WWF - Arctic fox 19.3.1993

With over one billion stamps printed by the end of March 2012, the WWF Conservation Stamp Collection is the largest thematic collection in the world. Close to 2,000 different postally valid WWF stamps have been issued since 1983 in 220 countries. Most species depicted are at risk of extinction in the country of issue and in other cases it is the animal's habitat that is endangered.

Arctic fox. The arctic fox, also known as the white fox, polar fox or snow fox, is a small fox native to Arctic regions of the Northern Hemisphere and is common throughout the Arctic tundra biome. The arctic fox lives in some of the most frigid extremes on the planet. Among its adaptations for cold survival are its deep, thick fur, a system of countercurrent heat exchange in the circulation of paws to retain core temperature, and a good supply of body fat. The fox has a low surface area to volume ratio, as evidenced by its generally rounded body shape, short muzzle and legs, and short, thick ears. Since less of its surface area is exposed to the arctic cold, less heat escapes the body. Its furry paws allow it to walk on ice in search of food. The arctic fox has such keen hearing that it can precisely locate the position of prey under the snow. When it finds prey, it pounces and punches through the snow to catch its victim. Its fur changes colour with the seasons: in the winter it is white to blend in with snow, while in the summer it is brown.

      

The conservation status of the species is good, except for the Scandinavian mainland population where it is endangered. The total population estimate in Finland, Norway, and Sweden is a mere 120 adult individuals. The main threat to the Arctic fox has historically been hunting, although this has decreased in line with the decline in the fur trade. The Arctic fox remains the single most important terrestrial game species and is still hunted by indigenous peoples. Other threats include diseases and the spread North of the larger and more aggressive red fox, which has encroached on arctic fox territory in some areas. This is an indirect threat to the arctic fox as a result of climate change.

WWF's work in the Arctic region aims to ensure the fragile ecosystems are supported and protected. WWF's work to mitigate the effects of climate change aims to ensure that species such as the Arctic fox are not adversely affected by changes to the climate. This lovely First day cover with extremely nice stamps were given to me by Pia. It was issued in Finland on 19.3.1993.

Interpex 12-14 Mar 1971 - Liechtenstein Philatelic Service Vaduz New York

The Principality of Liechtenstein has an area of 160 square kilometers, which makes it one of the smallest states in Europe. The princely residence presides high above the little town of Vaduz, which is the capital of the principality and has about 5,000 inhabitants. The medieval castle was upgraded in the 16th and 17th centuries. The people of Liechtenstein call their main town "Staedtle" or "LIttle Town" and their country "Laendle" or "Little Country". Considering the geographic size of the country, these diminutives are apt, but not at all so if one thinks of the history and importance of Vaduz as a financial center. For hundreds of years culinary specialties have been enjoyed in the Old Town, at the Loewen Inn, for example, which has been in existence since 1380. The Art Museum (Kunstmuseum) of Liechtenstein houses one of Europe's oldest private collections in a modern, prize-winning museum building. The Regional Museum showcases the history of the principality and a visit to the Stamp Museum is a must for every philatelist. Castle Vaduz is the emblem of Liechtenstein and the residence of the royal family.
Post Office and Stamp Museum - the stamps of the Principality of Liechtenstein are a must for philatelists.
Vaduz, the vineyard-girded village-capital of an independent country that is not quite three times the size of Manhattan, starts filling up around 10 A.M. every day when the tourist buses arrive. The visitors clamber out, stretch their legs, wander about Vaduz's two business streets, snap pictures of the 700-year-old gray castle that frowns on them from its steep, wooded rock, have a snack or a meal and mail stacks of postcards with Liechtenstein's pretty stamps. Some walk into the newly refurbished building of the State Art Collection to look at the masterpieces of Flemish landscape painting from Breughel to Rubens now on display there. In the afternoon most of Leichtenstein, lapses into the habitual quiet of the evening. But at that time in the hotel lobbies and restaurants there are people who are talking numbers - millions, maybe billions, of dollars or Swiss francs. The tiny principality with its 27,000 residents - one third of them foreigners - is the legal domicile of nearly twice as many holding companies, trusts and foundations. Most of these elusive entities are corporate shells with no other visible assets in Liechtenstein than letterheads in the drawers of some local lawyer.
This FDC shows three pretty stamps of Liechtenstein FDC - Interpex 1971. Issued on 12-14 Mar 1971. The cancellation on this FDC is that of Interpex 12-14 Mar 1971 - Liechtenstein Philatelic Service Vaduz New York. My friend Merja gave me this FDC.

Traditional Sports of Chinese Ethnic Minorities

Traditional Sports of Chinese Ethnic Minorities formed and developed through daily lives, production, and social practice of their respective minorities generation after generation. The diverse sport activities are closely associated with the social history, folk customs, lifestyles, and mode of production, religions, and recreation of different ethnic groups. With the slogan of “Harmonious China, Colourful Guizhou”, the National Traditional Ethnic Minority Sports Meet, held in Guizhou on September 10, 2011, highlighted the theme “All ethnic groups are united for common development and prosperity”.
On 10.9.2011 China issued this set of four stamps and this lovely FDC. The stamps depict Board Shoes Racing (Zhuang), Spinning Top (Yi), Single Bamboo Rafting (Miao) and Stilt Racing (Tujia). 

Yatching/Sailing

Thank you Maria for these lovely Miniature Sheets of stamps  from DPR Korea, issued in 1992 depicting the popularity of Sailing and Yachting in that country.

Town of Rauma, 550th Anniversary - Idyllic, culturally rich seaside town 27.3.1992

Rauma, founded in 1442, is an idyllic seaside town steeped in culture. Rauma offers its 37,000 inhabitants high-quality modern services. Rauma provides a spacious and safe living environment. Whether you choose a home in the town centre or a more country-type dwelling, good basic public services and high-quality education, cultural and leisure services are available to you. The town is a dream come true for shoppers and gourmets. Especially during the summer months, the marketplace is a popular meeting place. The heart of the town is Old Rauma, which is the largest preserved coherent medieval wooden town area in the Nordic region. In 1991 the area was selected for UNESCO's World Heritage Sites. Thank you Ella for giving me this nice FDC dated 27.3.1992, commemorating the 550^th Anniversary of the Finnish town of Rauma. I am sure you loved this place when you lived there.Situated on the Gulf of Botnia, Rauma is one of the oldest harbours in Finland. Built around a Franciscan monastery, where the mid-15th-century Holy Cross Church still stands, it is an outstanding example of an old Nordic city constructed in wood. Although ravaged by fire in the late 17th century, it has preserved its ancient vernacular architectural heritage.  
Old Rauma is the wooden city centre of the town of Rauma, Finland. It is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The area of Old Rauma is about 0.3 km², with approximately six hundred buildings (counting both proper houses and smaller buildings like sheds) and about 800 people living in the area. The town of Rauma expanded outside the Old Rauma proper only in the early 19th century. The oldest buildings date from the 18th century, as two fires of 1640 and 1682 destroyed the town. Most buildings are currently inhabited and owned by private individuals, although along the two main streets and around the town square they are mainly out side in business use. Rauma, a small trading centre which developed around a Franciscan monastery, attained the status of a town in 1442. Like a few other towns in Swedish Finland that dated to the same period, Rauma possessed an administrative organisation. The development of Rauma was threatened by a series of fires and a royal edict in 1550. Its citizens, like those of the towns of Ulvila, Porvoo and Tammisaari, were forced to leave in order to populate Helsinki, the new foundation of the King of Sweden, Gustavus Vasa; it wasn't until 1557 that they were authorised to return. Other fires in 1640 and 1682, as well as an isostatic uplifting that increased the distances from the city to its wood export port, left their toll on the evolution of Rauma's urban landscape. In the 17th century, a customs fence was erected around the city, and this limited its expansion. Planning regulations, which were based on an orthogonal layout, also influenced the city's development. When the troops of Peter the Great invaded Finland during the Great Wrath of 1713-1721, Rauma was subjected to much damage. During the final years of the sailing ship era in the 1890s, Rauma enjoyed great prosperity. For a while, it possessed Finland's first sailing fleet. The majority of the buildings in the historic city are inspired by the Neo-Renaissance style. 
Locations of special interest include the Kirsti house, which is a seaman's house from the 18th and 19th centuries, and the Marela house, which is a shipowner's house dating to the 18th century but with a 19th century facade, both of which are currently museums. Other sights include the rare stone buildings of the Old Rauma: the Church of the Holy Cross, an old Franciscan monastery church from the 15th century with medieval paintings and the old town hall from 1776. Another church in Rauma, the Church of the Holy Trinity, also from the 15th century, burned in the fire of 1640. The stamp on the cover shows most of these buildings.

USS Winslow

And this vintage cover in very good condition is about - The third USS Winslow (DD-359/AG-127) was a Porter-class destroyer in the United States Navy. She was named after Rear Admiral John Ancrum Winslow and Cameron McRae Winslow. The Winslow was laid down on 18 December 1933 at Camden, New Jersey, by the New York Shipbuilding Corporation; launched on 21 September 1936; sponsored by Miss Mary Blythe Winslow; and commissioned at the Philadelphia Navy Yard on 17 February 1937, Commander Irving R. Chambers in command. And the importance of this FDC is that, the postmark is of that date and from the PO at the Philadelphia Navy Yard.
After the war The Winslow was used for various purposes, including that of a weapons testing platform. She continued her experimental work with the Operational Development Force until she was decommissioned on 28 June 1950. Winslow remained in reserve, berthed with the Charleston Group, Atlantic Reserve Fleet, until declared unfit for further naval service on 5 December 1957. Her name was struck from the Navy list on that same day, and she was sold on 23 February 1959 for scrapping.
The stamp on this cover portrays Generals Jackson & Scott. And the stamp was issued on January 15, 1937. The controversy between these two Generals is interesting. But, I’ll keep that for another day. Thank you Maria for this cover dated 17th Feb, 1937.

Games of the XXI Olympiad - Sailing/ Yatching

The 1976 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXI Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Montreal, Quebec, Canada, in 1976. Montreal was awarded the rights to the 1976 Games on May 12, 1970, at the 69th IOC Session in Amsterdam, over the bids of Moscow and Los Angeles, which later hosted the 1980 and 1984 Summer Olympic Games respectively. These were the first Olympic Games held in Canada, preceding the 1988 Winter Olympics in Calgary and 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver.
 Sailing/ Yatching is an Olympic sport starting from the Games of the 1st Olympiad (1896 Olympics in Athens, Greece). With the exception of 1904 and possibly 1916 sailing was always a part of the Olympic program. The Sailing program of 1976 consisted of a total of six sailing classes (disciplines). For each class seven races were scheduled from 19 July 1976 to 27 July 1976 of the coast of Kingston, Ontario at the Lake Ontario. The sailing was done on the triangular type Olympic courses.
These stamps on sailing/yachting at the Olympics were issued by Equatorial Guinea.

YourSingapore 14.9.2011

YourSingapore is the destination brand of Singapore, launched on 5 March 2010 at the Singapore Tourism Board Tourism Industry Conference 2010. YourSingapore is an evolution of Uniquely Singapore, which remained Singapore's destination brand from 2004 to 2009.
YourSingapore tries to tap upon Singapore’s concentration of dining, shopping, natural and cultural attractions, within the small physical space of the country, making it easy for a user to mix-and-match multiple experiences. YourSingapore aims to differentiate Singapore’s brand proposition from that of its competitors so that Singapore continues to remain relevant and attractive in today's travel industry.
I have been there quite a few times, and it remains and will always remain one of my favourite holiday destinations. You may well ask, “what is there in Singapore?, and my retort to such an irrelevant question would be, “What isn’t in Singapore?”. It is one of the most pleasurable travel destinations, even if I say so ;-)) and if one has good company there like I had, then mere words cannot express ones happiness. And this FDC dated 14^th September 2011 only re-emphasises that well known fact with the 10 impressive stamps on it.

XXVth Olympic Games 24.4.1992

No other world event can surpass the Olympic Games in significance. These stamps on the cover and the cover itself, marks the XXVth Olympic Games which were held in Barcelona, Spain from 25^th July to 9^th August 1992, and coincided with GRANADA ’92, a world stamp exhibition held in Spain just before the Games. The six stamps depict the Olympic sports popular in Singapore. The sports featured are: football (20c), athletics (35c), swimming (50c), basketball (75c), tennis ($1) and yachting ($2).

Traditional Greek Costumes

These two FDCs with the pretty stamps on them were given to me by Merja. They were issued on 1^st March 1972. The jewellery printed on the cover is to be worn along with the impressive traditional costumes of Greece.
Men's Costumes. There are two main types of costumes for men. Foustanella and Vraka.
In the central and southern regions of Greece wear the "fustanella". After the liberation of Greece in the first quarter of the 19th century, all male costumes in Peloponnesus took the form of the fustanella. The Greek fighters of the 1821 revolution wore Fustanella and today it serves as the official uniform of the Evzones, Greece's Presidential Guard.
The fustanella skirt consists of 400 pleats symbolizing the years during which Greece was under Ottoman rule. The remainder of the costume is composed of a white shirt with very wide flowing sleeves, an embroidered woolen vest, a sash worn around the waist, and shoes (tsarouhia) with large pompons. The embroidery is made of spun wool and the belt is of a fine leatherwork.
Women's Costumes. One general rule about the Women's costumes concerns the main parts of their traditional dress. Most of the mainland costumes in particular have a cotton chemise (poukamiso) as the basic garment. On the body, over the chemise, there is a sleeveless vest, which is usually made of wool. These may be short or long.
Sometimes dresses are of homespun wool, but in some areas they are made from finer factory woven wools. Colours are sometimes black, sometimes white. Sometimes in urban areas, they are made from velvet. Other important elements of the women's costumes are various types of aprons, sashes, and head coverings. The head coverings are usually large scarves of various materials and colours. Women's dresses were handmade embellished with detailed needlework and decorated in a rich and colourful fashion. Although there are some generalizations that can be made about the women's dresses and their styles and components, costumes of each area tend to be different.

Lighthouses in the USSR

A lighthouse is a tower, building, or other type of structure designed to emit light from a system of lamps and lenses or, in older times, from a fire, and used as an aid to navigation for maritime pilots at sea or on inland waterways. Lighthouses mark dangerous coastlines, hazardous shoals, reefs, safe entries to harbors, and can also assist in aerial navigation. Once widely used, the number of operational lighthouses has declined due to the expense of maintenance and replacement by modern electronic navigational devices.
These stamps were issued by the Erstwhile USSR depicting lighthouses around the world.  

Europa theme focusing on tourism 9.5.2012

                                                                                                     

 

This year's Europa theme is Visit, followed by the country or city in focus on the respective European issue. The stamp Visit Åland  issued on 9^th  May gives a summery  picture of Åland. My dear friend Ella sent me this lovely FDC and card.

Visit Åland is also the name of the official tourist organisation of Åland with approximately 340 members. The main function of Visit Åland is to market Åland as a destination and to develop tourism in Åland together with the local hospitality industry. The logotype of Visit Åland is the Åland flag, which reappears on the first day postmark, the back of the cover and the stamp sheet. The stamp photo was shot at the old ‘Kobba klintar' pilot station just outside Mariehamn. ‘Kobba klintar' was also featured on the 2010 Nordic miniature sheet.               

By devoting World Health Day 1992 to the theme of heart health, it was the aim of the World Health Organization to increase public awareness of the worldwide dimensions of cardiovascular diseases, and to sound an alarm against their spread. Cardiovascular diseases are diseases of the highest social and medical importance. They are taking about 12 millions lives annually. Many victims are under the age of 65 years. Fortunatelly, many of the diseases could be prevented or postponed to the older age, as 3/4 of the cases are results of inadequate attitudes, knowledge, habits and behaviour. Intervention programme for prevention of cardiovascular diseases and other non-communicable diseases conducted in Novi Sad in Serbia, has demonstrated its potential role regarding the leading risk factors, incidence and mortality from acute miocardial infarction and stroke.

Brunei Darussalam issued these three pretty stamps and the impressive cover and postmark on 7^th April 1992. My dear friend Maria sent me this wonderful FDC.

Traditional Children’s Folk-Tales

This Miniature sheet displayed, depicts the folklore regarding the ungrateful son Si Tanggang. POS Malaysia issued it on 26.06.2007.

Folk tales are evergreen stories that have been handed down from generation to generation. Malaysia offers a large collection of wonderful folk tales that have been the interest of many generations. 

This story is about an ungrateful son called Si Tanggang and the consequences of his disloyalty to his parents. One day, Si Tanggang was captured and put to work on a ship. The Captain of the ship grew fond of him and eventually made him his son-in-law and the ship’s Captain. One day, caught in a storm, Captain Tanggang was forced to moor his ship in the village where his parents lived. When they came to meet Si Tanggang, he was embarrassed that they looked so old and refused to recognize them. Saddened by her son’s behaviour, his Mother cried out to the heavens. Suddenly lightening, strong winds and waves, tore the ship to pieces. Captain Tanggang, his wife and crew turned into stone.

It is worth mentioning that there are Special effects of silver hot stamping on the miniature sheet, namely on the figure of Si Tanggang.

50th Anniversary of Racing in Berlin

Maria sent me this nice FDC about the 50th Anniversary of the Automobile Races or the Grand Prix in Berlin which started in 1921. The block of four stamps on this cover portray the racing cars through the years. There seems to be some sort of Dichotomy in the postmark which shows a motor cycle with a sidecar, whereas a racing car would have been more appropriate.  However, this could well be explained by the meaning of Avus.

The Automobil-Verkehrs- und Übungsstraße (Automobile traffic and training road), better known as AVUS, is a public road that was also used as a motor racing circuit. It is located in the south-western districts of Berlin, Germany, between Charlottenburg and Nikolassee, and is nowadays an important part of the public highway system, as Bundesautobahn 115.

While normal for a road, it is unusually shaped for a race track as it is essentially just two long straights in the form of a dual carriageway, with a hairpin corner at each end. The north curve featured a steep banking from 1937 to 1967. While the original layout was 19 km long, the southern turn was moved several times, to shorten the track to 8.3 km, then 8.1 km without the banking, 4.8 km and finally 2.6 km.

The circuit through the Grunewald forest was devised by the Automobilclub von Deutschland (AvD), in 1907, as both a motor-sport venue and a testing track for the motor industry. A lack of finances delayed the start of construction for six years, and construction was halted in 1913 for the same reason. During the Great War, Russian prisoners were employed in AVUS's construction, but the track was still unfinished by 1918. The remaining work was financed by business man Hugo Stinnes, and the circuit opened in September 1921.

In 1999, a farewell event with veterans was held. From 2000 on, the new EuroSpeedway Lausitz in Brandenburg is considered the replacement for AVUS.

The round race control tower (with prominent Mercedes-Benz and Bosch sponsorship) still remains at the north end, and is used as a public restaurant and motel. The old wooden grandstand is protected as a historic monument.

25th World Gas Conference

The triennial World Gas Conference and Exhibition is the biggest and most important gas industry event, attracting more than 3,500 delegates from all over the world and showcasing the latest developments, with information on policies, strategies, technologies, challenges and opportunities. The 25th World Gas Conference took place in Kuala Lumpur, from 4-8 June 2012 with the theme “Gas: Sustaining Future Global Growth”. As the world continues to grow and with rapidly developing economies contributing to demand; natural gas is increasingly important as the world population demands more energy whilst at the same time striving for lower carbon emissions. Natural gas is the key as it features the intrinsic benefits that ensure demand for it will continue to grow at a higher rate in comparison to other conventional form of energy. As the cleanest-burning fossil fuel, natural gas plays a vital role in meeting the world’s expanding energy needs while helping to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

With emphasis on addressing issues such as enhancing the role of gas for sustainable development and balancing the needs of all stakeholders as well as improving availability of gas and access to markets, the results of those studies presented during the year 2012 conference sessions will be based on the following Strategic Guidelines and as outlined in the Triennial Work Programme:

1. Enhance the role of gas for sustainable development and balancing the needs of all stakeholders
2. Improve availability of gas and access to markets
3. Maximise efficiency throughout the expanding gas value chain
4. Ensure adequate human capability to enable growth and integrity of the industry

Promoting understanding and awareness of the problems and solutions in these four areas will provide decision makers with a powerful foundation to take the actions that will help rebuild and sustain regional and global growth. My friend Budin sent me this very interesting First Day Cover and the accompanying info sheet.

Aromatic Plants

Pos Malaysia has collaborated with the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) in launching a new collection of stamps and philatelic items on Aromatic Plants featuring Kaffir Lime, Kesum and Peppermint. The collection features the three aromatic plants on RM5 miniature sheet (Kaffir Lime), RM 1 stamps (Peppermint). The miniature sheet of these stamps is also scented. This nice FDC was sent to me by my good friend Budin.

Southern Hawker and Ruddy Darter 4.6.2012

Torbjörn Östman's first stamps for Åland Post had  depicted 3 different insects. He now reappears as a stamp designer, his commission has been to feature a blood-red Ruddy Darter and a bluish-green Southern Hawker. The two maxicards and the FDC were issued on 4.6.2012.

Dragonflies characteristically have elongated, narrow abdomens, flexible heads with well-developed, compound eyes, two pairs of long, transparent wings that move independently, and powerful mouthparts used for biting and short coarse antennae. The two sets of wings are very flexible, making dragonflies very strong fliers. The location of the three sets of legs, near the head, makes walking difficult for dragonflies but facilitates the catching of prey (other insects) in flight. These two lovely maxicards and the FDC were given to me by my dear friend Ella.

Caroline af Ugglas' picture of Åland 4.6.2012

Swedish artist, musician, painter, speech and singing therapist and choirmaster Caroline af Ugglas finds relaxation at her summer cottage in Åland. She gives her personal view of Åland as artist for the My Åland stamp.  The My Åland stamp theme is a recurring theme offering celebrities with a connection to Åland an opportunity to illustrate their opinion of the Åland province and personal view of Åland. Lill Lindfors, Mauno Koivisto, Mark Levengood, Björn Borg, Martti Ahtisaari, Åke Lindman and Marcus Grönholm are all previous artists for this series of stamps. In 2012, Caroline af Ugglas got her turn to display her skills.

The stamp has her painting which features a perch. "To me, a perch is the quintessence of Åland. I hardly eat anything else when I'm in Åland. Or, well, I sometimes eat pike, too. I even painted the stamp motif in Åland."  This My Åland issue appears in the form of a mini-sheet, the frame of which will also be a new frame for customers to choose when they design their own stamps using the My Stamps service. My dear friend Ella sent me these gems.

The first day cover illustration is a bunch of tulips placed in a pair of white-soled blue shoes.

“These are my favourite shoes and also a merry and pleasant motif that, I find, suits the cover. People who know me will recognize me as the artist.”

Caroline painted the shoe motif while visiting Åland last summer.

“It is included in an art tour that has been touring in Sweden since last autumn to be concluded in April 2012. I display my work in Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmö among other places.”

On the special cancellation, she has painted ‘Mr Stumble Man’, a symbol that has become her mark.

“I have the very same symbol as a tattoo, as a sign at home and on my car. There was no doubt in my mind when I chose it for my first day cancel.”

Caroline explains the symbolism of ‘Herr snubblar man’ (Mr Stumble Man) like this:

“In society we see a great deal of signs telling us what we can and cannot do.”

‘Mr Stumble Man’ resembles the road sign for pedestrian crossing.

“‘Mr Stumble Man’ suggests that you can make a mistake and get back on your feet, that you make a conscious decision to choose your own path.”

Taiwan 19.6.1987 - Floral Arrangements - Ikebana flower bonsai

Today I have the pleasure of presenting before you something which is not only a housewife's delight, but something that brings a smile to the faces of most onlooker's. - Ikebana. Ikebana (literally "giving life to flowers") is the Japanese art of flower arrangement, in which the arrangement brings nature and humanity closer together. The shapes, forms and colors of the flowers are very important; but unlike western customs, emphasis is put on the flowers’ stems and leaves. Central to Ikebana are the essences of harmony, minimalism, symbolism and meaning of the arrangement.
History of Ikebana.  Ikebana developed from Buddhist flower offering rituals dating back to the 6th century. Initially these offerings were informal, but it developed in Japan to more prescribed rituals in which flowers were presented in containers around the 10th century. In the 15th century these flower arrangements took off as an art form independent of its religious origins, originating in Kyoto (the Ikenobo School).
Ikebana flower arrangement styles. Ikebana developed through time from minimalistic arrangements to more contemporary and decorative designs. The first style dates back to the beginning of Ikebana and is called Kuge; it consisted of a tall upright placed stem, accompanied by two smaller stems. Other styles include:
• Rikka, standing flowers as a Buddhist expression of beauty and the arranged ways of nature.
• Chabana, rustic simplicity and minimalism, often used for tea ceremonies.
• Seika / Shoka, consisting of three branches representing heaven (ten), earth (chi) and man (jin).
• Jiyuka, creative design, not confined to flowers.
And, all this is symbolised by these four lovely stamps on this FDC issued by the Republic of China aka Taiwan in 1987.

The King and His Young Friends

This is another minisheet which Shashi gave me. It is from our neighbouring mountain kingdom of Bhutan. It shows six views of the young King with children in his Country. The dedication of the new King towards the Youth of Bhutan is now well known.

His Majesty the King celebrated the first anniversary of the Coronation with some students in the capital. Sixty-six students from 15 schools, some as young as eight, were invited to the Lingkana Palace where they offered Tashi Khadar to His Majesty. His Majesty reminded the children to love their country is their sacred duty and should do that without expecting anything in return. His Majesty also shared his early years with the students. The students said it was an occasion they will cherish throughout their life. They said they were deeply honoured to meet and interact with His Majesty in person on this happy and auspicious occasion.

1971 UNITED NATIONS ART CRAFT FDC CACHET - POSTAL UNION

The Universal Postal Union is a specialized agency of the United Nations that coordinates postal policies among member nations, in addition to the worldwide postal system. The UPU contains four bodies consisting of the Congress, the Council of Administration (CA), the Postal Operations Council (POC) and the International Bureau (IB). It also oversees two cooperatives including the Telematics and EMS Cooperatives respectively. Each member agrees to the same terms for conducting international postal duties. The UPU’s headquarters are located in Bern, Switzerland. The cover shown is one of the Original Vintage UN FDC which was issued to commemorate the Opening of the New UPU Headquarters Building in Berne, Switzerland. The Postal Cover with Cachet is cancelled with the postmark dated 28 May 1971 at New York. My dear friend Maria gave me this interesting FDC.

Christmas 2011

Aland Post decided to have flowers for Christmas 2011 on their stamps. Yes they depicted the Hyacinth on the stamp, the cover and on a lovely postmark too. This pretty FDC issued on 7.10.2011 was given to me by my friend Ella.

First Anniversary of Coronation

This minisheet of three circular stamps of 3Nu each was issued on 01 November 2011 to commemorate the 1st Anniversary of the Coronation of King Jigme Kehsar Namgyal Wangchuk of Bhutan. This nice minisheet was given to me by Shashi.

Happy Family Campaign in Brunei Darussalam 1991

This nice homely FDC was given to me by Maria.

21st Independence Day of Israel

These two stamps released on 16.4.1969 to honor the Armoured Corps (tank) and the Navy (ship - destroyer) were issued to commemorate the 21^st Independence Day in 1969 of Israel. One could write reams and reams on what the tank and the ship symbolize as far as Israel is concerned. Suffice it to say that this small nation has taken on the might of the surrounding Arab nations ever since their Independence in 1948. And mind you not just taken them on, but, taken them on successfully. Hats off to this great nation and its great people. Merja sent me this wonderful FDC.

Centenary of International Nurses Day

The year 2012 marks the Centenary of International Nurses Day. The profession of nursing was started by Florence Nightingale (1820-1910), a British nursing pioneer who established the first school of modern nursing. In honour of the significant contribution that Nightingale, reputed as the “Lady of the Lamp”, made in nursing, her birthday May 12, is celebrated worldwide as the International Nurses Day, aiming to advocate, inherit, and promote the pioneer’s humanistic spirit of overcoming difficulties to help the sick and wounded through dedication and sacrifice. China National Philatelic Corporation issued an FDC with special 1.20 Yuan stamp to commemorate this Day. My friend Cloud sent me this cover from China.

Florence Nightingale OM, RRC (12 May 1820 – 13 August 1910) was a celebrated English nurse, writer and statistician. She came to prominence for her pioneering work in nursing during the Crimean War, where she tended to wounded soldiers. She was dubbed "The Lady with the Lamp" after her habit of making rounds at night. An Anglican, Nightingale believed that God had called her to be a nurse. Nightingale laid the foundation of professional nursing with the establishment, in 1860, of her nursing school at St Thomas' Hospital in London, the first secular nursing school in the world, now part of King's College London. The Nightingale Pledge taken by new nurses was named in her honour, and the annual International Nurses Day is celebrated around the world on her birthday.

Ukraine Flag, Anthem and Emblem

The Constitution states that the national symbols of Ukraine shall be the National Flag of Ukraine, the National Emblem of Ukraine and the National Anthem of Ukraine. This Ukrainian minisheet commemorates the 20^th Anniversary of the Ukrainian Anthem, Flag, and Emblem. Thank you Julia for this lovely minisheet of stamps. The stamp on the left (2.00) depicts the emblem, the stamp on the right (3.00) shows the Flag and in between them is written the Anthem of Ukraine.

National Flag of Ukraine. The Ukrainian flag consists of two horizontal stripes of equal width. The top is blue, the bottom - yellow. Blue and yellow, the colours of the sky, mountains, streams, and golden fields have symbolized Kyivan Rus' long before the introduction of Christianity. With the acceptance of Christianity, blue and gold were incorporated into church symbolism. After the Mongol-Tatar invasion in the 1200's the use of blue/gold was interrupted, to be revived again in church ornaments and city crests some time later. The emblem of the city of Myrhorod, for example, was a gold trident over a blue background. Another city, Pryluky, used the head of an ox in gold over a blue background as its insignia. And in Lubny, the city emblem pictured a hand holding a golden mace over a blue background. The banners of the Cossacks (17th Century) were blue with gold stars, a gold cross, or with pictures of saints rendered in gold.

National Emblem of Ukraine. The National Emblem is a trident. The first image of a trident appeared in the 1st century AD. When Ihor, Prince of Kyivan Rus' from 912 to 945AD, sent ambassadors to sign a treaty with the Byzantine emperor, they sealed the document with a trident. As the official emblem of the Kyivan princes, the trident was stamped on coins, seals; it was depicted on porcelain and in frescoes. It is thought that the trident represented the division of the world into three spheres: the earthly, the celestial, and the spiritual as well as the union of the three natural elements of air, water and earth. The trident was endorsed as the official emblem of Ukraine; the blue and yellow flag as the national flag of Ukraine by the Supreme Rada in 1992.

National Anthem of Ukraine. Pavlo Chubynsky -a scientist and poet - wrote the lyrics to the anthem of Ukraine in 1862. M. Verbytsky composed the music.

Centenary of the Helsinki Zoo 12.6.1989

I don’t think I am the only one who’s adrenelin starts pumping at the mention of the words “zoo” and “circus”.  What great fun it is to visit these two wonderful places, and talk about them endlessly thereafter. I admit I still do. And what is common to a zoo and a circus? That’s not difficult. It s the animals, what else. Yes animals. Exotic animals. The resident’s of Helsinki, Finland are lucky to have a wonderful zoo nearby. At Korkeasaari. Pia sent me this great FDC. The two lovely stamps on it as the Cover too were issued on 12.06.1989. The animals depicted are the Snow leopard (Panthera uncia or Uncia uncia) and the Markhor (Capra falconeri).

Korkeasaari is an island in Helsinki, Finland where the country's biggest zoo is situated. The English name of the zoo is Helsinki Zoo. The zoo is located on a 22-hectare (54-acre) rocky island. It's connected to mainland via a bridge to Mustikkamaa, where there is access to the zoo all year round. A ferry and water buses take visitors to the island summertime from Kauppatori and Hakaniemi. Korkeasaari is one of the most popular places among visitors in Helsinki. The animals on display are divided geographically to Amazonia, Africasia and Borealia. Animal species number about two hundred, and plant species about a thousand. Korkeasaari has been a recreational park for Helsinki people long before the zoo was founded, since 1569. It was first used as pasture and for fishing. In 19th century, it was used for storing timber. During the Crimean war, the island was a military area. Helsinki city gained access to it again in 1864 and then the recreational use really started: steamboat traffic was established, and a restaurant together with facilities for dancing, bowling, and picnics were provided. The zoo was started 1889.

The main collection comprises mammals and birds, but even reptiles, fish and invertebrates are on display. (The Amazonia building has an aquarium department.) No big mammals (elephants, giraffes, hippopotamus) are on display, as all warm climate animals must be indoors for wintertime. There is a large collection of big cats, and the snow leopards born in Korkeasaari are famous. Two or three times a year the zoo organizes night walks, when visitors can see the big cats and other nocturnal animals in their natural waking hours. And I am sure this must be a wonderful experience. Singapore zoo organizes a similar trip calling it a “night safari”. And it is great. I can really vouch for that.

400th Anniversary of the founding of Pori (Bjorneborg)

The son of King Gustaf Vasa, Duke John, established Pori at the mouth of the Kokemäenjoki river in 1558. At that time, Finland was under Swedish rule. For a Finnish town, Pori was quite large, with a population of 1,500 in 1766. In 1809, Finland became part of Russia. This did not affect the people of Pori much; they continued living as they were used to. Pori was an important port, the key export items being fish and timber. In 1852, the town of Pori was reduced to ashes in a single day. After the fire, the city was rebuilt, better than ever: the town got a new town plan, and many new houses were built of stone. Thus there are historically valuable buildings in Pori, including the Juselius Mausoleum and the City Hall.

After the fire, industry began to flourish as well: a match factory, machine shops, a cotton mill, and sawmills were founded. The railway line between Pori and Tampere was opened in 1895, at a time when the population of the city had already increased to 12,279. A hundred years ago Pori was already a significant centre for culture: the first Finnish language theatre company was founded in Pori, libraries and museums were established, and several newspapers were published in the city. Ever since Finland gained her independence in 1917, Pori has been an important, growing city of industry and ports. My friend Pia gave me this FDC commemorating 400th Anniversary of the founding of Pori (Bjorneborg), a town steeped in history. The stamp and the cover were issued on 8.3.1958.