What Have You Learned from Being a Postcrossing Member?

[judohelen]

Hi,

I was just looking at the “Resend or Allow to Expire?” thread.

The member @einfachich made an interesting comment, that Postcrossing has helped them to learn to be patient in waiting for something to come.

I have learned from Postcrossing that when I am waiting for things, it works best for me to get busy doing/starting other activities. Then, I have even more things in the works to come to me! For example, if I am not receiving many postcards, I will start a lottery or a give-away, to stay active.

What have you learned from Postcrossing?

[lovely-weirdo]

I have learned that there are many crazy cat ladies like me over the world!

Also, lots of little interesting geographical facts (which are perhaps well-known to other people, but news to me). For example, there are technically 3 sovereign countries within what most people would consider just one country – Italy (San Marino & Vatican City are their own countries).

[eeyoreinoz]

I have learnt…

That the receiving postcards bring joy not only to me but the people who work at my local post office and also my family who collect the mail for me. Postcrossing makes people happy.

That i enjoy it when people receive postcards from me and it brings them joy. I appreciate a hurray message. You never know what impact your postcard might have on someone’s day or even life.

That I really enjoy using travel mode when overseas. I have learnt about other people’s postal systems in ways I would not have before. Going to local post offices instead of simply sending from the hotel.

[atlclaude]

I have learned that the more sparsely populated a country is, the longer and more complicated a person’s address will be.

[Joyful_SMILE]

Don’t be impatient and join all the forum tag swaps. I managed to get up to around 30 card needing to be sent at once because of all the swaps I joined. Oops!

[Tenshi]

I’ve learned how much joy it brings to just sit down let all the technology be and start to write

[Robinchen]

I have learned that my love for snailmail is bigger than I thought. Also when I first joined it was more about the postcard for me. Now for me the message is most important

[sforsally]

I’ve learned that a quick Round Robin while waiting for slots to open up as a newbie is a lot of fun. I work 5 days a week and am in lockdown on weekends so this week it was a joy to know I had 7 postcards to choose and write and post this weekend

I also learned that I enjoy the WHOLE process of buying cards and stamps and stickers and washi and choosing and writing and sending when I thought it would be just getting mail that made me happy. I don’t even think that’s the best part, I love it all

[SiLV]

I learned a lot of cultural facts. Name (non-) usung in Finland, no red ink for the Chinese names ect., ect.
(And concluded- maybe I am Finnish genetically. I had some problem in my childhood to call the people names. I felt me very uncomfortabe, when needed do that. But nobody understood me.)

[AuntyLou]

Yes! I love it when I’ve registered a card and a profile comes up with a picture of a cat, there’s so many cat lovers in postcrossing

[LC-Canada]

I’ve learned that I really like sending & receiving postcards & penpal letters. I like connecting with people over long distances, but through the connection of the postcard or letter, they seem really close-by.

I’ve learned that Postcrossing is a welcoming place & gives us a slice of our world but I’d like more people to be able to join too.

I’ve learned we like to send postcards that make us laugh.

Postcards that make us laugh!

Hi Everyone, show us a postcard that makes you laugh & tell us why it gives you a chuckle please! Here’s mine - Alpacas are just so goofy looking, they always make me laugh! [Another goofy alpaca]

I’ve learned to know what time it is in Lisbon, Berlin, Warsaw, Moscow, Istanbul, Beirut, Tashkent, New Delhi, Hong Kong/Singapore, Tokyo, Perth, Wellington, Santiago, Montevideo, Timbuktu-Mali, Tamale-Ghana, & Arusha-Tanzania

I’ve learned more phrases in other languages & I will keep learning more!

I’ve learned to identify a bunch more country flags which makes me laugh as I was never into flags, lol

I’ve learned a lot more about how postal systems work & don’t work, but still I want to know more! and have an even deeper appreciation for postal workers doing a tough job, often without enough supports, why stamps get hand cancelled & how many beautiful stamps other countries have - way more than Canada!

[J-Francis]

the most popular country is Germany and has been for awhile as they have 8 numbers.

[brighteyes]

The habit of writing more genuine thank you messages. It’s a nice way to put a smile on a sender’s face.

[yudi]

This is silly

I read discussion in the following thread and found out that “tabula rasa” is an English word that came from latin phrase

How to tweak your profile description

It’s funny that reply starts ‘28 days later’ like a movie name xD I would not want changing the way of creating profile from tabula rasa to template, personally. But, as you say, I edit my profile a lot too to reflect better who I am in a language which is not my native, and to reflect better my place and view in the community which is not only creative but also very different. Few tips and suggestions are nice, and discussing how to write your own profile is quite entertaining

I though tabula rasa is Indonesian word because there is a famous novel in here called tabula rasa. Well, everyday you learn something from Postcrossing

[_Hawkwind_]

The term “tabula rasa” is also used in German. “Tabula rasa machen” (lit. to make tabula rasa) means to resart. To erase everything that has been and to start over new. Regardless of the losses/consequences.

tabula rasa = clean slate

[PinkNoodle]

@yudi

“tabula rasa” is an English word that came from latin phrase

Technically…

It’s a Latin phrase stolen by English. (As well as other languages, as @_Hawkwind_ notes.)

Vocabulary theft is the most fun kind of theft! Tabula rasa is here in this (non-exhaustive) list of common loan words and loan phrases in English.

[honzuki]

@_Hawkwind_

The term “tabula rasa” is also used in German.

And it is the origin of the French phrase “faire table rase”, which always brings to my mind the picture of someone swiping things off a table…

[hankadl]

@PinkNoodle

list of common loan words and loan phrases in English.

No robot? It is a word invented by Karel Čapek for his play R.U.R.

By the way, this is not exactly a loan word but the word dollar also comes from Czech. The original word is tolar, which was a type of silver coin. And I believe pyjamas come from Hindi.

[_Hawkwind_]

In German there is another phrase for “Tabula rasa machen” which is “Reinen Tisch machen”. This literally translates to the French “faire table rase”.

[Ravenofsunshine]

I’ve learned that the world is full of loving, kind people…not just those who are filled with hatred. Postcrossing is one of the best things in my life.