A Postcard A Day - Friday 11 April 2025 - Friday Smiles

 Hello lovely peeps,

Get ready to smile as I have quite a few here for you (smiles, that is). I have a lovely postcard, some new clothes, a slice of 'cake' and loads of funnies!

Here's my postcard:

It's a 'fake' postcard. The picture side is made to look like the address side.  

You guessed it, it comes from India. The stamps figured are not real stamps, they are printed. But interesting nevertheless. In stead of name and address, there is info about India. On the map area I can see counties or states.

It was sent to me by Rajaram P. who tells me he lives with his mother in the state of Karnataka. 

The stamps on the real address side are interesting:

The middle stamp I immediately recognise as Ravi Shankar. Having been a bit of a hippy in the early 70s I remember his sitar playing. He was associated back in the day with Yehudi Menuhin (classical violinist) and George Harrison of the Beatles. 

Wikipedia writes: Ravi Shankar, Born: April 7, 1920, Varanasi, India, was an Indian sitarist and composer. A sitar virtuoso, he became the world's best-known expert of Indian classical music in the second half of the 20th century, and influenced many musicians in India and throughout the world. Shankar was awarded India's highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, in 1999. Died: December 11, 2012 (age 92 years), Scripps Health. Wikipedia

The stamp on the left is of Srinivasa Ramanujan Aiyangar (22 December 1887 – 26 April 1920) Wikipedia writes: He was an Indian mathematician. Often regarded as one of the greatest mathematicians of all time, though he had almost no formal training in pure mathematics, he made substantial contributions to mathematical analysis, number theory, infinite series, and continued fractions, including solutions to mathematical problems then considered unsolvable.

Ramanujan initially developed his own mathematical research in isolation. According to Hans Eysenck, "he tried to interest the leading professional mathematicians in his work, but failed for the most part. What he had to show them was too novel, too unfamiliar, and additionally presented in unusual ways; they could not be bothered". Seeking mathematicians who could better understand his work, in 1913 he began a mail correspondence with the English mathematician G. H. Hardy at the University of Cambridge, England. Recognising Ramanujan's work as extraordinary, Hardy arranged for him to travel to Cambridge. In his notes, Hardy commented that Ramanujan had produced groundbreaking new theorems, including some that "defeated me completely; I had never seen anything in the least like them before", and some recently proven but highly advanced results.

The stamp on the right is about Indian fashion during the Mughal period - Nur Jahan. 

Through an AI app I got the following information:

During the Mughal period, Indian fashion was significantly influenced by Empress Nur Jahan, who is credited with introducing and refining high fashion in the region. She is known for her elegant design principles, drawing inspiration from Persian culture and incorporating it into the existing Mughal style. Nur Jahan's influence extended to various aspects of fashion, including fabrics, colors, and patterns, and she is also said to have been a creative designer of textiles and garments.

So, what has been happening here in Spain? I've been out shopping in town (Baza) 

A shop called Menta which I just chanced upon. Inside they had the sort of clothes I like. I thought: This is going to cost me money... 

(Photos from the internet)

I really haven't bought anything decent for years, so I went in and bought some clothes. 

I got a Chanel type jacket:

And a little white top. Also a blue pair of trousers:

And matching shoes:

I'm ready for spring!

I'll be going to Italy for my grandson's first communion so I bought a trouser suit:

You see only the jacket as the trousers are being shortened.

What else have I been doing? I had lunch with my lovely lodger. We do this once a month:

I made paella again:

The weather was lovely so we sat outside on the terrace.

I have been busy in the kitchen and the latest thing is this:

It's Mary Berry's Nordic seed and nut loaf. I saw her do it on tv the other night and then found the recipe online. It's very easy to make. It contains 4 eggs, some oil and lots of seeds and nuts. Mix it all together, stick it in the oven and that's it. Sliced with a sweet spread it's delicious. 

Oh gosh, this post has turned out really long. Well done if you're still with me. Well, in compensation, there are some funnies at the end.

Enjoy your weekend,

Lisca