POSTCARD OF THE WEEK V: Germany

Germany is probably the country I get the most postcards from, including the US. I’ve even gotten an instance of repeat cards (what ARE the odds of that?). I got this one from Venia. The caption translated is:

A pretty girl and a cold beer,
Ah Bavaria, I shall remain here!

Germany is a big part of my personal heritage, but I do have to admit that when you get so many cards from the same country, you develop a sort of knee-jerk reaction thinking it will be of the same landmark or mountains. I certainly get a lot of diverse cards from here, like the one above, but I don’t think the site can really help how many cards you get from the same country. I would guesstimate that about solid third of my postcards are from either Germany or Russia.

You have to admit though, this card is pretty damn cute.

POSTCARD OF THE WEEK IV: Japan

I use the word ‘obsessed’ a lot in thsi blog, don’t I? Well, be assured that when I use it here, I mean it in every sense of the word. I am obsessed with Japanese culture, in particular, the cultures of Old Kyoto and Gion. This card was sent to me by Annette-in-Japan.

I don;t have much to say other than I adore Japanese culture, so here are a few of my other favorite postcards from Japan I’ve received!

I love the style of this one…and it combined my love of Japanese art with my love of cats! Speaking of which, allow me to obsess again for a moment to say that Japan has a small island that is populated almost entirely by non-feral stray cats? It’s a fisherman island, so they live off the castoffs of the fishers, and they’re apparently quite friendly. I must go here and live my lifelong dream of rolling in a sea of cuddlies on Cat Island.

Obviously these two both show more of why I love geisha. The gorgeous art on the left is reminiscent of the ancient style, and the photograph on the right shows two geiko (master geisha). You can tell they are masters of their craft because their kimono collars are white. If they were apprentices (maiko), they would have red collars and larger obi knots on their backs.

And of course, no post about Japanese postcards would be complete without the obligatory anime card!

I’m not sure which anime this is from (I watch so little of it…I’ve only ever seen episodes from two shows).

POSTCARD OF THE WEEK III: The Netherlands

I get a lot of flack for my mild obsession with the Royal Families of Europe. When I got this card, King Alexander was still only the heir apparent, so it’s in the earlier volumes of my collection.  This card came to me from Anja.

Why do I love following the Royal Families? After all, most of them aren’t even powerful. Like England, many of the royals these days are more of a symbolic presence, with maybe some influence over parliaments or politics. And it’s not even as if they are particularly fascinating people (aside from Diana Spencer or Sarah Ferguson). They mainly keep up their appearances and jobs, rear children away from the public eye (smart), and marry models or children of business people. Many do have charitable causes they work for, but few reach the level of notoriety that Diana Spencer did. I bet most people can’t even name the houses that each country’s royals belong to, other than perhaps Windsor or Amsburg.

I guess it’s one of those things even I can’t explain. But when I look at postcards like this one, especially looking at the three little girls, I just can’t help but feel a pang of jealousy….what spectacular lives they are going to lead one day! Every step they make will either be watched, documented, or at least noted by the general public. With that kind of influence, they could change the world without even trying! How amazing is that?

This card motivated me to look up the history of the House of Orange-Nassau van Amsburg, and now, thanks to that, I have three books on hold for me at my library on King Alexander’s mother, grandmother, and great-grandmother. It’s a domino effect, and I bet once I read up on them, I’ll see another name dropped somewhere in the text that sparks my interest, etc. I am quite a biography enthusiast all around.

The Netherlands, funny enough, is on my bucket list of destinations to visit for a different reason: every year, The Netherlands plays host to Red Head Day…where over 7,000 gingers from around the world come together in celebration of red hair, freckles, and SPF-75 sunscreen (I assume). As a natural redhead, I feel obligated to make a pilgrimage to this gathering.

POSTCARD OF THE WEEK II: South Africa

I received this card at least a year ago, but it is still one of my favorites, because postcards from anywhere in Africa are pretty rare. In fact, I only have gotten one other card from Africa in the nearly two years I’ve been collecting. This one was sent to me by Verdigris.

I honestly had not heard very much about the Zulu tribe before getting this card, but it looks to be a group steeped in some cool traditions (I mean…I totally wish I could train to be a witch doctor!). I usually picture South Africa as post-Apartheid Johannesburg, with country clubs, suburbs, and traces of post-British imperialism. I see images like in the postcard above and my mind goes to Kenya, Zambia, and Angola before it goes to South Africa.

Then I got to thinking how I used to associate African tribal villages as being poor and backwards. I’m embarrassed to admit I used to think this way. I blame my middle-class American hegemonic upbringing for this. Now I think of life in a small, isolated village as probably a peaceful way to live, as long as food and water were in constant supply (which I know isn’t true in many cases). Think about it: you don’t have to worry about the NASDAQ crashing and wiping out your 401K, you don’t have to endure the mindless drivel that is 99% of pop culture these days, and you’re probably going to be very close with the entire village, so basically it’s like an extended family. You don’t necessarily need a 250K Masters Degree and a six-figure salary to live a satisfying life.

Perhaps people like the Zulu have their priorities in order more than Americans do. I can’t confirm this as I have no experience with Zulu culture, nor have I even even known a member of the Zulu tribe, but when you’re in a small, traditional tribe, your priorities are more likely about to be survival, safety, and living. Last week I was accosted by a group of thirteen years olds who hollered ‘selfie with stranger!’ and took off before I could realize that they placed being ‘cool’ above ‘not getting kidnapped’ in their priority order. Technology has warped us beyond our basic instincts, and it’s really getting bizarre.

Will I get to visit the Zulu tribe one day? Not sure. It’s not like I can take a Delta flight to the middle of the Serengeti. But if I could, would I? Absolutely!

POSTCARD OF THE WEEK I: China

This postcard comes from Cici in China! She describes the artwork as ‘Chinese Opera art.’ I absolutely adore the use of watercolors and the tone the image sets of both tranquility and mystery. I am an all-around art fanatic, so getting cards displaying cultural art such as this are probably my favorites.

Chinese socio-political history has been an interest of mine for a few years, especially when I got into Wild Swans by Jung Cheng and the historical fiction books by Lisa See (China Dolls comes out in June…so excited!). I love learning about what really went on during the Maoist era and the pre-Maoist struggles between the Communist Party and the Kuomintang regime. In school, the topic was barely glanced over in World History in favor of more pro-capitalist Americana history. Granted, the Maoist Communism of the late 40s-70s wasn’t exactly a gleaming light of victory in Chinese history, but the whole progression fascinates me, especially in Wild Swans, where the author explores the era through both her own eyes as well as the eyes of her mother and grandmother.

I also enjoy learning about the traditionalist dynastic eras of Chinese history. So many people see it as an era that was terrible for women, and I can see where they are right (like the foot binding…ouch!). But authors like See give it an almost feminist perspective. It’s hard as a Western feminist to see the concept of filial piety as a positive concept: ‘When a child, obey your father. When a wife, obey your husband. When a widow, obey your son.” But in reality, these were the women who created their own language so they could communicate privately with other women, which is an amazing idea. These were the women who, when you think of it, were a lot more valuable to their families than even they realized. They were the means by which many poor families could survive due to their dowries.

Even in contemporary times, China has a very strong allure for me. It seems to be both parts progressive and traditionalist. The art of China is, in my opinion, best represented through music and performance, such as the opera image in the postcard above. When I first began collecting, I got a similar postcard with a photograph of two performers in a Chinese opera.

Between the operas, the dancers, the gymnasts, and the massive parades with the giant dragon kites, China has the kind of art that is best experienced if you’re there to let it surround you. Then you can fully absorb the energy it gives off and the passion these people have for their traditions. If I ever get to China one day, you can bet I’ll attend at least one classic opera (hopefully The Peony Pavilion, which is my favorite Chinese performance piece)!