Far East...Universities...Architecture..... Seems to be the "cues" for the day :)

The last few days have been so much postcarding fun! Not only did I receive a TON of postcards (so many so that seeing only "one" lonely card in my box today kinda seemed sad!), but I also tried my hand at rubber stamping cards in blank spaces and then coloring the stamped images with gel pens and markers! The images look oh-so-lovely! And they help take up space on those cards where I really don't have all that much to say :)

Here's a good handful of the cards I received recently. While they were scanned in similar groups (like Philly cards with Philly cards!), they uploaded in quite another order. And I don't have time to fix it :)

I didn't think you'd mind!

1. Nyonya Kebaya Malaysian Creations from a private trade with a generous and artistic friend in Malyasia! This is one of the more popular traditional dresses among the ladies. Beautiful! (All Malaysian cards posted in today's blog were from the same generous friend--not only are the images on the cards superb, but so are the images on the back! He took the time to draw and color cute little images on each card, which gave me the idea to stamp and color on my cards! I can't draw, so stamps had to do it!)



2. I was born and raised in Philadelphia, right down the street from a pretzel factor. Several times a week, people would come by the house pulling red wooden wagons filled with Philly pretzels...at 10 for a dollar! They also carried mustard so you could top one or two off right there for quick munching :) Well...I moved away from Philly 20 years ago. And it has been nearly that long since I have tasted a Philly pretzel--a REAL Philly pretzel! Others may call themselves that, but I have never yet found one to live up to the real thing. (These pretzels are making me thirsty!!!! :)



3. US Air Force Academy Chapel in Colorado Springs, Colorado. I just love the architecture here!



4. Connecticut map from a private trade.



5. Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut, from the same private trade. I love academia--if I could, I'd go back to school full-time for a doctorate, and then teach at the college level. But since that doesn't look like it's going to be happening anytime soon, I'll collect university postcards instead :)



6. Yale Campus, from same private trade. Would love to hobnob among the Ivy Leaguers...if only for a day to see if the rumors are true :)



7. Katharine S. Day House, Hartford, Connecticut, from the same private trade. I love the color and style of this building. This looks like the kind of home I'd like to live in...I think it's all that brick that appeals to me.



8. New Zealand map from a private trade. This map is excellent in its simplicity. No photos...no facts...but a neat cutout showing where NZ is in the world's geography.



9. The Ubudiah Mosque in Kuala Kangsar--one of the oldest in Malaysia. Beautiful! This must be breathtaking in person!



10. Puala Perhentian Besar (puala = island; besar = big), part of the National Marine Park in Malaysia. Has a smaller brother island, Puala Kecil (kecil = small) that's more isolated and much prettier...according to notes from the sender :) Best time to visit is right before monsoon season...low prices and less people! :)



11. Fishing village on Pangkor Island. Can you imagine actually living in such a place??? I am so far removed from such a life....



12. University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. This sent me over to the Wharton Business School site...and to ask my husband, "What do you think about living in Pennsylvania?" :) Well...one can continue to hope.... :)



13. Benjamin Franklin Parkway in downtown Philly. I think my last time there was on a kindergarten field trip :)



14. City of Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia and its financial and commercial center. I love this view because it's so contemporary...and green...and awesome! Looks like a place I would love to visit...I bet there is much to do!



15. The Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur. This has got to be one of the best of the bunch. I love the architecture...the shimmer...the modernness!



16. Greetings from Malaysia. This card is spectacular for its various colorful images from Butterfly Park in Kuala Lumpur. According to the individual who sent it, the kitework you see is today a dying art. In fact, all of these games, says my friend, are, sadly, dying in Malaysia. In with the twin towers...out with yesterday's games, I suppose. Same as anywhere else.



17. Greetings from Malaysia. Another lovely, colorful card showing images from Butterfly Park...yummy images at that! Here you see sate and fried and sweet cakes, all of which are, according to my friend, very delicious :)



18. Last, but certainly not least, is this wonderful view of Guangzhou, China, sent by my new trading friend there. Guangzhou is the 3rd largest metropolis in the mainland, known as the "kitchen of China." The river is the Pearl River. Again, what strikes me about this scene is the contemporary look of the city. I seem to have a preconceived notion in my mind that places like China and Malaysia are more filled with ancient temples and buildings rather than skyscrapers and business centers! Shows how ignorant I am! :)