Sunday, October 28, 2012

Outgoing mail

Today I wrote a postcard and an introduction letter for Lizelle, one of my new pen pals that I met through this awesome Facebook group. She's from South Africa, and my first pen pal from that mysterious continent. I don't know how long will it take to arrive there, but I hope it won't be so long. But I'll try something: I'll send the postcard as "normal" mail, and the letter as "certified" mail, to see if it makes a difference.

4 things #1


I've seen this on many blogs, so I decided to give it a try. This week, I want to do these 4 things:

1.- Start reading a new book.
2.- Wash my car.
3.- Throw away a lot of old and useless stuff from my desk.
4.- Take some pictures to try the Harris Shutter Effect.

I think I'll be able to do it :) Next Sunday I'll post the results of this.

Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Outgoing mail (Updated)

Today I finished replying some letters from my new pals, all of them are introduction letters, so they're shorter than usual, because the first 1 or 2 letters are the most difficult for me. Also, I wrote an introduction letter to another pal, and I'm sending a couple of postcards for another friend. Tomorrow I'm going to the post office to send letters to Manuela (Germany), Mariell (Norway), Andreea (Romania), Barbara (Finland) and Linda (Italy). I hope to not have any problem at the post office with one of the letters, because I enclosed something else on the envelope (and I hope it will arrive in one piece, too).

Talking about postcards, tomorrow I'll be sending the last two I had at home, so I'm going to buy some more during the weekend.

Update: I just came back from the post office, and I decided to send them certified, because I think it will be a little bit faster and safer (and it isn't as expensive as it's on another countries).

Monday, October 22, 2012

Venezuela postcard

Venezuela postcard

This is one of the postcards that I got from Postmuse, as part of her Orphaned Postcard Project. I won't say here why did I choose it, instead I'll write it on the postcard and mail it back to her. Although I'm Venezuelan, this is the first time that I get a postcard from here.

USA postcard

USA postcard

This is one of the postcards that I got from Postmuse, as part of her Orphaned Postcard Project. I won't say here why did I choose it, instead I'll write it on the postcard and mail it back to her.

Argentina postcard

Argentina postcard

This is one of the postcards that I got from Postmuse, as part of her Orphaned Postcard Project. I won't say here why did I choose it, instead I'll write it on the postcard and mail it back to her.

USA postcard

USA postcard

This is another postcard that I got from TheSnailMailer. I love it !!! It's a picture of Cindy Sherman, one of my favorite photographers.

USA postcard

USA postcard

I got this beautiful postcard from the USA, from TheSnailMailer. She went to Washington in the summer, so she choose this beautiful view of the Washington Monument.

USA stamps

USA stamps

Another nice set of stamps from the USA. I love those on the right, specially the one with the bull.

USA stamps

USA stamps

I love these stamps from the USA, specially those on the right: Miles Davis and Edith Piaf.

New mail, mixed feelings

Today I got two letters from the USA, one from TheSnailMailer and another one from Postmuse. I really love getting new mail, it's exciting to arrive home and find some letters in the mailbox, but this time I have some mixed feelings about these letters: besides being happy for getting them, I'm kind of sad because I won't be able to reply to them until December 25th (remember this post). I don't like to make my friends wait for such a long time, even it isn't my fault. Well, I'll take my time to prepare some good letters for them, and mail them as soon as the service works again.

I almost forget to say that you should check Postmuse's project: Orphaned Postcard Project. She has LOTS of postcards, you choose those you would like to adopt, and she sends them to you in an envelope, you write anything you want on it, and send them back to her. Check the project here.

Today's mail

Saturday, October 20, 2012

Germany stamps

Germany stamps

A nice pair of stamps from Germany, I really like the one on the right.

Italy stamps

Italy stamps

These are my first stamps from Italy.

What I got this week

This week I got 3 letters, and that's awesome because our postal service is really slow and I don't have many pals, so it was a great surprise to get them. All of them are first letters/introductions. It's one from Italy (from Linda), one from Finland (from Barbara) and one from Germany (from Manuela). I really enjoyed reading them, and I already started writing the replies, and also a letter/postcards for another friend (Andreea, from Romania).

This week's mail

Also, it was a great surprise to get some tea samples from Linda. I love tea, every afternoon I drink a cup of it after arriving home, and this Italian tea is delicious.

Italian tea

Thursday, October 18, 2012

Done with the archives

Well, those that I posted in the past days are the stamps and postcards that I've received since I started penpalling. I didn't post all of the stamps, because some are repeated and some aren't "real stamps" (instead, they're a seal). From now on, I'll post stamps and postcards as soon as I get them (it won't be too often), and updates on the mail I get.

On the next few days (surely during upcoming weekend) I'll post about 3 nice letters that I got this week.

Macau stamps

Macau stamps

This is a very nice stamp from Macau.

England stamps

England stamps

A nice stamp from England, showing a rescue dog.

Portugal stamps

Portugal stamps

A great stamp from Portugal, I love how detailed it is.

Finland stamps

Finland stamps

Although this stamp from Finland might look blurry, it isn't. Actually, it's a kind of 3D stamp: the skier moves when you move the stamp, it's really awesome, and one of my favorite stamps ever.

Update: I just found that this is called "lenticular printing"

China stamps

China stamps

A beautiful stamp from China, although I can't read what it says.

Canada stamps

Canada stamps

Another great stamp from Canada.

Japan stamps

Japan stamps

A lovely stamp from Japan.

Spain postcards

Spain postcard

A nice postcard from Palencia, Spain.

England stamps

England stamps

A very nice stamp from England.

Norway postcard

Norway postcard

A breathtaking postcard from Norway, I love it.

Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Spain stamps

Spain stamps

A nice stamp from Spain.

China postcard

China postcard

A while ago, I received this postcard from China. It's pretty strange, and I'm still asking to myself what's in the bottle.

Germany stamps

Germany stamps

A nice pair of beautiful stamps from Germany.

England postcard

England postcard

A lovely view of Portsmouth, England.

Monday, October 15, 2012

A new update on Venezuelan postal service

As I said in a previous post here, last month Venezuelan postal service decided to stop mailing to all of American countries, during a 90 day period. Also, I wrote that I think it's a problem that could extend to other countries, or be longer than 90 days, so a few days ago I sent an email to a regional manager of IPOSTEL (our postal service), and she told me that it will be only for 90 days, and it won't extend to any other country or continent. Is that the true ? I don't know, but I really hope it is.

USA stamps

USA stamps

A nice pair of stamps from the USA, I like the one on the left.

Brazil postcard

Brazil postcard

A beautiful sunset in Brazil.

Germany stamps

Germany stamps

A great, vintage style, stamp from Germany.

USA stamps

USA stamps

This is a quite simple, but very beautiful, stamp from the USA.

USA stamps

USA stamps

A nice stamp from the USA.

Serbia stamps

Serbia stamps

These stamps from Serbia are absolutely beautiful, I like the design of the one in the middle.

USA stamps

USA stamps

A nice design for these stamps from the USA, showing the Liberty Bell.

Germany postcard

Germany postcard

I really like this postcard from Germany, specially because I like taking night pictures, with light streaks from cars passing by.

USA stamps

USA stamps

A not so common (at least for me) stamp from the USA.

Norway stamps

Norway stamps

A nice stamp from Norway, showing a shrimp.

Slovakia stamps

Slovakia stamps

A nice set of stamps from Slovakia.

Poland stamps

Poland stamps

This is a very beautiful example of stamps from Poland.

Sunday, October 14, 2012

Macau postcard

Macau postcard

A nice view of some ruins in Macau.

Czech Republic postcard

Czech Republic postcard

This is a very nice multiview postcard from the Czech Republic.

Saturday, October 13, 2012

Germany stamps

Germany stamps

A nice set of stamps from Germany. Although those on the left are quite common, the one on the right is a very beautiful one.

Spain postcard

Spain postcard

A nice postcard from Spain, showing a typical view of Madrid.

Singapore stamps

Singapore stamps

A nice Singapore stamp.

Japan postcard

Japan postcard

A nice postcard from Japan.

Friday, October 12, 2012

Switzerland stamps

Switzerland stamps

This is a very beautiful stamp from Switzerland.

Czech Republic stamps

Czech Republic stamps

This is a nice set of stamps from the Czech Republic.

USA stamps

USA stamps

This nice stamp from the USA shows Mount McKinley (also known as Denali).

Portugal postcard

Portugal postcard

This is a nice postcard from Portugal, showing many castles around the country.

Malaysia postcard

Malaysia postcard

A nice aerial view of Malaysia.