Inge Look and her Aunties

Inge Look (Ingeborg Lievonen) was born in Helsinki, Finland in 1951. As child she and her family lived in a seven story apartment building in the city. It was literally teeming with tenants... so many people, personalities and smells. The two that quickly captivated Inge's attention were Alli and Fifi, two older women who's exuberance for life was contagious.

She refers to them as the "Aunties" and they became the inspiration for her very popular cards. The motto for these two fabulous old ladies is... 

"Time is not money and spending it isn’t a sin."

Thank you Ella.

Badlands National Park

Badlands National Park is a national park in southwestern South Dakota that protects 242,756 acres (379.306 sq mi; 98,240 ha) of sharply eroded buttes, pinnacles, and spires blended with the largest undisturbed mixed grass prairie in the United States. The park is managed by the National Park Service.

Thank you Rose for this nice card.

Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha)

Wat Phra Kaew (Temple of the Emerald Buddha) is regarded as the most sacred Buddhist temple (wat) inThailand. The Emerald Buddha housed in the temple is a potent religio-political symbol and the palladium (protective image) of Thai society It is located in Phra Nakhon District the historic centre of Bangkok, within the precincts of the Grand Palace. This lovely card was sent to me by Pannipa.

This card had lovely stamps on them as shown below.

Thai Heritage Conservation Day is an annual observance in Thailand held on April 2. It has been celebrated since 1985. Thai Heritage Conservation Day commemorates the birth anniversary of Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, the second daughter of King Rama IX, who was born on April 2, 1955. Sirindhorn has earned a BA in History, MA in Oriental Epigraphy, and PhD in Educational Development. She has a keen interest in conservation, foreign cultures, history, languages, the arts, education, and technology.

To honour Princes Sirindhorn and celebrate the Royal Family's contribution to creation and conservation of national heritage for generations to come, the government of Thailand established Thai Heritage Conservation Day. It was first held on April 2, 1985, in honour of Sirindhorn's 30th birthday, and has been celebrated annually ever since.

On the occasion of the holiday, numerous cultural activities are held, including, but not limited to, academic seminars, exhibitions, lectures, concerts. They are aimed at providing the knowledge of Thai heritage and exhibiting the variety of Thai culture. On this day, citizens are encouraged to decorate buildings with the national flag.

John Lennon and Yoko Ono

This card featuring the famous Lennon's was sent to me by Alexandra from Moscow.

John Winston Ono Lennon MBE (born John Winston Lennon (9 October 1940 – 8 December 1980) was an English singer and songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as the founder of the rock band the Beatles, the most commercially successful band in the history of popular music. With fellow member Paul McCartney, he formed a celebrated songwriting partnership.
 
Yoko Ono (born 18 February 1933) is a Japanese multimedia artist, singer and peace activist, who is also known for her work in avant-garde art, music and filmmaking. She is the widow and second wife of John Lennon.

15th World Gymnaestrada 2015 Helsinki

The World Gymnaestrada 2015 Helsinki was the best festival of the summer of 2015! It was a perfect mixture of festival, friendship and joy. Seven days full of gymnasts’ passion and talent, good spirit and unity. The 15th World Gymnaestrada rounded up the Gymnastics World in Helsinki in July!

Helsinki, together with the whole metropolitan area, was ready to welcome the international gymnastics family as guests. The Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture, Cities of Helsinki, Vantaa and Espoo, the Finnish Gymnastics Federation and the Local Organising Committee worked closely with each other to make this event come to life. This top team is also living its own dream of organising a worldwide Gymnastics for All events with enthusiasm and excitement.

The Finnish summer is at its best in July. Warm days and a sun that doesn’t really set provided an unforgettable experience to all of the participants of the 15th World Gymnaestrada.

Thank you Ella.

The Aurora in St Petersburg

Aurora is a 1900 Russian protected cruiser, currently preserved as a museum ship in St. Petersburg. Aurora was one of three Pallada-class cruisers, built in St. Petersburg for service in the Pacific. All three ships of this class served during theRusso-Japanese War. Aurora survived the Battle of Tsushima and was interned under US protection in the Philippines, eventually returned to the Baltic Fleet. The second ship, Pallada, was sunk by the Japanese at Port Arthur in 1904. The third ship, Diana, was interned in Saigon after the Battle of the Yellow Sea. One of the first incidents of the October Revolution in Russia took place on the cruiserAurora.

Thank you Merja.

Wuling Farm

Purple Sunny Chang sent me this card about the Wonderful Wuling Farm, a well known tourist attraction in the central mountain area of Taiwan.

 

Way before the Central Highway was completed, Taiwan's aboriginal tribe, the Ataya, had long been residing along the upper stream of Da-Jia river. The residents of Huanshan, Sungmao, Lisan and Jiayang tribe in Taichung City lived a self sufficient farming life.

After the completion of the Central Highway in 1958, there was a gradual increase of population in Wuling, as people engaged in farming or foresting activities gradually moved into this area. A group of cultivators, in the name of "Taiwan's Veteran Cultivation Reclaim Service Station", started to build the "Wuling Cultivation Area" here.

In the spring of 1963, late president Chiang Ching-kuo, the Chairman of the Vocational Assistance Commission for Retired Servicemen (now titled Veterans Affairs Commission), devoted himself to exploring the mountainous areas in search of person with hardships. He then named the "Wuling Cultivation Area" as "Wuling Farm" on 10th May 1963, and appointed Mr. Lin De-Gi as the first director of the farm. At the initial stage, the farm was under the Veteran Farm Committee.