World on my postcards

The body symbolises Singapore's humble beginnings as a fishing village when it was called Temasek, meaning 'sea town' in Old Javanese. Its head represents Singapore’s original name, Singapura, or ‘lion city’ in Malay. Today, you can glimpse this legend at Merlion Park. Spouting water from its mouth, the Merlion statue stands tall at 8.6 metres and weighs 70 tonnes.

The kimono is a Japanese traditional garment worn by men, women and children. In kimono it is the pattern on the surface, rather than the cut of the garment, that is significant. Indications of social status, personal identity and cultural sensitivity are expressed through colour and decoration.

 “Ålesund could be the backdrop for a Nordic fairytale – with a modern plot twist”, according to National Geographic.The town of Ålesund has a beautiful setting across several islands stretching out into the Atlantic Ocean, and is known for its architecture in Art Nouveau style, since it was rebuilt in 1904 after a devastating fire.

 The most famous island group in the Aegean Sea comprises some of the most beautiful islands in the world! The name “Cyclades” refers to the islands forming a circle (the name in English means: “circular islands”) around the sacred island of Delos. According to the Greek mythology, Poseidon, God of the sea, furious at the Cyclades nymphs turned them into islands.

The Dominican Republic is nation that covers two thirds of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola. Haiti covers the western third of Hispaniola. The island was discovered by Christopher Colombus in 1492 and became the first place that the Europeans settled in the New World.

 Brazilian families are often large; having five or six siblings is not unusual. Nearly one-third of the population is under eighteen!