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)!

The World Is Waiting!

My name is Colleen, and I love this world.

I have suffered from wanderlust since I traveled to the Scottish Highlands with my grandmother in 2000. For two weeks, I witnessed the beauty and history of a culture I’d never seen before. The thrill of seeing such a different and rich culture, experiencing it firsthand, and the idea of not knowing where I would be if I turned left instead of right…it was indescribable, even as a twelve-year-old.

Now that I’m an adult with student loans to pay, a job to keep, rent to get in on time, and a cat to feed, I’ve found myself shackled to my hometown of Syracuse, NY. Okay, maybe not shackled, but I simply can’t afford to travel to the dozens of different places I long to see and experience.

Luckily, I found Postcrossing.com.

A free (ish) website where you sign up and add your address to the mailing list, then receive a few addresses of people from all over the world. You then send postcards to them (this is where the free-ish part comes in, you need to provide cards and postage yourself). Once they are received, you qualify to receive your own cards from anyone anywhere.

So I thought I’d try it out. At best, I would start up an awesome collections of different cards, at worst I’d get bored and cancel my account.

Needless to say, I fell in love. It has been almost two years now, and I still love sending and receiving postcards from random people as far away as Japan and China and as close to home as 100 miles away (even less). Many cards include facts from the sender about their countries, some even have rare stamps and stickers attached. Each card tells a story, and I already have over 350 of them, taking up four full photo albums!

So, while I await the day I win the lottery and can afford to start actually visiting some of these spectacular destinations, I will document some of my favorite postcards and facts on this blog. I hope you enjoy the adventure as much as I have been and will continue to do!

Yours,

Colleen the Wanderer