Xiomara, aka Blackthornhiei, is one of Postcrossing’s few users in El Salvador, the smallest (and most densely populated) country in Central America. She says in her profile that when she has mail, her dog will “talk” until she sees that it gets picked up! How handy! :)
Here is what she had to say to our interview questions:
- How did you come across Postcrossing? What got you hooked?
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I’ve always liked postcards, I always buy from the places I go to and even mail some to myself. And one day, looking through my collection I wondered if there was site for postcard trade. A few minutes later I found Postcrossing.
It took me two weeks to actually join, though. I admit I kept wondering if it actually worked. I finally decided to give it a try and have been hooked since then.
- Do you have any other interesting hobbies?
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My hobbies aren’t all that special. Beside Postcrossing, I love to read and I make felt dolls. Recently, though, I found a local tourist company that makes groups tours to different corners of the country. I’ve visited places I wouldn’t have been able to visit alone. I even went to a baby sea turtle release. It was lovely!
- Show us your mailbox, your mailman/mailwoman, your postoffice or the place where you post or keep your postcards!
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This is the postoffice near my house. It’s inside a shopping mall. I come here often. The ladies there are great!
I keep all my Postcrossing cards in albums:
That way I can just pull out an album and look at them anytime, front and back. I don’t have them by country or theme, though. Just in the order they were received.
All other postcards go into this wooden crate, while I sort them in their own albums.
I even made instructions for the album in case anyone wants to try!
- Show and tell us about your favorite received postcard to date, and what makes it special.
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I love all the cards I have received so it’s hard to pick a favorite one. All of them have something I love.
But there’s one that hold a special place in my heart. It’s HU-37976.
I was feeling pretty down that day, and finding this hand drawn card in my mailbox really brightened it. I mean, the fact that a young girl decided to take one of those blank postcards and draw a rabbit for a complete stranger. It was amazing. Looking at this card always makes me smile and feel better.
- What is it your favorite part of the Postcrossing process?
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Besides seeing what surprises might be in mailbox, I’d say it’s the whole process of getting an address, picking a card, writing on it, mailing it and waiting for it to arrive.
Most of the available cards are touristy. Non-tourist is hard to find, so sometimes I’m anxious on whether they will like my card or not. I’m looking into getting my own postcards professionally printed.
- Have you been surprised by any place that you have received a postcard from or sent a postcard to?
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Nothing exotic, but for some reason, the postcards mailed from Siberia always surprise me.
37 comments so far
I have some handmade cards that I have put on my filing cabinet because they were too special to put away.I always appreciate the time someone spent to make one.
wow i like the way you keep your postcards inside that album, what a great idea! i'll try very soon:)thanks for sharing:)
Nice to meet you Xiomara and learn more about your life and your country through Postcrossing !
Great interview! That rabbit card is so sweet :-D
Hi, nice to meet you. I like the card you picked as a favorite :). My first card from a 'rare' country was from El Salvador. I still remember how happy I was to receive a card from a country that had only sent 305 cards at that time :). This is the card http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/SV-305
wonderful article - The album idea is brilliant! Sure looks like a lot of work though. I might try it for a few of my special postcards. Thanks for the idea. :D
Greetings from Khabarovsk!
I was greatly surprised to see a view of my city on the postcard in the album (the second photo from the beginning).
Very amazing!
Happy postcrossing!
Great interview!
So nice to see you here, Blackie! XD
I'm kind of surprise when I read your interview, I also received my first handmade postcard today! :D
It is drawn by four wonderful family members of FamilyV. Here is it: http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/NL-1329251
I always knew handmade card is very special and when someone put their hearts into one such as this. It is remarkable and so special! XD XD I always like cherry blossom and they made a special Dutch Cherry Blossom card just for me! XD How wonderful this card is! XD XD
And Blackie, I'm so happy to read your interview! :D
I have received handmake card..and i am looking forward to receive one
I appreciate people who put great effort in making the card
I always put great effort in writing the card..make good use of every space of the card
I haven,t receive any handmade card yet
I have received some lovely hand/selfmade postcards. Some are more sweet than professional but love the idea that someone has made it for me. This is my all time favourite, I have it on my desk. Thank you Chi!
http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/TW-177986
Sadly there are a lot of post crossers who are very specific about the cards they want (not wish) to receive: no handmade, no self printed photos, no ad cards, no this and that. AND do not forget to check all my four accounts to avoid duplicates. Honestly when I am to send a postcard with that many qualification I kind of lose the joy on sending the card that I usually have.
You where like me when I first started..I hesitated too! Now I am hooked and also exchange cards on forum (round robins) as well.
This is a good reason not to have more than one account go to forum if you want more cards (this is to answer message by Sirks).
Blackie!!! *Hugs*
Is really nice to read your interview at the Postcrossing blog. You're the reason why I've decided to participate here since the last year.
Very interesting interview and photos! Thanks for it.
Great to see you here Xiomara! You have a clever dog, neat albums and post office, and the drawn rabbit is really, really sweet :) I wish I'll receive one like that someday ;)
*Hugs*
Nice to meet you! Thanx for your sharing! The rabbit card is cute! :P
Brilliant way of storing postcards. Been racking my brains till today :)
what a great interview! It would be even greater if I get your address when I'm writing a few officials ;)
Hello Xiomara! It is nice to meet you! I enjoyed reading your interview very much.
I love your postcard albums! I have some metal strings that I attach postcards to with magnets. I bought them from the photojojo website and they are great but I can only display about 40 postcards at a time. Now I will try your idea for the others!!
Best wishes
Jodie (Australia)
PS I would be surprised to receive a postcard from Siberia too!!
Hello Xiomara! So nice to read this interview/I've sent card to you( http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/UA-257443) The most exotic destination for my cards)))
I sent a cute postcard with Santa Claus, handmade by my six years old boy. The postcrosser who received this card, don´t register it, because it was selfmade. What a fool - handmade cards are very interesting and special. I love them!!!
Hello Xiomara! Nice to meet you. I also like handmade cards, and if they are from kids, it's my best :)
What a wonderful way to store the cards! Thank you for this "how to". The handmade card is supercute, I also really like to receive them (and selfprinted ones, too).
Thank you so much for the instructions on making an album. I've been trying a lot of different ways of storing postcards but nothing worked the way I wanted, then I tried your thing and it was great. Because you make it yourself everything fits: big cards, small cards, even my Taiwan-shaped card has a place in my album now :)
I am lucky enough to have received a card from Xiomara! It is one of my favorites: http://www.postcrossing.com/postcards/SV-320
I am Brazilian but part of my family moved to El Salvador. It surely is a beautiful (and uncommon) country. Tiny, always warm and with breathtaking landscapes with volcanoes sticking up here and there. Besides, the rare postcards I get when I visit Salvadoran lands are pretty famous among my direct swaps!
I always love to read this interviews and get to know about how and what from other postcrossers in the world. I have my cards in plastic sheets in albums as well and I like so much to pick them up every once in a while and look through them.
Wishing you many more gorgeous cards, like the rabbit one especially!
Oh, I love the album. I had thought and thought of how to store my postcards. I have numerous 3-ring binders with 2-pocket plastic sleeves. (still do not have ALL my cards in one) But I love this idea. Then I would be able to see the back too. Thank you for sharing. And I hope I get a handmade card one day. I too think it would be very special. The bunnies are very sweet.
oh, how i wish i can receive a card from el salvador too,
i already was honored to sent a Postcard to her - was totally surprised and happy as i got her :)
Very nice interview. :)
Hello Xiomara! Great interview!
Hello, lovely to see you here, Xiomara! You send out such excellent cards with wonderful stamps! :-)
"postcards mailed from Siberia always surprise me"....
Sounds just like in Siberia no one could live. It's a normal and quite well-inhabited region. I am always wondering why do all the foreigners think Siberia is something on another planet :) !!
Nice to read more about you, we did some nice swaps in the past. And I absolutely love your idea of storing postcards, I might try it!
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