rsilvers

I'm Raven. I recently graduated from university, and now I'm a librarian. I work in the back office with digital things instead of books, but I like my job very much.

I live in Singapore, which is not a part of China or Malaysia. (: I speak English, mostly.

I write books. I've taken part in National Novel Writing Month (Nanowrimo) for several years now and I absolutely love the rush and creativity of that frantic month. I also write fiction in my free time, not just in November.

May 2015: I'm taking a break from swapping for now because finances are tight. I've had to go for several surgeries, and my new work has been insanely busy. I hope to come back eventually, when things settle down. Happy swapping! :)

Oh, where do I start...

I get very attached to my TV shows, haha. I like British shows - the BBC has a way of making really compelling telly.

• Science fiction: Doctor Who, Torchwood, Star Trek (especially The Next Generation and Voyager)
• Drama: Mad Men
• Crime shows: NCIS, Bones, Finder, Hustle, Sherlock, Elementary, Luther
• Comedy: Community, Big Bang Theory
• Factual: Top Gear, QI, Mythbusters

I like a LOT of shows, but that's a sampler of what I'm really in love with right now.

â–º Postcards

Please send naked, written on, and dated. I like all sorts of cards, but I'm looking out for the following:

â—‡ Penguin book covers

â—‡ Comics, like DC or Marvel

â—‡ Humor

â—‡ Sarcastic / snarky - I'm not easily offended so snark like Anne Taintor is perfectly okay :D

â—‡ Animals (illustrated, photograph, whatever!)

â—‡ Moomin

â—‡ Where's Wally - please send me ones I don't already have! You can see my collection here. [link]

â—‡ Touristy is fine (the less cheesy, the better!)

â—‡ Ad cards

â—‡ Special events like the Olympics, Expo, etc.

â—‡ Gotochi postcards from Japan, or gotochi-type postcards from other places

â—‡ London Tube posters, maps, and so on

â—‡ Big letter postcards - I've fallen in love with them lately!

â–º Postage Stamps

I like all kinds of stamps, but my favorites are:

â—‡ Singapore joint issues (especially Vietnam [link] and France [link])

â—‡ Space

â—‡ Interesting shapes

â—‡ US commemorative stamps

â—‡ UK stamps: looking for the space stamps, Doctor Who, trains/Underground

â—‡ Soviet Union (also known as CCCP or USSR) stamps

â—‡ the Doctor Who stamps from Royal Mail!!!

â—‡ Disney

Please, please, please don't put any kind of tape over or under the stamps! Like washi tape, or address labels. They ruin the fun of collecting stamps ): I'd also really appreciate it if you didn't overlap the stamps.

I really enjoy swapping tea because I love the variety that's out there!

✿ Please only send factory-sealed tea bags which are original packaging (like a foil or paper packet). I don't drink tea bags without an original packet cos of hygiene reasons.

✿ Don't send me loose tea, even if you've packed them into teabags yourself. I like loose tea, but the postal customs don't and it won't arrive ):

✿ I don't like mint teas, but other than that, go for it!

✿ My favorite teas so far: Cupcake teas, berry teas, chai, Tazo Focus.

♥ Stories - Tell me about yourself and your town/city/country! Everyone has a fascinating story to tell

♥ Postage stamps

♥ Aerogrammes - I love these!

♥ I love the blue-red-white airmail motif!

♥ Photography - I dabble in a bit of digital and analog photography (Lomography). I like old cameras too

♥ Postcards - see the section above for more info!

♥ Letters - I always prefer handwritten/typewritten over printed

♥ Washi tape

♥ Cartoons and Moomin

♥ Disney and Disneyland - I've been to the ones in Hong Kong and Japan, and absolutely love all three

♥ Animals - I especially love cats, dogs (corgis and bulldogs rule), otters, pigs

♥ Art and graphic design - I adore Art Nouveau and Art Deco

♥ Gaming and cosplay - I do both!

♥ Cute things (not necessarily kawaii)

♥ History

♥ Space - I love anything space and space-related, because I think it is a testament to human ingenuinity, spirit, determination and curiosity that we are able to go beyond our planet and into the unknown.

♥ Libraries

♥ Favorite writers include Frank Herbert, Terry Pratchett, PG Wodehouse, Neil Gaimain, Jim Butcher, Gail Carriger, and Anthony Bourdain

♥ Favorite genres - Steampunk, fantasy, science fiction

♥ Colors - Orange, lime green, purple, red, blue

♥ Tea

♥ Anything UK, especially with the Union Jack and "Keep Calm and Carry On"

♥ Vintage things - cameras, typewriters, signs, etc.

♥ Star Trek - I grew up on a diet of science fiction, largely Star Trek

♥ Lanyards - I collect printed lanyards. I like all lanyards, but I especially like events or company lanyards

♥ World festivals - of those we celebrate here, my favorites are Chinese New Year and Christmas, but I'd love to learn about other festivals out there

✗ FBs or friendship sheets. I don't know what to do with them, so they end up staying with me for a long time, and it's not fair to the owner ):

✗ Scary insects

✗ Butterflies (I have a phobia)

✗ Excessive amounts of pink

✗ Glitter - I really, really, really hate glitter. I can't stand it. I cannot emphasize enough my dislike for glitter.

✗ Religious items, except for Christmas. I'm totally okay with "Merry Christmas" as a greeting cos it's not really a religious thing here.

â–º Allergies: I'm asthmatic, but it's under control. I only have to worry about smoke. Mostly cigarettes.

â–º Religion: You may have a religion, and I think that's great! If you would like to share some of your customs and practices, I don't mind. However, please understand that I think religion is a private thing that is very personal.

â–º Postal Limitations: Please don't send items that look like weapons. If you would like to send something that may be somewhat explicit or not safe for work, please use an envelope that can't be seen through.

You can find more information on postal limitations here.

Generally we have quite an efficient post service in Singapore, but when they mess up, it can be quite spectacular. And not in a fun way ):

So if you haven't received an item from me after a long while (generally two months or more), let me know and I will gladly re-send it!