tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8586030106543146930.post2030143688942235281..comments2023-12-23T12:16:10.045+02:00Comments on Writing my way around the globe: Snail mail in the 21st century: ImpatienceLaurahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00978310085800336886noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8586030106543146930.post-77537224534672425302015-08-28T18:42:22.541+03:002015-08-28T18:42:22.541+03:00I live in Costa Rica, so yes, my letters tend to t...I live in Costa Rica, so yes, my letters tend to take time. Add to it that I've a job and I'm studying to get my degree in Accounting. So yes, my time is quite scarce and precious, and I'm a chatty type of person, so I never start a letter unless I know I'll have at least half a day to work on it. Like you, I've been penpalling since early age, when we scouted for penpals in kiddy magazines, or made penpals out of the friends we made at our family trips. Back then people accepted that letters took time to travel.<br /><br />In today's penpalling world, I've found people who give you - literally - four weeks, from the moment THEY post their letters. If they don't get your letter within four weeks from the moment they posted theirs, you get black listed and trashed. This even in the face of known cost problems that post offices are facing across the globe, which force them to cut costs by laying down workers and thus talking longer to deliever.<br /><br />You kindly call it "impatience", but I find it's a matter of lack of consideration.Storm Bunnyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01003995788897827115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8586030106543146930.post-7850621388738593532015-04-14T08:38:07.790+03:002015-04-14T08:38:07.790+03:00Thank you for your great comment! I share your tho...Thank you for your great comment! I share your thoughts of "gambling" when it comes to the swaps - and, well, to the mail at all. That has happened to me a few times, too, that I've forgotten about a swap which arrived a year later than supposed. :-)Laurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00978310085800336886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8586030106543146930.post-57288370327359503252015-04-12T09:20:24.567+03:002015-04-12T09:20:24.567+03:00Maybe I've been lucky - but my first associati...Maybe I've been lucky - but my first association with the word pair "Snail mail" and "Impatience" was "opposites". The next thought was that this post will be about postcards from China... But I certainly agree that the kind of behaviour you describe takes the special charm out of snail mailing. I rarely contact pen friends or postcrossers by mail - except for the respond note after I've received a postcrossing card. Even when I did a direct swap with a Chinese postcrosser and I didn't hear anything from her for months. I treat direct swaps as a kind of gamble - only that mostly you win. But of course mail gets lost and some people may cheat - but that's a risk I can live with. I actually forgot about that direct swap with China by the time I finally received a big fat postcard letter. Nice surprise that way :)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06072651540579522300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8586030106543146930.post-5957230738976910342015-03-25T14:04:51.644+02:002015-03-25T14:04:51.644+02:00Yea, that's it! But I've said to all my pe...Yea, that's it! But I've said to all my pen pals, that I don't want to "swap thoughts" via Facebook or e-mail - the deep discussion should follow in letters. Some years ago I tried to have e-mail pals, but it was a doomed thing right from the beginning... It's just too fast to me.<br /><br />Thank you for your comment! :)Laurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00978310085800336886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8586030106543146930.post-86112679705359338192015-03-25T14:02:40.247+02:002015-03-25T14:02:40.247+02:00Niin ne vuodet vierii... ;)
Omiin kokemuksiin ved...Niin ne vuodet vierii... ;)<br /><br />Omiin kokemuksiin vedoten väitän, että näiden superpostaajien kirjeet ovat vain melko lyhyitä ja/tai pinnallisia. Toki itsekin olen joskus sellaisia kirjoittanut, mutta viime vuosina olen tullut siihen tulokseen, että laatu (= hidas vastaaminen, kunnollinen kirje) korvaa määrän (=nopea vastaus ja lyhyt kirje) tässäkin tapauksessa.<br /><br />KIITOS tuosta korjauksesta! Saksaksi se on "Ungeduld", sieltä taisin sotkea... Hauskaa, ettei kukaan muu ole ehtinyt sanomaan mitään. :PLaurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00978310085800336886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8586030106543146930.post-27054850695202568612015-03-25T13:59:21.129+02:002015-03-25T13:59:21.129+02:00Very good points - thank you, Eva! I agree, there ...Very good points - thank you, Eva! I agree, there are different kinds of snailmail for sure. And for me the blog is an addition, too.<br /><br />Oh, and I must confess, that I've pretty much abandoned swap-bot just because of the hectic pace the swaps were meant to be "sent" and "noted". Plus too many times I felt a bit disappointed with what I received.<br /><br />Thanks to you! :)Laurahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00978310085800336886noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8586030106543146930.post-10554488176453975642015-03-25T01:11:50.157+02:002015-03-25T01:11:50.157+02:00I understand you really well. Now having a penpals...I understand you really well. Now having a penpals is a bit... strange :D When I was a child I also had some penpals and I have also one now. And I see how different it is! Some time ago I was waiting patiently for a message and I couldn't get in touch with this person any other way. Now I write you my penpal: "Hello, did you get my message?". That's strange! We could write what we wrote in the letter on fb! :D Really funny :)Ja bez Imieniahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02735982254027936300noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8586030106543146930.post-28254127494407036042015-03-24T00:08:18.492+02:002015-03-24T00:08:18.492+02:00Haa, joo, muistan itsekin teksti-TV:n ja lehtien k...Haa, joo, muistan itsekin teksti-TV:n ja lehtien kirjekaveripalstat! Tuleepa nostalginen olo.<br /><br />Itse olen näitä kirjekaveriblogeja ja -instagramtilejä seuratessa välillä ihmetellyt, miten nämä ihmiset ehtivät kirjoittaa niin paljon kirjeitä, kun kuitenkin taitavat joko käydä töissä tai opiskella. Ovatko kirjeet sitten tosi lyhyitä, vai eivätkö he tee vapaa-ajallaan MITÄÄN muuta?! O_o Ihmetyttää itseäkin välillä kirjekaverien (tuntuisi vähän oudolta puhua kirjeYSTÄVISTÄ näissä tapauksissa) "keräily". Postikorttien suhteen kyllä ymmärrän maiden keräilyn, koska kortin kirjoittaminen on niin nopeaa, eikä siinä välttämättä tarvitse muodostaa pysyviä ystävyyssuhteita toisen osapuolen kanssa, mutta kirjeet tuntuvat ihan eri asialta minusta. Omakohtaisia kokemuksia minulla ei kylläkään ole näistä ihmisistä, koska en ole pitkään aikaan yrittänyt etsiä uusia kirjeystäviä. Olen niin hidas kirjoittamaan takaisin, että suurin osa ihmisistä varmasti luovuttaisi kohdallani. Nykyiset ovat onneksi kärsivällisiä :)<br /><br />ps. Onko 'unpatience' oikea sana? Sen pitäisi kai olla 'impatience'...Anuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15575298699034610221noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8586030106543146930.post-17289187263422949282015-03-20T12:52:45.698+02:002015-03-20T12:52:45.698+02:00I'm afraid I agree with you, because I have al...I'm afraid I agree with you, because I have also had not-so-good experiences.<br /><br />There's a big difference, in my opinion, between "snailmail" and "letterwriting". I don't mean that a really long letter is necessary for a "good" correspondence. I do love postcards, you know: the postcards are a good synthesis exercise. I mean that I like the mail being "meaningful"; I guess you understand me perfectly :)<br /><br />Internet is very useful for mail, as you describe. And writing a blog is another funny part of the process. My blog started as a way to show my mail to one of my penpals. Also as a way to practice English and develop some Internet skills. But the blog comes "after" the mail. <br /><br />I don't participate in swap-bot, or sites like that, because I find it stressing. And the last think I wish with mail is to create stress! It is intended just the contrary: To create relax and fun.<br /><br />Thanks for this post!Mail Adventureshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17574231572383527950noreply@blogger.com