Germany - Black and White

September 26, 2020

Marc-André wrote from Germany. He's a teacher and wrote a short note on the back. He also used a very cool stamp on the back.

He wrote,

Hello Helen,

many greetings from Berlin.

I am a teacher for maths & physics. School started again in August and we all have to wear a mask everywhere on the school ground but not in the classes during our lessons. So we want to avoid that an infection will be spread in different classes.

Stay healthy!

M

The Evangelist Matthew

A Sesame Street Stamp! Love it!

Belarus - Art & Culture

 June 12, 2020

This card came from Belarus from Katerina.  She was a little unusual in that she used a printed message attached to her card. I do prefer actual handwriting, but since there all are sorts of reasons why people might send that to me, I don't mind. The good thing is I can actually read it!  She wrote about the culture of the people depicted on the card, which I enjoyed learning.

[handwritten in Belarussian] Hello!

Greetings from Belarus! My name is Katerina, I am 20 years old, I study in Germany, but I come from Minsk. I am very happy to send a postcard to Japan! I am interested in foreign languages and once tried to learn Japanese with a Japanese person. This is incredibly difficult! I like to learn different cultures and I want to send you a postcard with very interesting people - the Tatars. These are people who live in Russia and speak a language similar to Turkish. They usually practice Islam. There are also Tatars in my country, but very few of them.

[handwritten in English]

Best Wishes 

Katerina

I really love the unusual stamps that I receive on my postcards, this one is no exception!

Thank you Katerina for the card and stamp!

Germany

 June 20, 2020

This card was sent by Andreas from Germany and he wrote about his interests and how it relates to the card he sent. I liked that a lot as it helps me understand why he picked the card he did.

He wrote;

Hello Helen...

I'm Andreas from Hamburg(Germany) and i have been interested in art (Graffiti, Street Art, etc.) for about 30 years. The motif on the card is here in the city and i hope you like it. Japan is also very colorful, i think... :-)

best wishes & stay healthy!!

                                            Andy.

He sent this card....

Canada - Art

January 31, 2020

Shelley sent this pretty card to me from Toronto. She wrote a friendly short note on the back too.

She wrote,

"Hi Helen,
Greetings from Toronto! We are enjoying some mild weather today and it reminds me of spring!
I can't wait to see the first tulips of the season,

Shelley"

The Tulip Fairy
From Flower Fairies of the Garden
By Cicely Mary Barker

Cute Christmassy stamps!

Germany

July 6, 2019
Elke sent this huge card to me from Germany. It's quite interesting! She wrote a short and friendly note on the back.

She wrote;

Hello Helen,

nice to meet you 😀

I live with my family in Chemnite, Saxony. My hometown was called Karl Marx Stach from 1953 to 1990.

I like to read in my free time. My favourite author is Clive Cussler. 

Enjoy your day!

Elke

The card has a stamped URL at the bottom. It's to a site for fantasy books. If you read German, or have a translation button, check it out!

This is a rather oversize card.  It is quite large!

German stamps are always quite interesting!  I like these ones.

United States - Art Card

July 5, 2019

Yufang sent this card to me from the US. She used great stamps on the back and wrote a chatty note about herself and movies that she loves on the back.  I love this kind of card!

She wrote;

Hello Helen!

Greetings from New York City (Brooklyn). USA! 

My name is Yufang, came from Taiwan 16 years ago. I love to read, play piano, and collect stamps. My favorite movies are "Scent of a Woman", "Amelie", and lots of good action movies.  I definitely love Daniel Craig's Bond movies! He actually lives about 10-minute walk from my house! :-) Hope all is well! Yufang

PS. You live in my dream country!

Woman reading in a Forest - Gyula Benczur

Look at these wonderful stamps!  Greta Garbo, Love and Celebrate! How wonderful.  I've never seen such a good example of the Garbo stamp before. I love it!

Germany

July 1, 2019

Ilona wrote a note and told me about where she lives and her life.
24th of June 2019

Dear Helen,
The landscape on the card looks like the one where I live. I'm 52 years old and live in the Northern part of Germany - The North Sea to the left, Baltic Sea to the right.

We do not have any children but a tomcat called Anton. And we love to travel with our vintage car which is a 48 years old Mercedes Benz. Currently at the garage for repair...Hopefully in good condition again soon as we want to travel to Finland in summer.

Warm regards, Ilona

David Hockney RA
The Road Across the Wolds, 1997

These little guys are cute!

Germany

April 23, 2019

Eva sent this cool antique style of card to me and I really like it.  She wrote a lot on the back of the card too which is even better.

She wrote:

Hello Helen! My name is Eva and I'm a student from Germany. I live in the rather small town Bottrop of which you can see some vintage pictures on the card. I go to university in the bigger town Essen right next to Bottrop, and I love it.

All the best!

Germany - Food & Drink

March 18, 2019

Birgit sent this card from Germany with a little note about herself.  I like personalized notes so this was nice to receive.

She wrote;

Hello,
I live in a small town in Sauerland (Germany). I like music, doing arts and crafts and traveling.
My dream destination is the North Pole.
Best wishes Birgit
"Happy Postcrossing"

Joseph Mansfeld (1819-94)
Stillleben mit einer Flasche Champagner 1882
(Still Life with a bottle of champagne)

United States - Art/Books

March 14, 2019

This beautiful card came from Diane in New York State.  She wrote a very inquisitive note on the back of the card, which didn't strike me as being friendly.  Perhaps I'm wrong.

She wrote,

Hello Helen-my name is Diane. I live just north of Syracuse, N.Y. My first thought after reading your bio was - do you go home to Canada regulary? Do you miss where you grew up? Has your family come to Japan. And lastly - why have you not made the effort to learn the language with living there so long? I live with my husband of 341/2 years and our dog & cat. Our son (30) and daughter (26) are both married & live in Buffalo, N.Y. It's winter here. We average 125 inches of snow each year & are well on our way to that Mark and perhaps more!

Diane

The Reading Woman II
Eastman Johnson(American, 1824-1906)
The Little Convalescent, about 1873-1879

United States

November 5, 2018

This fun card came from Linda in the US.  She wrote a lot on the back of her card and used some great stamps so this was a lovely present in my mailbox!

She wrote;

Hello Helen from Milwaukee Wisconsin on Beautiful Lake Michigan. Fall here, lots of pumkins everywhere as it gets closer to Halloween, people dress up in costumes & scare others ~LOVE this time of year ~ fresh apples picked from the trees dipped in caramel and rolled in nuts, "Yummy".

We are waiting for our second grandson this December.

Peace & Joy ~ Linda USA

Linda used some amazing stamps on her card as well.  

Thanks Linda!  A really cool Postcrossing!

Netherlands - Book & Art

October 3, 2018

This beautiful card came to me from Cecile in the Netherlands.  She wrote a thoughtful and interesting note to me as well, so this was a lovely Postcrossing to receive.

She wrote:

Hallo Helen,
Greetings from a small village; Sint Odilienburg. On Dutch TV now is a series about Japan. A Dutch cabaret artist and writer asks people the meaning of a particularly Japanese word, such as otemba. I love such TV. You learn a lot of it. Hope you like this card I choose for you (I think this painting is wonderful)

Wish you all the best.

Cecile

United States - Book Related

September 27, 2018

This amazing card came from Sheri in the US.  I really love it.  Although I am not a huge fan of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, the card is wonderfully symbollic of the story.  I like it very much.

Sheri wrote:

Hi Helen, greetings from Avondale, AZ.  I wonder how Japan is so different from Canada. I've been to Japan once, a long time ago. It is a beautiful country but it is very brave of you to live so far from home!
=) Sheri

These are also quite interesting stamps.  I'm not familiar with them and I haven't received them before.

Taiwan

September 25, 2018

This card came from Jack in Taiwan. He only wrote a short note, but it seemed quite exuberant!

He wrote;

Hi! I'm Jack Peng,
from Taiwan!
My hometown food
have turkey rice and newportyee.
I like to travel,
want to Armenia.
Welcome to Taiwan!
Nice to meet you!!

United States

July 26, 2018

Margaret sent me a lovely black and white card with very colourful writing on the back. It was lovely and friendly and I enjoyed receiving this one and the great stamps on the card too.

She wrote;

Hello Helen,
Greetings from Utah where we have lots of snow like Canada :-)
Ansel Adam's photos are very beautiful.  My daughter in law grew up in Medicine Hat Canada.
There is NO snow here now! Today will be 96℉ and HOT!! Today we are going boating and will enjoy the water and the SUN. I am a knitter and love it so much I have to discipline myself to get my chores done first. :-)

Margaret

Maroon Bells, near Aspen, Colorado, 1951,
Ansel Adams

Look at these great stamps.  I had been reading about the Mr Rogers documentary at the time that I received the card, so the stamps seemed timely.  And I love the butterfly one too. 

Ukraine

June 20, 2018

This interesting little card came from Tania in the Ukraine.  She wrote a friendly fun note on the back and used interesting stamps, so this was a good Postcrossing.

Tania wrote;

Hi, Helen!

I have chosen this card as I Bet you haven't seen Gapchinska's angels. And it reminded me of Japan. This spring I have watched full season of a travel show "World Upside Down" filmed in Japan.  It was sooo interesting!!

I work as a teacher and this week I asked my students to watch "The Iron Lady" and "The King's Speech" for the test.  Have you watched them?

Best wishes,
Tania

06/07/18

Seven Goldfish

These are the stamps that were on the back of the card.  Interesting!

China

June 16, 2018

This pretty little card came from Sun in China.  She wrote a short note and used a lot of stamps on her card.

She wrote:

Hello.
My name is Sun.
I like collecting
steamps[sic]. There are a lot of
lovely cartoons in Japan.
Sun

 It is quite unusual to see so many stamps on a postcard, but I rather like it!

Thanks Sun!

United States - Books

June 11, 2018

This card was a lovely surprise in my mailbox. I received it in a handful of cards one day.  Beverly sent it to me from the US.

She wrote,

Hello Helen!
How exciting for you to live in Japan & be a writer! I hope you like this card of people reading...I too enjoy reading.

Have you read Ann Patchett's books? I think she writes gr8! stories - so intriguing.

All the best to you in 2018 - Beverly

[Just a note, I'm not actually a writer, I'm not sure where Beverly got that idea from.]

"Paperback Riders" by Owen Smith
June 26 & July 3, 1995

A lovely card, I really like it!

Russia

May 17, 2018

This lovely postcard arrived last month in the rain.  The back of the card is a bit smeary but is generally readable.

Elena wrote,

Hello from Saint-Petersburg! I hope you will like this postcard from your favourites. I worked for Sumitomo Corp. here in SPC and want to visit Japan since then.  But also I like Canada and it's[sic] landscapes!
Happy Postcrossing!
Elena

The Night - Irina Dumina

Russia

April 20, 2018

This card came from Natasha in Russia and she wrote a great comment on the back about her favourite film.  I have seen the film she describes, but it was years ago.  I didn't like the film at first, I probably should see it again as it has been years.  I love receiving cards with lots of conversation on the back!

She wrote:

Hello Helen!
My favorite film is "Withnail & I", a British grim comedy. It is one of the best films about friendship. this is a film that will never be tarnished by age, and neither is it limited by repeat viewings. To me it's one of the greatest comedies ever. It's intelligent and sad and genuinely laugh out loud funny. If you happen to watch it I hope you will like it.  Cheers, Natasha
30 March 2018          -7℃ ☀️

Painter O. Kamieshkova.

I really love this hot air balloon stamp!  Cool.