Pen friends in years before web revolution

News Type: Opinion — Sat Oct 20, 2007 9:01 PM EDT

australia, europe, africa, america, asia, letter, post-office, globe, stamp, envelope, packet, pen-friends, worldiwide

Live Poll

Have you been pen friend before web revolution

Yes
80%
No
20%
I didn"t want to
0%

Total Votes: 5

Many years ago we wrote all over the globe letters. I personally have been in pens to Japan, France and Zaire. So there around 1984 I got Formula 1 calendar for next coming year and I immediately sent back to Japan calendar with pictures of my country.

Today is world different. We all are spending a lot of time near computer without any real letter in envelope and stamp from other country. It is something alive, email isn"t dead but at once too electronic to be alive like a letter with stamp. More than that. Every email software offering special templates, smiles hundred of fonts and colors, bold or italic, whatever. Letter from pen friend never needed any smiley as it is alive and will always be.

What about you? Have you been in touch with any pen friends before? Are you missing that kind of communication? Let"s see about opinion in comments, before I say what kind of idea I got this evening. Find pen friend on Newsvine. ;)

Andres

5 Votes
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Public Discussion (12)

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{"commentId":1124679,"authorDomain":"autumnhaiku"}

Autumnhaiku

Andres....oh, I used to love writing to my penpals....great for my stamp collection too!

When I was in 4th grade, the nun who was the principal at my girls' school in Hong Kong called me to her office. She had a nephew in England who wanted a penpal....and she chose me because of my English language skills. But she also told me that I had to pretend to be a boy...since her nephew only wanted a male penpal. It was quite an interesting exchange....my first experience at writing fiction! ;)

{"commentId":1124679,"threadId":"166137","contentId":"1038373","authorDomain":"autumnhaiku"}

3 votes

#1 - Tue Oct 23, 2007 7:26 PM EDT

{"commentId":1124689,"authorDomain":"davidmcgirr"}

David Mc Girr

I used to have pen pals, but that kind of frittered away.
I have a postcard friend now. We've never met in person, but if one of goes somewhere new,
we pick up a postcard and send it off.
It's fun.

-Dave

{"commentId":1124689,"threadId":"166137","contentId":"1038373","authorDomain":"davidmcgirr"}

4 votes

#2 - Tue Oct 23, 2007 7:31 PM EDT

{"commentId":1124735,"authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

Tedd Riggs

I had the most awesome stamp collection and pen collection. I had to think how long since I have written a real letter since email......
Especially getting stamps from Germany. Whoa they were so detailed compared to the boring US stamps. And then trying to figure out postal codes. Yes Pen pals....long long time ago.......

{"commentId":1124735,"threadId":"166137","contentId":"1038373","authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

3 votes

#3 - Tue Oct 23, 2007 7:43 PM EDT

{"commentId":1124817,"authorDomain":"ivanovic"}

Andres Z. Ivanovic

Well. My mistake about words pen friend and penpal. I am sure in school 30 years ago we learned pen friend, what is probably English word and pen pal American English. Ah, who know. :) :)
So my feeling is that everybody would love to get letter or post card from someday. Idea was been to randomly connect for example 10 people together and some day will letter (post card) just waiting for you in your post box. I don"t know about your opinion, but I think random senders and receivers can be only those who were and who will commenting this article.

Andres

{"commentId":1124817,"threadId":"166137","contentId":"1038373","authorDomain":"ivanovic"}

2 votes

#4 - Tue Oct 23, 2007 8:23 PM EDT

{"commentId":1124876,"authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

Tedd Riggs

Andres,
That exact point about Pen Pal, Pen Friend is what made the getting of letters so much fun from people all over the world because of the little difference in language and finding out sometimes what those other "scary people" across the ocean are really like and in writing to them you find out that they are much like you, just that they might use the language a little differently is all !
I think the average person that views your article title will be able to figure out what you are saying with no problem at all. American English and the "Kings English" yes are two very different languages......

{"commentId":1124876,"threadId":"166137","contentId":"1038373","authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

3 votes

#4.1 - Tue Oct 23, 2007 8:45 PM EDT

{"commentId":1124936,"authorDomain":"ivanovic"}

Andres Z. Ivanovic

Exactly English is problem in every non English speaking part of the world. Look Tedd. I am in Iceland since 1988 and here have I learned that language is part of culture as it is part of national mind. So, to understand and speak good any world language you must know something about country culture and it takes years. My last English teacher has been in Cambridge several years, and we learned, yes "Kings English" in that years. Today is situation different. Kings English is droping out I believe as in market are a lot of English American books, movies, (I mean films :) ) any kind of literatures and of course web is mostly written by USA speaking English. Individual as myself is by the time lost what kind of English some text is, probably Australian, or strongly business writen English. But English history in my lofe is it a little different than somebody other can say. I have period of 7 years non English speaking and I feel it well from time to time. In last two years am I a lot on Google finance. Articles from medias are different from writer to writer and even comments are sometimes hardly written, depend of world (cultural) part of author.

So here are three languages left and we can spoke different yes. :) :)

Andres

{"commentId":1124936,"threadId":"166137","contentId":"1038373","authorDomain":"ivanovic"}

2 votes

#5 - Tue Oct 23, 2007 9:17 PM EDT

{"commentId":1125000,"authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

Tedd Riggs

Andres,
You are so very correct in what you said. I can understand very well as I was born in Germany, My father is half Norwegian, half American and was in the Army at the time, however since he was busy working and so was my mother, the woman that raised me, spoke very little English, so I learned German better then I learned English..... Then we moved to Norway and I picked up some Norwegian (I do not remember too much of that language !!) and in my work, I have traveled all over the world and always studied the culture before I go. I lived in Germany for 6 years from 1989 to 1995 and relearned the Kings English again... Also I have always done a great deal of reading. Especially history and Romantics like Shakespeare, so often I have people laugh at me "You speak funny"
Now we face the "Brave new world of the Internet" with Language neutral, No accents, I hate to think what the language of the future will look like ! And then of course we have the New language , The "Text Message Language" where all words are shortened to 3-5 letters and only teenagers have any idea what the letter combinations really mean !
And in the USA ? Hah...I think the latest predictions I have heard is that 60% of Americans will be speaking Spanish in 2018 or something like that. So I think I will go back to Morse Code, at least I still can contact all my Amateur Radio friends around the world, no matter what language and we all speak the same language ! A bit old fashioned, but it does work !

Nice talking with you Andres,
Tedd

{"commentId":1125000,"threadId":"166137","contentId":"1038373","authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

2 votes

#6 - Tue Oct 23, 2007 9:47 PM EDT

{"commentId":1125009,"authorDomain":"autumnhaiku"}

Autumnhaiku

... --- .-. .-. -.-- | ..--.. | | | -.. --- | -. --- - | ..- -. -.. . .-. ... - .- -. -.. | . -. --. .-.. .. ... .... | ..--.. |

{"commentId":1125009,"threadId":"166137","contentId":"1038373","authorDomain":"autumnhaiku"}

2 votes

#6.1 - Tue Oct 23, 2007 9:53 PM EDT

{"commentId":1125089,"authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

Tedd Riggs

... --- .-. .-. -.-- . .-.. .. --.. .- -.. -... . - .... .-- .. ... . -. --. .-.. .. ... .... ...--

.- -- - .-. .-. .. -.-. .- -. !!! :-)

{"commentId":1125089,"threadId":"166137","contentId":"1038373","authorDomain":"TeddRi"}

3 votes

#6.2 - Tue Oct 23, 2007 10:37 PM EDT

{"commentId":1125642,"authorDomain":"autumnhaiku"}

Autumnhaiku

TR: Hee Hee....wise?

Andres....sigh....in the U.S., almost everything is available online....you can pay all your bills, buy everything you need....even order food, or groceries online (and they deliver it!). Birthday cards can be sent electronically, and photos, of course. The only time I send postcards is when I'm travelling. I rarely go to the post office these days (I was going to say, only on holidays when I have to send gifts....but just realized that I've switched to ordering gifts online for direct shipment!)...just don't need stamps anymore when everyone I know is available via email or Instant Messaging.....

However, I still write daily in (brick and mortar) notebooks and journals because I enjoy the process of writing, using a good fountain pen, seeing the ink appear on the paper as my thoughts are transferred...

{"commentId":1125642,"threadId":"166137","contentId":"1038373","authorDomain":"autumnhaiku"}

2 votes

#6.3 - Wed Oct 24, 2007 8:05 AM EDT

{"commentId":1127357,"authorDomain":"ivanovic"}

Andres Z. Ivanovic

Autumn.

Here is exactly same situation. It is ok for banking etc, but I still miss old days as in that time was been communicational on some ways more pure. This is maybe also reason of my idea.

Andres

{"commentId":1127357,"threadId":"166137","contentId":"1038373","authorDomain":"ivanovic"}

2 votes

#6.4 - Wed Oct 24, 2007 5:40 PM EDT

{"commentId":1125023,"authorDomain":"ivanovic"}

Andres Z. Ivanovic

Surprise Tedd. You are also multilingual and your life in history gave you experience to find taste of countries and their languages. My son is 11 years and he already speaking three languages, and write one pasive and one active. Dughter is 8 and she is good in two languages but non of them she can write active.

Domestic languages are since global telecomunication came to the market dangerous as kids in 7th class can not write correct. Such a mankind development. :( I didn"t know about predictions for English danger in USA. Sometimes I read or hear something about "lations" but it is not my bussines as it is very far away from me.

So you are steps forward me. I have never read Shakespeare, or only some chapters in school. :)

It is nice to talk with you too.

Andres

{"commentId":1125023,"threadId":"166137","contentId":"1038373","authorDomain":"ivanovic"}

2 votes

#7 - Tue Oct 23, 2007 10:03 PM EDT

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ANDRES Z. IVANOVIC

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