14 June 2019

Wine Vessel

This postcard sent by Heleen (the Netherlands) shows the Chinese character "wine vessel". It reads on the back: "Add three dots on the left to make character for 'wine'".

The fun illustration on the envelope is related to the wine vessel. From the stamps to the Dutch proverbe: "Als de wijn is in the man, is de wijsheid in de kan" (='If the wine is in the man, the wisdom is in the can', according to Google. But, honestly... it seems a bit easier than the Chinese!).


I find this illustration very clever. I guess it is related to the fact that the sender started to write the postcard 0n 21 May 2016... and she finished it on 19 April 2019.

5 comments:

  1. google-translate must have been tipsy by thinking 'kan' a verb :-)
    By the word 'de' ('the') google should have known that 'kan' in this proverb is a noun! (meaning jar, jug).
    (for checking translations I always use www.mijnwoordenboek.nl , they show the different and good translation options in NL EN FR ES DE, while in the example phrases they act a bit like google :-) )

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    1. But I don't think it has taken "kan" for a verb. It's just an inaccurate translation: 'can' (like 'tin') instead of 'jar'. Anyway, the meaning is clear because of the drawing :D

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  2. Those almost 3 years gave me time to decide wether to send the card naked or in an envelope, and consequently time to think what to draw :-)

    (I think I wouldn't have dared to draw this on the envelope when sending to your previous - 2016 - address..)

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    Replies
    1. Better to had sent it to my current address, sure!

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  3. Wow, an interesting delay :)

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Thank you for coming. All your comments make me extremely happy.