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Penpal of the Week #36

This week, we have our first Penpal of the Week from Indonesia: Tiya.

1. Please tell us about you!

Hello everyone! :D

I am excited to be here and get the chance to introduce myself and my HUGE hobby of snail mailing! :D

So, my name is Tiya and am from Indonesia. Indonesia is one of the countries in South East Asia. I live in an island called Java, but originally from the most southern part of the country called Papua. Papua is one of the five big provinces in Indonesia and there are more than 250 tribes in it, with their own languages. Mine is called Biak and I have been trying to learn it. But we have a national language called Indonesian, that has enabled us to communicate with each other throughout the country. :D

Sun Flower is my favorite flower.
This picture of mine was taken in Singapore Airport.

I love learning languages. I speak Indonesian, English, a bit of Biak and Dutch and am learning Korean at the moment. It is so hard but it challenges me to use a better strategy. :D I am also interested in Sociology and Community Development and really hope that I can go back to school to learn more of the subjects one day. :D

I collect anything about Winnie the Pooh, and also collect pencils, pens and yellow notepads.

2. Describe your personality in 10 words!

I got the following description about myself from a Facebook quiz that I took and when I read it I was like "This is so me. They even know my favorite color which is Green" :D, so I think I would write it here. :D

My hometown, Papua. It is Pacific behind us.

"You are Green! You tend to be a little more introverted than extroverted - while you love being with your friends, you still need your "you" time. You are probably a rather laid back, zen sort of person, unless you get a good kick of energy; then you can be crazy fun! You know when to lie down and let someone take the lead, but if you feel strongly about something, you're not afraid to stand up for it! You are compassionate and like plants. You may be a little off-beat, and feel like not many people really see the depth in your personality. You would rather keep things on a superficial level that other people can understand than show the deeper side of yourself. You, in a nutshell: Cool, energized, balanced, strong, zen, deep, intelligent, logical and compassionate."

Another view of one of the beaches in Papua.

3. How long have you been penpalling? How did you first start? Tell us about your first penpal!

I first started penpalling around the age of 13. My first penpal was a girl called Bethany from America. But she actually lived in Indonesia for a few years, so we got to meet a few times. We kept in touch after she returned to America, but then lost in touch for a few years and just recently found each other on Facebook.

I also had a few other penpals from the Netherlands, Japan, and Italy. I completely lost in touch with the ones from Japan, but just got back in touch with the ones from Italy and the Netherlands, which has been exciting. :D

Me with my two good friends. I am the one on the right.

4. How many penpals do you have now and where are they from?

Right now I have 20 penpals. Most of them I met through Interpals (my profile name there is tiya2480).

They are from the States, Finland, Switzerland, Estonia, Japan, Canada, Austria, Hungary, Russia, Croatia, Poland, Sweden, Italy, Germany and the Netherlands.

I really enjoy writing and getting news from each of them, learning about their lives and cultures. I really hope we all will stay in touch for years to come. :D

A sample of my handwriting.

5. What are your favorite topics to discuss in letters?

The lives of my friends, what they have been through and share the excitement and sadness, the culture differences, ways of thinking on things that some take for granted, languages and new stationary stuff and to include some of this in the letter, so they can get the idea what I talk about. :D

Me with the Javanese dancers.

6. What are you looking for in a penpal?

Penpals who want to have a long-term friendship, who will not disappear after a few letters, who enjoy the friendship and have mutual respect and simply paying attention in the communication by writing regularly.

Me at Borobudur temple. It used to be one of the wonders in the world.

7. What do you like the most about penpalling?

The unique friendship that has built through the letters, getting to know some people who live in other parts of the world and the awesome feeling of opening a mail box and seeing letters came all the way from other countries, written by people who think about you and spend time to write you.

Borobudur Temple

8. In what language(s) do you correspond?

English and Dutch.


9. What are some of your habits in regards to letter writing?

I like to write letters on my desk, facing this wall full of pictures of my friends and family and so many different Winnie the pooh cards, stickers, sun flowers and leaves.

When I get a letter, I write back right away. I don't want my penpals to wait too long, the longest for me to write back would be three days after receiving it. :D

My friend and I are hiking to the top. This is one of the many
mountains that you can hike in the area where I live, Central Java.

10. Has anything strange/funny ever happened to you since you've been penpalling?

I mentioned earlier about my early penpal who lives in the Netherlands. It has been ages since we were in touch. And out of nowhere, in fact just last month, I got a message sent through a penpal site we are members of, asking whether I was the Tiya whom she used to write. And you have no idea how excited I was to find out that she's my long lost penpal friend! :D It has been awesome to be in touch with her and hopefully we won't be missing each other again! :D


11. Have you met any of your penpals?

I got to meet my first penpal, Bethany, a few times. However, I did not get to take pictures of us.

I have not met my new penpals yet, but I hope one day we will. :D

Some of my stationary stuff.

12. Are you currently looking for more penpals?

Yes, there is always room for new penpals. So yeah, I would be happy to get to know more people. Just write me at tiya2480@yahoo.com or my Interpals.

Thanks a lot, Julie, for the interview. It's been really fun!! :D


Thanks to you, Tiya, for answering my questions!

I'm looking for a couple of people who would like to be featured as Penpal of the Week on my blog in the coming weeks, so if you're interested, please let me know!

Julie xox

Penpal of the Week #35

This time, let's say hello to Nina from Switzerland!

1. Please tell us about you!

First of all I'd like to thank Julie for featuring me as Pen Pal of the Week! I'm really excited to do this and I hope you will enjoy reading my interview!

My name is Nina Chiara ("Kiara") and I'm a 22 year-old student from Switzerland. I'm currently studying Political Science and Anthropology but honestly, I don't think I'll actually graduate in these subjects. I'm thinking something a little more artsy might suit me much better!

On my 22nd birthday. I love this picture, it shows me at my best – laughing!

I live in a tiny village surrounded by forests, fields and the Swiss Alps. I absolutely love the nature and the view (I'm neighbors with a bunch of horses) but I wouldn't mind living a bit closer to Zurich, where I go to university, the movies, the opera, the theater, etc.

I still live at home with my parents and younger brother. Rent is incredibly expensive in Zurich and I don't have a job right now. Nevertheless, I'd love to move closer to the big city! I've lived in Barcelona and Vancouver so far and although I miss nature sometimes, I adore big city life.

View from our balcony.

My family is really crazy, we always say we should do a reality show like the Osbournes and we'd have tons of success :-D

We've got 5 pets, 3 cats and 2 turtles. I love cats very much and cannot imagine a life without cats in it!

I'm in love with music. I play the piano every day, I sing and sometimes I play around on my brother's guitar, although I really don't know how to play the guitar. I love music I can listen to with my heart and soul and I've found that in the music of Tori Amos. Of course I also like other artists such as Alanis Morissette, Bob Dylan, Mark Knopfler, Ani Difranco, classical and world music.

One of my biggest hobbies is writing letters, of course. I write about 4 letters a week when I'm on vacation and maybe one a week when I'm in university. Feel free to check out my Interpals profile.

Other hobbies of mine are drawing and painting – I can lose myself in a project for hours and really forget everything around me. I also love to go to the movies, the theater, concerts and operas. It's a pity that so few young people are interested in classical music!

Back when I still had long hair. Close to the opera house in Zurich.

I'm a big bookworm! My favorite author is Virginia Woolf but I read anything from Dostojewskij to Kathy Reichs. You could say that music and literature are two of my biggest passions in life.

I've basically been acting all my life. It's only recently that I've stopped because I haven't found a good drama group yet but I'm determined to keep theater arts in my life.

I'm a real globetrotter, mostly due to my parents who took me on a trip for the first time when I was barely 4 months old. I love discovering new and exciting places where I can listen to languages I don't understand and get to know people who lead lives that are very different from mine. No matter where I go in the world, however, I always find evidence supporting my most valuable conviction: that all people are the same. We might speak different languages, like different things, look different, lead our lives according to different religions and mores; but in our hearts we're exactly the same human beings longing for love and connections and a way to live our lives in a meaningful manner.

The country that has affected me the most is Kenya. It has shown me that happiness is not connected to anything material, it is simply a way of life.

The country that has given me most is Canada. Nowhere can I be myself the way I can with my Canadian friends and some day – sooner rather than later - I will move to Canada for good. There is nothing I'm more determined to do!

At least I certainly do!
Canada is my favorite country in the world, it's where I feel at home.

Another thing you might want to know about me – I'm a lesbian. Personally, I don't find it to be that big a deal but apparently society feels a need to condemn people like me. I had this epiphany a couple of months ago where I realized that I've got much more in common with my female friends in general than with the other lesbians I know. The aspects that unite us are much more numerous that the ones that set us apart. I really think love is love and I don't see a big difference between my straight friends and me. But some people are still very afraid of things they don't know and they make up the weirdest stories about homosexuals.

This summer I participated in the Vancouver Pride Parade.
It was an awesome experience!

2. Describe your personality in 10 words!

Private, emotional, intellectual, bookish, different, polite, interesting, musical, multilingual, geeky.


3. How long have you been penpalling? How did you first start? Tell us about your first penpal!

I'd say I've been pen palling seriously since I was 12 years old, for 10 years now, that is.

My first pen pal's name was Nula and she lived in Switzerland too. She responded to an ad I'd put in a children's magazine and we ended up writing to each other for about 4 years. During our best times I'd get a letter from her every Thursday and she'd get one from me every Tuesday. It was an incredible experience. We also met up twice, once at her house and once at mine. Our friendship endured her exchange year in Chile and mine in Canada and we were very close – we wrote about everything. Unfortunately when Nula started to go to university she didn't have time to write letters anymore and she suddenly stopped responding to mine. That was definitely a huge disappointment, not knowing why she'd stopped writing until I found her on Facebook where she explained it to me. Remembering the time we were pen pals, however, will always be very special to me.

Since then I've had many pen pals, my oldest right now is Katri from Finland. She's an awesome young lady and I feel like I've known her all my life. I hope we'll manage to meet up in person one day!

The Oberengadin. Isn't it just so beautiful? I love mountains.
I grew up surrounded by the Alps and whenever I'm somewhere
I can't see mountains for too long, I feel like something's missing.

4. How many penpals do you have now and where are they from?

I've got roughly 14 pen pals. They're form Switzerland, Scotland, Germany, Croatia, Canada, the US, Singapore, Sweden, Turkey, Finland, China, Trinidad and Tobago, Hungary.

I'm lucky enough to have a few long-term pen pals and others whom I just recently met on Interpals and am very excited to get to know better.



5. What are your favorite topics to discuss in letters?

Generally I'm up for any topic. Nothing is really off limits for me since I love hearing other people's opinions, no matter how different they might be from mine. Sometimes, however, I'm a bit reluctant to write about difficult or painful things that might have happened in my life, especially when I'm not feeling too positive. In a good mood I'll write about anything and answer any questions my pen pals might have for me.

My "little" brother Lucca and I. We get along great and I love him to pieces!

6. What are you looking for in a penpal?

A friend.

I like people who are different, who are artsy, have opinions and plans and, most of all, who have a positive attitude towards life. We all get depressed from time to time but to maintain a positive, optimistic attitude about it all is vital and essential for me. Pessimists just pull me down and I find life too precious to have a negative outlook on it.

A very important criteria for a pen pal of mine is that they take letter-writing seriously. I'm not expecting my pen pals to write letters of 10 pages or to write once a week. But to really get to know someone it's important that you keep talking to them regularly and fairly often.

What I like most is to hear about the daily lives of my pen pal. Some people might find that boring, but I do enjoy reading about what my pen pal has been doing the day she is writing a letter to me. Then of course I also like to hear about their work/studies and anything else that is going on in their lives. A letter only bores me if it is only about the weather or very superficial. Fortunately I've only read very few superficial letters in my 10 year career as a pen pal.

Corsica. One of my favorite places on earth.

7. What do you like the most about penpalling?

There's nothing quite like the feeling of opening your mailbox and finding a handwritten letter from halfway across the world in it. I think it's wonderful to get to know people you would never have meet otherwise. And the thought that someone takes the time to sit down and write a letter to you, a stranger (in the beginning), making an effort to get to know you, is wonderful.


8. In what language(s) do you correspond?

I correspond in English, German and Spanish. I'd love to have a French pen pal so as to practice the second of Switzerland's 4 official languages.

My best friend. :)

9. What are some of your habits in regards to letter writing?

For a few months now I've been writing my letters at my new big desk in my room. I like to respond to a letter I've received as quickly as possible. This past semester, unfortunately, I've been a bit overwhelmed by university; therefore it took me a lot longer than usual to write back. For this next semester I'm determined to use my time more wisely, thus being able to respond to letters much faster than before.

I usually use nice stationery, but not always. Although I enjoy beautifully decorated letters, I really think it's more about the content than the appearance. As long as I can read my pen pal's handwriting, I'm happy, and I always try to keep my letters as legible as possible.

From time to time I like to swap little things like tea or post cards. I've never been a big swapper, but lately I've become interested in it.

The box I keep the letters of my current pen pals in.

10. Has anything strange/funny ever happened to you since you've been penpalling?

I've got this wonderful pen pal from Turkey, Seda. In every letter she sends me little gifts from Turkey. Key pendants, post cards, sweets – it's great!

I once had a pen pal from Kenya; she was the daughter of the hotel receptionist where I stayed with my family in Mombasa. In the beginning writing to her was great but then she started asking me for money, which I actually sent but she claims she never got it. Things got a bit confusing from then on with me receiving letters from her with Swiss postage on it and gradually we lost touch. That was weird.

I also had a pen pal from Sri Lanka when I was about 15 years old. Again, at the beginning it was all good but then he seemed to be under the impression that I was interested in a romantic (letter?) relationship with him. Yeah, no.

My cat on my bed. He seems to be under the impression that he actually owns it.

11. Have you met any of your penpals?

I've met four of my pen pals in person, so far. My first pen pal, Nula, I've already told you about.

Then here's Millie from Canada, who was my e-pal for a while and invited me to stay at her house when I went back to Canada a couple of months after I'd gotten home from my exchange year. I had a great time with her but the funny thing is that today I'm friends with her sister Sadie and almost don't hear from Millie anymore. But I'm grateful that I know them both and I consider Sadie to be a very good friend of mine.

Last summer I also met Narisa, another Canadian pen pal of mine. We spent two wonderful days together and she showed me an incredible dessert place called True Confections where they make the most amazing cakes ever! Spending time with Narisa is really interesting; she's lived in very different countries due to her dad's profession and has some funny stories to tell.

My pen pal Narisa and I in Vancouver.

The third pen pal I've met in person is Lavinie from the French part of Switzerland. The first time we met was at a piano recital by Hélène Grimaud in Lucerne. It was fun to see her in person because I felt like I knew her and at the same time I didn't. In January I went on a spur-of-the-moment kind of trip to Vienna, Austria, where Lavinie is doing her MA, and she offered me to stay at her apartment. We couldn't spend that much time together because she had to go to university every day, but we did go see an opera together and we also went for coffee. I enjoyed myself very much in Vienna.

Like I said above, I'd love to meet my Finnish pen pal Katri in the near future. I just have this feeling that we'd get along great face-to-face as well.

I'm happy to say that this summer my pen pal Lucy from the US is probably coming to Switzerland and I'm very excited to meet her in person!


12. Are you currently looking for more penpals?

I am, especially male pen pals. I only have one male pen pal and although I know there are some really interesting guys out there who love writing letters, so far I haven't been lucky enough to meet one. But everyone is welcome, as long as you're open-minded and have something interesting to say!


Thank you, Nina!

If anyone is interested in being featured on my blog as Penpal of the Week, just reply to this post!

Julie xox

Penpal of the Week #34

This week, the interview is published on Sunday since I'm leaving for Las Vegas at 5:30 am on Monday. I hope you all have a nice week! I'll be back on Thursday night.

In the meantime, say hello to Erin from Canada!

1. Please tell us about you!

Hello world! My name is Erin. I'm 25 and I'm a born and raised country girl. I'm originally from a small farming community called Onoway. It's tiny, and I mean tiny... only about 1200 people live there. To describe it, I have to use the same old cliche, everyone knows everyone else. I moved away in 2004 for college but my grandparents and mom are still out there, so I try to visit at least once a week. I love the drives out to the country, the beautiful scenery, and damn, do I miss the fresh air!

I currently live in Edmonton, the capital of Alberta, with my boyfriend Nathan (he'll be 31 soon) and our 8 month old son Benjamin. We were actually co-workers to begin with, then started to date. We've been dating for a few years now and I remember in the beginning of our relationship Nathan kept saying how he wanted to be a dad soon, preferably in 2-3 years. I always kind of brushed it off, as I was told that I'd never be able to have kids naturally. Plus, the thought of labour scared me more than death itself. Well, one fateful day in September 2008 I discovered I was pregnant. (surprise!) It came as total shock and excitement. That same day actually I was hired by my current employer, so that was interesting. I guess the planets were aligned for good luck or something!

Nathan and I before parenthood (Aug. 2008) and after parenthood (Dec. 2009).
Changed a lot but still going strong.

Benjamin came into the world on June 6 a huge 10 lbs 5 oz. He's a wonderful baby, and I wouldn't take him back for the world. He's good tempered and always flashing a gummy grin... I love figuring out what makes him ticklish and just playing with him. When he's older I want to begin travelling more and showing him the world. I'm looking forward to the future.

Love of my life right here.

A bit about my job... I'm a video editor for a local TV station here in Edmonton. I studied Television Broadcasting in college and had the good fortune to work on music videos and TV series around town here (the latest series I worked on was "The Family Restaurant" shown in Canada). However, my passions lie in camerawork and editing. I was a camerawoman / editor for APTN National News for a while before I got offered to be a full time editor at my current station. I love my job. It's fast paced, exciting, and really cool to see your work on TV at the end of the day. I'm proud of my work, but it's not all glitz and glamour... it's high stress and tight deadlines. But would I change it for the world? Oh, hell no!

The control room at my work! So many hypnotic screens...

Some things I absolutely love are letter writing, scrapbooking, photography, anything to do with punk and goth culture, learning (I have an insatiable thirst for knowledge and I'm currently taking astrology / parapsychology courses via correspondence), film making, thrift stores, the paranormal, piercings, tattoos, pin-up style from the '40s and '50s, summer storms, tea, classic cars, anything vintage, playing guitar, astrology (I'm a Scorpio), hair dyes (I'm an addict!), plus so much more. I love life and want to live it to the fullest.

If you want to know more or contact me, feel free to check out my Interpals page.


2. Describe your personality in 10 words!

Passionate. Humorous. Curious. Caring. Addictive. Open-minded. Cynical. Loyal. Loving. And ultimately, creative.

Creativity = Life.


3. How long have you been penpalling? How did you first start? Tell us about your first penpal!

I guess my first penpal was back in elementary school, now that I think about it. My class was paired up with another class in a town about 45 minutes away. We exchanged letters, but nothing ever became of it.

Welcome to Alberta. Your daytime high will be -30°C.
Have fun with that!

I didn't get my first actual real penpal until I turned 13. My French teacher had received a brochure from IYS in Finland and encouraged us to order some addresses through them. I chose to have a penpal from Sweden... Her name was Evelina and we exchanged letters for a couple of years. We lost contact for a long time, then reconnected on Facebook for a while. We don't really talk much anymore, it's a pity.

I actually put penpalling on hold a few years ago. I was going through a tough time in my life, really down and out, and stopped doing the things I loved. It was really depressing. I finally got out of that rut though and with the encouragement of Nathan I picked it up again. I'm so glad I did! I absolutely love writing and receiving letters. I couldn't imagine my life without that hobby.


4. How many penpals do you have now and where are they from?

Oooh, to be honest I have no idea how many penpals I have! But what I do know is that I love writing to each and every one of them. I write to pals all over the world, either through snail mail or e-mail (I prefer snail mail though!).

Some of my letters, including a Beatles onesie for Ben. Nifty!

There are a few that instantly come to mind (I'm not playing favourites, so if you don't see your name please don't get mad at me!!)...

Hanna from Sweden is like my sister, we've been writing for around 10 years now. It's incredible to think we've known each other since we were teenagers! I adore her though. She saw my address through a friendship book and decided to send me a letter, which I'm grateful she did!! She got me into my now 2 favourite bands, HIM and Turbonegro, when she sent me a mix CD years ago. I love hearing from her, and we keep in contact on Facebook as well.

Sabrina from Finland is another girl that comes to mind... Years ago we began writing, but lost contact (gotta love that "reliable" postal service here). I just so happened to start using my Interpals page again when she found me online. I was so excited to see her message in my inbox... "Is that YOU?!" She's awesome and I feel like if we met we'd be the types to stay up all night chatting away.

Palak from India is an amazing girl. We met on a Facebook penpal group and instantly clicked. Her writing is like poetry, so beautiful and wonderful to talk to.

Shivanee from Trinidad & Tobago is also fantastic to hear from, I love her writing style and wit about her.

Pavel from Russia always sends little cards in Russian and even when I'm not expecting a letter, I'll find something from him in my mailbox, telling me about traditional Russian festivities and general life there.

Maria in Finland is rad, she has so much to say and I feel like we've known each other for ages, even though it's only been a little while.

Who else? Zael from Papua New Guinea is a new pal I met on Interpals and I can tell already we'll be great friends. Same with Mandy, Sam, Phoebe and Hippy in the USA, Tove in Finland, Amber in Montreal, Ilse in Belgium, Kama in Poland... you get the idea.

If I haven't mentioned your name, please don't think I've forgotten about you! I've met so many amazing people from around the world and I couldn't be luckier... unless if I win the lottery and can actually meet everybody! But all in all my penpals feel like very close friends.

Handwriting by yours truly.

5. What are your favorite topics to discuss in letters?

Anything and everything! Nothing is off limits... school, work, relationships... I like when letters get personal and you can actually open up about feelings or what you're thinking. To me that signals you're completely comfortable with that person and that ultimately builds trust. You know they'll be there for you through thick and thin and you'll be there for them.


6. What are you looking for in a penpal?

Creative and chatty are high on my list. I love getting long letters and writing long letters back. Penpals who you can trust and talk to about whatever is going on in your life is another thing I like. Writing definitely makes me stand back and reflect on events in my life... Also, a great sense of humour is definitely a MUST! :D

Making practical use of my huge belly at work. Now feed me!
OR... Super-pregnant, awesome show. Great job!

7. What do you like the most about penpalling?

What I like the most is that someone thousands of miles away considers me their friend and vice versa. Also I adore learning about other cultures, and what better way than to talk to someone from a different background? It's a fantastic hobby.


8. In what language(s) do you correspond?

Unfortunately I only know English. I can read some French, but as for conversing in it, good luck!

I'd love to learn Swedish one day though... and Cree, a Native tongue here. My grandfather is part Cree and I wish I could pass down his ancestor's language to my son.

Top: This was the view from my old apartment in downtown
Edmonton, facing north. It was stunning and I miss it so much!
Bottom: If you looked out the west of my old apartment, the
Legislature building was a hop, skip, and a jump. Gorgeous!

9. What are some of your habits in regards to letter writing?

I tend to like writing in the evenings, when the day is winding down. I can sit, relax (if Ben allows it!) and just let my thoughts flow onto paper.

When I first moved to Edmonton years ago I would actually wait until the weekends when I drove out to my grandparents to write my replies... There was something calming and nostalgic about it... Sit in the living room where I grew up, beside the window that looks out onto our garden, I loved it.

Lately it's taken me a bit longer to write replies as Ben's learned to crawl and gets into EVERYTHING, but I still try and make time to write a little here and there. It's something I never want to give up.

I'm pretty sure Ben is one of the most adorable babies EVER.
Not to brag or anything... ;)

When I go back to work I'd love to send out more parcels with Canadian-type souvenirs. I'm lacking in monetary funds at the moment to do that (Maternity Leave benefits are next to nothing, sigh...!)


10. Has anything strange/funny ever happened to you since you've been penpalling?

Hmmm... Well, actually recently on Interpals! I had a photo up of myself and my friend Monika, where she was pretending to pick my nose. I got an e-mail from some guy in Uganda demanding I marry him because I apparently looked "so pretty" in the photo (who knew nose picking would get someone so hot and bothered!). I said no, then he said he wanted to marry my friend and that I was allowed to be part of the family (Wow, my prayers have been answered...;)

My awesome lady friend and I.
Who knew nose picking would be a bonding moment?

One funny thing I've received was years ago when my British penpal sent me a letter... When I received it, it was ripped partially and had what looked like cake icing on the side of it. It was sealed in an official Royal Post plastic baggy with an apology letter. Weird! But other than that, nothing too strange or unusual.

I had a penpal from Malaysia I wrote to for a while, then the huge tsunami happened and I never heard from her again. It made me worried for a long time after that. Also, in 2001 I began writing to a girl in Jordan... Then 9/11 happened and she was another pal I never heard from again. I'm assuming with what had happened the post just stopped to the Middle East. Still, it was a pity never hearing from her again.


11. Have you met any of your penpals?

Ummm, sorta. Long story. Back in high school my good friend moved to a town about 2 hours away and ended up befriending a guy up there. Apparently him and I had a lot in common, and she swapped our address. We wrote for a while and after he moved to Edmonton we ended up dating... for over 4 years. In the beginning he was a cool guy but towards the end it went downhill swiftly. Needless to say it ended really badly. :(

I have yet to meet any penpals, but I would love to. I need a vacation! ;)

I lurve zebra print.

12. Are you currently looking for more penpals?

I have a lot of penpals at the moment, but I can never seem to say no to someone wanting to be friends! I'm currently helping my friend Vicky and my little half-sister Lacie (she's 16) get into penpalling so I mostly look for people they'd get along with.

However, I've always wanted a penpal from Scotland and anywhere in South America, so I do keep my eye out! Either way, if there's anyone interested in contacting me, I'd love to hear from you! Again, my Interpals page is http://www.interpals.net/Wander_Lust84.

I hope you enjoyed reading my interview, and long live the power of the pen!


Well, *I* certainly did enjoy learning more about you Erin, and I'm sure my readers will agree with me! :)

Julie xox

Penpal of the Week #33

This time, let's welcome Megan from Australia.

1. Please tell us about you!

Hi, I'm Megan a 22 year old law student from Canberra, Australia. I currently work as a legal clerk while I am studying. I love the things that most people do, movies, reading, hanging with my friends, eating out and of course sending and receiving mail.

I started my own blog in October last year and am loving having my own creative outlet. If you would like to check it out the address is Time After Tea. I am constantly amazed by all the wonderful and talented people that I meet through my blog.

I live with my boyfriend who I have been with for three years, and our friend Maddy. As well as our little Guinea Pig Chuckie, who is super cute for a guinea pig.

Brendan and I.

I love traveling. I was lucky enough to travel around Europe with one of my friends for five weeks last year and had the time of my life. I have also been to Japan when I was 17. The next place on my travel list is Thailand and Vietnam.

I have an amazing family, that are very supportive and loving. My sister is 19 and is studying pharmacy.

My sister and I.

I love to get out and try new things and am willing to give anything a go once. Having said that I also love sleeping and need at least 8 hours a night to function.


2. Describe your personality in 10 words!

Energetic, happy, loving, thinker, listener, impatient, laidback, talkative, dreamer, organised.

Me with Johnny Depp (Madame Tussards London).

3. How long have you been penpalling? How did you first start? Tell us about your first penpal!

I first started to pen pal when I was seven when one of my best friends moved 6 hours away. We managed to write letters for a couple of years but slowly moved apart, we're still friends on Facebook.

I then penpalled with my Japanese exchange student but the language barrier made it tough.

It is only in the last 6 months that I have started to penpal with people I haven't meet in real life. Most of my pen pals I have meet through their blog or mine.


4. How many penpals do you have now and where are they from?

At the moment I have about three serious penpals then a few that I write to on and off.

I meet Stephanie through her blog and we just instantly clicked. We have alot in common so it makes it easy to write to her. At the moment we're both trying to lose weight so we give each other constant support through our letters and blog.

A letter I recently sent out.

Lauren is a new penpal and I only sent her my first letter a few weeks ago and am eagerly waiting a reply.

I also am part of projects such as postcrossing and sendsomething.net.


5. What are your favorite topics to discuss in letters?

I am happy to talk about pretty much anything. Be that politics and religion to love and everyday life. I think if you limit your topics too much you don't get to know your penpal as well. I love people who can recommend great books, movies and places to visit.

Me on top of the Eiffel tower.

6. What are you looking for in a penpal?

Of course someone that I have things in common with but I think it is also important to have differences. I like penpalling with people who can teach me something or express a different point of view. I like people who are constant in their letter writing so that you can develop your relationship rather that hearing from them once every 6 months.


7. What do you like the most about penpalling?

It allows me to meet and speak with people that I wouldn't otherwise get to in my everyday life.

It allows me to be creative. I like to put effort into my letters and make them about more than just the words on the paper.

I also enjoy the friendships that are formed through letter writing.

Me (stripped singlet) and friends from high school.

8. In what language(s) do you correspond?

Unfortunately only English at the moment.


9. What are some of your habits in regards to letter writing?

When I get a letter I usually write back within a couple of days. When I send it though depends on when I have money for postage, being a poor uni student definitely has its disadvantages.

I usually either sit at the kitchen table or in our office when I write my letters. If work is quiet I will sometimes write there too.

Where I sit and do my letter writing.

10. Has anything strange/funny ever happened to you since you've been penpalling?

Haha not as yet but I will have to keep an eye out.


11. Have you met any of your penpals?

No, I haven't but am definitely not against the idea.


12. Are you currently looking for more penpals?

A big YES! If you are interested in penpalling with me please email me at m_sparke@hotmail.com


Thank you Megan, I hope this interview allows you to find new penpals! :)

Julie xox

Penpal of the Week #32

This time, let's meet our first Penpal of the Week from Finland: Tove.

1. Please tell us about you!

My name is Tove, I am 24 years old, at least for four more months! I am engaged to be married, the date of the big day is still not decided! But the wedding plans are in full mode! Together with my wonderful husband-to-be I have a beautiful baby girl, named Novalie. This means "new star" or "cloud" in Italian I've been told. Another child is very much welcome to our small family! I'd like to have my own "Brangelina clan" with biological children, that is.

Family portrait, Christmas 2009.
Novalie looks like a gingerbread lady, don't you think? ;D

We are living in the Turku Archipelago on a small island called Korppoo, Finland. Marcus's work keeps us out here. For you who don't know anything about this little island of ours it's about 80 kms from Turku, which used to be Finland's capital city back in the days ;) To get here you have to take two ferries, so we don't get a lot of unannounced company ;) I am currently working in a grocery store myself, planning on going back to school to study health care!

We are a very animal loving family. Fiibi is our four year old dog, who lives at my mothers; she didn't appreciate her new siblings, our cats Melvin, Miro and Matheo. Our boys don't mind sharing their home with Mollie and Minnie, our degus, which are half Guinea pigs and half Chinchillas for you who don't know what they are! And last but not least we have an aquarium.

Me and Fiibi (Phoebe in English)! This picture was taken
back in 2005 when Fiibi was only nine weeks old! Cute!

I love love love doing things with my hands! I recently made a portrait of Novalie using photopearls! It took me two days to get it done, it was worth it though! I also made a puzzle out of her kindergarden picture a while back. My grandmother taught me how to cross-stich, so I'm doing that too, so no, it's not just elderly people who do that kind of stuff x) My latest creation was a Christmas stocking for Novalie, who else? ;)

Photopearl portrait of Novalie, I made it in two days.
The puzzle was a Christmas gift to both me and Marcus.

2. Describe your personality in 10 words!

1. Honest – Honesty is number one in my book! I am a very honest person and I expect honesty from my friends and family too. Yes, the truth can sometimes sting pretty bad, but the lies and dishonesty hurt even more! I am not perfect but I tend to stick to the truth all the way around... a few white lies can't hurt though... right? ;)

2. Acceptable - I don't judge people, I accept them as who they are. I support gay rights, who's to say there can't be love between two males or two females? I accept different cultures, beliefs, and religions! I believe in equality!

3. Open minded - I like new ideas and I'll try anything once! We only have one life, why don't we make the most out of it? Go for it!!

4. Detailed – You can expect very detailed letters from me! In my letters I'm not shy, and I hope you're not either otherwise we might not click! I will tell you about anything into the last little detail!

This picture was taken at the autumn market
in Tammisaari back in 2009.

5. Shy – In new situations I tend to be withdrawn and shy. But once I get to know you I will open up more and you'll never get rid of me!!

6. Talkative – I recommend you bring a pair of ear plugs if you ever come to visit me! Otherwise I will keep you up 24/7!! I never shut up once I get going!

7. Opinionated – Ask me a question and I will answer. You might not like the answer though! I tell you exactly what I think, not what you want to hear!

8. Strong-willed – What can I say... What I want is what I get. For example my daughter's name, Marcus didn't like it at all when I first mentioned it in week 16. Once she was born I took a look at her and said "She looks like a Novalie, don't you think", he knew it was no point to argue, and I got my baby girl princess to be named Novalie.

My loves! Am I lucky or what?? :)

9. Fun – This I've been told by friends. I'm usually the one who lights up a dull moment. Not intentionally, but I seem to have a hidden talent of saying the right things at the wrong moment, you know? Weird, yes I know. That's me!!

10. Caring – I am the kind of friend you can call in the middle of the night and ask anything! Once I make a commitment to someone I'm there every day of the year every minute of the day. If you're feeling down I will do my best to cheer you up, and when you're happy I will be even happier for you!


3. How long have you been penpalling? How did you first start? Tell us about your first penpal!

I wrote my very first letter when I was eight years old. I had read an ad in a school paper and answered it. It was the beginning of my (soon to be) seventeen year long hobby! I loved it as much back then as I love it today! Besides, I thought it was so unfair when my mom got mail and I didn't... The only difference was that she was receiving bills when I received one sheet letters! Haha!

Maria, my first pen pal and I still have contact today. We don't write letters anymore but we do chat online from time to time. She's currently busy studying and I accept that, education is important! I used to be so happy when I found a letter from her in my mailbox, even though it only was one page long with big messy handwriting and a lot of questions. I still have the letters today! I save all my letters in a big red treasure chest, it's fun reading them over and over again some years later!

My treasure chest, filled with lovely letters from all over our globe.
Keep them coming!! :)

4. How many penpals do you have now and where are they from?

Gosh, I don't know the exact number since it changes a lot. At this moment I have to say I have around 20 pen pals. Whom I love very much!

I've met them all at InterPals where I have an account. They are all over this globe of ours! To mention a few countries: Finland, Sweden, Germany, Italy, Austria, USA, Australia...

Some of my penpals are still quite new to me like Muriel, whom I already love to pieces, Julia, the Austrian girl who writes her letters in Swedish, Sabrina who moved to my beautiful home coutry to be with her loved one, Ramona, the girl from Germany who was one of my first penpals from InterPals, Mandy, whom I actually already knew without knowing who she was (You know what I mean), Monica, who got me inspired to begin writing themed letters, Whitney, I know you gonna make me some beautiful wedding jewelry, Sarah, who sends the most interesting parcels with lots of suprises... And all the rest of you, you mean the world to me!

To explain what I mean with "themed letters". For example I sent a Moomin themed letter to Monica, (complete with Moomin drawings and candy) and a "Kiroileva siili" themed letter to Sabrina! Mandy got a really creative snowflake letter. I must say I did pretty good with the glitter on that one x)


5. What are your favorite topics to discuss in letters?

I don't have one favorite topic! My letters usually contain stuff about everyday-life, my thoughts and dreams. Experiences from the past, hopes for the future and anything else that pops up to mind! When I begin writing a letter I don't have it all figured out, I let it come as it comes. That's why you never know what will come next! I really do write about everything! In my letters I'm not shy! I will tell you about my lovelife, daughter, work, my past and what I'd like my future to look like. I will tell you about my happiest memories and my darkest, about my darkest secrets... EVERYTHING! I really do trust my penpals, like they were friends that live close by even though they don't. I consider my penpals to be so much more than "just penpals"!

This picture is taken on our forest adventure back in 2009 :)

6. What are you looking for in a penpal?

I am looking for long lasting friendship to start with. I'd prefer you to write long detailed letters as I do, that's not the main thing for me though! I hope, once we start writing that you won't disappear after a few letters! If you don't think we hit it off it's okay, tell me that, don't just stop writing! I want someone who's gonna be by my side in all situations! You know I'm going through a rough period right now and I'm so happy to have all of you! I will be there for you too!

Someone who really opens up and talks about everything! No one is perfect and neither am I, just be you! And don't hesitate to write me whenever you need me!!

But please, share the same values!


7. What do you like the most about penpalling?

I like to get stuff in the mail, the bills I can do without, but not letters from my friends and loved ones! I like the idea of having friends from all the corners of our planet! It's especially great if I would decide to travel the world someday! I would have a lot of places to go, and a lot of lovely people to meet up with! Besides, who doesn't love getting a letter in the mail from a really good penpal? Just to know that someone half around the world sat down to write a letter that's just meant for you to read! Love it!!

Me and my beautiful baby girl Novalie.
She was just a baby, now she's all grown up ;D

8. In what language(s) do you correspond?

For the most part I write in English. I also write in Swedish! Julia, who is from Austria, really impressed me (and still does!!) by her talent in languages – I love getting her letters, especially since she learned the language in just one year! AMAZING!!

Sabrina, the girl who moved from Germany to Finland and learned Finnish is another great friend of mine! I write my letters in Finnish to her, and she answers in which language she prefers! I must say that these two girls really have made their mark in my heart, so talented! (Pssst girls, teach me German!!)

So, I am writing letters in English, Swedish and Finnish.

Not the best picture, but that's 100 % my handwriting! :)
I hope you can read it!?

9. What are some of your habits in regards to letter writing?

I usually sit down to write a reply straight away! I actually sometimes manage to get a letter written in time for it to be mailed the same day I got mine! I don't like to keep my penpals waiting!

Before I get started to write a letter I have to figure out which paper to write on, it has to be perfect! I also choose a pencil very carefully, yes, I'm a perfectionist when it comes to writing letters! I want my penpals to really like them as much as I’ve liked their letters!

I write all of my letters in our living room or, rarely, at the kitchen table. I need to have some noise in the background which Novalie, my daughter, is more than happy to provide for her mommy ;)

Novalie goofing around. She LOVES the camera!

10. Has anything strange/funny ever happened to you since you've been penpalling?

Yes! I once had a male penpal from Ghana who tried to scam me for money! He portrayed himself to be a student with economy problems. He also sent me some necklaces to sell for him since he needed to feed his family... I sent them back and told him that as much as I'd like to help him I can't, and that I would be there for him if he needed a friend, but I wouldn't be able to send him food or money. I never heard from him again.

That's why I am taking some distance from male penpals. I'd like to have one, but unfortunately it's really hard to find someone who's "for real"... Hopefully I get one through this interview!


11. Have you met any of your penpals?

No, not yet. We are however talking about a penpal meeting with some of my penpals! If anyone of my current penpals are interested please let me know! I would LOVE to meet all of you one day! You mean the world to me!!

Novalie takes after her mommy!
How happy she is mailing Moni's package :D

12. Are you currently looking for more penpals?

Yes!! I am also looking for males to write to since I think it can be interesting to see what we might have in common! Please notice that I am engaged and only looking for friendship!

If anyone liked my interview and would like to get to know me better I'd be glad to write with you! So don't hesitate, contact me on InterPals and we take it from there!!

This is the most recent picture taken on me!
Posing with me is Fiibi, my four year old four legged baby.

Thank you for reading my interview, and thank you Julie for giving me the chance to do this!


You're welcome, Tove! And thank YOU for this lovely interview.

If anyone would like to be featured as Penpal of the Week on my blog, just reply to this post!

Julie xox