Germany: Market Church St. Nicolai

Market Church St. Nicolai is located in Hamelin, Germany. It is the second oldest church in Hamelin.

Hamelin is a town on the river Weser in Lower Saxony, Germany. It is the capital of the district of Hamelin-Pyrmont and has a population of about 56,000. Hamelin is best known for the tale of the Pied Piper of Hamelin.

Source: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marktkirche_(Hameln)
Postcrossing Forum - 2018 February 50 RR [cateye]
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Turkey: Karaağaç railway station

Karaağaç railway station or before 1971 Edirne station was the name of the former railway station in Edirne. Currently, it houses Trakya University's Faculty of Fine Arts. Opened in 1998, the Treaty of Lausanne Monument and Museum are located next to the former railway station.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karaa%C4%9Fa%C3%A7_railway_station
Postcrossing Forum - 2018 February 50 RR [purusha]
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USA: Hanauma Bay, Hawaii

Hanauma Bay was declared a protected marine life conservation area and underwater park in 1967. Formed within a volcanic cone, today Hanauma Bay offers a pristine marine ecosystem after the City and County of Honolulu laid out a plan in 1990 to restore the "curved bay" after years of use from the millions of visitors who visit and love to snorkel Hanauma bay.

Source: https://hanaumabaystatepark.com/
Postcrossing Forum - 2018 February 50 RR [akm]
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Hong Kong: Festive Customs [節慶民間習俗] (FDC)

Festive Customs - Official First Day Cover 2018-02-27 [Hongkong Post]

Despite being a fast-paced, modern city that constantly keeps abreast of the times, Hong Kong attaches great importance to its traditional culture and preserves many unique folk customs. The city celebrates an array of colorful traditional festivals, with many festive customs and traditions deeply rooted in the heart of the community. Hongkong Post issues a set of six special stamps on the theme of "Festive Customs" to showcase these customs and traditions with their strong local flavors.

$2  - Putting Up Spring Festival Scrolls 貼揮春
It has been identified as one of the intangible cultural heritages of Hong Kong. It has became a tradition for people to decorate their homes and shops during Chinese New Year with Spring Festival scrolls that are inscribed with auspicious phrases such as "Wishing you safety wherever you go" so as to pray for blessings and fortune in the coming year.

$2.6 - Throwing Wishing Placards 拋寶碟
It is a time-honored custom which is considered to have originated in Lam Tsuen, Tai Po. People write down their name and wishes on wising placards and toss them onto the Lam Tsuen Wishing Trees. It is believed that the higher the wishing placards land on the tree, the greater the chance the wish will come true.

$3.4 - Offering First Incense in Chinese New Year 上頭炷香
It refers to worshippers making their first offerings of joss sticks to the deities immediately upon the arrival of the Lunar New Year.

$3.7 - Spinning Wheels of Fortune 轉風車
It is a popular custom practiced on the third day of the Lunar New Year. This day is known as "chi kou", literally "red mouth", and it is said that arguments are more susceptible to arise on the day. So instead of visiting friends and family, people normally prefer to wish for luck by spinning the wheels of fortune in Che King temples. By tradition, spinning these wheels of fortune will bring good luck in the coming year.

$4.9 - Drawing Chinese Fortune Sticks 求籤
It is a common ritual in local Chinese temples. In performing this ritual, people have to kneel in prater in a designated area of the temple and shake a fortune stick holder until a stick falls out. they can then collect the corresponding oracle in verse from a stall outside the temple or ask the fortune-teller in the temple for an interpretation.

$5 - Unicorn Dance 舞麒麟
It is a form of traditional folk performing art usually practiced during festivals and celebratory occasions. It is listed as part of Hong Kong's intangible cultural heritage. The unicorn dance is performed by two dancers who move the head and body of the unicorn respectively to the rhythm of the music, and is believed to bestow blessings and ward off evil.

FDC of the stamps version is also available:
http://walagemini.blogspot.hk/2018/04/hong-kong-festive-customs.html

Source: Back of FDC
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Taiwan: Air Mail Stickers

Postcrossing ID: TW-2468140
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Australia: Eta Carinae

The image shows Eta Carinae, the bright star at the center of the Carina Nebula. Eta Carinae is a supergiant (roughly a hundred times the mass of the Sun and a million times brighter) and one of the most massive stars in the galaxy.

Postcrossing ID: AU-598585
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United Kingdom: Newquay

The popular resort of Newquay, as well as having an abundance of excellent beaches and fine cliff scenery, has a picturesque harbor providing sage anchorage for small pleasure craft and facilities for shark fishing.

Direct Swap [cyberpunk]
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Canada: Map of Canada

Sent from my dear friend Crystal who lives in Toronto, Canada
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United Nations: United Nations Headquarter

United Nations is headquartered in New York City. The complex has served as the official headquarters of the United Nations since its completion in 1952. It is located in the Turtle Bay neighborhood of Manhattan.

Although it is situated in New York City, the land occupied by the United Nations Headquarters and the spaces of the buildings that it rents are under the sole administration of the United Nations and not the U.S. government. They are technically extraterritorial through a treaty agreement with the U.S. government.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Headquarters_of_the_United_Nations
Sent from Jordan who lives in New York City
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Germany: Sanssouci

Sanssouci is the summer palace of Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, in Potsdam. It is little more than a large, single-story villa. Containing just ten principal rooms, it was built on the brow of a terraced hill at the centre of the park. Sanssouci and its extensive gardens became a World Heritage Site in 1990 under the protection of UNESCO. These palaces are now visited by more than two million people a year from all over the world.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanssouci
Postcrossing ID: DE-6997675
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Malaysia: Animals With Various Special Roles - Working Dogs (FDC)

Animals With Various Special Roles - Working Dogs - Official First Day Cover 2018-01-18 [POS Malaysia]

Left: General Purpose Dog
Dogs are often used in crime prevention efforts. It is one of the initiatives and efforts of the Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) team. PDRM usually uses two dog breeds for this work, the German Shepherd and Labrador breeds because of their intelligence, strength and obedient nature. these crime prevention dogs carry out various tasks such as tracking people or things, finding criminals, controlling crowd and helping other PDRM units.

Right: Drug Detection Dog
in 1979, PDRM established a drug detection dog unit to empower the fight against drug crimes. Dogs in this unit sniff out and detect any drugs that criminals try to conceal. In addition, PDRM also has a specialized unit of dogs to detect firearms and explosives, This unit is often deployed to monitor and detect harmful substances in an area of place, especially where important events will be held.


Direct Swap [walkaround99]
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USA: Tiger (San Diego Zoo)

Some interesting facts about tigers:

1) The tiger is the biggest species of the cat family.

2) A group of tigers is known as an "ambush" or "streak"

3) Tiger cubs leave their mother when they are around 2 years of age.

4) There are more tigers held privately as pets than there are in the wild.

Source: http://www.sciencekids.co.nz/sciencefacts/animals/tiger.html
Postcrossing ID: US-5177012
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Netherlands: Bengal Cat

The Bengal is a domestic cat breed developed to look like exotic jungle cats such as leopards, margays and clouded leopards. Bengal cats were developed by selective breeding from hybrids of the Asia leopard cat.

Bengal cats are generally a bright orange to light brown color, although pale or off-white "snow" Bengals also exist, and are popular among owners.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bengal_cat
Postcrossing ID: NL-4049331
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Netherlands: Winter in Holland

Postcrossing ID: NL-4050378
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Germany: Greetings from Würzburg (Unofficial GF)

Würzburg is a city in the region of Franconia, northern Bavaria, Germany. Located on the Main River, it is the capital of the Regierungsbezirk of Lower Franconia.

Würzburg lies about equidistant from Frankfurt am Main and Nuremberg. Although the city of Würzburg is not part of the Landkreis Würzburg, it is the seat of the district's administration. The city has a population of around 124,000 people.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/W%C3%BCrzburg
Postcrossing ID: DE-6990124
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Austria: Belvedere, Vienna

The Belvedere is a historic building complex in Vienna, Austria. It consists of two Baroque palaces, the Orangery, and the Palace Stables. The buildings are set in a Baroque park landscape in the third district of the city, on the south-eastern edge of its centre.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Belvedere,_Vienna
Postcrossing ID: AT-375159
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Sweden: Greetings from... Sweden

Another Greetings from... card added to my collection :)

Some fun facts about Sweden for you
Enjoy :)

1) Swedish parents are entitled to 480 days of paid parental leave - and of those, 60 days are reserved for the father. In 2012, dads used 24% of the total parental leave.

2) An average of 1,836,000 meatballs are eaten daily in all of IKEA's 313 stores worldwide. IKEA was founded in Sweden in 1943 by Ingvar Kampard.

3) The Swedish three-point seatbelt is claimed to have save 1 million lives. It was launched by Volvo in 1959 and is found in 1 billion vehicles worldwide.

4) The pacemaker, ultrasound, safety math, astronomical lens, marine propeller, refrigerator, and computer mouse are all famous items that were invented in Sweden or by Swedes who weren't living in Sweden.

5) Sweden has won 625.5 Olympic medals in total. 475.5 are from the Summer Olympics (one gold is shared with Denmark), and 150 are from the Winter Olympics.

Source: https://www.factretriever.com/sweden-facts
Postcrossing ID: SE-146123
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Malaysia: Animal With Various Special Roles - Working Dogs (FDC)

Animals With Various Special Roles - Working Dogs - Official First Day Cover 2018-01-18 [POS Malaysia]

There are animals that are tamed and trained by humans to help perform certain tasks. Among them are animals such as buffaloes, elephants, horses, monkeys and dogs. Dogs are one of the common animals to be trained and help people. They are a good suitable choice because they have a very sharp sense of smell, their loyalty and obedience and easy to train. They are used in work such as guiding the blind, tracking and rescue, controlling crowds and others. Certain dog creeds have their own suitability in performing a specific task.

From left to right: (Click link to read more details about the dogs)

Guide Dogs (Golden Retriever)
http://walagemini.blogspot.hk/2018/03/malaysia-guide-dog-golden-retriever.html

Protection Dogs (Belgian Shepherd)
http://walagemini.blogspot.hk/2018/03/malaysia-protection-dog-belgian-shepherd_29.html

Detection Dogs (Border Collie)
http://walagemini.blogspot.hk/2018/03/malaysia-search-and-rescue-dog-border.html

Direct Swap [walkaround99]
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Finland: Map of Finland

The Arctic Circle is the most northerly of the five major circles of latitude as shown on maps of Earth. It marks the northernmost point at which the noon sun s just visible on the December solstice and the southern point at which the midnight sun is just visible on the June Solstice.

Starting at the prime meridian and heading eastwards, the Arctic Circle passes through the Lapland Region of Finland, crosses Rovaniemi Airport.

Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arctic_Circle#Sites_along_the_Arctic_Circle
Postcrossing ID: FI-3185177
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Hong Kong: Chinese Traditional Temple

"Festive Customs" Special Stamps
Date of Issue: 2018 February 27

$3.4 - Offering First Incense in Chinese New Year
It refers to worshippers making their first offerings to joss sticks to the deities immediately upon the arrival of the Lunar New Year. Worshippers not only regard the offering as an act of piety and sincerity, but also a "good omen" for a promising new year.


Source: https://www.hongkongpoststamps.hk/eng/stamps/latest_stamp_issues/2018/20180227a/introduction.htm
Self Made Maxicard
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Malaysia: 5th Malaysia Postcrossing Meetup in Kota Kinabalu GPO

Postcrossing Forum - 2018 February 50 RR [mary29sabah]
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Germany: 3rd International Postcrossing Meetup in Konz

Postcrossing Forum - 2018 February 50 RR [isinesunshine]
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United Kingdom: Bidean nam Bian

Bidean nam Bian, lying to the south of Glean Coe, Highland, Scotland, is the highest point in the former county of Argyll.

The most noticeable features of Bidean nam Bian are the famous Three Sisters of Glen Coe, three steeply-sided ridges that extend north into the Glen. Two of the sisters, Gearr Aonach (Short Ridge) and Aonach Dubh (Black Ridge) converge at Stob Coire nan Lochan, a subsidiary peak of Bidean nam Bian that lies about 1 km to the northeast of the actual submit.

Sent from my very dear high school friend
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