nengajo card exchange?

[cteno4]

Hey, in the sprit of japanese New Years, i was wondering if anyone here would be interested in exchanging new years cards (nengajo) via old fashion mail with each other. the basic thing would be that if you were in you would need to do the whole group that was in to be fair to everyone involved. cards could be something fun with trains or such. just seemed like an interesting thing to do with something very tangible as a card in the mail for the holidays, while staying areligious at the same time.

 

idea would be to keep it simple, but creative and something sort of personal. Doing it electronically i think would really loose the charm of it all and the forum is all electronic anyway so nice to break out of that mould once and a while!

 

we would need to set a date folks would need to have their addresses in by. i would volunteer to collect the mailing addresses and then distribute them to the group participating. only downside would be if the group ended up mostly North America as then any one outside North America would get hit with a bit higher postage.

 

anyone game? ideas?

 

cheers

 

jeff

[gmat]

I'll join.

Will look for train related New Years cards.

Grant

[cteno4]

Well this went over like a lead balloon! oh well! Grant pm me your address and at least we can exchange cards!

 

cheers

 

jeff

[gmat]

Grant Matsuoka

Tsurumaki 2-30-15-402

Setagaya-ku, Tokyo

Japan

154-0016

 

Some people print card with photos on them. I have some aviation friends who send me cards with lovely shots of aircraft that they shot on them. My wife brought a program that allows her to print her own cards. So she printed some for me. This year it will have a rabbit, for the year of the rabbit, on them. Actually, if you've made any, why don't you post a scan or photo of one of your cards for everyone to see? I haven't been there recently, but I wonder if Tam Tam will have cards for sale with a train theme on them?

 

Here is a link to someone named Matthew Myers for some examples of New Years Cards and a brief explanation. I believe that you can mail them overseas.

 

http://www.matthewmeyer.net/blog/2010/11/14/nengajo-japanese-new-years-cards

 

Haven't found anyone posting tetsudo themed nengajos yet.

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[cteno4]

Grant,

 

cool, thanks ill pm you my address.

 

been noodling on the card some here and not gotten anything brilliant yet, but still thinking.

 

i have a bunch of blank cards i got at the craft store a while back that plan on just printing the inside with the laser printer and then doing a photo print and glue it onto the front side.

 

im liking the idea of new years cards!

 

ill get on mine!

 

cheers

 

jeff

[ShinCanadaSen]

Is it supposed to be a real card? or a post card? Should it be a "Nengajo" card, would a regular card be bad form? This is all new to me. I'd like to participate, but don't want to mess it up if  there are cultural no no's

[cteno4]

Ive gotten both postcard and note card versions from japanese folks in the past. i was not meaning this had to be traditionally perfect, was just an odd idea to for folks to exchange something at new years here on the forum via more tactile, old school form. its really up to you as to what you would want to do. just thinking more on the personal side thats an expression of 'you' than having to be japanese, trains, etc, whatever trips your trigger to wish someone a good new year!

 

yell if you are interested in participating!

 

cheers

 

jeff

[ShinCanadaSen]

I'm In.... I'll PM you both with My Address.

[cteno4]

Cool, thanks,

 

Lets set a limit of 12/25. folks can either pm me the snail mail address or post it here if they dont mind it public. then on the 26th ill pm everyone that has responded a list of those participating.

 

happy holidays!

 

jeff

[Martijn Meerts]

Don't know why, but this whole card sending business never got me ;) I can't even remember the last time I sent a card..

[cteno4]

its been a long time for me as well, got burned out on xmas so long ago, but i get a few new years cards form friends and thought it might be a nice change to do, especially with the more e crowd! i get do get tired of most everything coming thru the screen!

 

cheers

 

jeff

[cteno4]

Ok i just PMed all those that signed up with the address list, if you did not get a PM from me and had signed up please PM me asap.

 

have fun and have a great new years!

 

cheers

 

jeff

 

[gmat]

Jeff and Kai

I'm sorry to be late, but two photos that I can print on my Nengajo. Which one would you like?

 

 

 

I'm also thinking about hand drawing a train that is rabbitized. Have to do from now. Will try to post when I finish.

 

CaptOblivious,

Could you send me your address? I'd like to send one to say 'Thank you' for taking care of this site.

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[ShinCanadaSen]

Rabbit train sounds cool, but if you are short on time the top one is great. 485 series I think but I'm probably wrong :)

[cteno4]

im good with any of them, they all are fun!

 

cheers

 

jeff

[gmat]

Here is my drawing. Sorry it's pretty childish.

 

 

If you want I can use this.

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[cteno4]

Grant,

 

wonderful, this reminds me of the great kids drawings that get submitted to the japanese modeling mags, you have the heart of a child! thats good in my book!

 

cheers

 

jeff

[gmat]

Jeff, thank you for your comment. I wish I were better, though. I guess that I should practice for next year.  I should also have a file to save memorable photos so that I can easily find them next year.

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[cteno4]

Grant,

 

its wonderful, playful and from the heart! i played with doing something more artistic as well, but was not that happy with it and fell back on something a bit more traditional, but did some hand characters (youll see in a few days) to add something personal as well as having different trains. the whole point was just to see if folks wanted to play some in their own ways, so whatever makes you happy for some expression is great!

 

cheers

 

jeff

[brill27mcb]

Here is my drawing. Sorry it's pretty childish.

 

 

If you want I can use this.

 

Best wishes,

Grant

 

Childish? No ... this is childish:

 

 

Rich K. (waiting for Modemo to produce it in N)

[cteno4]

[

 

Childish? No ... this is childish:

 

Rich K. (waiting for Modemo to produce it in N)

 

Childish no, that is having some fun! those that cant get a smile on their face seeing a train like this should just finish shriveling up and blow away... most folks that play with trains retain a good bit of the 7 year old in them, and thats a gooood thing for this world. too many folks have lost all their 7 year old parts and that takes a lot away from life!

 

Rich, if they produce it you will have to start a new site, easy funiculars!

 

cheers

 

jeff

[gmat]

Unfortunately, my severest critic, my wife also called the drawing 'childish looking' without any prompting. But I don't mind as it's true. The cards were mailed yesterday. Jeff and  CaptOblivious, I used different photos that I think you might appreciate. Be a week or so to arrive. Sorry.

 

Best wishes,

Grant

[Krackel Hopper]

hey hey,

 

RapitBunny & I are a little behind the ball here.  Our cards are going in the mail tomorrow.

 

Not sure what sort of time frame mailing a card from the US to Canada or Japan is.. hopefully not too long!

[cteno4]

No worries, not meant to be a pressure thing, theres enough of that at the holidays!

 

BTW i have given up on bday and xmas presents for the most part and have moved to when i run across something someone i know would like, i buy it and send it off. they get a nice surprise in the main, i get less pressure and better bang for the buck rather than the express shopping! also moved to just bringing something interesting to friends kids when i visit rather than something in the mail at xmas or bday. i have such fond memories from my childhood when my dad's ship captain friends would blow in from the 7 seas and have some interesting trinket (not a slick toy) from somewhere far away along with a good yarn usually. While i cant quite replicate that, i try to make it something that we can maybe do together for a bit. much more fun!

 

cheers

 

jeff

[CaptOblivious]

I've been pretty much out of the loop lately, not spending much time on the forum. I'm very sorry that I missed this discussion, because I think it is a fabulous idea. I don't know what I could get together in short notice, but I may well be sending some out over the coming weeks :D