It’s been such a rewarding experience to make my mini photo zine The Floating Island, especially to have something tangible to bring with me at the conclusion of my Shanghai life.
I would have never thought I would be able to share them with so many of you (or that I would be carrying my zines with me on my whirlwind journey through Beijing, Seoul, and Kunming).
It’s been really fun putting together little packages and sending them off to places near and far away–California, Boston, Berlin, Osaka, and many more. I even accidentally started a growing collection of stationaries, stickers, and decoration tape!
It’s been a unique challenge lately: I have to hand-glue dozens of little stamps onto the envelopes, because they don’t have electronic stamps in this town! I’ve gotten really good at it, and I think it’s definitely a fun surprise for the recipients to see all the Chinese bird stamps on the package.
These are photos Johanna took of my package sent from Beijing to Berlin:
P.S. I have just two copies of the zine left, if anyone wants to take them home!
“What a wonderful thing is the mail, capable of conveying across continents a warm human hand-clasp.” – a quote by unknown
Oh I didn’t know you had a zine! So excited- I just bought one! Eeep! Love getting wonderful things like this in the mail
Ohh, I’m glad it’s going home with you! I’m already putting together the package for you right now. xx
Wow Sewon
your blog is a pretty place! It’s so nice to come across others who love mail like I do too. I’m loving your photos and the cute stationery. It’s funny you mentioned Chinese “bird” postage because I just received a package from Hong Kong that had different types of bird postage on it that I thought were lovely.
Thanks for stopping by, Merissa! I was always a bit too lazy to sit down and send letters, but I’m definitely loving it now. Ohh my, the first time I went to the post office and they gave me at least a dozen of stamps to glue onto the envelope, I almost thought it was a joke. In the end, the envelopes looks really neat with all the pretty bird stamps!
Sewon packages are my favorite!
I love snail mail.. There’s really something special in finding a beautiful letter in your mailbox.. not only bills!
Ah, bills and boring advertisements!
We’ll keep filling up that mailbox with nice handwritten letters instead!
so much cuteness i can’t even handle it!
Ah, thanks!
Sewon your little zine is soo magical. I love snail mail to especially ones that have a whole lotta love put into them.
I’m soo hooked on snail mail now!
This is so so beautiful Sewon! I’m really inspired by what you have put all together, especially the zine! I’m doing a workshop of making zines with other students so this gave me some inspirations
ohh on the other hand i’ve also ate lots of korean food! Yesterday i ate at this place called Gami and it has the best best chicken ever. and i went over to another place called Kimchi Grandma, and had spare ribs. Oh god so so so good haha <3
Thank you, Celsy! I’d like to see how your workshop turns out. Ohhh Korean spare ribs! You’re making me hungry. I have a good recipe for Korean spare ribs–a family secret!
Your blog is so sweet and fresh! I’m with you, snail mail is so much more heartfelt and creative and rewarding. And so much else haha. Your zine looks killer!!!
anastasia
Thanks, Anastasia!
soo cute!
x
There’s something so incredibly nice to get in the mail letters and not bills.
Ohh you’ve got me hooked on snail mail now! Thanks so much for the adorable package, it made my week! I even wrote about it hehe, http://mymelonsoda.blogspot.com/2011/09/floating-island-by-sewon-chung.html
emmie xx
Yay!
I’m so glad it arrived safely, Emmie!
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