World’s Largest FDC

 

The QE II Diamond Jubilee is the largest FDC in the world.   It measures 12.6 inches by 18 inches or 20% larger than the 1982 record of an FDC that commemorated the ‘200th Anniversary American Eagle Portrait’ which measured 11 inches by 17 inches (Banian Masiboda).

 

A big FDC donated by Post PNG Limited through the efforts of its manager,  Banian Masiboda and Elijah Thereveso of Post PNG Philatelic Bureau.

: Alyssah Xeniah C. Alcala – Lucena City, Philippines

Website : http://www.freewebs.com/alvier/

Waterfalls of of Papua New Guinea

 

 

Date of Issue : 22 September 2011

 

PNG Post will issue a beautiful set of stamps and souvenir sheet featuring  waterfalls of Papua New Guinea on 22 September 2011.

WATER FALLS

Like the humpy ridges of a hatched back turtle shell, the mainland Papua New Guinea is densely populated with ruggedly studded mountains from the west, to the border with Indonesia, and all the way down to the Eastern Cape, along the Owen Stanley Range.

The many fast flowing rivers and creeks known today are evident to the steep falls and slopes rapidly dropping to the coastlines.

Waterfalls, both high and low are common sights nearly in every province in Papua New Guinea. In fact, the beauty of the cascades and the tranquility of the cool pools of water at the foot of the falls, have a mesmerizing effect that can easily sweep one off to a dream world. To the religious, Psalms 23:2 would vividly come into mind where King David describes the harbor of God being equal to quiet pools of fresh water.

Among other attributing qualities to the natural beauty of this land, waterfalls are a must content of Papua New Guinea’s cosmetic bag. They too are the reasons as to why tourists keep coming. As more and more people come to appreciate their beauty, the Post PNG Philatelic Bureau has decided to feature them on postage stamps to attest to the outside world.

Stamp Set:
K1.05 - Kesesoru waterfall is located in Eastern Highlands Province.
K1.05 - Aerial view of the Mageni waterfall. Located in Pomio, East New Britain Province.
K5.00 - Outlet of the Mageni waterfall. Located in Pomio, East New Britain Province.

K7.00 - Waghi waterfall is located in Western Highlands Province.

 

Souvenir Sheet:
Background information - Various waterfalls are located in different parts of Papua New Guinea.
The famous one is the Beaver Falls located in Southern Highlands.
The other waterfall also found there is the Ambua waterfall and it is featured on the Souvenir sheet.
K10.00 - Ambua falls - Southern Highlands Province

Sheetlet:
Sheetlet on full view of the Mageni waterfall from an underground river in the background.

K1.05 - Sogeri waterfall is located in Central Province up towards Sogeri Plateau.

K1.05 - Beaver or Wasi (in the local dialect) waterfall is located in the Southern Highlands Province.

K5.00 - Wawoi waterfall is located in Western Province.

K7.00 - Remote Island waterfall is located in Pomio, East New Britain Province.

Body Tattoo on stamps..

 

 

Date of Issue : 4 August 2011

Here is new set of stamps from Papua New Guinea featuring a very new topic which has not usually much featured on world stamps so far.The set includes 4 stamps and two souvenir sheets. Probably this this is the first set that I came across on tattoos an d wish to give a detailed Post on these stamps. Tattoos are no longer just an art form of the elite or associated with societal deviants. People of all ages and from all walks of life are finding their own special meaning in tattoos.Today, tattooing has reached a new popularity and has become a part of fashion .

 

      

History of Tattoo

The history of tattoo goes back over 5000 years ago and is as diverse as the people who wear them. The word tattoo is said to have two major derivations from the Polynesian word 'ta' which means striking something and the tahitian word 'tatau' which means 'to mark something'. Tattoos are created by inserting colored substances beneath the skins surface using sharp pin-points.

 

 

According to history, the first tattoo was probably created by accident. Presumably, someone had a wound, and with a charcoal stained palm/hand may have rubbed in some of the substance into the wound in the process, and after the wound had healed, the substance trapped beneath the skin layer was still seen.

Tattoos today

Today, people wear tattoos for various reasons ranging from cosmetic, sentimental/ memorial, religious, magical reasons, and to symbolize their belonging to or identification with particular groups, including criminal gangs but also a particular ethnic group or law-abiding subculture.

To others, tattoos have served as rites of passage, marks of status and rank, symbols of religious and spiritual devotion, decorations for bravery, sexual lures and marks of fertility, pledges of love, punishment, amulets and talismans, protection, and as the marks of outcasts, slaves and convicts. The symbolism and impact of tattoos varies in different places and cultures. Tattoos may show how a person feels about a relative  or about an unrelated person.

Body Tattooing in Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea, endowed with diverse cultures, customs and over seven hundred distinct languages is also home to body tattooing. Like with other Pacific islanders, varying from shapes sizes and shades, tattoos stand to play significant roles in respective tribes. They can be found on different parts of the body (male and female) depending on their significance. Whole-body tattooing is common in Gulf and to most of the Papuan coastal areas.

A hand tattoo from Kairuku, Central Province

Some are done as an indication of maturity while others represent tribal identity, self pride, magic qualities and or other reasons. Whole-body tattooing is rarely seen on the younger generation nowadays. The very few who wear them are those in their late 50s and 60s.

In the highlands areas, most are known for their small forehead and side tattoos. These are signs of tribal identity and or self pride. And again, some tribal groups believe that tattoos have magical qualities that protect them from evil spirits and their enemies. For the womenfolk, tattoos are done for self body pride and or merely  to show off their tribal symbols/ designs on their beautiful bodies, with the hope of attracting the opposite sex.

Read about   Tribal Tattoos of Papua New Guinea

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The dream of India as a strong nation will not be realised without self-reliant, self-sufficient villages, this can be achieved only through social commitment & involvement of the common man."        - Anna Hazare

India Against Corruption (IAC) is a citizen's movement to demand strong anti-corruption laws. Lokpal bills were introduced several times since 1968, yet they were never passed by the Indian Parliament. After a fast by veteran social activist Anna Hazare and widespread protests by citizens across India the Government of India constituted a 10-member Joint Committee of ministers and civil society activists to draft an effective Jan Lokpal Bill. The primary focus of IAC movement is to ensure a strong Lokpal bill.

The success of this campaign depends entirely on its volunteers — folks like you from all across the world who are willing to lend their time and their talents to free India of Corruption. You can choose your level of involvement based on the time commitment you wish to make.

 

Pineapples from Papua New Guinea..

 

 

Date of Issue : 25 May 2011

PINEAPPLE FRAGRANCE

“Pineapples, Papua New Guinea”. It doesn’t ring-a-bell. The both may not have anything in common economically or culturally significant that is known to the world, but a trip to any local market in Papua New Guinea from the months of November to January will certainly change one’s perspective if pineapples were introduced.

Nearly every subsistence farmer has them in their gardens. In fact, its popularity over the years has made it the common fruit for dessert in restaurants and at tribal feasts all over Papua New Guinea.

Relating to the resemblance of the pineapple, the fragrance it gives out and the vowel sound in the name that landed with it (pineapple), different tribes came up with their own version of the name.

The Kitava Islanders, in the Trobriand group of Papua New Guinea call it “Painapa”. The thorny specie is referred to as “Painapa kagonigouni” while the Hawaiian (thornless Specie) as “Painapa Kaigadobu”.

Pineapple Fragrance - 2011

The pineapple, as it is known today, was given “Ananas comosus” as the botanical name. Native to South America, it was named for its resemblance to a pine cone -- the pine cone reference first appearing in print in 1398.

History has it that Christopher Columbus is credited with discovering the pineapple on the island of Guadeloupe in 1493, although the fruit had long been grown in South America. He called it piña de Indes meaning “pine of the Indians.”

South American Guarani Indians cultivated pineapples for food. They called it nanã, meaning “excellent fruit.”

The pineapple, being a favorite fruit to most Papua New Guineans, the Post PNG Philatelic Bureau, in its quest to produce innovative products have subsequently incorporated the actual fragrance to the postage stamps.

The following are denominations assigned:
K1.05 - The African Queen specie sliced and arranged in a horse-shoe K1.05 - An African Queen and one Hawaiian species sliced open.
K5.00 - Two African Queen and one Hawaiian specie displayed.
K7.00 - One Hawaiian and two African species contained in two tradidional baskets format.
K10.00 - A display of a three part slit African pineapple specie.

 

: Post PNG Ltd.

New Stamps on Mother Teresa

 

 

Date of Issue  - 13 September 2010

The Philatelic Bureau of Papua New Guinea  issued three stamp sets commemorating the three world famous personalities Mother Teresa, John Paul II  and  Pope Benedict XVI.   John Paul II and gave Mother Teresa the title. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta. Mother Teresa won a Nobel Peace Prize in 1979 and in 1980 India's highest civilian honor the Bharat Ratna for her humanitarian work.

Pope John Paul served 26 years as the pope until his death April 2nd in 2005. He was acclaimed as one of the most influential leaders of the twentieth century; he significantly improved the Catholic Church's relations with Judaism, Islam, the Anglican Communion, and the Eastern Orthodox Church.

Pope Benedict XVI is the 265th and current at the head of the Catholic Church. On April 19th 2005 he was elected to become pope and celebrated his Papal Inauguration Mass on April 24th 2005. He succeeded John Paul II. Pope Benedict is from Utrecht and is the ninth German pope.