PhotoHunt: HANDWRITTEN

An exhibit on a relatively unknown side of foremost scientist Carl von Linne as a prolific letter-writer is one of the highlights of my trip to the Postal Museum in Stockholm's Gamla Stan (Old Town).

Stockholm, September 2007, using a digicam.

Wordless Wednesday: SIGNED, SEALED, DELIVERED

One of the highlights of my 24-hour stay in Sweden is the visit to its Postmuseum, a veritable treasure trove of postal as well a philatelic delights that stamp geeks like myself swim into gladly. It has exhibits that creatively discuss the history of the postal system, replete with priceless memorabilia like mailboxes, postal workers' uniforms, stamps, among others. The time I was there, there were also special exhibitions on the letters of famed biologist Carl von Linnae and the philatelic exploits of one John Lennon- with items from his own childhood collection as well as stamps the world over which The Beatles have graced.

I love how this museum is organized, into compact, discrete levels and areas that give the visitor a sense of "completion." Interestingly, the exhibits, though, are not that mutually exclusive, as they somehow flow coherently into the next. There was also an abundance of written guides and materials for intrepid museum explorers. I also liked that I can take photos inside the museum, something that is not welcome in many local museums here in the Philippines. (Just make sure you have a back-up camera in case your digicam conks out- like mine did! huhuhu This explains why this welcome mat is one of the very, very, very few decent pics I have of/ in the the museum!)

If you do find yourselves in Stockholm's Gamla Stan - Old Town- head on over to the Postmuseum and have a deeper appreciation of the beauty and complexity of the mail, especially now in the age of instant messaging, blogs, and Facebook.

Visit the Postmuseum at: Lilla Nygatan 6 T-Gamla Stan, Stockholm
Write to them: Box 2002 SE-103 11 Stockholm / postmuseum@posten.se
Call:+46(8)781 1755
Fax: +46(8)20 90 21

Stockholm, September 2007, using a digicam.

Litratong Pinoy: TUYO (Dry)

Para sa mga nakadarama ng di pangkaraniwang pagkatuyot ng lalamunan, ang Absolut Icebar sa Stockholm ay para sa inyo.

Mula sa mga dingding, hanggang sa mga mesa, upuan, at mismong basong sisidlan ng inumin, ang buong bar ay gawa sa yelong hango sa Ilog Torne sa Swedish Lapland. Ang silid ay pinanatili sa lamig na -5C kaya't ang kapaligiran ay walang basa-basang lugar; kung mayroon man, marahil naikubli na ito ng mga pang-ibabaw na gawa sa balat ng reindeer.

Limitado ang maaaring pumasok sa bar- mga 20 lang kada grupo- kaya't mahigit isang oras kaming pumila bago nalasap ang kakaibang hagod ng iba't ibang halo ng vodka sa pinakakakaibang sisidlang pang-inumin.

TUYO = DRY For those suffering from a drought of a different kind, the Absolut Icebar in Stockholm is for you.

From the walls to the tables and seats, up to the glasses the drinks are served in, everything is made of ice from the waters of the Torne River in the Swedish Lapland. The room is maintained at a cozy temperature of -5C; hence, no spills or puddles in spite of the fact that everything is made from water. If ever there are such meltings, the rugs and seat covers made from reindeer hide would have soaked them up or something.

Since only about 20 people at a time are allowed to stay in the bar so we had to stand in line for at least an hour before we got the chance to experience the Absolut-ly interesting taste of vodka served in the most chilly of drinking vessels.

Nordic Sea Hotel, Stockholm, Sweden, September 2007, using a digicam.

Litratong Pinoy: PUSO (Heart)

Ilang minuto makalipas ang hatinggabi, naglalakad kami sa Kungsgatan sa kalagitnaan ng Stockholm. Tahimik ang mga lansangan, maliban sa panaka-nakang sasakyan. Wala halos naglalakad maliban sa amin- tatlong Pinoy at isang Tanzanian. Sa palibot ng aming hotel, naroon pala ang malaking bahagdan ng mga taga-Stockholm- nasa mga disco at club na pa-morningan.

Ang puso sa larawan na ito ay hindi madaling makita. Alam mong nandyan sya dahil sumusunod ako sa tema. Pero parang natatabunan sya ng kung ano sa kanyang paligid.

Parang ganun din ang tao at pag-ibig. Alam mong dahil tao sya, mayroon syang kakayahang umibig at karapat-dapat syang ibigin. Nguni't maraming pagkakataon, nasa harap na natin sya, pinalalagpas pa natin ang pagkakataong umibig at ibigin...

Anu't ano pa man, ang kuha ko ay bahagyang malabo dahil nagloloko ang kamera ko. Hindi rin nakakatulong na kagagaling lang namin sa Absolut IceBar at syempre... *hik*

PUSO = HEART Minutes after midnight struck, we were walking along Kungsgatan in Stockholm. Not a creature stirred, except for the occasional driver behind the wheel, and us four stragglers- 3 Filipinos and a Tanzanian. We found were the Swedes were hiding, in the bars and clubs that surrounded our hotel which remained open until a littel after the sun rose.

The heart in this photo is not that easy to see. You know there's a heart in the photo since it is this week's theme; there's just a bit of a haze from all that surrounds it. Which is not unlike love. It's often *there*, in front of us, the opportunity and personification of love, but the clouds in our environment get in the way- the chance to love and be loved...

ANYWAY, this photo is a bit blurry because my camera got sick en route to Sweden. It likewise doesn't contribute, the fact that we just had a few drinks in the Absolut IceBar earlier that evening... 8-p

Stockholm, September 2007, using a digicam.