I vaguely remember there was a thread dedicated to this, but Kama is lazy.
I got another letter today from a lady in Sweden. We've been corresponding for over 4 years now... a long time. I've had a few pen pals before, but never that long. She's sort of become a part of my life. She's over 40 now, a little over-weight, and very fun. She enjoys living.
Here's a selection of her letters. Meet my friend, Ann-Kathrine
quote: “My mother knows everything about how to eat right and how big companies misuse foreign countries in their lust for money. As you can see I am a communist, a Swedish humanist-communist. Not like murdering or anything.”
“Dear Kamila! Be a good girl now and study a lot. If you are very good at your interpreting it does not matter that you are shy.”
“I work as usual and try to flirt with Bjorn, a son of mayor. When I was at his apartment and sipped some whiskey and watched a movie I thought he said “I love you” behind the door. I tried to confront him but he just said “silly talking”. He is really shy. I know I already have a man but it is easy to fall in love when we have been together for 17 years. But I love Anders too.”
“I started to learn maths but it was very much too difficult and the other level was too easy so I stopped and have started with Spanish instead”
“I was at my friend’s apartment and watched telly when I heard about the accident at World Trade Center. I did not understand first what I saw at the pictures. I was a little shocked. But it is not difficult to understand when one remembers how USA puts its finger all over the world.
There was also a program about Polish berry-pickers who came to Sweden and got fooled to earn money when it is too expensive to live in Sweden”.
“Have you finished your education now? I hope you get a good work. And do not let men “jump” on you because you are a woman. See that you get a good salary.”
“I am reading a book now about how women in USA and Britain have to spend much money on looks and outfit and the writer means that it is unfair that women have to be beautiful when men can look old in their works.”
“This is the second letter I write to you tonight because I do not think the first was good enough.”
“Anders and I are as happy as ever. We respect each other and talk much and laugh much together.
I hope that you are happy with your life and your work!. You know, there are thousands of new men in the world and I am sure that you will meet a nice man in the future. You should have a man with whom you should discuss languages and the world. Anders and I are perfect for each other.”
“Before the snow came it was really dark early in the afternoons but now everybody has got Christmas lights in their windows. People become rather hysterical and even put lights on their houses.”
Posted by scottneb (Member # 676) on :
I've always had this dream of knowing somebody in another country purely by snail-mail. It seems sort of romantic.
(There I posted, my doobie is legit!)
Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :
Posted by Teshi (Member # 5024) on :
I had a pen pal in France in grade nine, called Cyril. It was of these school-arranged things. We had to write in bad French and our pen pals wrote back in bad English. Only Cyril wasn't bad at English; made me feel terrible.
Then he declared he'd figured out where I lived (as in my house) by my e-mail address! How? It was rather worrying.
Sometimes I get the urge to write a random letter to Cyril to see how he is getting on...
Posted by Goody Scrivener (Member # 6742) on :
Ah, I had a French penpal in high school also. We stopped writing back in the mid-80's. Funny thing is I suddenly got a Christmas card from her at my parents' house last year! I replied, but didn't hear back again. I figure she must have been going through some old stuff and found my address.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
One thing(of many) that I have learned from my recent illness is the healing power of the written word. I have received many, many cards and letter, and each one has brightened my day. It made me realize how I used to write letters, and now I write emails. it just isn't the same at all. I resolved to write a card a day(writing was one of the things that "went"), partly as therapy, but mostly to spark up an old flame. I think of my grandmothers, and how happy they are to open the mail. Let's hear it for snail mail!
Posted by Kama (Member # 3022) on :
Yeah, e-mail is just not the same
When my friend moved to the US, we wrote letters to each oter quite often. Then I got e-mail access and she said e-mails would be more convenient. Not only we didn't end up talking more often, we sort of moved away from each other. Maybe it's the fact that you need more effort to write a letter, what with getting nice paper, going to the post office and all - it makes them much more special.
Posted by Elizabeth (Member # 5218) on :
You know, Kama, you are right. There were some people I kept in contact with through email, but I called them less, and never wrote to them. When the email correspondence slacked off, we never rekindled it, and now I never hear form them at all.
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