Paradise 天堂乐土

Ever since I realized that some of my readers might be very young, I decided not to write anything negative/pessimistic as I did in some of my personal blog. I feel the responsibility that teenagers should be presented a world as beautiful as depicted in postcards. Here, after a few days of delay, for this blog entry, I pick up two cards of Tahquamenon Falls I bought during the trip to Michigan's Upper Peninsula last weekend. I think the cards are beautiful although the trip was not. I just don't have the mood to write on the many gorgeous cards I have received recently. Sorry.

Tahquamenon Falls consist of Upper and Lower Falls on the Tahquamenon River. The Upper Falls are earlier to access and more spectacular in all seasons. It's hard to miss the Upper Falls on the trail due to their notably loud sound. After all, they are one of the top waterfalls, if not the second, only after the Niagara Falls, east of the Mississippi River in US. The amber color of the water is neither rust nor muddiness as seen at Hukou Waterfall on Yellow River in China, but caused by "tannin leached from the cedar, spruce and Hemlock in the swamps drained by the river". The extensive amounts of foam, which can be even seen in winter, are considered as the "trademark" of the Tahquamenon Falls.

The town where the Tahquamenon Falls are located is called Paradise. What a unique and blessing name! What an opportunity to send postcards with "Paradise" postmarks! I brought with me a dozen of postcards I was supposed to send to fellow postcrossers and bought tens of postcards over Mackinac Bridge, Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore and Tahquamenon Falls State Park. But I didn't mail any. It's probably the first trip I didn't send any postcards, not even to myself. Paradise is too beautiful to be a destination for new graduate students from China during fall break. May the young lives lost on their way to Paradise rest in peace.

塔库梅农瀑布位于美国密歇根州上半岛的“天堂乐土”镇。说这里是天堂乐土也不为过，只看那瀑布，便被其壮观而不失俊美的景色，深深吸引，流连忘返。顺着瀑布公园的林间小道，循声便可找到上游瀑布，而下游瀑布则要步行数公里才可到达。这里瀑布的两大特征是琥珀色的水和大量的泡沫。不要想当然的认为是污染所致。琥珀色是因为河水溶解了雪松、云杉及铁杉等树木所含的鞣酸所致；至于泡沫，则是因为硬度极低的河水，在瀑布的巨大碰撞下，泛出层层不绝的气泡。只可惜，我未能在天堂小镇寄出明信片。更令人扼腕怜惜，伤心欲绝的是，学校的两位新生在驱往“天堂乐土”的途中不幸遇难。愿他们带着对天堂乐土的憧憬，在父母温暖的怀中安息永眠。

Please Vote: Poll of Michigan Map Cards

I have noticed that many postcard collectors like map cards. Me, too, which could be predicted from my childhood favorite toy: a plastic map puzzle. So far, I have had seven versions of Michigan map postcards, and I am eager to know which one of them my readers/swappers/fellow postcrossers like the most and why.

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Please VOTE in the following poll and feel free to comment on why you like the design of that map card. There will be a giveaway of the above map cards to at least three people whose comments inspire me.

Central Stations 中央车站

Almost all metropolitan cities have a central railway station, which building has likely become a famous landmark in the city. I have been to the central stations in New York, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Chicago and Pittsburgh. In my opinion, the central stations are the heritage from the industrial revolution or the indicator of the rapid growth of a city in a new era. Of course, Detroit is an exception. Michigan Central Station was abandoned and threatened to be demolished. This National Historic Place has witnessed the bloom and decline of the Michigan's auto-based economy. No wonder it is so hard to find Michigan Central postcard nowadays.

Fortunately, I have had cards of two famous central stations in the world: Japan's Tokyo and the Netherlands' Amsterdam Central Stations -- they even have something in common. The Amsterdam Centraal was opened in 1889, while the Tokyo Station in 1914. It was rumored that the latter was fashioned after the former one. Although there's little evidence to support the rumor, it's obvious that the two grand brick-buildings do look alike. To me, it's more amazing to see two buildings half world apart independently developed this resemblance. The great minds of the architects did think alike. Some says the two buildings are of Renaissance revival style. But I can't find the reference. I am always confused with the classifications of architecture styles.

Tokyo Station 东京站

Amsterdam Centraal 阿姆斯特丹中央车站

(Notes to myself: Amsterdam Centraal is twinned with Liverpool Street Station in London, UK. I'd like to pair them up in my postcard collection. I'll try to buy other central station's cards from US and even China, regardless of classic or modern architecture styles.)

世界各大城市基本都会有一座著名的火车站。我去过纽约、费城、华盛顿、波士顿、芝加哥和匹兹堡的火车站。在我看来，它们都是工业革命在这些城市留下的烙印。底特律其实也是有密歇根的中央车站的。但是早已废弃，甚至还要被拆除。这也代表了当地经济的衰退。

我有幸得到了两张中央车站的明信片：日本东京站和荷兰阿姆斯特丹中央车站。这两座像个半个地球的车站，甚至还被人认为有很大的相似性的。据说，1914年开通的东京站可能是效仿1819年运行的阿姆斯特丹中央车站。但是此说法证据不足，权当小道消息罢。