Penpals

Akin to record players and cassette tapes, the new generation may not have heard of the term ‘penpal’. The advent of modern technology in the new world of instant messaging renders communication with one another across borders possible in a matter of seconds. Long gone is snail mail. Long gone is the momentary high I get each time I open up my mail box, anticipating a personal letter from overseas instead of expected bills and junk mails.

My generation grew up in the era of writing letters by hand. While it is tedious with no auto-correction, every letter is penned with effort and thought. It commands a deliberate reflection and more soulful delivery. I had many penpals from different corners of the world in my childhood days – Canada, USA, Ireland, Finland, Sweden, Italy, China, New Zealand, etc. We exchanged letters and stories of our lives via letter, enclosing souvenirs of coins, leaves, photos, anything that depicted our country and culture. It was a precious and unforgettable learning experience, it served as a source of knowledge about the world out there! Unlike today whereby one gets to google instantly what one wishes to know, the resources during those times were looking up volumous encyclopaedias in the public libraries. The rate of searching was slower but absorption rate was 100%. Nowadays with information overload, absorption rate is perhaps 10%?

My wanderlust nature probably began seeding during those days; every letter I received from a penpal was food for imagination of the world out there and piqued my curiosity. The more I learnt about their cultures and interesting bits, the more I hungered to experience it firsthand. One lasting impression I had was a postcard of a gorgeous lady in Flamenco dress sent by my Spanish penpal, I was totally awed by their rich heritage and culture. Every country holds a mystery card of new discoveries.

Here’s a tribute to my penpals whom sadly, I had lost touch but fondly remembered.