Escape to Paradise

A fabulous postcard alteration through words from a postcrosser in Singapore. An expat, she reflects on her escape from the US to a paradise in SG. I can relate. I escaped too, from Japan to US, my paradise.

Beautiful Already

From a postcrosser in South Africa who didn't feel this card needed to be altered. I agree - it's a beautiful card. The movement and intensity of the dancers comes through.  He says on the card that he is in the creative industry/graphic design.   

Psychedelic Trip Experiment

I have always loved wheel pie charts. Back in the day, we had practical uses for these - like 401(k) savings projections. Sherri sent a rotating postcard that makes psychedelic swirls. It's so much fun that I am considering making my own version. 

Year of the Horse Stamps - At Last!

My mother sent me the annual sheet of horse stamps as a Christmas present. It never arrived. Fortunately, while visiting the main post office in Tokyo, I managed to find a set and here it is! As you can see, there are many ways to write "horse." The more traditional kanji style is the stamp on the middle right. A katakana version is on the bottom left. Other versions include "grass style" flowing calligraphy, pictogram and even a seal.  

Edda van Heemstra

My favorite postcard of Audrey Hepburn. It is going to a postcrosser in Malaysia. Not sure what her nickname means.

Forbidden Books

Postcrossers often mention that they like reading. I do too, and have amassed a variety of book-related postcards to send to them. Of course the best ones are the gaudy book covers of pulp fiction and comic books. For some of my American friends, the books below were "forbidden." I remember doing a book report on a Nancy Drew book in sixth grade - and my teacher told me to please read better quality books. Why? The Nancy Drew series were great page-turners. My mother allowed me to read both Japanese and American comic books. Hence, I amassed a huge supply. My friends' parents did not allow them to buy or read comics. So they came over to my house to read them. Paperback books were just starting to come to Japan when I was in high school. I read a few of them, mostly pulp fiction. By then, paperback Penguin books had started to become available. One couldn't tell which book was exciting and which was not because Penguin book covers were all the same - orange with a penguin on the front. Later, when I moved to the States for college, I was told by friends that all the reading I did growing up was junk. I took a class in remedial "classics." I loved them all, as much as the smut I grew up on. I am still a reader, and an omnivorous one at that!

This one is going to a Chinese postcrosser.

This one is for a postcrosser in Russia.

This one is for a Belarussian postcrosser

Vintage Faux Vintage

These are two cards I recently mailed to postcrossers. One is vintage and the other, faux vintage. The top card, from a series on Yosemite, is faux vintage. It is a 2000 reproduction of an actual vintage card. The card is yellowing because of the inexpensive cardstock and so it has the aura of vintage. It is a lovely card of the four major waterfalls in Yosemite: Bridal Veil, Yosemite, Vernal and Nevada. The card below is vintage, printed in Dearborn, Michigan, home of the Henry Ford Museum. Probably printed in the 1950's or 60's. It was reproduced in Curteichcolor. 

Greschak.com

A mysterious postcard from someone called Bee. She/he directed me to www.greschak.com. Hmmm...I don't get the connection between this Kodak vendor, Bee, and religion. I must say that I don't miss the old film techniques that took so long and was so fraught with uncertainty and cost. Yet digital photography is just as expensive, perhaps even more so.

Tea Room in the Netherlands

My friend Susan sent this fun postcard she found in a relative's house that she is cleaning out. Dutch cards always remind us of Frannie, a good friend who passed away a few years ago. As a Dutch Indonesian, she was more Dutch than the Dutch themselves, knowing all the traditions, recipes and Dutch anecdotes. We miss her...

Loving Rain

A charming postcard from a postcrosser in Belarus. With the serious drought in California, I think everyone here would smile rather broadly when raindrops fall.

Aliens Attack Etna

This altered card was sent by an Italian postcrosser who lives on the slopes of Mt. Etna. What an imaginative alteration of a cool volcanic postcard!

Waddesdon Flowerbeds

Sarah, a mail artist from the UK created this lovely altered card.  It's a great papercut style, and reminiscent of Kara Walker or William Kentridge. I don't have her address to reciprocate but Sarah, if you are reading this, do drop me a line at my PO box and provide your address! 

Prancing Horse from Russia

I haven't received many horse cards this year but here's a lovely one from a Russian postcrosser. It reminds me of the tole painting in Pennsylvania and also of the Palekh painting in Russia. I love the blazing mane on the horse! 

LBJ

Mailing this vintage card to a postcrosser in Singapore. Until I started reading Robert Caro's biographies about Johnson, I had no idea how interesting and complex this president was. I occasionally referred to passages about his leadership during my tenure as president of my organization. Among his achievements, the passage of the Civil Rights Act was his greatest contribution to this country.

Beautiful

My favorite iconic image from Paris! Received this card the other day from my friend Stephen, who is having quite an indulgent vacation there. His Facebook postings are full of delicious patisseries and museum photos.

Search for Heaven

Here's a lovely postcard from a Chinese postcrosser. I wonder if this is a bona fide maxi-card? Not sure if the image of the stamp on the front page counts? The card is titled "Search for Heaven" but there is no explanation by the postcrosser on the meaning.

Bang!

Here is an intriguing postcard from a Russian Postcrosser. She is dressed a bit like a Playboy Bunny but I am not sure of the meaning of "bang" in the champagne glass.... Can someone translate the Russian for me?

Half the Sky via China Post

Created these cards for the Half the Sky postcards to be mailed to Indiegogo donors who helped fund the WCA trip to China. In Hong Kong my friend and I signed the cards, used our special rubber stamp commemorating the experience, and added our newly minted chops. Mailed the cards from Shenyang via China Post. In a no-frills office setting, I managed to acquire some nice local postcards and pretty stamps. What a fun experience!

In Hong Kong

At the Shenyang China Post

Postcards of Old Shenyang

Little Red Mail Boxes

Found a new postcard series produced by JP Post. Each area post office has its own version of the little red mailbox. I got one from a local post office in Kobe (left), and another one from the main Tokyo post office (center). I also got a general spring one (right). I guess such cards are initiatives of the privatized postal system to generate income. Sweet!

Having Fun With Chops

Recently my friend and I got chops made in Hong Kong. Another friend who lives there took us to Man Wah Lane, a narrow street lined with people making chops in little kiosks. Only one man was willing to create chops for us the same day. We selected our characters from a large dictionary of styles and he later delivered the carved seals to the hotel. In Kyoto we bought lovely cases to house our chops. In Asia, historically, a seal was more official than a signature. I remember my first chop purchased in Japan was simple, and consisted of my last name. Now, I like to get chops made with just the first initial of my first name in Japanese: 華 (Hana). I've had chops made in Hong Kong and Vietnam. I often add a chop next to my signature on my artwork.