Postcard from Malaysia

Postcard atau kartu pos ini berasal dari negara tetangga kita, Malaysia. Kartu pos ini menampilkan wajah warga Malaysia yang penuh senyum dan menawarkan persahabatan. Namun ada beberapa gambar (salah satunya adalah gambar TANGKULUK TANDUAK yang sangat mirip dengan dengan yang dimiliki oleh suku Minang) yang sungguh menggelitik hati ku sebagai orang (Minang) Indonesia untuk melakukan penelusuran yang dikarenakan keterbatasan waktu dan kantong (gak bisa terjun langsung ke Malaysia :P) hanya akan menggunakan bantun dari mbah google. *sungkemkembah*

Hasil penelusuran ku ke mbah menunjukan bahwa memang ada (beberapa) daerah di Malaysia yang didiami oleh warganya yang keturunan suku Minangkabau dan salah satu daerah yang menjadi pusatnya adalah Negeri Sembilan. Lebih lanjut lagi, warga Malaysia keturunan Minangkabau ini masih mempertahankan (dan terkadang menampilkan) budaya leluhur Minangkabau yang mereka gabungkan dengan budaya setempat. Oleh sebab itulah, (menurutku) ada beberapa budaya Indonesia yang muncul dan berkembang di Malaysia.

Aku jadi ingat medio awal tahun 2000-an, ketika aku menetap di Singapura, aku sering melancong ke Malaysia karena kekangenan ku akan masakan Indonesia. Loh kenapa ke Malaysia? Kenapa gak langsung pulang ke Indonesia? Aku pilih Malaysia karena (1) jaraknya yang relatif dekat dengan Singapura sehingga biaya yang dikeluarin gak banyak, (2) rasa makanannya lumayan enak walau (tentunya) tak seenak masakan Indonesia ASLI *yayayanginiakusubjektifdahsyat*, (3) kalo pulang ke Indonesia aku gak bisa sebentar (melepas rasa kangen dengan kuliner-kuliner Indonesia yang menyebar di seantero Jakarta saja udah menghabiskan banyak waktu, belum lagi harus menyambangi keluarga dan teman yang pasti akan sangat marah kalau tidak dikunjungi) Ahhhh yang pasti harus nyiapin waktu yang buaaaannnnyaaaak deh kalau pulang ke tanah air tercintah ini. Nah, biasanya aku berkunjung ke ibukota-nya Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. Ada satu satu bagian di kota tersebut yang menjual penganan Indonesia seperti bakso, gado-gado, nasi goreng, sate padang, nasi padang dan sebagian besar penjualnya adalah turunan Indonesia. Bahkan yang jual sate padang masih bisa berbicara dalam bahasa Minang. *alamaaaak aku kalah* #tepokjidat Ketika makan di daerah tersebut mereka akan sangat senang kalau tahu kita berasal dari Indonesia dan mereka langsung akan bercerita giamana pada akhirnya mereka berakhir di Malaysia.

Oooopsss, tulisan ini jadi kemana-mana euuuuyyy. Baiklah akan segera aku tutup saja tulisan ini (kalau tidak pasti aku akan berceloteh yang makin jauh dari inti tulisan ini) dengan mengucapkan terima kasih banyak Honeysha of Malaysia yang telah berbaik hati mau tukeran sama akyu.:D

Nb: prangkonya menyusul yaaaaa 

Postcard from Ceska Repulika (Czech Republic)

Yaaay! Map postcard of Jizni Cechy (South Bohemia), a region in Czech Republic (republik Ceko).

Well, I always have this HUUUUUGGGEEE love for postcards depicted beautiful map. So, since the very beginning of being a postcrosser on the official postcrossing.com, I always put map postcards as one of my favourites and will never ever delete it from the wishlist. Map postcards will always have a place on my profile (and in my heart *_^).

Now, you may ask a question why do I love map postcard that much? Well, I always love to read name of the cities (which really different with what I have here in Indonesia) showed on the postcards I received and with map postcards, I will have more than just one names. Moreover, most of the times, I will google *sungkemkembah* those places to find out some interesting facts about them or find out some interesting places to visit around the cities (who knows one day I will be there :D) and I also love to see whether I can find each name of the cities in the world map on my bedroom's wall. Hehehe... 

Anyway, let's talk more about this postcard especially about Jizni Cechy or South Bohemia. The location of this region is mostly in the Southern part of its historical land of Bohemia with a small part in  southwestern Moravia. It is a region that has rich and multi-faceted history so there you will find lots of historical towns full of life and culture, majestic Gothic churches, awesome Renaissance castles, monasteries and etc. Besides that, in South Bohemia region you can also find beautiful nature with lakes, ponds, pine forests and mountains. Well, if you need more information about this region, this link will help you a lot: http://www.jiznicechy.cz/en-CZ/main-page.html :D

Taaaaadaaaa, look at this super duper cute stamps!!! They really made my day. Anyway, the cartoon stamps depicted the Jaroslav Nemecek's work of art. Nemecek (this man is quite famous in his country) has been drawing story of these characters for more than 40 years. It is about four friends from the village of Treskoprsky - Pinda the rabbit, Bobik the pig, Fifinka the missy dog and Myspulin the cat. :D

Finally, thank you very much for sending me this awesome map postcard and cute stamps, Stanislav!

Postcard from England

This postcard is awesome! It is a multiple objects (which is my most favourite theme of postcards) that specifically shows the sports that were played in the last London 2012 Olympic game. So, as you can see on the postcard, there were 38 sports on the last Olympic game. Thank you very much to Jenn of London who was so kind to send me this AWESOME postcard. :D

And here is the stamp (well, there is no cancellation on it but really NEVERMIND :D) The stamp shows you the Queen Elizabeth. I have seen this many time since I was in primary school as my dad used to stick this on his postcards or envelopes he sent to us in Indonesia but I never ever feel bored with this stamp (it also happens with other stamps cause simply I LOVE STAMPS, hehehe).

As this postcard is the official of London 2012 Olympic, I found this hologram at the back side of the postcard. The purchase of this postcard supported the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic games, anyway. Once again, THANK YOU THANK YOU very much to Jenn of London.

Postcard from China

I bet all of you know from which country this postcard came from! Hehehe. And yes yes yes, you are correct, friends. This postcard came from the one and only, People's Republic of China, the rising power in Asia. Well, this postcard shows us the official flag of that country. After searching some information on mbah google *sungkem*, I found out that the red field of the flag means the revolution of communist and the 4 small stars in semi circle with the one big star (all in gold) means the unity of Chinese people under one party, the Communist Party of China. Oh ya, the name of this flag in English is Five-Star Red Flag or in Chinese it is called wǔ xīng hóng qí. (please Do correct me if I put some wrong information :D). Anyway, this is an official postcrossing postcard from dos130. THANK YOU! :D

(Ayayayaa, I love the clear cancelation mark :D)

Nah, unfortunately besides the clear cancelation mark on the stamp, I can't put any information about this stamp as I (poorly) can't read Chinese. So, if you guys out there can read Chinese, PLEASE PLEASE Pretty PLEASE help me to translate the written words on the stamp into English or Indonesian at the comment column below. THANK YOU in advance. :D

Postcard from Taiwan

Postcard from Ukraine

A lovely postcard from a sweet lil Bogdan in Ukraine. The story of me receiving this postcard started when I did put an additional note on my postcrossing profile that I would love to receive postcard or stamps related to Euro 2012. Bogdan messaged me said that he could send me a euro 2012 stamp along with a beautiful postcard. AND here it is what he sent me, a beautifully fantastic postcard showing us the Ukranian girl with lots of sun flowers (my favourite flower!).

And (yay!) the Euro 2012 stamp. Anyway, Ukrainian stamps is one of my favourites. The country definitely feeds my hunger of beautiful stamps :D. 

This kind of sweet gesture from dearly stangers (who many times live in the other sides of the world of yours) that makes me love postcrossing more and more and more every single day! :D So guys, if you love sending and receiving postcards (and you feel like you don't have more people to send yours to) you MUST joint in www.postcrossing.com. YOU GONNA LOVE IT as much as I'm or even more !!! 

Last but not least, to my fellow Indonesians: 

kalo kalian mau lebih seru lagi, kalian bisa join di Komunitas Postcrossing Indonesia yang ada di FACEBOOK. Kalian bisa dapatkan (hampir) seluruh info yang kalian butuhkan terkait kirim-kiriman kartu pos atau surat dan tentunya TEMAN-TEMAN BARU yang super keren dan baik hati suka rajin menabung (buat beli postcards dan prangko yang buaaaanyaaaakkkk :p)...

Postcard from Finland

This postcard showed you the moomin character from Finland. I DO love the series so I asked through official postcrossing to send me postcards with moomin's character on it.

What make the postcard even more special is the stamp that also has moomin on it.