Super adorable rabbit! :D

Received in late July 2013 – another lovely surprise from my dear Finnish friend Saila! :D One more rabbit to my collection! :D Kiiiiiitos!!

Lovely Moomin stamp:

Rainbow village in Taichung (Taiwan) :D

I’d love to go there someday! :D So colourful!

Received in mid July 2013 from my HK friend Lanlan. Thanks a lot! :D

 

台中市彩虹眷村    台中市春安路56巷

台中市有處五彩繽紛的彩繪眷村，牆面、地板畫滿人像、動物與色塊，夢境般場景吸引大批部落客、攝影玩家，孤寂的眷村頓時熱鬧起來；所有圖畫出自八十六歲退伍老兵黃永阜之手，他說，畫圖是排遣無聊，沒想到大家喜歡，讓他愈畫愈起勁。

彩繪眷村鄰近嶺東科技大學，長達五十公尺的巷弄，彩繪各式人像、小鳥與水牛，地面還有彩虹、花朵與祝福的話；這處眷村在部落客、攝影玩家間口耳相傳，成為外拍秘境。

眷村彩繪出自老榮民黃永阜之手，黃永阜是香港九龍人，當年響應「十萬青年十萬軍」入伍，隨著國民政府來台，在高雄、屏東住過，最後落腳台中春安社區。

黃永阜說，民國97年8月他突發奇想，拿起水泥漆把地板塗成繽紛的彩虹，空白牆面先塗底色，再拿刷子彩繪圖案，想到什麼就畫什麼，從人物、水牛、小鳥到飛機，連貓熊「團團」、「圓圓」也入畫。

黃永阜畫的人物外型類似，但細節互異，取材自報刊、鄰居與訪客，「來了日本人，就畫穿和服的女子；戴大耳環的時髦女子，也變成牆面的一部分」。

黃永阜說，他在牆壁、地板寫上「平安」、「感恩」等吉祥話，希望來參觀的人也能得到祝福。(本文取自98/3/31 人間福報報導)

(Info found online —> http://www.ttvs.cy.edu.tw/kcc/990925hon/k1.htm )

 

Lovely stamps:

 

More pictures of this rainbow village: [found online]

 

 

Awww I have to go there someday! :D

 

White rabbits with red eyes xD

Received in mid July 2013 – a lovely surprise by my dear Finnish friend Saila. <3 Kiiitossss! :D

Poor white rabbits with red eyes are food to some people. T-T

Lovely Snufkin stamp:

He’s an interesting character. xD

Universal Studio in Singapore :)

Received in mid July 2013 from my HK colleague. Thanks! :)

 

Lovely turtle stamp:

Okinawa watercolour :)

A lovely watercolour card sent to me from Okinawa (Japan) by my HK friend. Received in early July 2013. Thanks a lot! :)

 

Lovely bird stamp:

 

I wonder why so many definitive stamps have birds in them. :O Very curious! xD They look nice though! ^^

 

Okinawa (Japan) ^^

A lovely postcard of Okinawa sent by my Hong Kong friend during her trip there. Received in early July 2013. What a pretty island! :)

 

I can’t find any info about 安慶名敷島 on Wikipedia…and I don’t understand Japanese. ~>_<~(Please use Google translate :P)

座間味島から渡し船で簡単に行ける無人島、安慶名敷島（あげなしく）。安慶名敷島は座間味島と阿嘉島のニシ浜の中間に位置するので、阿嘉島からもよく見えている無人島です。きれいな砂浜と魚が多い海の中が特徴的な慶良間の無人島です。

安慶名敷島へは夏シーズンは座間味港に渡し船が何隻か待機しているのでそちらを活用しましょう(往復1000円前後)。タクシー感覚で活用できます。帰りは予め時間を言っておいて来てもらうも良し、安慶名敷島から携帯で依頼するも良いでしょう。ちなみにオフシーズンは座間味港観光案内所で電話番号を聞いて、直接船を出している方に電話しましょう。

安慶名敷島自体は白い砂浜が特徴的な無人島ですが、島の場所によっては岩場も多かったりします。そして特徴的なのが海の中。サンゴはイマイチですが魚がとても多いです。ちょうど阿嘉島のニシ浜に近いイメージがある海だと思います。

 

Definitive stamp of bird:

The Peter and Paul Fortress (St Petersburg)

Received in early July from my Hong Kong friend who’s doing a RTW trip. :) Thanks!!

 

A bit about the Peter and Paul Fortress:

The Peter and Paul Fortress (Russian: Петропа́вловская кре́пость, Petropavlovskaya Krepost) is the original citadel of St. Petersburg, Russia, founded by Peter the Great in 1703 and built to Domenico Trezzini’s designs from 1706-1740.

It is the central and most important part of the State Museum of Saint Petersburg History. The museum has gradually become virtually the sole owner of the fortress building except the building of Saint Petersburg Mint.

(Thanks Wikipedia! xD)

Magdalen College (Oxford) :D

If you’re a fan of Oscar Wilde who cares about which university he went to, you’ll be excited to visit Magdalen College and send yourself a postcard of this college from Oxford too. :D

Received in early July from my first trip to England, sent by myself. :D (It’s a trip for literature & art lovers really! :D)

Magdalen College, Oxford. :D

 

A matching stamp:

The Nursery Alice :D

Being a fan of Alice in Wonderland, I had to buy myself an Alice postcard from the Alice’s shop in Oxford. :D Received in early July, sent by myself. xDDD

 

If you’re a fan of Alice in Wonderland who is also interested in its creator, you’ll know why I put this stamp of Christ Church college on the postcard. :D

 

I feel sorry for Alice Liddell (the little girl who not only inspired Lewis Carroll to write Alice in Wonderland, but also encouraged him to publish it). She looked so much cuter than my embarrassing doodling. :P

I still remember the gloomy grey sky and drizzle in Oxford. Actually, it’s pretty much like this throughout my first trip to England. :O I felt so honoured to see the true colours of England, haha. xD

 

Hōryū-ji (法隆寺) in Nara, Japan :)

Received in early July via Postcrossing private swap. Thanks Dori! :)

A painted view of Hōryū-ji in Nara, Japan. How I miss beautiful Nara! :)

 

A bit about Hōryū-ji (法隆寺) :

Hōryū-ji (法隆寺, lit. Temple of the Flourishing Law) is a Buddhist temple in Ikaruga, Nara Prefecture, Japan. Its full name is Hōryū Gakumonji (法隆学問寺), or Learning Temple of the Flourishing Law, the complex serving as both a seminary and monastery.

The temple’s pagoda is widely acknowledged to be one of the oldest wooden buildings existing in the world, underscoring Hōryū-ji’s place as one of the most celebrated temples in Japan. In 1993, Hōryū-ji was inscribed together with Hokki-ji as a UNESCO World Heritage Site under the name Buddhist Monuments in the Hōryū-ji Area. The Japanese government lists several of its structures, sculptures and artifacts as National Treasures.

(Thanks Wiki! ^^)

An elegant stamp of flowers: