Qatar Postcard - Souq Waqif

Postcard
明信片
Bilhete Postal

Qatar

A nice postcard showing a mosque at Souq Waqif (old market) in Doha, Qatar. I very much like the two beautiful stamps affixed on the card.

Estonia FDC on "Bird of the Year: Shrike"

First Day Cover
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Sobrescrito de 1.º Dia

Estonia

Bird of the Year: Shrike

Date of Issue : 13 May 2010

The Estonian Ornithological Society picked has two species of shrikes, the red-back shrike (Lanius collurio) and the great grey shrike (Lanius excubitor), as birds of the year 2010. The birds have a long tail and a strong hooked beak. The male shrike has a typical black eye mask. The red-back shrike is slightly larger than the sparrow while the great grey shrike is about the size of a small thrush. Shrikes can be seen in open and semi-open landscapes. Although shrikes are regarded as passerines they can be heard singing very seldom. Shrikes are carnivorous birds whose catch consists of larger insects, lizards, frogs, small birds and rodents. They hunt from prominent perches and impale corpses on thorns or barbed wire as a “larder”. The red-back shrike is a migratory bird that winters in southern Africa and arrives at our latitude only in the middle of May. In Estonia it is a very common breeding bird whose number in the country has been assessed at 40,000 to 60,000 pairs. The great grey shrike can be seen in Estonia all through the year but it is considerably less numerous than the red-back shrike. About 500-600 great grey shrikes spend the winter here, and only 300-500 pairs of them breed in the country. The great grey shrike and the red-back shrike are in the third category of protected birds.

A very very nice FDC. I think it is one of the most beautiful Estonian stamp in 2010 up to now.

China Postcard - Expo 2010 Shanghai

Postcard
明信片
Bilhete Postal

China

An unexpected surprise from one of my friend at Shanghai, China. Two really great postcards, with special cancellation sent on the day of the opening of the Shanghai Expo 2010. Thank You very much !

United Kingdom Postcard - London Tower Bridge

Postcard
明信片
Bilhete Postal

United Kingdom

A postcard showing the very famous London Tower Bridge.

Estonia FDC on "Suurupi Leading Light Lighthouses"

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Estonia

Suurupi Leading Light Lighthouses

Date of Issue : 22 April 2010

The Suurupi Peninsula lies on Estonia's northern coast about 20 km west of Tallinn. On the initiative of Russian Rear Admiral Mordvinov a lighthouse 20 meters high was built on the peninsula in 1760. After some rebuilding, the stone tower received as a glass lantern room. As a result the light stood at 16 meters from the base with a focal plane of about 41 meters. As such the lighthouse stood until 1944. In 1859 another, front lighthouse was built at 1.2 miles from the rear one: a three-storied wooden truncated pyramid with a gable roof. Its focal plane was 15 meters, 11 meters from the base. When German forces withdrew from Estonia in 1944 they set fire to the stone Suurupi lighthouse. Its restoration and reconstruction work began soon: the burned timber ceilings were replaced by reinforced concrete ceilings supported on steel girders, metal stairs were built into the tower and electricity replaced earlier gas in the lantern. Later a cylindrical floor of a narrower diameter was built up top of the stone tower and the lantern room was lifted on the roof. The light now stood at 22 meters from the base with a focal plane of 66-meters as the lighthouse stand on a cliff 44 meters high. In 1971 also the lights of the front lighthouse were switched to electricity. The leading lights mark a shipping lane of 10-meter depth leading west out of Tallinn Bay. The front lighthouse is a white quadrangular wooden truncated pyramid, while the rear lighthouse is a white cylindrical stone tower with a balcony and a black lantern room. In 2009 the front Suurupi light marked its sesquicentennial, while the rear lighthouse marks its 250th anniversary this year.

Indonesia FDC on "2010 FIFA World Cup"

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Indonesia


2010 FIFA World Cup

Date of Issue : 1 May 2010

My first World Cup FDC.

Argentina Postcard

Postcard
明信片
Bilhete Postal

Argentina

Another very beautiful card from Argentina.

China FDC on "Ancient Chinese Calligraphy - Running Script (行書)"

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China


Ancient Chinese Calligraphy - Running Script (行書)

Date of Issue : 15 May 2010

(On Top FDC)
6-1 and 6-2 : Preface to the Orchid Pavilion
The "Preface to the Orchid Pavilion" in running script on paper, is a calligraphy work by Wang Xizhi (王羲之, 303-361), now in the collection of Beijing Palace Museum. It is said that Wang invited friends to gather at the Orchid Pavilion on the outskirts of Shanyin in Kuaiji (present-day Shaoxing, Zhejiang Province), where they drank wine and composed poems for an anthology, to which Wang wrote the preface.

(On 2nd FDC)
6-3 and 6-4 : Poems Composed during the Cold Food Festival in Huangzhou
The "Poems Composed during the Cold Food Festival in Huangzhou" in running script on paper, is attributed to Su Shi (蘇軾) of the northern Song Dynasty (960-1127), now in the collection of the Palace Museum in Taipei. It comprises two five-character-in-a-poems, describing the author's sorrowful state of mind and difficult living conditions after being demoted to Huangzhou.

(On 3rd FDC)
6-5 and 6-6 : Elegiac Lament for My Nephew
The "Elegiac Lament for My Nephew", in running and cursive style on a hemp paper scroll, was calligraphed by Yan Zhenqing (顏真卿) during the Tang Dynasty (618-907), and is now collected by the Palace Museum in Taipei. This work was created by Yan in mourning of his nephew, Yan Jiming, who died during the political turmoil started by An Lushan and Shi Siming.

Running Script (行書), a calligraphy style that is semi-regular and semi-cursive, orginated in the Han Dynasty (206B.C. - A.D.220), and become mature during the Wei (220-265) and Jin (265-420) dynasties. It simplifies the strokes of Regular Script (楷書), transform the patterns of Regular Script, and loosens the structure of Regular Script, thus being more applicable and practical to daily life compared to Regular Script and Cursive Script (草書).

Korea Postcard - Shanghai Expo 2010

Postcard
明信片
Bilhete Postal

South Korea

Date of Issue : 30 April 2010

An unexpected surprise from my Korean friend. Korea Post do not issue stamp for the Shanghai Expo 2010. Instead, Korea Post issue postcard to commemorate this event. Both the postcard and the special cancellation looks very nice. Thank You very much to my friend.

Russia Postcard - The Admiralty at St Petersburg

Postcard
明信片
Bilhete Postal

Russia

A nice postcard showing the almiralty at St Petersburg. The postal cancellation was very clear.

Taiwan FDC on "Flowers Postage Stamp (IV)"

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Taiwan

Flowers Postage Stamp (IV)

Date of Issue : 12 May 2010

(From left to right, on top)
NT$0.5 stamp : Bauhinia variegata
This deciduous tree of the pea family (Fabaceae) is commonly known as the orchid tree, butterfly tree, or camel’s foot. Its leaves are either round or shaped like a wide heart with a cleft on both base and apex, so that they resemble the hoof of a goat. Its inflorescences, which are axillary, each have five pale pink petals, one with red purple veins. This sun-loving tree is a great ornamental and street tree

NT$9 stamp : Euphorbia milii
This evergreen shrub of the spurge family (Euphorbiaceae) is commonly known as crown of thorns. Its thick and erect stems are densely covered with thorns. Its leaves are long and ovate-shaped. What are commonly described as the plant’s flowers are actually brick-red bracts. The actual flowers are located inside the bracts and are either orange or yellow in color. Every part of the plant is poisonous. It prefers warm weather and is suitable to plant in containers or a hedge.

NT$13 stamp : Brunfelsia hopeana
This evergreen shrub of the nightshade family (Solanaceae) is commonly known as manaca. Its leaves are elliptical to obovate. The blooms are blue at first and fade to white gradually, giving the plant two colors of flowers at the same time. The flowers send out a faint fragrance at night. The plant’s roots, bark, stems and leaves are poisonous. It prefers warm weather and is suitable for ornamental planting in gardens, large containers, or as a hedge.

NT$17 stamp : Plumeria rubra
This small deciduous tree of the dogbane family (Apocynaceae) is commonly known as frangipani. The plant has thick branches and possesses a toxic milky sap. Its leaves are broad lanceolate to long elliptical. Its fragrant flowers, creamy white with a yellow center, have five oval-shaped petals, which have a propeller-like arrangement. This sun lover has a long flowering season, making it a great garden specimen.

Very nice flower FDC from Taiwan. On this FDC, there are also 2 flowers stamps on the bottom. One of these is a NT$2.5 stamp of "Flowers Postage Stamp (II)" (issued on 14 Oct 2009) featuring Bombax ceiba. Another one is a NT$12 stamp of "Flowers Postage Stamp (I)" (issued on 12 Mar 2009) featuring Tabebuia chrysantha.

Korea FDC on "Rivers of Korea (4th)"

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South Korea

Rivers of Korea (4th)

Date of Issue : 11 May 2010

The last installment of the “Rivers of Korea Series,” features the Han River following the Nakdong River, Seomjin River and Geum River.

The Han River traverses the very heart of the Korean peninsula originating from Taebaek city, Gangwon-do province and winds through Gangwon-do province, Chungcheongbuk-do province, Gyeonggi-do province and Seoul to finally flow into the Yellow Sea. It have also been called the Arisu (阿利水), Sapyeongdo (沙平渡), Hansu (漢水), etc. With the movement of the capital city to Hanyang by King Taejo of the Joseon Dynasty, the Han River has occupied the position of the political, economic and cultural center of the Korean peninsula.

Winding 494.44km in length and containing 25,953 ㎢ in its basin, the Han River is the largest river in South Korea, in terms of the amount of flowing water. The ecosystem of the part of the Han River that meanders through the Seoul city contains a total of 1,600 species: an extensive variety of plant species such as reed, common reed and phragmites japonica Steud.; 71 types of fish including river puffer, Korean rose bitterling, Chinese minnow and rough-skin sculpin; such endangered species as the Chinese egret, wood-sandpiper, whooper swan, gold frog, narrow-mouthed toad, Chinese water deer, and raccoon dog.

The stamps are really very beautiful. On each stamp, you would notice a very special wave-shaped perforation.

Slovakia FDC on "EUROPA 2010: Children's Books"

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Slovakia

EUROPA 2010: Children's Books

Date of Issue : 4 May 2010

Slovak illustration has its reputation around the world. Albín Brunovský (1935 – 1997) belongs to its most important Slovak representatives. He was engaged especially in illustrations, graphic creation and painting. As the Head of Department of Graphics and Book Illustration at the VŠVU (Academy of Fine Arts and Design) in Bratislava in 1967 – 1990, he brought up a strong generation of graphics and illustrators, among which the established ones in the field of illustrations are Dušan Kállay and Karol Ondreička. Brunovský to the main representatives of fantasy realism of the 2nd half of the 20th century. Out of the large collection of 140 illustrated books, 46 are dedicated to children.

Despite the fact that he illustrated most books in the 1960s, his most significant works come from the mid-1970s. Based on a long-term cooperation with the Slovak poet Ľubomír Feldek, they made the fairy tale book called Modrá kniha rozprávok (1974) (Blue Book of Fairy Tales). This book was awarded a price by the publishing house Mladé letá – Mladé letá Award for “excellent realization of literal, artistic and graphic elements”. In 1976 it received an award in the Athens – Honour Roll of H. CH. Andersen. At the International Book Art Exhibition IBA in Leipzig in 1977 it was awarded bronze medal. This book is the source of illustration called Meluzína Jozefína which was chose by the author of the stamp graphic design, Daniel Brunovský, the son of the author of illustrations, to be the representative work of Slovak illustration.

Albín Brunovský never really illustrated books, he provided for a free interpretation, so they could have worked as independent works of art. Typical feature of his illustrations were fabulousness, absurdity, contact with the animal world, humorousness as well as reconstruction of their experienced childhood. Numerous motives which Brunovský used when illustrating “Modrá kniha rozprávok” later became topics of more graphic cycles. We may mention the well-known graphic cycle called Dámy v klobúku (Ladies in Hats) dated in 1981, the preliminary picture is the illustration of the frontispiece of Modrá kniha rozprávok shown on the date of issue cover.

Another very nice FDC from Slovakia.

Sri Lanka Postcard - Elephants in Minneriya National Park

Postcard
明信片
Bilhete Postal

Sri Lanka

A nice postcard featuring Sri Lankan elephants in Minneriya National Park of Sri Lanka. Very nice stamps affixed on the card, especially there is a matching elephant stamp at the top right. Thank You very much!

Macau Postage Due Cover to Hong Kong

Postage Due Cover
欠資封
Sobrescrito com Selos de Porteado

Macau Hong Kong

Date Sent: 1 May 2010

Macau Stamp
~~~ one of the "10th Anniversary of the Reunification of Macau with the Motherland" MOP1.5 Stamps (Issued on 20 December 2009)

Hong Kong Postage Due Label (Left, Green in Colour : HK$5 )
~~~ Issued on 23 September 2004

The cover above was dropped to postal letter box outside the Macau Maritime Ferry Terminal Post Office on 1 May 2010. According to the datestamp postmark, the mail was collected and cancelled on 3 May. On the cover, I just affixed a Macau MOP 1.5 stamp out of the normal postage of MOP2.5. On 8 May, I went to the GPO to get the mail and paid the postage due. The post office clerk told me the postage due should be : ((1 / 2.5) x 2.3) + 4 = HK$4.92, which was rounded to HK$5. On the cover, you can see the round-shaped T 1/2.5 postmark from Macau and a big Hong Kong GPO Poste Restante chop. I think I was really lucky that both the cancellations from Hong Kong and Macau were very clear.

Estonia FDC on "EUROPA: Children Books"

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Estonia

EUROPA: Children Books

Date of Issue : 6 May 2010

The middle of the 19th century can be regarded as the beginning of the Estonian literature for children although secular stories for children had been published before, notably by Friedrich Gustav Arvelius in 1782 and by Otto Willem Masing in 1795. The author of the first Estonian book of fiction for children is Carl Körber and that of the first poetry book Johann Voldemar Jannsen. Like everywhere else, Estonian children`s books often have very beautiful and imag-inative illustratsions and some of the illustrators have won inernational acclaim, Vive Tolli and Jaan Tammsaar being perhaps known the best. The postage stamps feature illustratsions by Viive Noor and Jüri Mildeberg, while the FDC has a new edition of Friedrich Reinhold Kreutzwald`s Old Estonian Fair Tales (first published 1866) with illustratsions by Günter Reindorff.

Indonesia FDC on "Intangible Cultural Heritage of Indonesia"

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Indonesia


Intangible Cultural Heritage of Indonesia

Date of Issue : 29 March 2010

A very very nice set of FDCs

France Postcard - Amiens Cathedral

Postcard
明信片
Bilhete Postal

France

A very beautiful postcard of the Amiens Cathedral (a World Heritage Site). It is the tallest of the large 'classic' Gothic churches of the 13th century and is the largest in France of its kind. On the back of the card, you can see 2 very nice odd-shaped Athens 2004 Olympic Games stamps. The pictoral postmark of Amiens is also nice too.

China FDC on "Commemorating the Opening of World Expo 2010 Shanghai"

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首日封
Sobrescrito de 1.º Dia

China


Commemorating the Opening of World Expo 2010 Shanghai

Date of Issue : 1 May 2010

World Expo 2010 Shanghai, officially inaugurated on May 1, marks the first time ever that the global pageant has been held in China throughout its more than 150 years of history. The six-month event attracted participants from some 240 countries and international organizations around the globe. The spectacular exhibition halls and the distinctive Urban Best Practices Areas in the World Expo Site, which spans both banks of the Huangpu River, showcased the cultural characteristics of different nations and regions, exhibited new achievements made in the progress of human civilization, and unfolded a bright prospect for the future of human society. Vividly embodying the theme "Better City, Better Life", World Expo 2010 presentted a dialogue of civilizations and witnessed the friendship between the Chinese people and people in the rest of the world.

China FDC on "Site of Shanghai Expo"
Macau FDC on "Expo 2010 Shanghai China"
Hong Kong FDC on "Hong Kong's Participation in Expo 2010 Shanghai China"
Algeria FDC on "Shanghai World Expo 2010"
Estonia FDC on "2010 World Expo"

A very nice FDC from China. Although the datestamp postmark is not very clear, you may probably notice that this FDC was sent from World Expo post office.

Macau FDC on "Expo 2010 Shanghai China"

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Macau

Expo 2010 Shanghai China

Date of Issue : 01 May 2010

MOP 3.5 stamp : “Macau Pavilion - Jade Rabbit the Imperial Lantern” which is erected inside the China Pavilion Zone

MOP 4 stamp : The replica of Pawnshop “Tak Seng On” which is built in the Expo’s Urban Best Practices Area.

The stamp design is selected from the winning entry of the Stamp Design Contest with the same theme jointly organized by the Macau Post and the Office for Preparation of Macau’s Participation in the Shanghai World Expo.

Hong Kong FDC on "Hong Kong's Participation in Expo 2010 Shanghai China"
China FDC on "Site of Shanghai Expo"
Algeria FDC on "Shanghai World Expo 2010"
Estonia FDC on "2010 World Expo"

Very nice stamp design. But, it is not very popular in Macau.

Ecuador Postcard - Guayaquil

Postcard
明信片
Bilhete Postal

Ecuador

A beautiful view card showing the city of Guayaquil, Ecuador.

Taiwan FDC on "Chinese Classic Novel 'The Romance of the Three Kingdoms' (IV)"

First Day Cover
首日封
Sobrescrito de 1.º Dia

Taiwan

Chinese Classic Novel “The Romance of the Three Kingdoms” (IV)

Date of Issue : 29 April 2010

NT$3.5 stamp : Shooting An Arrow at the Halberd beside the Gate of the Camp (轅門射戟)
From Chapter Sixteen, Yuan Shu sent Ji Ling to launch an attack on Liu Bei, who in turn went to Lu Bu for help. Lu came to the rescue and invited both sides to talk peace over a drink. Both Ji and Liu agreed that they would consent to a cease fire if Lu’s arrow could hit the little side prong of the halberd. The arrow hit right on target, thus resolving the crisis.

NT$3.5 stamp : Commenting on Heroes over Wine (煮酒論英雄)
From Chapter Twenty-One. One day, Cao Cao invited Liu Bei to his house to have a drink and enjoy the plum blossoms. During the drink, Cao talked freely about the state of political affairs. His declaration “Only you and I deserve to be called heroes” demonstrated his great judgment on others and his own ambition. Cao talked without restraint, while Liu felt perturbed and responded with great caution. The story provides a clear glimpse of their temperaments and characters as well as the state of affairs at the time

NT$5 stamp : Zhou Yu’s Anger at Being Tricked by Zhuge Liang Three Times (三氣周瑜)
From Chapter Fifty-Six, Lu Su was entrusted with a mission to ask Liu Bei for returning Jingzhou. Zhuge Liang saw through the scheme and prepared appropriately. “It is hard to defeat the enemy when he is too strong and our calculations always come to naught in the end,” Zhou Yu lamented. He would die in remorse, not having fulfilled his expectations..

NT$20 stamp : Holding Meng Huo Captive Seven Times (七擒孟獲)
From Chapter Eighty-Seven to Ninety. The southern barbarian king Meng Huo led an army to invade Shu. There were constant battles along the border. To find a long-term solution, Zhuge Liang led an army himself on an expedition against Meng Huo. After capturing and releasing Meng seven times, Meng finally surrendered wholeheartedly.

Very nice souvenir sheet FDC from Taiwan. I very much like this FDC.