Well, remember the cute postcard sent to me as a Random Act of Smileness I featured on PFF many weeks before? The postcard I’m featuring today is somewhat the idea of RAS as well, only I had received this card way before RAS officially existed on Postcrossing forum. And still it was really a sweet surprise, for no reason, just to make me smile – and sure I did! :)))

A beautiful picture of Ameri’s historical house in Iran. But what’s written on the back is in fact more beautiful..

I think Omid doesnt mind I put his message here as he’s no longer on Postcrossing since years..  When I saw this card in the hostel mailbox, I was like, OMG, that’s the thoughtful of a postcard swapper who’s actually a loving friend I didn’t know! I was living in the student hostel over the years of university time, and only came home to collect my mails once a month and though I did give the safety-suspicous hostel address to Postcrossers for some reason (okay, coz I was actually impatient to wait til get home!) but a lovely surprise like this really cheered me up alot from the boredom and craziness of living in the hostel!

OKAY and why I do feature this card now, you ask? Coz in a few days, I’ll be back to school again!! AGH! I’ve been accepeted to do postgrad studies in Electronics starting July, and by end of this month I’m going to a new university to see a new environment and new guys perhaps, after half a year of rest and half a year of job and half a year of rest again. And that will also mean a rest of my Postcrossing activity again.. *sob sob* plus I dont think I can drag the huge box of postcards along to wherever I’ll be living for the next one year, therefore don’t be surprised if you don’t see me update my postcards blog as usual.

So it’s sad to announce this, but this is perhaps my last entry of PFF for now, I am not sure when I will come back on postcards blogsphere again, but just wish me luck for my school comeback – coz I hate classes!! =___=

Happy happy PFF my dears! And many thanks for having visited me in past weeks, you have no idea how much it really made my days!! :D *BIG BIG HUGS!*

No, it’s not the cake!! But cards!! :D Yes, the lovely Postcrossers have always cheered me up regardless I hate the fact that I get older on birthdays! :) In this post I would like to thank a heaven to everyone who spent some time writing and sending me your lovely wishes, you have no idea how much it means to me!! :) BIG BIG HUGS!!! (well yeah, I’m featuring cards from past years first, as this is officially the first birthday post for this blog – which only started this year – and in a few days I’ll be posting the cards which I have got for this year’s birthday :)). And actually, I have put several other birthday cards that had already fit in regular posts before, and they are equally special to me as well!!

Hugs to Anu!

Hugs to Mimma!

Hugs to Syairah06!

Hugs to SilentNight89!

Hugs to Wespe!

Hugs to Rwidiani!

Hugs to Ipuenktchen!

Hugs to Kungli!

Hugs to Seetas!

Hugs to Indirama!

Hugs to Anzuume!

Hugs to Ketupat!

Hugs to Padme_chandra!

Hugs to Wilma!

Hugs to Panarea!

Hugs to empty_mailbox!

Hugs to Newrule!

Hugs to rosnah!

Hugs to Taxingwoman!

Hugs to geeanuar!

Hugs to Swan!

OKAY that was  a postcards SPAM -______- but I can’t help it coz I did receive alot of birthday cards in past years!! (and of course, a portion of them are thanks to the fact that I put a “tiny advert” about my birthday on my forum signature once, well, hence those expected surprises :P and a few from Birthday tags and RR as well.. so I did not receive all these merely because I am a total celebrity or anything :D though it’s good if I were one lol). And still my dear friends Postcrossers, you are the best!!

This doll is wearing traditional costume from Kashan, a city in the desert with old houses, wind towers and ancient gardens. At the background of this card is Baghe Fin garden, and a museum which also has a similar puppet of 0.5m tall, wearing this costume.

This is a tradtional costume from 100-200 years ago!! Well, same landscape at the background, only the image is clearer here. This museum actually is home to many display puppets and mannequinns dressed in ancient Persian costume. It sounds like an awesome museum! Okay, a bit of history: this Fin Garden contains Kashan’s Fin Bath, where a chancellor was murdered by an assassin in1852. But the garden was constructed as early as 1571-1629 during the reign of Abas 1 of Persia.

From Ipuenktchen. Soltaniyeh is located about 35km from Zanjan in northwest of Iran between Tabriz and Tehran. It’s famous for its huge dome with size of 56m height and 28m in diameter and one of the UNESCO World Heritages sites.

From Parisa, showing The Metal Bridge crossing Karoun River in Ahvaz, a warm city in South of Iran.

From Parisa, with a view of a craft shop in a bazaar in Masouleh in Nothern Iran. Many of the stuff here look similar to crafts made by us here as well.. like the rattan baskets and wooden necklaces. And and the bags fabric design look really pretty, a bit similar to Pua fabric from Borneo.

From Parisa. These structures are called Takhte Jamshid (The Throne of Jamshid) in Tachar Palace, and Jamshid is a mythical king of Iran.

From Parisa. Historical city Shiraz is home to Persepolis ancient palace, with a number of greatest monuments remain being preserved. There are many magnificent carvings on the stone walls of Persepolis, and shown here are Persian soldiers of Persepolis. Parsi is one of the earliest world civilizations apart of Egypt, China and Greek.

From Fromthesea. Showing the famous structure from another side. Persepolis has been listed as UNESCO world heritage site in 1979.

From Fromthesea. These are 3 royal achaemenidian tombs located in Naghsha Rostam which is not very far from Persepolis. Naghshe Rostam is a resting place for some of the most important Persian emperors who died between 550BC to 450BC.

From Parisa. This painting is titled Growth, made in 1992 by Mahmoud Farhcian. He’s a great miniaturist in Iran and has  alot of magically beautiful works. This painting shows a pretty fairy-like girl giving “life” to a deer with a kiss. What is a miniaturist? Miniaturist is someone who paints tiny pictures in great detail. Well, these paintings say it all.

From Parisa. Entitled To Live, made in 1994 by Mahmoud Farhcian. His art are obviously of reality and fantasy blended together, it’s just amazing to think how much patience is needed to make such painting. Oh and please check his gallery at www.farshchianart.com!

From Ipuenktchen. It seems Persians produce a lot of miniature paintings. This one is probably from earlier time, which is now displayed in the Decorative Art Museum in Tehran. The card doesn’t state the painting’s title though.

From Ipuenktchen. Alright, this one is not a miniature but Iranian contemporary art. It shows a typical bazaar scene nowadays.

From Parisa. A cute painting, isn’t it? Darn this card is missing from the box so I couldn’t check its details. It was there yesterday!! Will edit this one later..

From Ipuenktchen. This is a wall painting. Or a painting made on a wall in this very luxury hotel named Abbasi Hotel in Esfahan.

From Parisa. This card has a Persian poem on the back, written in Persian, and English (though I’m not sure if it’s the literal translation or different poem altogether).

Where are the Tidings of Union?

Where are the tidings of union? that I may arise –
Forth from the dust I will rise up to welcome thee!
My soul, like a homing bird, yearning for Paradise,
Shall arise and soar, from the snares of the world set free.
When the voice of thy love shall call me to be thy slave,
I shall rise to a greater far than mastery
Of life and the living, time and the mortal span:
Pour down, oh Lord! from the clouds of thy guiding grace
The rain of a mercy that quickeneth oh my grave,
Before, like dust that the wind bears from place to place,
I arise and flee beyond the knowledge of man.
When to my grave thou turnest thy blessed feet,
Wine and the lute thou shalt bring in thine hand to me,
Thy voice shall ring through the folds of my winding-sheet,
And I will arise and dance to thy minstrelsy.
Though I be old, clasp me one night to thy breast,
And I, when the dawn shall come to awaken me.
With the flush of youth on my cheek in thy stately grace!
Thou art the goal to which all men’s endeavour has pressed,
And thou the idol of Hafiz worship; thy face
From the world and life shall bid him come forth and arise!

Gertude Bell

1930-1940. 4th December 1931, Mahatma Ghandi outside 10 Downing Street, London while attending a conference of Indian constitutional reform. His long, non-violent struggle played a big part in paving the way for Indian Independence in 1947. I think Mahatma Ghandi is a very cool and down to earth person. Look he’s wearing his own piece of Indian clothings in a really important conference in London!

1970-1980. 11th December 1978, one of the many demonstrations for the return of religious leader Ayatollah Khomeiny to Iran. With the return of Khomeiny on the 1st February 1979 Iran becam a fundamentalist Islamic state after many months of chaos. I just had to get this card when it was offered in a tag because I have a thing about Iran ever since I visited the country in 1999. I don’t really understand myself the meaning of fundamentalist, and I’m not interested to comment political-wise, but in the sense of culture they’re original as they are really what they are, pure Persian lifestyle still strongly remains and hardly influenced by the outsiders or Westerners. Unlike Malaysians – we are always so proud to worship the West! :P