drink at the Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.  Pismo has got one of the best monarch groves, and the lucky new owner of that card (being sent out in a swap-bot “California postcard” trade) is in Stockton, California.

Oh, that funky cow!  It’s for a swap-bot “Ugly Postcard” trade, and it’s off to Dacula, Georgia, United States. This is one of the worst in an otherwise-mostly-okay selection in a boxed set of animal cards called, accurately enough,  “Animal Box.”  Not sure about boxed sets.  Real crapshoots, I’ve found.  Thank goodness for trades like “Ugly Postcard” and “I Hate This Postcard!”

The California scenes are part of a regular Postcrossing draw, and the card is headed to Laval, Quebec, Canada, to a recipient who is originally from Romania.  What is notable about her profile is that the great majority of it is dedicated to a section she calls “What I don’t like”:

AD CARDS
HOME MADE CARDS
vintage
cartoons
animals
cards with a lot of people on them
boats, cars, trains, planes, airports, harbors
funny or unusual cards
famous people
TV shows, movies, movie stars
paintings, statues
flowers
art nouveau
I ONLY LIKE REAL POSTCARDS, NOT NEWSPAPER CUTOUTS
Thanks

PLEASE ! No Christmas cards this year, I have tons of them.

I wrote in a larger print on that card than I naturally would, usually.

Another California scene, of the beach town of Cayucos, went to the not-beach town (but not-so-far from the beach town) of Kalaheo, Hawaii.

We end with the entire state of California, that map having gone out in a Postcrossing draw to Navan, Meath, Ireland.  The person is from Germany, but she says she moved to Ireland because she got a job there.  More about her: she is a LONG-time Postcrosser: over 8 years!  She has sent more than 12,700 cards, making her Ireland’s #1 Postcrosser!

Some of the stamps, stamps, stickers, & washi tape:

Today’s Catch: Received from California & Georgia

Two in, both thanks to a swap-bot “sender’s choice” postcard trade:

The sand dollar card comes from Stone Mountain, Georgia.  I appreciate how it seems that the sender might’ve read my profile & attempted to match a card to something I said I like (sea life/beaches).  Scroll down, & you can read the Oscar Wilde quote she wrote on the back.

The other card came to me from a swapper in Sacramento, California.  Look below & check out the cool date/weather ink stamp she uses!

Stamps & stuff:

LOL, I blacked out the word “swapping.”  I must have gotten distracted mid-edit!

Double Chunk: Received from the U.S.

 

A trio in via swap-bot:

“Aged Vanilla” — that’s my rap name.

The big card with the people on it is from Fort Myers, Florida, and the sender refers to the person responsible for this colorized, captioned image: “I am a big fan of Nick Bantock and his offbeat sense of humor… I’m also a fan of the Naughty Little People series, for the photographer’s irreverent and humorous take on sometimes risque situations.  I like things that surprise me while also making me laugh or causing a wry smile.”

The other two are chunk-of-cardboard trades.  By the way, you should see the stack of rescued-from-the-recycling “chunks” I have right now, ready to cut into postcard-size.  Heck, I guess you WILL see them at some point–if you stay tuned.

That panel from a package of tempting-looking chocolate comes from somewhere around Savannah, Georgia.  This swapper asks me, “have you ever listened to ‘La Mer’ by Nine Inch Nails?  It is a beautiful instrumental piece of music!”  I love the puffy fish stickers on the back of her card.

The cream soda card–and take a hard look at the scan & see the embossing–came from a swapper in Saint Paul, Minnesota, who says, “for 2016 I would like to do some decluttering around the house.”

Stamps, stamps, stickers, washi tape & embossery:

As a sea life fan, I love those puffy fish stickers.  As an elephant lover, I hate that stamp & the circus it represents.

Am I So Wrong for Being More Scared of the 2 on the Right? Received from Romania & the United States

A bit of swap-bottery in my mailbox:

So, apparently there is a cereal called Halloween Crunch!  From that little peek we get at the bottom left of the card, I suspect that it contains seasoned Cheetos!  The card was sent to me from Jacksonville, Georgia, part of another chunk-of-cardboard trade.  The sender tells me:

“This is my favorite cereal, Halloween Crunch! I’m eating a bowl right now, and have stockpiled boxes to last me several months after Halloween.  Do you have a favorite Halloween treat?”

I do not.  As I mentioned, I was not aware of “Halloween Crunch,” but I am a fan of the Cap’n.  Though I am not sure of the last time I have consumed it, I am a lifelong fan of Peanut Butter Crunch.  The stuff was not available when I was a kid, at least not in the stores where my parents shopped, so it existed as a rare vacation treat back then.  It tasted better back then.  Heck, the Cap’n looked better back then.

The other card is from somewhere in Romania, part of the swap-bot trade in which we were to list several “favorites.” The sender lists his (I will give the answer, you can come up with the question): Shawshank Redemption, sarmale, guinea pig, purple, Spring.

Stamps, postmarks, washi tape:

Love dat tape.

Donald & the Mail Art: Sent to Taiwan & the United States

Donald is on his way to Su’ao Township, Taiwan (Su’ao Township, located in southern Yilan County, Taiwan, is an urban township that is famous for its seafood restaurants and cold springs. –Wikipedia).  The card is part of a Postcrossing Forum Disney tag thread.

The next two cards are for a swap bot “not your usual postcard” trade.  All it meant was that we could send anything but touristy cards, but I decided to go the crafty route, with a couple I’d had laying in wait.

The stampy card went to Lowell, Indiana.  Back in April, I sent this one’s twin (identical, though not identical–uh, read on) to Liverpool, New York.  I had created a single collage of stamps, and then cut it into two postcards, sending one out  for a swap-bot “stampcard” trade.  The remaining twin has now also been sent out into the world.

The fishy card is a multiple-birth, too.  This one went out to Stone Mountain, Georgia.  It’s been just a couple of weeks since I created a sextuplet set of fishy cards, prompted by a swap-bot trade instructing participants to make a fish tank postcard.  That first card went out to Enterprise, Alabama.  Here goes 2 of 6; so you can expect to see more swimmers coming through!