Überraschung
das Überraschung surprise
Today I was very pleasantly surprised because I received an envelope in the mail. Inside, were three (!) postcards from a very generousPostcrosser in Norway.
The first postcard was a picture of two children fishing.
The second postcard is of the North Cape, Europe's northernmost point. The caption on the front is in Norwegian, English, and German. It says: The eye-catching headland that is the North Cape (Nordkapp) has served as a navigation mark for seafarers since time immemorial, and millions of sightseers have flocked here since the first known tourist arrived in 1664. To stand here 307 metres above the sea on a clear summer's day and watch the sun rolling along the horizon is an unforgettable experience - and Nordkapp can be equally fascinating on a winter's day, weather permitting.
The third postcard is of the Royal Palace in Oslo, Norway.
It was really nice to receive three postcards from one person, I wonder how she can afford it! Maybe because she comes from Norway, one of the wealthiest countries in the world with a fully developed welfare system. This economic progress is caused in part by the development of oil and gas reserves off its coast. Norway was ranked highest of all countries in human development from 2001 to 2006 and also rated the most peaceful country in the world in a 2007 survey by Global Peace Index.
According to my family, I am part Norwegian (also part Irish and English). I am no genealogy expert, but I think it is probably very hard to conclude what the majority of me is, since there are probably lots of different nationalities mixed in there. I think this may be the case with many Americans. It does not seem to be the case in other countries, such as Germany, where people can say almost conclusively that they are 100% German.
Anyways, these 3 lovely postcards almost make up for the advertisement card I received recently from China. I was quite disappointed to receive it, because it was not pretty and I feel that it is unfair that I pay for postcards and this person did not. My postcard hobby is becoming a bit expensive. I think I was mailing too many, too frequently. I will have to slow it down to one a week, which also means I will have less to blog about :) I know you're all disappointed.