matchamari

In the 3 decades I have been alive, I have lived many lives: competitive chess player, competitive gymnast, Girl Scout camp counselor's assistant, high school science teacher, gardener, dinner party host, world traveler, mezzo-soprano, Biology major, and many more. Life is long and I feel very grateful to have experienced so many things. My favorite experiences have included the many plays/musicals I attend in Chicago, my 2 trips to Japan, and my recrnt marriage to my Yu-Gi-Oh playing husband. I am a Puerto Rican American Princess (PRAP) born and raised in the Chicagoland area but with close ties to family on the island. I spent many holidays and summer vacations in rural Puerto Rico getting a taste of how my parents came through the world. The least Puerto Rican thing about me is that I don't drink coffee anymore, just tea. My husband is Chinese and speaks Cantonese (I'm trying to learn but mostly I just cook Cantonese food). I was born with poor eyesight but I make it work - I am lucky to live somewhere with lots of public transportation and support services for disabled people.

I wanted to build a writing practice through journaling but ended up writing a lot more regularly thanks to Postcrossing. I want to keep writing and practicing the art of a compact story through sending postcards and letters. Also it brings me great joy to help postcards and stickers find their way home to someone who will love them even more than I do. Lastly, it's nice to hear about the lives of ordinary people... Let's de-influence life together with some snail mail.

I love all the cards with all their imperfections. The picture is just an addition to the writing, but my favorite postcard images include islands, anything relating to tea, and farms. Also: red pandas, mahjong, chess, onsens, passenger trains, flowers, trees, and gardens. Cute food-related cards will also always have a place in my collection!

TEA: I will try any tea bag once, especially caffeine-free teas. WASHI-TAPE: I collect unusual washi tapes. I like the washi that feature little pictures better than the plain or pattern washi CHINESE MONEY ENEVELOPES: I love to collecct lai see 利是 (Chinese red money envelopes). My holiday tree is Chinese new year themed (many lai see hang from its branches). The tree goes up in December and comes down in February and is a great union of my husband and I's childhood holiday traditions. MENUS: A takeout menu from a restaurant you like. I like to compare them to restaurants near where I live in Chinatown. SEEDS: I grow vegetables and plants native to Illinois. YU-GI-OH CARDS: My husband plays weekly and always shows me "the cute ones". ORIGAMI PAPER/CREATIONS: Do you do origami? Because my little brother loves it and we often start little origami projects together / admire origami works. UNWANTED POSTCARDS: I gravitate towards postcards featuring plants, animals, cool characters, toys, furniture...anything that is NOT a typical tourist postcard of a building or skyline.

+Colors: Purple, blue, green +Animals: Red pandas, frogs, skunks +Flowers: Lotus, daffodil, orchid, hyacinth +Drinks: Matcha, chai, rooibos tea +Sanrio characters: gudetama, my Sweet Piano, Hello Kitty wearing glasses +Flavors: vanilla, pistachio, strawberry, raspberry, peach, sesame, peanut butter, orange, cardamom +K-Dramas: My Girlfriend is a Gumiho, When Life Gives You Tangerines, Twinkling Watermelon, Reply 1988 +Music genres: Jazz, old school salsa +Musicians I've seen / want to see in concert: Green Day, Fall Out Boy, Weezer, Olivia Rodrigo / Fuji Kaze, Yaosobi, Imase, Ginger Root