Festival Celebration Nov : Japan ~ Karatsu Kunchi Festival

Karatsu Kunchi Festival

Karatsu Kunchi designated as part of Japan's important intangible ethnic and cultural heritage.

Huge hikiyama floats are artistic masterpieces of Japan's wonderful festival culture. This is an autumn festival held at Karatsu-jinja Shrine which has a history of about 400 years. The Karatsu Kunchi is one of the major festivals of Kyushu.

Karatsu Kunchi is an autumn festival that takes place annually over 3 days from November 2 to 4 in Karatsu City, located in Saga Prefecture, Kyushu in the south western part of Japan. In 1980 the festival was designated an Important Intangible Folk Cultural Property.

Karatsu Kunchi is an epic event in which local people, in time with rhythmical music, pull large floats through the town, to sound of flutes and drums, shouting the traditional prompting, "Enya! Enya!". Huge helmets or lions decorate the base of the floats, known as Hikiyama, which are 5 to 6 m (6 yd.) high and weigh from 2 to 5 tons.

* The basic structure of each Hikiyama is made from wood, and topped with a large decoration made from clay or wood over which, along with hundreds of sheets of washi paper, linen and other materials are laid. The surface is covered with different types of lacquer and finished with gold and silver leaf. It is said that each neighborhood spent enormous sums of money on the floats that took 2 to 3 years to complete. The 14 Hikiyama that are still used today were offered to Karatsu Shrine between 1819 and 1876.

Tags: Karatsu Kunchi | hikiyama | Kyushu | Japan festival |

Doodle Postcard

My doodle postcard.

Tags: Doodle|postcard

Giant Water Tap

I saw this HUGE water tap on my way to Zoo Malaysia.

Macedonia ~ Matka - Skopje

This is mine first ever postcard received from Macedonia.

Thank you to ANA for sending this lovely postcard from far away.

I've learned that Matka is a small community outside Skopje, the capital of Macedonia. Matka is also the Macedonian word for “womb.” A lovely convent near the Tresca River Canyon – dramatically cleaving granite cliffs – is named for Mary, mother of Jesus, and is dedicated to mothers “from whom all human life flows.”

You may visit Exploring Macedonia site here.

Tags: Macedonia | Matka | Skopje

Kolam

This colorful rice is for the Kolam decoration.

Kolam drawing has evolved as one of the 64 forms of art in Vatsyayana's Kamasutra.
Today, Kolam takes the shapes & patterns of nature, geometrical designs that also include deities.

We celebrate Deepavali in the month of October.

Tags: Kolam | Deepavali | Vatsyayana | Kamasutra

News from Malaysia

Found this Cute Orang Utan ~ Malaysia postcard.
This postcard is no longer in production.

The orangutans are two species of great apes. Known for their intelligence, they live in trees and they are the largest living arboreal animal. They have longer arms than other great apes, and their hair is reddish-brown, instead of the brown or black hair typical of other great apes.

Tags: Orang Utan|Malaysia|Orangutan|apes

Scott Elmusion

Old advertising postcard for year 1930s.

美国葛兰素史克Scott 司各脱乳白鱼肝油

I found some interesting facts about cod liver oil on Wikipedia.com. Did you know that:

Benefit

• It has high levels of omega 3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA).
• It has very high levels of vitamins A and D.
• It helps to ease the pain and joint stiffness associated with arthritis.
• A 2005 study by researchers at the University of California found that Vitamin D may lower the risk of developing different types of cancers, halving the chances of getting breast, ovarian, and colon cancers.
• It is clinically proven to have a positive effect on heart, bone and brain.
• It helps to nourish skin, hair and nails.
• Cod liver oil taken by nursing mothers improves breast milk by increasing the amount of fatty acids which promotes brain development and helps prevent infections.

Risk

• Pregnant women should not take cod liver oil due to the high amount of Vitamin A, which, in high doses is shown to cause birth defects.
• The risks of hypervitaminosis
• Exposure to environmental toxins such as mercury, polychlorinated biphenyls, dioxins, and other contaminants.

Tags: scott elmusion|史克Scott 司各脱乳白鱼肝油|vintage|chinese lady 30s

Hand-carved wooden statue

A hand-carved wooden statue, one of a series of five,
which can be seen in the foyer leading to the Mandarin Grill.

The figure is depicted riding on a mythical beast,
and dates from Ch'ing Dynasty / Qin Dynasty / Manchu Dynasty (1644 - 1912) following a style of the Tang period.

India_ My first postcard

My first ever postcard received in year 1997 from my senior ~ Chee Ngai during her backpack trip to India.

Since then, I started collecting postcards.

Then, I make my first backpack to UK, Scotland, France, travel to China, Taiwan, UAE (Abu Dhabi) until today that I commit to build up my own family, which also limited me to travel.

I'll so much happy if I can receive postcard from your country.

Kindly e-mail me to layhoon.chua@gmail.com

I wish one day I've wings to fly again.

Tags: India|postcard collector

end of sufFURing

The fur ads you might see in magazine and commercials portray fur coats as a symbol of elegance. But these ads fail to show how the orginal owners of therse coats met their gruesome deaths.

Undercover video footage shows animals being beaten and skinned alive for their fur. Investigations show that amongst other animals, millions of dogs and cats are suffering for fashion, their fur often deliberately mislabeled and sold over the world.

www.endthesufFURing.org

Tags: endthesuffuring | fur | animal liberation

Sunday Postcard Art : Zetti of 80s

The challenge for Sunday Postcard Art for this week is ZETTI.

Here is mine interpretation of ' Zetti of 80s'.

Tags: Postcard | Sunday Postcard Art | Zetti | Zettiology |

I've been tagged

* The picture is courtesy borrow from Dejourney.com

I've been tagged by Collage Diva ~ Kathryn.

The 6 random things about me :-

1) I'm 31 yo, a mother of 2 daughter , KWen ( 3 years old) and KXin (will celebrate her 2nd birthday end of the year)

2) I started blogging since year 2005 and I'm addicted.

3) I started my Art journey since year 2007. I'm newbie in arting , I can't draw, but I hope I able to come out something beautiful.

4) I love collecting postcards since year 1997 . I love receive & send out my handwriting.

5) I don't buy expensive embellishment, I rather find my way to create them.

6) I wrote diary when I was young, I'm happy that I continue it now in ~ Soul Journal.

The rules are as follows:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.

2. Post the rules on your blog.

3. Write six random things about yourself.

4. Tag six people at the end of your post.

5. Let each person know that they have been tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.

6. Let the tagger know your entry is up.



Here's mine tagees ( 1 to 3 in my another blog) ,

1)
2)
3)
4) I spok New York !
5) Voila Vintage Postcards
6) Gone with postcards

Artist : René Magritte

I received this lovely Postcard via Postcrossing from Li, China.

A treasury of World Masterpiece in Painting
René Magritte 1898 - 1967

Magritte, René, 1898–1967, Belgian surrealist painter. Strongly influenced by Chirico, Magritte developed a style in which a misleading sort of realism is combined with mocking irony. His paintings are dominated by an intense quietude and restraint, despite a startling juxtaposition of images.

Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early-1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members. Surrealist works feature the element of surprise, unexpected juxtapositions and non requiter; however many Surrealist artists and writers regard their work as an expression of the philosophical movement first and foremost, with the works being an artifact.

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Tags: René Magritte, China, Postcard, Surrealism

1987 Chinese New Year Postcard

Limited set of Postcard produced in China in year 1987.

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Tags: postcard|Chinese New Year