Many enthusiastic philatelists, children & parents witnessed the week-long, awaited 28^th Asian International Stamp exhibition, Sharjah. This exciting event held in Mega Mall, Sharjah from 19 Nov. to 25 Nov. was enjoyed with keen interest showed immensely by philatelists, stamp traders, etc.

 This exhibition which was hosted by the Emirates Philatelic Association was very interesting with a diverse collection of rare stamps from all over the world. I noticed that they had a separate row for pointing even the minute mistakes in stamps as such stamps hold extra value in the eyes of a stamp collector.

 From an extra line under the ?A? of ?Air Mail? to a slightly chipped off top of a tree, each & every mistake made while issuing stamps were pointed out. When I inquired, I came to know that there were 200 exhibitors and 30 dealers from 24 countries across Asia. There was also a row explaining the Chinese history which fascinated me a lot. In that row there was an exhibit which caught my interest which displayed that in the earlier times, the army men had to sign on the envelope making postal services free for them & how a man was charged 200 Yuan extra for not signing the envelope. From the first stamp to the smallest to the largest, each stamp was displayed effectively with a supporting explanation given under it. All in all, it was a very interesting exhibition & being a passionate philatelist, I bought antique and unique stamps.

 I would like to thank the Emirates Philatelic Association for organizing such an interesting event for us young children, making us learn so much about the untold history of various countries as I feel that with the latest gadget-oriented generation and the E-mail fashion, people hardly ever post letters but still the EPA made us realize the true value of stamps. As I have visited this exhibition twice which I found to be amazing, I am anxiously waiting for next year?s exhibition to drop by so as to continue this hobby of mine.