“So, what would you like me to get you?”
“Mail me a postcard please!”
“That’s all?”
“That is all. Thank you!”
I love postcards and everything about them. Whenever friends and loved ones travel, that is the only souvenir I’d request without fail. The colourful stamps, the printed images or illustrations, the handwriting and drawings, the messages (one-liners, travel blurbs and cramped essays), the annoying white USA postal barcode strips, the dog-eared corners, the little creases, the ink smudges, the joy and excitement of seeing one in the mailbox and the mystery of those that went missing!
Behind some of the postcards:
Here’s a postcard like you ordered. Just want you to know that I had a fantastic 30-hour stay in that edgy city some call Berlin. Wiyang and I spent it searching for remnants of the Wall. We found a memorial where a stretch of it (2 walls and death zone in the middle) has been preserved, from the kilometers that once kept East Berliners in misery. Impressive! Over at Amy’s a Msian restaurant I’ve proudly sampled Penang Char Kuey Teow with teh tarik. Was really cool coz the owner Amy (who actually has a pic of her and Muhammad Ali) doesn’t try to sell her cuisine and concept as anything but truly Malaysian. I had the perfect place to test out my Nikon with beautiful sights like the Reichstag, Brandenburger Tor and Berliner Dom. Overall I guess I found what I’ve been missing: my passport and a generous dose of internationalism, style and Cold War history courtesy of a very modern Berlin. You must come here sometimes. Love xx Sugeo xx
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