The Jakarta Post
Dian Kuswandini, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
| Tue, 03/30/2010 9:54 AM | Life
There were times when we opened mailboxes and smiled as we found letters from the ones we cared about.
Moments when we enjoyed picking the most beautiful paper, choosing the right words to pen and mailing our letters.
Those days, however, have gone for most of us. Emails have replaced letters; e-cards have substituted traditional greeting cards. And to mention text messages and instant messenger services, as well as Facebook and Twitter, just makes it clearer: Snail mail is losing its attraction.
If this leads us anywhere then, it would be to realize it has been a long time since we saw — or used — the once-adored postage stamps.
Just go to any warung (traditional stall), for example, it’s likely you won’t find stamps anymore. Or go to schools, and there’s little chance you will see children exchanging their stamp collections — they way some of us might have back in the old days.
“Back in the day, people often wrote letters, so they became familiar with stamps and were drawn to collecting them,” said Berthold Sinaulan, the spokesman for the Indonesian Philatelists Association (PFI). “But today, they don’t receive [snail] mail anymore — so how can we expect them to fall in love with stamps?”
| Tue, 03/30/2010 9:54 AM | Life
There were times when we opened mailboxes and smiled as we found letters from the ones we cared about.
Moments when we enjoyed picking the most beautiful paper, choosing the right words to pen and mailing our letters.
Those days, however, have gone for most of us. Emails have replaced letters; e-cards have substituted traditional greeting cards. And to mention text messages and instant messenger services, as well as Facebook and Twitter, just makes it clearer: Snail mail is losing its attraction.
If this leads us anywhere then, it would be to realize it has been a long time since we saw — or used — the once-adored postage stamps.
Just go to any warung (traditional stall), for example, it’s likely you won’t find stamps anymore. Or go to schools, and there’s little chance you will see children exchanging their stamp collections — they way some of us might have back in the old days.
“Back in the day, people often wrote letters, so they became familiar with stamps and were drawn to collecting them,” said Berthold Sinaulan, the spokesman for the Indonesian Philatelists Association (PFI). “But today, they don’t receive [snail] mail anymore — so how can we expect them to fall in love with stamps?”
It has been 88 years since the PFI was first inaugurated, on March 29, 1922, marked this month by the annual celebration of National Philately Day. Looking back to the past, Berthold recalled the years when philately managed to attract millions of enthusiasts.
“Up until the 1990s, we had around 1 million registered members,” he recalled. Today, however, “there are only 200,000 members left, and only 10 to 15 percent of them are still active.”
In the 1970s and the 1980s, he went on, there were up to 20 new stamp series issued every year, each of them with a print run of 1 to 2 million.
“Today, there are 12 series made every year, with only 300,000 pieces issued for each design.”
The decrease in the issuance of stamps might prove that the little pieces of paper have lost their charm, but PFI chairman Let. Gen. (ret.) Soeyono said it didn’t mean people had really forgotten philately.
“Philately, in fact, is not dead — yet,” he said. “When we talk about philately, then we have three types of enthusiasts — the beginners; the seniors and the serious ones.”
In the case of Indonesia today, Soeyono said, “we’re starting to lose the beginners — or the child philatelists.”
According to Soeyono, children today aren’t really encouraged to write letters. The used-to-be-famous pen pal trend has also disappeared these days, when it is actually a great way to encourage children to write letters.
“As children aren’t encouraged to write letters, they not only lose the skill to string words together appropriately, but also miss out on the chance of getting to know stamps,” Soeyono said.
Knowledge of stamps, he said, opened doors to further knowledge, as stamps were more than just proof of payment for postal services.
“Stamps are the symbols of our country’s sovereignty and incontestable sources of facts and information,” Soeyono said. “They’re where the country records its historical events and cultural heritage.”
In the history of Indonesia’s philately, for example, Indonesian cultural heritage like traditional costumes, folk tales and food are among those that are visually recorded in stamps.
“This way, it’s like Indonesia is sharing its diverse culture with the world, while at the same time preserving its heritage,” Soeyono said. “And doesn’t that make stamps good tools of learning for our children too?” he later asked.
As to Soeyono’s question, it was high school teacher Riana Yani who could provide an answer.
“I’ve been using stamps as tools of learning since 1994,” said the former principal of SMAN 9 senior high in Bogor, who is now working at the Bogor Education Agency. “I found that using stamps as a teaching tool appealed to my students, who were always prone to boredom in the classroom,” she laughed.
Riana first came up with the idea of using stamps when she realized the young generation today was not familiar with stamps anymore.
“I was a little disconcerted when I found out my students had no interest in stamps,” she said. “I know some people see stamps just as used items, but they are actually sources of knowledge. They might only be small pieces of paper, but mostly they contain accurate pictures and information on many things,” she added.
So, Riana went on to set an assignment for her students. She asked them to collect stamps of plants and animals and prepare their own “world map”, where they matched the stamps with the countries of origin of the animals and plants.
“They were all challenged because once they found a stamp of a plant, for example, they would have to get detailed information about it from books,” said Riana, who has toured 15 provinces with the Postal and Telecommunications Directorate General to promote her teaching method to other schools.
“I wanted them to be active learners, and I’m so happy it worked out.”
To her even greater surprise, “There were at least 10 students in each batch who became interested in collecting stamps,” she laughed.
Soeyono found Riana’s move inspiring. He compared this with China, where children are actively encouraged in philately.
“I truly envy China,” he laughed. “The government is very involved with nurturing children’s interest in philately. In schools, they bring in their stamp albums and present their collections to others using stories. Very interesting.”
So, what about Indonesia?
Both Berthold and Soeyono criticized the decision of postal company PT. Pos Indonesia to issue a regulation to replace stamps with a barcode for registered international mail. Since November 2008, Berthold said, those who wanted to send letters abroad could no longer use stamps. Instead, they had to register their mail with the officials and pay the delivery fees. A barcode would be printed on the letters, replacing the beautiful stamps.
“We are very disappointed with this ruling,” Soeyono said. “All this time, we used beautiful stamps to promote Indonesia to other countries. So, how come the postal company itself is abolishing its own stamps and its role?”
Berthold shared the same feeling.
“Speaking of history, stamps have been the special and most important characteristic of a postal agency in any country,” he said. “No wonder, other countries still maintain the existence of stamps.”
But in the case of Indonesia, Berthold said, “it’s funny how [our] post office is abolishing the stamps they actually sell.”
“Hopefully, this is not a sign that PT. Pos Indonesia has forgotten its own history — that it was founded and has managed to survive because of stamps.”
Sidebox:
Sending love across the globe
They always say that philately is a symbol of global friendship. But as the tradition of writing letters is diminishing, and the popularity of stamps is decreasing, is there any chance philately can survive?
Well, Portuguese philatelist Paulo Magalhães has proved it can. In fact, he and his small team of friends have managed to unite thousands of global citizens in bonds of friendship through one philately item: A postcard.
Since almost five years ago, his online project www.postcrossing.com has allowed people to receive postcards from all over the world. The idea is: If you send a postcard, you will receive at least one back from a random Postcrossing member from somewhere else in the world.
Yup, you don’t know to where and to whom your postcard will be sent, and you have no idea who will send you one back. It’s all about surprises.
“The randomness or surprise factor adds a nice touch to it because you get postcards from the most unthinkable places, which you would never get if you had to handpick them,” Magalhães told The Jakarta Post by email. “The randomness of the origin and of the sender, as well as not knowing when they will arrive, makes it much more fun and more interesting.”
Magalhães himself said he started his project because he loved to receive snail mail — not just from friends, but also from remote places. He admitted that the tradition of writing and receiving snail mail had become rare in today’s life, but added, “Because it’s becoming less common, it’s becoming even more special.”
“A postcard was chosen, paid for, written, stamped, posted in the mail and crossed several hands till it reached you,” Magalhães remarked. “It’s the true ‘I wish you were here’ symbol than an email can’t ever have.
“Plus, nobody hangs their emails on the fridge door, right?” he said.
As to whether Magalhães is right, Irayani Queencyputri can provide the answer. The member of Postcrossing said the project had allowed her to make friends with people from all around the world, while at the same time allowing her to collect beautiful postcards.
“The last time I wrote a snail mail to my pen pals was around 1997 or 1998,” recalled the 30-year-old dentist who lives in Jakarta. “But after I started university, I became so busy and forgot about my pen pals.”
Luckily, Irayani said, she found Postcrossing, where she was able to connect to global friends through the medium of postcards, which she describes as “pretty, collectible and less expensive.”
“Writing a postcard doesn’t require so much time,” she said. “Besides, I feel it more secure to send postcards rather than mail because, you know, it often happens that my mail never arrives at the receivers’ addresses,” she laughed.
Up until today, Irayani has received around 30 postcards from places like France, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, China, Singapore, Philippines and the United States of America.
“I find each postcard very unique because it shows a place that I haven’t seen before,” Irayani said. “For me, it’s like receiving a souvenir from other countries.”
Irayani is one of some 167,000 Postcrossing members from more than 200 countries. The project now receives an average of 303 postcards every hour, amounting to almost 4 million to date. According to
Magalhães, the project does more than just create friendships, it also sends love and lights up thousands of smiles across the world.
Last year, for example, Postcrossing encouraged its members to send postcards of butterflies to lupus patients for World Lupus Day (butterflies are the lupus symbol). The idea of this program, Magalhães said, was to spread awareness about the disease worldwide. Not only that, Postcrossing members also sent their greetings to Tanzanian children in remote areas. The idea was to use postcards to lift their spirits and give encouragement.
Tanzanian children and lupus patients aside, is there any other case that truly proves the power of philately?
“The one I always mention is the couple that met through Postcrossing and ended up marrying,” he said of an Australian man who married a Finnish woman in 2008.
So philately is, indeed, still full of surprises.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/03/30/lately-with-philately-%E2%80%A6.html
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/03/30/sending-love-across-globe.html
“Up until the 1990s, we had around 1 million registered members,” he recalled. Today, however, “there are only 200,000 members left, and only 10 to 15 percent of them are still active.”
In the 1970s and the 1980s, he went on, there were up to 20 new stamp series issued every year, each of them with a print run of 1 to 2 million.
“Today, there are 12 series made every year, with only 300,000 pieces issued for each design.”
The decrease in the issuance of stamps might prove that the little pieces of paper have lost their charm, but PFI chairman Let. Gen. (ret.) Soeyono said it didn’t mean people had really forgotten philately.
“Philately, in fact, is not dead — yet,” he said. “When we talk about philately, then we have three types of enthusiasts — the beginners; the seniors and the serious ones.”
In the case of Indonesia today, Soeyono said, “we’re starting to lose the beginners — or the child philatelists.”
According to Soeyono, children today aren’t really encouraged to write letters. The used-to-be-famous pen pal trend has also disappeared these days, when it is actually a great way to encourage children to write letters.
“As children aren’t encouraged to write letters, they not only lose the skill to string words together appropriately, but also miss out on the chance of getting to know stamps,” Soeyono said.
Knowledge of stamps, he said, opened doors to further knowledge, as stamps were more than just proof of payment for postal services.
“Stamps are the symbols of our country’s sovereignty and incontestable sources of facts and information,” Soeyono said. “They’re where the country records its historical events and cultural heritage.”
In the history of Indonesia’s philately, for example, Indonesian cultural heritage like traditional costumes, folk tales and food are among those that are visually recorded in stamps.
“This way, it’s like Indonesia is sharing its diverse culture with the world, while at the same time preserving its heritage,” Soeyono said. “And doesn’t that make stamps good tools of learning for our children too?” he later asked.
As to Soeyono’s question, it was high school teacher Riana Yani who could provide an answer.
“I’ve been using stamps as tools of learning since 1994,” said the former principal of SMAN 9 senior high in Bogor, who is now working at the Bogor Education Agency. “I found that using stamps as a teaching tool appealed to my students, who were always prone to boredom in the classroom,” she laughed.
Riana first came up with the idea of using stamps when she realized the young generation today was not familiar with stamps anymore.
“I was a little disconcerted when I found out my students had no interest in stamps,” she said. “I know some people see stamps just as used items, but they are actually sources of knowledge. They might only be small pieces of paper, but mostly they contain accurate pictures and information on many things,” she added.
So, Riana went on to set an assignment for her students. She asked them to collect stamps of plants and animals and prepare their own “world map”, where they matched the stamps with the countries of origin of the animals and plants.
“They were all challenged because once they found a stamp of a plant, for example, they would have to get detailed information about it from books,” said Riana, who has toured 15 provinces with the Postal and Telecommunications Directorate General to promote her teaching method to other schools.
“I wanted them to be active learners, and I’m so happy it worked out.”
To her even greater surprise, “There were at least 10 students in each batch who became interested in collecting stamps,” she laughed.
Soeyono found Riana’s move inspiring. He compared this with China, where children are actively encouraged in philately.
“I truly envy China,” he laughed. “The government is very involved with nurturing children’s interest in philately. In schools, they bring in their stamp albums and present their collections to others using stories. Very interesting.”
So, what about Indonesia?
Both Berthold and Soeyono criticized the decision of postal company PT. Pos Indonesia to issue a regulation to replace stamps with a barcode for registered international mail. Since November 2008, Berthold said, those who wanted to send letters abroad could no longer use stamps. Instead, they had to register their mail with the officials and pay the delivery fees. A barcode would be printed on the letters, replacing the beautiful stamps.
“We are very disappointed with this ruling,” Soeyono said. “All this time, we used beautiful stamps to promote Indonesia to other countries. So, how come the postal company itself is abolishing its own stamps and its role?”
Berthold shared the same feeling.
“Speaking of history, stamps have been the special and most important characteristic of a postal agency in any country,” he said. “No wonder, other countries still maintain the existence of stamps.”
But in the case of Indonesia, Berthold said, “it’s funny how [our] post office is abolishing the stamps they actually sell.”
“Hopefully, this is not a sign that PT. Pos Indonesia has forgotten its own history — that it was founded and has managed to survive because of stamps.”
Sidebox:
Sending love across the globe
They always say that philately is a symbol of global friendship. But as the tradition of writing letters is diminishing, and the popularity of stamps is decreasing, is there any chance philately can survive?
Well, Portuguese philatelist Paulo Magalhães has proved it can. In fact, he and his small team of friends have managed to unite thousands of global citizens in bonds of friendship through one philately item: A postcard.
Since almost five years ago, his online project www.postcrossing.com has allowed people to receive postcards from all over the world. The idea is: If you send a postcard, you will receive at least one back from a random Postcrossing member from somewhere else in the world.
Yup, you don’t know to where and to whom your postcard will be sent, and you have no idea who will send you one back. It’s all about surprises.
“The randomness or surprise factor adds a nice touch to it because you get postcards from the most unthinkable places, which you would never get if you had to handpick them,” Magalhães told The Jakarta Post by email. “The randomness of the origin and of the sender, as well as not knowing when they will arrive, makes it much more fun and more interesting.”
Magalhães himself said he started his project because he loved to receive snail mail — not just from friends, but also from remote places. He admitted that the tradition of writing and receiving snail mail had become rare in today’s life, but added, “Because it’s becoming less common, it’s becoming even more special.”
“A postcard was chosen, paid for, written, stamped, posted in the mail and crossed several hands till it reached you,” Magalhães remarked. “It’s the true ‘I wish you were here’ symbol than an email can’t ever have.
“Plus, nobody hangs their emails on the fridge door, right?” he said.
As to whether Magalhães is right, Irayani Queencyputri can provide the answer. The member of Postcrossing said the project had allowed her to make friends with people from all around the world, while at the same time allowing her to collect beautiful postcards.
“The last time I wrote a snail mail to my pen pals was around 1997 or 1998,” recalled the 30-year-old dentist who lives in Jakarta. “But after I started university, I became so busy and forgot about my pen pals.”
Luckily, Irayani said, she found Postcrossing, where she was able to connect to global friends through the medium of postcards, which she describes as “pretty, collectible and less expensive.”
“Writing a postcard doesn’t require so much time,” she said. “Besides, I feel it more secure to send postcards rather than mail because, you know, it often happens that my mail never arrives at the receivers’ addresses,” she laughed.
Up until today, Irayani has received around 30 postcards from places like France, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, China, Singapore, Philippines and the United States of America.
“I find each postcard very unique because it shows a place that I haven’t seen before,” Irayani said. “For me, it’s like receiving a souvenir from other countries.”
Irayani is one of some 167,000 Postcrossing members from more than 200 countries. The project now receives an average of 303 postcards every hour, amounting to almost 4 million to date. According to
Magalhães, the project does more than just create friendships, it also sends love and lights up thousands of smiles across the world.
Last year, for example, Postcrossing encouraged its members to send postcards of butterflies to lupus patients for World Lupus Day (butterflies are the lupus symbol). The idea of this program, Magalhães said, was to spread awareness about the disease worldwide. Not only that, Postcrossing members also sent their greetings to Tanzanian children in remote areas. The idea was to use postcards to lift their spirits and give encouragement.
Tanzanian children and lupus patients aside, is there any other case that truly proves the power of philately?
“The one I always mention is the couple that met through Postcrossing and ended up marrying,” he said of an Australian man who married a Finnish woman in 2008.
So philately is, indeed, still full of surprises.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/03/30/lately-with-philately-%E2%80%A6.html
http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2010/03/30/sending-love-across-globe.html
