Ingrid from Iran makes pottery but this hobby has been superseded by Postcrossing and new collecting activities introduced to her by Postcrossing.
- How did you come across Postcrossing? What got you hooked?
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One day when I was searching the Internet and I found Bookcrossing. I wasn’t that hopeful to find any book in my second home town, Tabriz, so that I could take part in Bookcrossing. I was a bit sad but then I saw the Postcrossing label there and I was curious to see what it meant and if it would be something suitable for me!?!?
It was definitely created for me! This was the beginning of my very beloved new hobby in September 2005. I had already been collecting postcards since my childhood. From that time until my late twenties I was only collecting real vintage cards from around the year 1900 as well as cards from France (my favorite country) and later from Hannover, Hamburg, and Iran! I’ve still in my collection the very first card I ever bought – bought when I was only 10 years old. That first card is from Hameln. Perhaps you know the fairy tale of the famous rattenfaenger?!
Later I moved to Iran and every 3–4 years when I came back with my children for holidays to Germany, I started to buy cards from everywhere we were going for sightseeing. I did the same in Iran! And I even collected all the cards during 34 years which I got from abroad from my friends and relatives. So I already had a good collection when I started with Postcrossing!!!
Since this time I have found so many very nice friends all around the world! I have even taken part in several meetups in Germany, Austria and Finland! And, yes, we are a Postcrossing family: ipuenktchen, I_am_from_hanover, yashila_81, ANITA_2004. And, recently – BREAKING NEWS – yashila_81 got married and his wife for sure is a Postcrosser… hehehe… lili_6789!!! But this is not that Postcrossing marriage as they have known each other for a long time before Paulo had this great idea of Postcrossing. In the end, both are interested in postcards!!!
I have also gotten some of my students involved and addicted…
- Do you have any other interesting hobbies?
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I always have my camera with me and adore taking photos. I have been doing so since my last year of high school when I won my first camera in a lottery of a youth magazine. A quite new hobby is that I started a blog for traveling toys called POSSY and CROSSY, a playmo couple: ipuenktchenworld.blogger.de. The blog has nice pictures of Iran as these traveling toys are going with me everywhere! Their god aunt Egni from Switzerland came up with these great nicknames for them.
Also, since 1998 I got involved again with pottery (which I started when I still lived in Germany) but shame on me … Postcrossing is taking up all of my time and I find less time for pottery. But I’m still trying to take part in Iranian pottery biennials and other exhibitions. Here you can have a look at a small homepage: home.feierabend.com/sofalin. I’m also a member of East-Azerbaijan’s Pottery Friends Association.
And please not to be forgotten – traveling is one of my main hobbies!!!
There are other collections I’ve started via Postcrossing: The Little Prince books in different languages – just now I got my 37th version.
Lastly, I also I started a collection of fridge magnets!!!
- Show us your mailbox, your mailman/mailwoman, your postoffice or the place where you post or keep your postcards!
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A pic of the Iranian mailboxes which you can find everywhere; but using these is not as common as in other countries. People mostly prefer to mail their stuff at the main post office. It takes me 45 minutes to reach it!!! Here you may have a look at our new mailbox. We changed it recently.
And I finally got a pic of our mailman…
- Show and tell us about your favorite received postcard to date, and what makes it special.
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Oh, what a difficult question!!! Please let me think about it …
No, it’s impossible to decide as I have thousands and thousands of BEAUTIFUL and INTERESTING postcards!!! The card that touched me most was perhaps the first folded panorama card I had ever seen. It is from New Zealand and was a thank you card from nzmum2000! It was sooo impressive with a beautiful nature view in a large size!!!
Otherwise I have cork postcards, a wooden postcard, even a card with a real leaf from a tree in China! Recently I received from dear isagv the most funny card I ever had: there is a Santa Claus grabbing an Easter Bunny out of his sack and the Easter Bunny has a birthday cake in his paws and there is written “Merry Christmas, Happy Easter and Happy Birthday”! *LOL* But it’s really impossible for me to decide which one is my most favorite card!
By the way, the reason I’m really happy for this hobby: it is for people of any age – I just got an official card from a 71 year old Postcrosser and her husband who is 84. I hope to be able to do the same in future as well!
37 comments so far
Dear Ingrid
So nice to see you here in the spotlight ;-)) You have an amazing fulfilled life and I think you are such a nice person ;-)
You sure remember me...guess we met allready several times and also official cards ;-))
I wish you many many more beautiful cards and a happy life
Diane
Dear Ingrid!
It's such a pleasure to meet you here again - just as it was in 'real' life a year ago! :)
Viele liebe Grüße,
Claus
Dear Ingrid!
I love your spotligth very much. i did not know you make pottery, they look so lovely. Hope to see you again in future.
Heidi
Wow, last spotlight was on the friend of one of my card's receiver. This time is on my receiver. I definitely sent a card to Ingrid. I wish I could be under the spotlight one day, too. :D
Ying-lung
Ingrid is such a nice woman and I am pleased that we have been able to exchange cards over time. Postcrossing continues to bring people closer together, this time where nations are not yet close.
Congrats on being chosen for the spotlight! I'm sure that it is well deserved! I just wanted to thank you again for the beautiful postcard of Elgoli Park at night that you sent me. To date, it is still my first and only postcard from Iran! Once again, congrats! =D
Dear Mrs Machayekhy!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
I was thrilled to see your interview!
I am always grateful for introducing postcrossing to me!
You are a brilliant person and i'm sending you a BIG "I LOVE YOU" from me and my family!
Good Luck
Yasi
How nice to read something more about you. It was fun sending you a card!
Greetings MALT
Hi dear Ingrid,
congrats for being in the spotlight and thank you for mentioning my card. ;)
I am thrilled to see you soon.
Hugs, Isa :)
Liebe Ingrid,
wie schön, auch Dich hier zu sehen. Ich bin postcrossing unsagbar dankbar, dass ich die Gelegenheit hatte, Dich persönlich kennenlernen zu dürfen. Auf viele weitere Treffen und liebe Grüße an alle!
honeybee
Nice to see you in the spotlight, iiiii =) I wonder if we will meet sometime in real life? :-D Greetings to your family!
Hello Ingrid,
it is so nice to read your spotlight :)It is always a pleasure to swap cards with you. Hugs and warm greetings to everybody of your family
Anke :)
Hi ipuenktchen!
Nice to see you here in the spotlight, I love the shot of your mailman, looks like a real paparazzi photo ;)
For me it was really interesting to read about your very first postcard as it was bought in my hometown, Hameln! :)
Lena
oooh, what shall I answer for such a lot of kind, sweet and friendly comments!!!!!!??!?!???????!?!? I can repeat only, that I'm always thankfull for so many great friends all over the world thanks postcrossing - and PAULO!!!!!!!!!!!! my granddaughter is with us and so I had no time to go ONLINE and understood only at midnight, that's me - the spotlight....... lucky me!! thank you!!!
oups - shame on me... my son's account was still open... ipueeeeeee!!!!
my dear mami ipue!CONGRATULATIONS!!!
you are the best mami in the world and I'm lucky girl that have lovely friend and teacher and mami as you!
REGARDS! your lili :* :)
My dear Ingrid
Nice to see you here in the spotlight - and it is always a pleasure to get a card or eMail from you!
It is so incredible - this fantastic idea Paolo had made not only my mailbox happy - but it builds friendships all over the worl and over all agegroups!
I hope to meet you once in my life!
Greetings
Alexie
Liebe Ingrid,
was für eine tolle Überraschung auch Dich unter den spotlights zu lesen!!! Durch das Senden eines einfachen links hast Du mich zu postcrossing gebracht und ich möchte es keinen Tag mehr missen! Inzwischen kennen wir uns auch schon persönlich :-)).
Liebe Grüße,
Gaby
Nice to hear of you, Ingrid. You sent me a lovely card of Isfahan, last year.
Willemijn
:) Love from ITALY!
HI Ipünktchen,
nice to read here from you!
I always think of you when I see "Little Prince"-items in our UNESCO-shop or at the bookstore!
Go on writing and organizing the "Wichteln"!!!
Susan
Cool! Greetings from me too :) It was fun to meet you in Hämeenlinna :) I'm mailing the cards I promised this weekend ;)
Hallo Ingrid, ich bin Destegul. :-)
Hi Ingrid! I loved your profile and photos! (Did you sneak that one of the mailman? So funny!) You are such a passionate Postcrosser, that's wonderful!
Hi Ingrid!
I am still looking for the snowy lighthouse postcard you requested last year. Unfortunaly I have not seen another one (yet). So I have not forgotten :) Nice to read your interview!
This is so much more than I thought !!
I really appreciate being part of it !!
again a HUGE THANKYOU for you all, dear fellow postcrossers and friends, for your kind comments!!!!
Hello Ingrid...I was so pleased to see your interview on the same day you send me that lovely card from Tabriz, in response to the Indian chief card I sent to you. Learning more about you and your family was really neat too.... Very Best wishes, Linda "Oliversmom"
Hola Ingrid!!!
Congrats for been in spotlight!!!
I enjoy to read your interview :)
Hey Ingrid :)
It is nice to see you in the spotlight feature ! I too enjoyed reading your interview a lot !
I hope we will swap postcards again soon :)
Lots of love from sunny France,
Nancy
This was a real nice enterview :D I loved it :) Maybe on the next enterviews, the person could post his/her e-mail or address so we can send them more postcards :D Just as a matter of thankyou :)
Hi dear friend, nice to see you here and congrats for the great interview! Hugs from the fox. :D
Hallo Ingrid!
Ich bin glücklich, das es Dich gibt. Neben allem anderen hast Du mein Wissen über Iran verbessert. (Woher kommt Dein "ipünktchen".)
Alles Gute!
Hello Ingrid
I'm so pleased to be able to read a bit more about you. I am proud that we have been friends for a few years and I'm sure we will be friends for many more years to come!
Congratulations to Yashila on his marriage. I think it won't be long before I send a card to his good lady!
Hallo, liebe Ingrid!
It was pleasure to read and know more about you :)
All the best!
again and again it's really fun and make me happy to read your comments here!!!!!!! thank you all, you GREAT postcrossers!!!!!!!!!! I love you!!!!!!!!!!!!! ipue..... :-)
Oh, ich sehe erst jetzt, daß ich hier noch nichts geschrieben habe! :o
Liebe Ingrid, Du bist einer der Postcrosserinnen an die ich am alleröftesten denke!
Es war total super, daß wir uns letzten Oktober kennen gelernt haben, Du bist lustig und warmherzig und einfach eine tolle Postcrosserin - entgegen aller Widrigkeiten!
Liebe Grüße
(oh, I only just realized that I had not yet commented here! :o
Dear Ingrid, you are one of the Postcrossers I think about most often!
It was totally super to have met you last October, you are amusing and warm-hearted and just a great Postcrosser - against all odds!)
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