Some countries still don’t have air mail connections with Japan at this time, so, sending a letter envelope by surface post… Wonder how long it will take to find its destination? Hope this envelope has it sea legs.
All together dispatches today went to Sri Lanka, India, and the usual, Japan, USA and Canada.
Of course, post boxes are only useful if you have letters to go inside or somehow magically the world is connected by pneumatic tubes (its the only explanation I can think of).
Not absolutely required but I find letters find destinations better with liberal use of wax seals and a variety of inky stamps.
16 dispatches into the mysterious and magical international postal delivery chute >> this worldwide system is really a living organism and efficient network (hold your cynicism) which still boggles my mind.
*Really*, countries can get together without a lot of drama and get things delivered. There’s a metaphor in here somewhere but really, just came here to say:
I mailed a lot of pretty (i think) postcards (including oil pastel paintings of sherbet-coloured houses in India, a few mysterious B&W Lomo snaps, fake telegrams from Kuala Lumpur, the usual Nepal and haiku postboxes, a bouquet of flowers, a few dossiers stuffed with a variety of “everything“ including some Kerouac in Kobe treats) to folks in several countries – not surprisingly – resplendent with inky stamps, scribbly fountain pen writing, and tender sentiments.
Hopefully one is for you.
Anyone get anything interesting on their postbox recently? Always sending treats out into the world. We’re on a pretty good run here with miraculous packages, lovely cards, purchased records and beloved letters from:
… And if I wasn’t on enough international watchlists, i definitely am now (especially because of all the expired passport arriving & another project i won’t discuss publicly) 
Everything so gratefully received >> if I haven’t done a little “round-up thank you” &/or review post, it’s not due to lack of love, it’s because busy enjoying your dispatch and making so many new things right now.
As always, keep an eye in your postbox (and you can sign up for Postcard Subscription plan #hint for expedited service).
Anchors aweigh! Another big stack into the postal wormhole / dispatch includes: Suez canal panoramas, evidence of being lost at sea (intentionally), a few new Gravelly Beach postcards, and *classic* Nepal post box. Oh yes, please note the 1¥ postal teddy bear stamps.
Special assistance from my diligent co-conspirator in the stroller who is the neighborhood rockstar. Everyone from the grandmas to the crossing guards to the elementary school kids to Shinogize PO staff want to say hello (and pinch those cheeks ?).
Get in on the postal club fun at DaveOShop.
I think so, do you? Am I? Usually (i hope).
Following our wedding festivities, we dutifully and cheerfully made up several batches of thank you cards to sent to folks who made the trip or sent gifts or letters/cards.
While each batch of cards was different – and some cards required boxes and packets – the general design aesthetic captured in exquisite little photo essay created by nature photographer Cheryl A. (you should check out her cards for sale) which captures the details of the envelope treatment:
Continue reading Thank-you Cards (“making of” and delivery evidence) / Kekkon-shiki
Sure, i mail a lot of cards and letters and dossiers of ephemeral treats, poems and painting. Especially to folks who have inspired me or otherwise lent a hand, and to folks (know and unknown) who seem to need a little spark to help them along their journey.
As part of my semi-obsessive documentation for my memory and amusement, i assemble photos (likely) enthusiastic correspondents send of their received items, along with “still life” photos of postal-related items or post-in-process, and often just scenes of post offices/workers/boxes.
Often times these items are organized chronologically-ish somehow, or maybe to a theme, but some cases (including this instance), neither applies and what follows is simply a batch of odds and ends hanging out for another cycle into the world.
Generally an absence of annotations as the meanings either aren’t meaningful or rather self-evident (that said, maybe some annotations will appear). Carry on, bring your own stamp.
Continue reading Post’d: Round-up of letters and post making, vol. 2 (undated, variety)
Excerpt from diary/letter:
This often includes my favourite thing to do when wandering at home or abroad -- find a quiet well lit café, choose the "mafia table" meaning the back corner with my back to the wall, and fill up the table with stationary, pens, scrapbooks, and dig into some arts and crafts and letter writing. In this case, specifically letters to the hospital in Thailand which was so wonderfully kind to me.... Which is what started this missive in the first place as I've now shared with you the results of all my tests I did including 20 some odd blood tests (virus, inflammation, methylation), EEG, MRI on my arthritic hips and antibody before immunizations required (or suggested anyway) before travelling to this land.
{snip}
I pay my rupees, call a taxi, stop at the post office… I'm mildly obsessed with post offices and visit them in every country along with riding trains/ferries/buses when possible... and shutting down a bar. I haven't been drinking at all in India aside from one obligatory Kingfisher, and even in my secret hideaway in Thailand, I only went to the delicious craft beer bar once despite it being run by adorable ladies who I could spend all night watching. Such a good boy I am!
The post office in this case was a sweaty small room with various ladies sitting at jumbled desks and when I asked for stamps to send three letters to Thailand, it was as though the first time this had been requested. The stamps it seems would come in denominations other than five rupee but evidently not.
The number of stamps covered up a good third of the envelope by the time i was done (photo in process) and I was hesitant to lick them after seeing the hands that it handed them to me. No disrespect to them but until I understand by gut biology better, I'm avoiding unnecessary risk.
On a battered wooden bench there was a pot of paste like from a school for bad children circa 1972, the brush was broken and the glue stains but I slathered it on and handed these letters over. My delivery success rate on the missives I send seems to hit about 40% so I've taken the habit of photographing the letters and the envelopes before sending them.
Of course, I send various treatises electronically as well and while I know they been delivered, the usual responses in the form of a thumbs up or happy face or :-( emoji. This makes me #Unsatisfied.
Remember the part of me being born in the wrong decade? This is a prime example.