Quebec: Je Me Souviens!

I was in Quebec last weekend for a cousin's wedding in the charming, "UNESCO World Heritage Site" City of Quebec, or Vieux-Quebec (Old Quebec). We drove 9 hours to get to that French-Canadian region. It's my second time to be in Quebec, but it would be my first time to actually step inside the famous Fairmont Le Chateau Frontenac, as seen on the right side of this postcard which I mailed to myself. The hotel was where the wedding guests had cocktails and a dinner reception after the simple ceremony at nearby Notre Dame de Quebec Basilica.

It was like stepping into the setting of an old movie. I half-expected for my surroundings to turn noir et blanc (black & white), or at least sepia.

There were hors d'ouvres served on spoons and shot glasses. Tres fancy! (Fancois?) There was live music as we enjoyed the breeze from the St. Lawrence River just beyond the Terrasse Dufferin.

The after-party drinking session with the newly-weds, however, felt like a Quebecois version of the "Jersey Shore," the way most of them got risque from being too drunk. And when they found out that we were from Jersey, they kept chanting "Fist Pump!!!"

Pardonnez-moi, but I'm not Snooki. And I hardly watch "Jersey Shore" on our Panasonic home theater system.

Beautiful Belem

I am enchanted by this postcard of Belem Tower from Lisbon, Portugal. I received this from Postcrossing last year. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site, but to me it looks like a chunk of castle right on the river--in an "Inception" kind of way.

When I first saw it, I thought it was really sitting on the sea with all those swimmers just close by. This is one of my favorite postcards which I like to occasionally include in my ever-changing tabletop displays at home.

Oh, Canada Post!

I was in Niagara Falls last weekend for a reunion which turned out to be an inconvenient time for mailing postcards to friends because the Canadian postal workers were on strike! So I got to buy beautiful postcards of Niagara Falls, and was even able to buy postage stamps at the post office which was conveniently located inside a Shopper's Drug Mart (kinda like Canada's Walgreens, where you can buy everything from cosmetics to Kinder chocolates (!) to funny tshirts).

And then the clerk tells me I can't send any mail at that time because of the strike. She also tells me I can't drop off mail at the mailboxes because they're locked. It was preposterous, but she was telling the truth, as this photo I took of a locked mailbox in Clifton Hill would show you. Note the sign on the slot that says "Temporarily out of service." Even the one just outside the post office was locked. She suggested that I mail my postcards from the U.S. instead. But I said that won't be authentic Canadian mail anymore.

Solution: I got to write one postcard to a friend in Vienna and left it with my cousin in Toronto to be mailed when postal services go back to normal. It did go back to normal a few days ago.

Personal postal issues aside, I hope the postal workers had a good negotiation for what they were requesting. And besides, today is Canada Day!

(See my blast-from-the-past Ottawa post office blog entry here!)

 

Driving to Canada to Drive Away from the Craziness

It's 8:21PM and I'm almost done packing for our weekend getaway at Niagara Falls, Ontario. We should be leaving around midnight tonight. I checked the weather earlier today and it looks like it's going to be a wet weekend. Anyway, we're really there for a reunion of sorts in a resort that's ironically called "Americana."

I'm supposed to perform with my mom and two other people in a dance number. And the purpose of my going there is summed up by the first few words of the song we're dancing to, specifically, "I came to dance, dance, dance, dance!"

Today was a bad day. The rain pretty much reflected the dreary mood. And to top it all off, I had to have my monthly visitor. Which is why I'm looking forward to driving away from this really bad day. And it's one of those days where I needed someone to tell me it's okay, don't worry about it. Don't drain yourself over it. But it's also one of those days that I needed a release.

Stupid menstrual hormones.


On a brighter note, I would love to be able to send some postcards while I'm there, but I am not sure if I can find a close enough Canadian post office where we're staying. I checked  their website and saw that their postal service is currently in some labor dispute. And I'm not sure if I have time to actually go to a post office since we are arriving on a Friday and each day is booked for events. We drive back to American soil on Sunday. Oooh, but now I'm seeing they have a post office in the same road our hotel is on and that they're open on weekends, too! (And on weekdays they're open from 9a-9p!!!) Looks promising for postcard-sending, then.

And I'm surprised their postal website even has a feature called "Comparison Shopper" that lets you browse for merchandise and electronic stores! The USPS website sure doesn't have that option! (And US post offices are never open on Sundays!)

Now let me finish my packing.

Vieques Vacation

Cue Bruno Mars' "Lazy Song," which will likely be drowned out by the louder Bachata music blaring from the sound system behind a little bar by the beach where I sat writing postcards from Vieques Island, just off the northeast coast of Puerto Rico. Like the carefree song goes, one of the best jobs you'll do here is to do absolutely "nothing at all!"

Well, we didn't actually do nothing.

We spent a night here where I rode a jetski for the first time, and went on a scooter to explore the jungle paths of this small island. We had to keep our eyes open for wild horses that would likely dart into our way from the dense woods. They roam freely like stray dogs out there! And we had to be careful not to startle them.

We swam at night, drinking cold Medalla beer in the Caribbean sea pretending to be dolphins and experimenting with underwater flash photography. We were blessed with rainless weather during our stay when there were flood warnings in the San Juan area the night before we headed for Fajardo pier (where the ferry leaves for Vieques).

Our scooter adventures also led us to some hidden, less-crowded beaches on the island such as Media Luna Beach. We only spent a day here and yet this was where I got toasted the mostest.

My favorite souvenir from Vieques was a locally published illustrated storybook of how Puerto Rico was created based on a Taino legend. Puerto Rico's first inhabitants were the Taino Indian tribe. The most interesting part of the book (apart from its price) was that the author was from the mainland United States who fell in love with Vieques Island and decided to buy a house and live there. His wife had followed him, intrigued by the author's infatuation with the island that he chose to leave the States for good. When the wife saw Vieques with her own eyes...she finally understood and stayed with her husband there. I heard this story from the clerk who sold the book to me at the small museum shop in Barrio Esperanza. She herself used to live in Massachusetts, then Florida, before settling in Vieques. And she knew the author personally, she said.

I hope to show you some pages of the book sometime. I had bought it so I can share the story with my baby niece, as the whole point of this Puerto Rico vacation was to have her discover her half-heritage early on, and especially since she still gets to fly free.

I also hope to get around posting some of my favorite vacation photos. For now, I just want to let you know that I'm still aqui! (here!)

From Vienna With Love

Viva Vienna!

 Ody surprised me with this parcel containing Le Rouge Ecrin jewel lipstick compact in four shades, I Love Vienna postcard, heart-shaped Vienna fridge magnet, Manner Neapolitan Wafers, and a fish magnet from Coron. Ever heard of how you reveal part of your personality through the gifts you give? I heart the heart theme in these goodies! And the glam Parisian lipstick set! The Manner shows how sweet the gift-giver is! (See Miss Iggy with a pink Manner carriage in Vienna!)

I'm packing the wafers and lipstick in my luggage to Puerto Rico (I leave Sunday night). There won't be riding boots in there but flipflops!

Again, Danke, Ody, from the bottom of my corazon!

Do You Speak Sign Language?

There goes my friend Lauren's awesome calligraphy again! This time, it's decorated with the entire sign language alphabet, in orange stamp ink! She sure knows how to make any ordinary postcard truly extra-ordinary!

Lauren acquired this amazing stamp set on her birthday at the Cultural Center of the Philippines' gift shop.

I can hardly remember doing the entire alphabet with sign language...but I learned it from TV ages ago. I remember watching old TV shows, mostly the public service ones, which had a tiny box on the screen with someone translating the conversation in sign language. How many shows or manufacturing jobs are actually sign language-friendly these days, though?

UST Quadricentennial Stamps

My alma mater, the University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines, is celebrating its 400th anniversary this year. This "Royal, Pontifical, Catholic University" commemorated its quadricentennial academic existence with these specially issued stamps in the "Unending Grace" series (named after the university's official hymn) with four different designs, which my pal and schoolmate Lauren happily sent me in two UST-inspired postcards.

She also used these adorable ink stamps from a popular Philippine stationery shop called "Papemelroti." The first one is an ice cream vendor (which the campus has!) and the other one is a "taho" (sweet soy beverage) vendor. Even people in tech jobs wouldn't mind this traditional nourishment!

The stamps depict the following:

• UST Main Building
• Central Seminary
• Arch of the Centuries
• The Foundation of the University of Santo Tomas painting

The three structures on the stamps were declared as "National Cultural Treasures" on January 25, 2011.

Lauren was also able to be part of the colorful Quadricentennial Parade with Miss Igorota, our common traveling doll!

Thanks again, Lauren...and it's her birthday today, so HAPPY BIRTHDAY! (March 4th)

Snowed-In

It's been blizzard after blizzard for us here in the Northeastern United States. This mailbox was photographed before the recent ice storm we had.

Icy daggers hanging from our gutters.

I prefer snow over ice/sleet/freezing rain, because the latter is just too darn dangerous. Common injuries during this sort of weather are slips and falls.

Our driveway was virtually a skating rink because of the slippery sheet of ice that formed on it. We had to de-ice it and sprinkle lots of salt.

Here's a wintry scene from a lake in our neighborhood:

On Groundhog Day, they said we have 6 more weeks of winter, which means an "earlier" Spring. How many more snowstorms, though?

Say What, Kumquat?

Yes, that funny-sounding name is actually a citrus variety and is the featured art on the new Lunar New Year stamp sheet for 2011. I bought them today. February 3rd marks the Year of the Rabbit in the Lunar calendar. These kooky, "Snooki" versions (the official skin complexion of the cast of "Jersey Shore," it seems) of the orange are said to be auspicious fruits according to the Chinese. They favor round objects and things that resemble the color gold when it comes to lucky items. Wouldn't it be cool if they also made usb drives shaped like kumquats?

Another note about the new US postage stamps being released: the designs no longer display the amount, instead they're marked with "Forever." It's both comforting and a tad disturbing, because although you don't have to worry about the price being the current "first class rate," it also means they can always change the price in the future, forever and ever. 

[stamp image from usps.com]

7,107 Isles of Smiles!

I came up with that slogan quite spontaneously after hearing of the controversy surrounding the recent attempt at a new slogan to boost Philippine tourism. That slogan died a brutal death. I, however, just have a natural love for rhyming words and puns with a punch!

Last month (which is now part of "last year"), a family friend's daughter was doing a school report on the Philippines as part of sharing one's heritage. They had asked me for help on the visual aid. Armed with a few office supply tools such as a black marker, mechanical pencil and poster paper, I drew the Philippine map and decorated it with actual postcards I received. I slaved away all night to finish it.

The finished product:

I was told that the daughter earned an A+, and the teachers requested to have the poster displayed in school for a while. I was happy for the well-deserved grade and the fact that her report impressed everyone!

Letters To Santa & Christmas Cards To Us

This is the mailbox for Santa in front of our town's municipal hall that I photographed yesterday. I wonder how much mail it has inside by this time?

When I bought stamps at our local post office, I also saw a bin behind the counter marked "Letters to Santa." Isn't that just endearing?

Now, I've mentioned so many times in my blog how I love sending and receiving Christmas cards. As soon as the cards go 75% off at the stores, I hoard the pretty ones for next year. I think I have enough cards to last our family three Christmases of card-sending!

Here's how I display the Christmas cards we get in the mail. It's actually a round ornament-shaped memory board and I just slip the cards in. I especially love when they send family portraits.

Massive Mailbox

I was in Morristown, New Jersey on the evening of Black Friday for a town event when I spotted this massive USPS mailbox! It's the biggest mailbox I've ever seen here in the States...it's almost as big as a recycling bin! Or those receptacles that carry donated clothing and shoes! Think of all the holiday mail it can hold! And letters to Santa!

Fa-La-La-Loud

Christmas commercials can be funny, fabulous, or feel-good. I'm sure you'll know which category this one by Target falls into after you watch it. The crazy (and possibly overly-caffeinated) blonde lady shopper is their pitch girl for their (recently concluded) annual Black Friday Two-Day Sale. See what she does with the recordable Christmas cards!

Happy Halloween Kids

I was able to send this Halloween greeting card to some friends this year. It's designed by Punch Studio, the same company that made this Victorian-inspired greeting card set I bought last year. Black cats, pumpkins and children all dressed in their orange best. I can't wait to see what costumes the kids will be in when they knock on our door this Sunday!

It's not just Halloween that's spooky, we've had weird, warm weather for autumn recently. A few thunderstorms, too, which made me wear my rain boots. Have a horrifyingly happy halloween weekend, everyone!

Unlikely "Crime" Scene

I was delighted to get a postcard from the artistic, fellow postcard enthusiast (take a peek at her postcard box), co-blogger and newest "recruit" over at our other blog of a friend, Lauren. It's a vintage illustrated postcard of the Manila Cathedral which dates back to 1987. What's even more beautiful about this postcard is her handwritten message on the back which boasts of a calligraphic style that makes me want to weep. I think the last time I ever held a speedball pen and dipped it in india ink was in elementary (yes, we were taught calligraphy back then)!

How many people still care about writing postcards or personal notes the old-fashioned way these days? They'd rather email, send picture messages or view slide shows of their memory cards on Wii rather than mail actual photos. Well, you can't send a postcard with your Wii console and remote. It doesn't have that feature...yet.

The Manila Cathedral is located inside the historic "Walled City" of Manila: Intramuros. Recently, a famous local tour guide by the name of Carlos Celdran was arrested when he entered said cathedral in a costume mimicking that of the Philippines' National Hero, Dr. Jose Rizal while a Catholic mass was going on and held a sign that simply said "Damaso." It was the name of a villainous Spanish friar in the novel authored by Dr. Rizal. It was his unique way of protesting the involvement of the church in the passage of the very controversial Reproductive Health Bill in a country that is predominantly Roman Catholic.

Mr. Celdran was charged with "Offending the Religious Feelings," an obscure provision in the Philippine Revised Penal Code. How is this crime committed? According to Art. 133 of the statute, it is when "anyone who, in a place devoted to religious worship or during the celebration of any religious ceremony shall perform acts notoriously offensive to the feelings of the faithful."

Mr. Conrado de Quiros wrote a very compelling and honest opinion regarding the "Damaso" incident.

Now, WWJRD? (What Would Jose Rizal Do?)

Paparazzi Aunt

That's what I've become eversince the day my niece was born. That was the day I believed in "love at first sight." I started making baby announcements the very next day, right in my sister's hospital room. I love mailing stuff, so this task was hardly a chore for me. I had to share this wonderful news to family here and abroad. Hey, not everyone's on Facebook!

My mom is loving grandmotherhood. I gave her this picture frame last Sunday, as it was her first ever Grandparent's Day celebration (an American holiday). She is an avid fan of the Filipino telenovela "Agua Bendita." Apparently, one of the lead characters there called her grandmother "Wowa," an affectionate variation of "Lola." Therefore, that's what she wants her granddaughter to call her.

My niece's name is Adrianna, by the way. Her parents named her after that Victoria's Secret model, Adrianna Lima. Babies are so blessed to not have to worry about body acne for a long time yet. Little Adrianna has plump lips which she got from her mother and long eyelashes which she got from her father.

You can bet that the baby aisle is now regularly part of my shopping itinerary.

Ni How?

When I was on a layover in Taiwan last month, I was excited to see that Taoyuan Airport had a vending machine for postcards and envelopes with stamps already attached for instant mailing. However, my postally devoted heart sank when the only English word I could find on the machine was "Stamps" and nothing else. It didn't have English instructions for non-Chinese travelers to avail of the pre-stamped postcards. The only slot looks like it only takes coins, not bills or credit cards. Therefore, it probably doesn't print out receipts like an Epson receipt printer would. MTA card vending machines all over New York City's subways would print out receipts, but then those allowed credit/debit card transactions.

I ended up buying postcards and Jimmy Liao stuff at the Duty Free giftshop. I was utterly lost in translation with that postcard machine.

In other stamp-related news, today the US Postal Service is issuing these "Sunday Funnies" stamps! (Being the stamp geek that I am, I just bought a sheet!) It has Comic Strip Classics like Beetle Bailey, Calvin & Hobbes, Archie, Garfield, & Dennis the Menace! Which one is your favorite? As a cat-lover, mine would have to be Garfield! I even loved watching the cartoon series.

I recall how a friend bought a bunch of Archie comics on Ebay three years ago, and I had shipped it to her. Last time we met in Manila in May this year, she confessed that she hasn't finished reading half the lot.

As a kid, I remember how an aunt kept a big scrapbook of Dennis the Menace comics clipped from the newspaper. Today, I clip comic strips with jokes or themes I can relate to from such titles as "Mutts," "Rhymes With Orange," "Non Sequitur," "Get Fuzzy," "Heart of the City," just to name a few. Hmm, actually, that "short list" seems a bit long already. I absolutely love getting the Sunday paper, because that's when these comic strips come in their full colored glory!

 [stamp image from USPS.com]

Postcards From The Met

I was able to visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York twice this month: first was with my blog pal from Vienna, second was with my family. The "Met" is perhaps the most prominent and popular museum along Fifth Avenue's "Museum Mile." It's hardly the place to look for log furniture. What you'll find in there is an impressive collection of art from ancient civilizations to the modern era.

And what's a museum without a gift shop, right? I usually head straight to the postcard rack. The Met has a wall full of postcards arranged like an art gallery by itself. They were a little over my budget, though, $1.50 each. So instead of getting a postcard, I just took a photo of everything. And since it's in a museum, I made sure my camera's flash was off.

Moominmamma Mia!

Moominmamma (Muminmamman) is one of the main characters in the famous Finnish creation "Moomins" by author Tove Jansson. This is just one of many Moomin postcards I've already received from Finnish postcrossers. Moominmamma is married to Moominpappa and is the mother of Moomintroll. She's a most patient, sensible, and loving mother who likes to decorate everything with flowers and always carries a handbag for her essentials. I doubt there's a horse tack in there.

This year marks the 65th Anniversary of the release of "The Moomins and The Great Flood," said to be the first of the world-famous Moomin books! I just read the strips from that story from a big Moomin treasury book and it was charming despite the natural calamity involved.

I would love to visit Moomin Valley in Tampere when I travel to Finland someday!