Receiving Mail : :
it's great. Reading a postcard, opening a layered package, trying to be careful opening, although you're eager to discover the inside of the package.
Great. I received mail from [v] and [d] yesterday.

Posting presents : :
is great too. I have a friend who once in a while sends me a present and to whom I once in a while send something.
How important is spontaneity to the pleasure of sending / receiving mail? And I mean outside our _project, because although the mail isn't necessarily sent spontaneously it is exciting to see what the others have discovered about sending mail and what they want to share or know or...

I like the genres of postcards [j] posted yesterday...
envelopecard is similar to what I've done recently with a few packages - I just hadn't realised that it was that... It seemed natural to glue colourful pictures on a boring package - and also as I was reusing the package it was a handy way of covering old addresses.
layeredcard - post-its are excellent for layering. Must try this. Same applies to tearawaycard and windowscard. Exciting.

posted by [jm.] at 11:12

Posting Presents
[L] and i received a few posts from [d] yesterday. They
were maps covering a postcard with information on
the back to open. So we opened them up and like
a present, surprise, there's instructions to meet with
other helsinki members.

I liked the feeling of that initial surprise of opening a
postcard, with hidden messages written on post-its.
So it gave me a few ideas:

envelopecard - why not have an image on
the front of the envelope (similar to a postcard), only you're
able to stuff things inside and write the address on the back.

layeredcard - where there's multiple paper
layers which you peel back so its not only one opening
but several surprises. Fold out to become one large
or many smaller images/experiences of the city.

tearawaycard - something similar to a package
of salt or sugar where its a one off tear away package
revealing its contents.

windowscard - multiple flaps to open with hidden
messages instructing what to do next. So you play
a game with the person you're sending to. :)

posted by [j] at 04:36

Stranger Mail
I was wondering:
We could make blank cards with stamps on them and just give them out to people we know and to strangers and ask them to fill the cards with their Helsinki. We'd also fill in the address for them and maybe give them bits and pieces which they could glue(etc.) on the card to create their unique card. Or if this operation was carried out in one set place there could be a box full of all kinds of things (well, the box could also be carried around from place to place)... Then the people could just send the card to Toronto(or wherever).
Very simple, but related to things we've been discussing with [j] in various email and phone conversations, some of which is reported below...
Oh, and this thought came in connection with this Thursday when the city is full of people for Taiteiden yö (a evening with events all around the city - meant to be a cultural slanted happening, but mainly people (read: teens) just storm the streets drinking madly. But Thursday is quite soon... So maybe some other time...
(multitasking, multimedia - writing this and SMSing with [j] - modern technology, *sigh*)
posted by [jm.] at 03:53