Neretva: Croatia • Never Stop Writing • Write Around

Transcription

VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 5
MARCH ‘11
SANDBOOK
PENPALS AND SWAPPERS
THE MAGAZINE
FEATURES :
• Neretva: Croatia
• Never Stop Writing
• Write Around the World
• March Events
• Fashionista
AUTHORS
EDITORIAL
Dear Sandbookers,
Nina
Never stop writing
inlovewithsnailmail.
blogspot.com/
Yanelis Gourrie
PenPal for Life
l i k e
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c h e c k
t h e
l a t e s t
n e w s
a t
w w w . s a n d b o o k . n e t
Guest Authors:
Georgia Mystrioti
Georgia’s PenPals
Music Show
Welcome to yet another edition
of our PenPal Magazine. On the
following pages you will find a lot
of interesting PenPalling articles
to make your correspondence
even more interesting; ads to give
you the chance to find the right
penpal and swapper for yourself;
and of course our international customs, celebration and
events pages to give you a little window at the events in
March. We hope you will enjoy the whole colorful and
joyful combination of the topics in this March Issue.
If you want to share an article or a story, promote your
blog or website, don’t hesitate to contact us. We are
always searching for fresh ideas to make every issue a
unique and interesting one. And don’t forget: Penpalling
is not just a hobby! It’s a lifestyle!
Happy PenPalling!
MIKA Magazine
Thank you for taking part in issue 5,
March 2011!
Cover: GAYA DESIGNS
Editor: Raia Alexieva
Graphic Designer: Aspeia Alexieva / GAYA DESIGNS
IT administration: Jason Dimitrov
Photography: Manuela Balocco
Production Coordinator: Raia Alexieva
Team Authors : Samantha Stroy/ Raia Alexieva /
Bea from PenPalling and Letters / Rae from Glass
Completely Empty Productions / Teresa Wodehouse
/ Melanie Anzalone.
Information is correct at press time.
Raia from the Sandbook.Net Team
CONTACT US
Make sure that you stay informed for the latest news:
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Sandbook
Add us as a friend on Facebook:
http://facebook.com/sandbooknet
And join our Facebook Group: http://on.fb.me/SBNgroup
And join our Facebook Page: http://on.fb.me/SBNpage
Read our blog at: sandbooknet.blogspot.com
Visit us on our website: www.SandBook.Net
Rach Gee
Write around the world
Mail Art
Penpalling & Letters
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Happy baba Marta
Where to be in March
Jason Dimitrov
St. Joseph’s Day
4
Editorial
50 Where to be in March?
54 Happy Baba Marta
56 St. Patrick’s Day
58 St. Joseph’s Day
60 World traveler: Neretva, Croatia
70 Samantha’s Thoughts
a t
Raia Alexieva
36 Lost PenPal
38 PenPal Ads
49 PenPalling connections
n e w s
Beauty Brite
Fashionista
l a t e s t
Melanie Anzalone
How to make a postcard
Artistic Trading Cards
and more
t h e
Samantha’s Thoughts
c h e c k
Samantha Stroy
6 Write around the world
10 Mail Art
14 Letters from Home
16 Snail Mailer Giveaway
18 News from around the globe
20 PenPals for Life
24 Never stop writing
26 MIKA Magazine
28 How to make a postcard
30 Artistic trading cards and more
33 Georgia’s PenPals Music Show
34 PenPal of the Month: February 2011
i t ?
Neretva, Croatia
2 Editorial
4 Content
l i k e
Birthday Twins
IN THIS ISSUE
photo by Manuela Balocco
AUTHORS
74 Recipes
76 Fashionista
78 Birthday twins
80 Next issue
81 Subscribe
5
WRITE AROUND THE WORLD
by Rach Gee
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l a t e s t
Rach Gee
http://on.fb.me/WriteAroundTheWorld
t h e
CONTACT DETAILS:
rae@glasscompletelyempty.co.uk
glasscompletelyempty@gmail.com
c h e c k
Office Manager
http://tinyurl.com/GCE-office-cat
i t ?
Glass Completely Empty Productions
http://tinyurl.com/GCE-Productions
We now have fourteen
pen-pals and five stores/
websites signed up to
take part. What is so
wonderful is there is
an amazing array of
different countries in
that list, from the good
‘ole UK through to
Kenya. I’m really looking
forward to speaking to
everyone and listening
to what people have
to say about our little
world. We are still
looking for people and
it doesn’t matter where
you are from, please
feel free to get in touch.
The same goes with if
you have any questions.
Please don’t be afraid to
ask! We want as many
people as possible to
get involved. We know
that some of the things
we’ve mentioned, such
l i k e
Where to start?! The
past month or so has
been hectic and I feel
like I haven’t had time
to breathe! So many
people have enquired
about the film, signed
up or offered their
help and I feel utterly
and truly blessed to be
working among you all.
You are all living proof
that there is still good
in this world and that
people are still willing to
help others. Thank you
so much!
as consent forms, can
sound daunting but
they are just a formality
that every production
has to go through.
Beside me, there is a
notebook. Within this
notebook is the rough
draft of the questions
which will be given to all
our interview subjects.
These questions will not
be made public so if you
want to know what’s
going to be happening
then you need to sign
up!
Behind the scenes is
just as frantic. As well
as working on this film,
I work a day job and
write novels so time is
always limited. I do my
best to keep up with
everything,
replying
to emails and putting
people’s minds to rest
and I do apologise if
you don’t hear from me
immediately. There’s a
pile of papers with shot
lists written upon them.
These are the images we
want to go and shoot to
pad out the rest of the
film. There are various
places we want to go
and visit, including a
wonderful little shop
in Brighton, Sussex. If
you’ve ever visited you
may know the one I’m
speaking about. Pen To
Paper is located in the
heart of the city and
sells every kind of pen
and notebook you can
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c h e c k
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l a t e s t
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t h e
Hopefully,
come
March when I have
a few days off
work, I’ll have the
interview pack
written, zipped
c h e c k
together in preparation
for mass email.
i t ?
•Finalise list of questions.
•Finish FAQ document.
•Complete introductory letter.
•Edit release form.
•Bundle
everything
up and ready to email out to everyone.
If you want to get involved, there’s still time. You
can find all the contact details, including links
to the Facebook page which contains all the
information you’ll need, at the end of the article.
Finally, we still have one competition running
for you! Here’s how it works:
Are you debating signing up for the Write
Around The World film project? If you
need a little incentive, up until March
25th 2011, we’re offering you the chance
to win stationery and stickers! All you
have to do, is email Glass Completely
Empty Productions with you name,
age, location and why you love penpalling. You will then be added to
the mailing list for when we send
out all the interview information
and will also be added into the
prize draw. Just email me at:
rae@glasscompletelyempty.
co.uk
And yes, people who are
already signed up are also
going into the draw! Are
you ready to follow your
dreams? Because we
are! I’m really looking
forward to this film
and to all that it’s
going to bring. I
thank all of you
for helping, for
promoting and
for being there.
Take care and
hopefully
they’ll be
more news
n e x t
month!
l i k e
imagine. Squeezed into a tiny shop, you have to breathe in as
you walk around lest you send something flying! Hopefully on
my next visit they’ll allow me to film a little in there, which is
something I’d really appreciate. I suppose I could always use
the, “But I’m one of your most loyal customers!” and see how
far that gets me!!
We’ve also contacted Google in regard to using the Google
Earth product within Write Around The World. If you’ve
ever seen the NORAD Tracks Santa Christmas application,
or seen any news items that use maps within them,
then you’ll know what I’m speaking about. They’ve
given us an estimated turn around time of 2 to 4
weeks and we’re hoping that, because we’re a small
company, that they’ll allow us to use it for free. As
with everyone who helps out, we’ve told them
that we’ll thank them a million times over in a
million different products. Please keep your
fingers crossed for a positive result from them
because it will make all the difference to the
look of the film!
Unfortunately, the next month or so is
more than a little crazy with novel writing
activities. There are several competitions
that I have been entered into and, as I’m
sure you can image, my mind’s more
focussed on those at the moment.
However, here’s the list of things
that need to be completed before
we can fully go into production:
a t
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a t
c h e c k
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i t ?
It was open season with
the invention of mail art,
with all and sundry being
used in the creation of
artistic pieces; bank notes,
xerox and copy art, stickers,
stamps (both postage and
rubber), badges, food
packaging and maps were
all considered fair game
as materials. Embossing,
stitching and the usual
drawing were also used
with some people paying
more attention to the
envelopes than the
contents within. Soon
envelopes became oneof-a-kind artworks in
themselves with the hand
written address often
becoming part of the art.
People also created their
own stationery until the
entire package was one,
personalised, piece of
artwork.
l a t e s t
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t h e
Mail art is a cultural
movement that began in
the 1960's, although one
“Inclusion” was the
ethos of the 1960's
mail art movement as,
in their words, “anyone
could afford postage”.
It was a way for new,
up-and-coming
and
c h e c k
What is mail art? Some
may see it as the
beautiful
envelopes
that drop through our
doors. Some may see
it as stationery covered
in stickers and doodles.
Some may see it as a
handmade card. All are
correct but let us take
a look at how mail art
began...
established artists to get
their work seen around
the world and would
take on forms that we
may not recognise
including handmade
postage stamps and
art works created using
a fax machine. They were
the fore-runners in hand
decorated envelopes and
Artist Trading Cards (ATC).
In fact, ATC's originated
from the mail art
movement and have their
roots in Switzerland.
i t ?
By Rach Gee
can imagine that is has
been going on since the
invention of the postal
system, if not before
with horseback riders
carrying love letter laden
envelopes from a man
to his wife. The history of
the current wave of mail
art (also known as Postal
Art and Correspondence
Art) begins with Pop
Artist Ray Johnson
(1927 – 1995) who
began a movement he
called “Correspondence
Art”. In 1962, he
founded the “New York
Correspondence
(sic)
School” and was used
by the international
network of “mailers”;
people who mailed
art back and forth.
Correspondence
art
took
many
forms;
fragments of cut-up
collages, drawings with
instructions,
found
objects, snake skins,
annotated newspaper
clippings.
Mail
art
provided a new route
to get art out into the
open instead of into the
commercialisation and
ruthlessness of galleries.
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MAIL ART
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But the beauty of mail
art, the true beauty of it,
isn't in the aesthetic, it's
the fact that it's free on
t h e
http://mailartmartha.org.uk/
http://www.mailart.be/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mail_art
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Johnson
c h e c k
MAIL ART WEBSITES
With the boom of the internet,
you would think that mail art
would have died a death, only
being practised by a few, core
people. Instead, it is as popular
as ever, especially among
pen-pals. With the internet
and the invention of cheaper
printing, more and more
people are creating art that
travels through the post. They
may not create by their own
hand, choosing instead to use
Some create ATC's and,
of course, we have decos
and highly decorated FB's.
Some people use stickers
to decorate envelopes
while others create their
envelopes from off cuts of
gift wrap and pages from
magazines. Others like to
go to work with ink stamps,
giving envelopes a slightly
aged feel with dots of
missing ink and wonderfully
coloured images. Some
like to keep it traditional,
taking pencils and pens
to envelopes or stationery
and creating elaborate
designs and pictures for
both the postal workers
and the recipient to see.
Some create their own
stationery, either creating
designs which are printed
out from the computer,
while others choose to
draw, doodle and decorate
their papers with stickers.
so many different levels. It
isn't tied down to a gallery,
nor is it published in a
book or shown in a movie.
It's completely and utterly
free, travelling the globe
as gently as a butterfly
on the breeze. It doesn't
cost millions of pounds
to create, nor does it cost
millions of pounds to buy.
It is an art concept that
is freed from monetary
commitments and open to
all. It does not matter what
your ability is because, as
long as you have a pencil,
an envelope and a postage
stamp, you can create a
piece of artwork and send
it to whomever you so
desire. All it takes is for that
little spark of imagination
to creep in and for you to
pick up whatever lies close
to you. It doesn't matter if
you can't draw! It doesn't
matter if you can't paint!
If you have the feeling
that you need to create
something, the raw desire
to do something different,
then that is all you need
to create a piece of mail
art. It doesn't matter what
you create for, if you have
created it and it can be sent
through the mail, then it's
mail art!
i t ?
Once a package of art had
been created, it was mailed
off to another artist in the
network. There were many
networks, all of them with the
same goal in mind; to send
beautiful things through the
postal system. There were mail
art shows and, as before, these
are now gaining ground again
with videos being posted on
You Tube of creations and
shows. The first mail art show
was in 1970 and, again, was
the brain child of Ray Johnson.
pre-printed stationery and
envelopes but I believe that,
in many people's eyes, this
would be viewed as a piece of
art which travels via the postal
system, hopefully bringing
a smile to all who handle it.
Rather than becoming the
preserve of the artistically
challenged, it seems that
everyone can now create
their own artworks to send
to friends.
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Words were also a huge
part of mail art and were
incorporated into the notes
that were sent along with
the art. They became a kind
of visual poetry with many
different styles and fonts being
created. Recordings became
common place, of prose and
poetry alike. First they were
sent on cassette tape, and
then on CD and now, with the
rise of the internet, mail art is
once again gaining ground
with people using social
networks, blogs and websites
to send art through the mail.
So go on, what will
you create?!
If you do create any mail art, feel
free to email pictures to:
rae@glasscompletelyempty.
co.uk
13
LETTERS FROM HOME
Contest by Kristina
McMorris
Written by PenPalling
and letters
and the list goes on...
What is the prize
offered in this
contest?
A nostalgic memory
box full of
your contact info as well
(name, postal address,
telephone
number,
e-mail address) and send
everything to
k r i s t i n a @
kristinamcmorris.com or
via postal mail to:
Letter
n e w s
l a t e s t
t h e
c h e c k
written
long ago. It can be a
message to God, an
estranged relative, a
deployed serviceman,
your favorite celebrity,
gorgeous
stationery, a fleurde-lis wax seal and
nostalgic
goodies
worth $150 (~110€) as
can be seen below.
When you submit
your letter, enclose
Entering automatically signs
you up for Kristina's rare but
fabulous e-newsletters. The
winner will be announced
HOME
by
Kristina
McMorris hits major
bookstores and online
retailers February 22nd!
Inspired by the epistolary
courtship
of
the
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14
WWII letter,
an imaginary note
from Juliet to Romeo,
from Donald Duck to
Daisy, or from Amelia
Earhart to a secret love
with whom she might
Watch a brief video about
the true story behind the
book at: Letters From
Home - A Video
a t
As it is explained in
the following link:
Letters From Home
Contest, you have to
submit a love letter
by March 31st, 2011 if
you are interested in
Contest
P.O. Box 100
Troutdale, OR-97060
United States of America
n e w s
a
l a t e s t
Home"
at
the
moment
and therefore
has organized
letter contest.
writing
to isn't
the one
replying.
Woven
around this
tenuous
thread are
three female
friends whose
journeys
t o w a r d
independence
take unexpected
turns as a result of
romance, tragedy,
and
deception,
their repercussions
heightened by an
era of the unknown.
Beautifully rendered and
deeply moving, Letters
From Home is a story of
hope and connection, of
With sales of its global
rights on the rise, and
book club rights sold
to Reader's Digest and
Doubleday, the novel
has received glowing
endorsements
from
the likes of Kristin
Hannah (New York Times
bestselling author of
Firefly Lane), Pam Jenoff
(bestselling author of
The
Kommandant's
Girl), and Lynn "Buck"
Compton (famed "Band
of
Brothers"
WWII
veteran).
t h e
In the midst of World
War II, a Midwestern
infantryman
falls
deeply in love through
a
yearlong
letter
exchange, unaware that
the girl he's
sacrifices made in love
and war - and the chance
encounters that change
us forever.
c h e c k
Kristina also wanted to share
with us some highlights
about "Letters From Home"
from her publisher's press
kit:
Spotlighted in the March
issue of Woman's Day
magazine,
LETTERS
F R O M
author's grandparents,
this
award-winning
novel is being hailed
as
"ambitious
and
compelling...[a]
sweeping
debut."
(Publishers Weekly)
a t
Love
and contacted around midApril. Have fun and good
luck!
i t ?
have run away. It can
be a letter you once
received, a copy of
one you have sent, or
one you should have
l i k e
A few days ago I was
contacted by awardwinning author Kristina
McMorris. Kristina is
promoting her
debut novel
"Letters
Fr o m
participating. It can be
short or long, funny or
heartwarming, poetic
or satirical, real or
made up. Some ideas
include:
an
actual
And for WWII letters,
special book club features,
1940s recipes, and more,
visit: Kristina McMorris
Website
A portion of the author's
proceeds from sales will
benefit United Through
Reading,
a
nonprofit
organization that video
records deployed U.S.
military personnel reading
bedtime stories for their
children.
h t t p : / / b i t . l y /
kristinamcmorris
15
l i k e
snail mailer giveaway
i t ?
c h e c k
t h e
l a t e s t
t h e
c h e c k
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countries that have
sketchy mail systems.
I actually joked with
Caitlin that the reason
she chose me to work
with again is because
she wanted more mail
and she concurred that
receiving a Thank You
was much appreciated!
Remember to send
"Thank You's", they
may open doors that
would otherwise remain
closed!
I hope this finds you all
having the luck of the
stamp!
Let the mailing begin!
Mika
lifestyle magazine
17
16
I will need email contact
info. I will not try to track
you down. I learned
from the last drawing
that this is a waste of my
time.
Entries must be received
by March 17th, St.
Patrick's Day! I will
reveal the winner(s) that
weekend.
Finally, you must be a US
or Canadian citizen to
enter and 18yrs of age.
Sorry my non-North
American readers, these
are CSN rules. I also
think the odds would
be stacked against some
a t
l i k e
n e w s
n e w s
a t
l a t e s t
http://bit.ly/snailmailer number, the person
who is a follower of the
Pick a number between blog will win over a non1-100 and send it to me follower. You do not
in a letter or postcard. have to follow my blog
Feel free to make mail to win, but it betters
art on them or whatever your odds and if you
you feel comfortable read me already- just
with. Valerie who won make it official!
last year is going to send *IF 2 or more followers
me the winning pick in are tied, names in a hat
the mail. The number and the girls at work will
that is the closest to her draw the winner. But I
pick without being over will send consolation
prizes to the other
will be the winner.
TheSnailMailer , P.O. Box names in the hat as they
4635 , , Bethlehem, PA deserve something for
18018 USA . .
being so close.
*IF 2 folks have the same *IF you are not a follower,
l i k e
Christmas
eveAROUND
and day THE GLOBE
NEWS
FROM
i t ?
Penpallling will finally have its own soundtrack!
c h e c k
t h e
On her Penpals music show experiment, Georgia will be blasting music up to
11 from as diverse genres as the world we live in! Send in your comments,
requests, questions for the show!! As Georgia sums it up: “You are the music,
your wish is my command!”
a t
a t
l a t e s t
n e w s
n e w s
l a t e s t
Get in touch on powerofthesun89@hotmail.com and on the FB page of the show!
c h e c k
t h e
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i t ?
packed furniture, might
soon pave the way for the
future of postal service – the
country’s postal service is
mulling over the possibility
of letting customers pay for
postage using text messages
instead of old school stamps.
This messaging system
By Edwin Kee
will respond with a coded
number, where it can be
Sweden, the land that written on a letter as proof of
brought you the safest postage payment. Of course,
cars around as well as flat nothing is set in concrete just
18
yet since officials will have
to sit around the table and
debate the plans as well as
set a date for its deployment,
although chances are pretty
high you will still be using
stamps to send your snail
mail until the summer.
Neighbors Denmark are
slightly ahead of the game
already, as they will be rolling
out a similar service from
April 2011 onwards.
http://bit.ly/e1eitI
Airing premiere: March 20, 2011
19
PENPALS FOR LIFE
a t
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t h e
c h e c k
i t ?
l i k e
Tell us a bit about
yourself (hobbies,
where you live, etc)
My name is Yanelis
Gourrie, I was born in
a small town in Cuba,
came to the USA when
I was 9 years old and
have lived here in
Tampa Florida ever since
then. I love dancing,
reading, writing, movies,
penpalling,
drawing,
20
theme parks, skydiving,
traveling. I am 31 years
old, Capricorn. I have
no kids. Love to make
new friends, love to
write, trade postcards/
magnets. Love to meet
new people and learn
about their cultures.
How did you
start with your
penpalling? How
long do you
been working on
PenPals for Life?
I started in September
2010 but would only log
in to the account every
few days. It was slowly
getting members but
I did not fully give my
attention to it. In January
2011 after being lay off
from my job I started
finding myself getting
more and more involved
and making my passion,
my imagination of what
I had originally planned
for the site a reality.
Tell us more about
PenPals for LIfe
- what can we
expect to find on
your Facebook
page?
Pen pals For Life is a
place where we feel like
family, where we talk
everyday about our lives,
we help each other with
motivation. We have
daily contest, giveaways,
monthly swaps, Meet
and Greets in different
towns, Newsletter, Pet
Contest, Member of the
week and Member of the
Month. We have a virtual
friendship book, Book
Reviews, Recipe Book
that we are working
on and much, much
more… We are always
open to new ideas.
How many of you
are in the team?
I love to give the team
members a title to make
it more official and more
creative.
Yanelis Gourrie-Creator/
Owner/President of Pen
Pals For Life
Kerri
SantoroAdministrative Assistant
of Pen Pals For Life
Teresa Santoro-Pen Pals
For Life Vice President
Nina Biina- Advisor &
Marketing Pen Pals For
Life
Kerri, Teresa and Nina
were just members of
the page whom after a
while of being on the
page and helping out
and seeing a lot of action
on the page from them. I
asked if they would love
to help with the page.
Now they are part of the
team and help daily. We
make a great team and
I am grateful to have
them. I do consider ALL
the members part of the
team, as they make the
page what it is. Without
all 841 members that we
have today, we would
not be such a wonderful
page like we are today.
Have you
partnered with
someone (like
eshops/shops/sites
beside Sandbook)?
I have only partnered
with members groups,
but not really with other
sites besides Sandbook.
But we are currently
working on that. We love
to continue to do this. So
if you are out there and l
like to partner, please let
us know.
Anything else you
would like to ad?
I love pen paling and
we strive to make sure
we have good, honest,
quality pen pals. We
strive to make sure you
feel like family and that
our page is not just
another pen pals page.
We are proud of what
we have done so far
and are very proud of
our members whom we
consider family.
Any tip or advice
you want to give
to our readers?
Always be safe when
pen paling. Have fun,
enjoy every second of
it and visit us, so you
can make a everlasting
friendship.
How to contact
you?
Pen Pals For Life
Po Box 27321
Tampa, Florida 33623
USA
http://www.facebook.
com/Penpalsforlife
penpals4lifeinfo(AIM)
Email: penpalsforlife@
live.com
w ss aa tt w
ww
ww
w . . ss aa nn dd bb oo oo kk . . nn ee tt
ll i i kk ee i i tt ?? cc hh ee cc kk tt hh ee ll aa tt ee ss tt nn ee w
http://www.facebook.com/Penpalsforlife
penpal?
I started pen paling
when I was 14 years old
I came across an ad in
a magazine and have
been pen paling ever
since that (I am now 31).
I still stay in touch with
that first pen pal I met
when I was 14. It is one
of my passions. When
I first started I did not
know of anyone who
was into pen paling, so
this one a wonderful
world that I was able to
discover myself.
How did the
idea about your
penpalling site
come out?
One day I was sitting
and thought to myself,
I like to be able to
make a page of pen
pals, where everyone
can find each other,
everyone can have fun,
can have discussions
and be who they truly
are and not be judge
by financial income,
by looks or anything,
but by a simple heart
and writting letters.
I searched Facebook
and so others pen pals
pages, but I wanted
something different and
said let me see what I
can do.... and then all of
the sudden new ideas,
new members and
the page turned into a
success overnight.
How long have you
** We are currently
working on a webpage
besides facebook. We
are also searching for
people willing to help us
with that webpage.
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http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/Penpalsforlife
Hello, Join our page : http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/Penpalsforlife, where
we are a friendly, family oriented and friendship everlasting page of pen pals. We have
daily communication, over 450 members and growing everyday. We have Giveaways,
contest, virtual friendship book, photos, tips on pen paling and newsletter. Join us today
and become part of a great pen pal page. We love be your pen pal..
Thanks,
Yanelis Gourrie
Pen Pals For Life Owner/President
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GAYA DESINGS
GRAPHIC AND WEB DESINGS
WWW.REDSKYATMORNING.NET
23
NEVER STOP WRITING
http://inlovewithsnailmail.blogspot.com/
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By Nina from http:// there is no click and not TRY to become friends,
inlovewithsnailmail. much to say, just for the because in the end you
don't know each other
blogspot.com/
purpose of writing!?
at all, yet. You cannot
don't
really know from a promisingVery often I read in I
profile
or
penpal ads that people understand that. When looking
don't want "a penpal I start penpalling with penpal ad if you and the
that stops writing after a new penpal, I think other one are made to
one or two letters" and that we have several become good friends.
I find this request quite things in common, Even if you might have
strange. Do they want exchanged one or two a lot in common and
the new penpal to go nice mails or messages even find each other
on writing and writing - but everytime, in the very sympathetic, it
necessarily
although he/she feels beginning it is just a doesn't
24
mean you will become
great penpals!
I still have not found
out what the particular
"something" has to be,
so that it works out in
the end. It seems to be
a bit of a mystery or
matter of chemistry. I
really don't know...
So, I guess there is no
point in forcing myself
or the other one to
go on writing by any
means although you
feel there is no good
connection. And most
of times you realize
that after one, two or
three letters already.
Of course, then it is
better to stop the
correspondence,
because it won't
be fun for anybody.
Therefore, the request
to find a penpal
that "doesn't stop
writing after one or
two letters" is not
very realistic, I think.
Of course, there are
also people who
start writing with a
huge amount of new
penpals at the same
time and realize only
later that they have
not enough time
to write regularly
with all of them and
disappear
without
a word. But in those
cases, I don't care too
much, because in the
end I haven't got to
know these people
yet. I guess everybody
in the penpal world
has
made
those
experiences
that
people promised to
write a first letter, but
you never heard of
them again. That's
quite normal and
nowadays i don't
even give it a second
thought anymore.
I wonder what you
think about this!?
Do you also have
written
in
your
profile that particular
request?
And if so, what was
your intention to write
it down?
25
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Mika
c h e c k
lifestyle magazine
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MIKA magazine is a brand new electronic (digital) lifestyle magazine. The
first issue of the magazine is going to be released on April 1, 2011 and
will feature articles in several topics: Celebrity News and Events, Music
and Movies, Fashion and Beauty, Style, Love, Party Time, Secrets and
Health. Do you want to be a part of our team? Be an author with us and
contact us at mikamagazine(at)gmail.com
i t ?
c h e c k
Contact us at:
Twitter: www.twitter.com/MIKAmagazine
Facebook: www.facebook.com/MIkaMagazine
Blog: www.mikalifestylemagazine.blogspot.com
Email: MikaMagazine@gmail.com
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coming out
april 1, 2011
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HOW TO MAKE A POSTCARD
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By Melanie Anzalone
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Hello, I'm Melanie (28) from Germany and I already wrote a few articles.
This time I want to write a little bit about making cards. I really like doing
crafts and at the moment I make a lot of cards which is the reason why I
decided to tell a little bit about it. I know sometimes it's hard to make a
card because you don't really know where you should start.
1. First you need a topic for your card. In my example card I used the
topic „thank you“.
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2. Now you need a sketch. I used this one for my card. You can
find them online or create them by yourself, it doesn't
matter. You don't need a sketch but it's much easier to
use one when you don't have much practice and ideas. It
helps a lot.
3. If you have the sketch and the topic you should decide on the
picture. For the topic „thank you“ you can use almost every
picture. A lot of people like to stamp and there are so many nice
rubber stamps you can buy. I love the „Magnolia“ stamps for
example.
But you can also use stickers or something else. Be creative.
4. Okay, now we have the topic, the sketch and the picture and
it's time to think about the colors. Don't use too many different
colors as that doesn't look good. It's not hard to find the right paper. You
can use everything. My favorite paper is scrapbooking paper because
of all the nice designs. But I also use uni color paper (one color paper).
Combine design paper with uni color paper. That always looks good.
5. To decorate I like to use ribbons, stones, flowers... Go to a craft store,
you can find a lot of stuff there. I know sometimes it's expensive, which
depends on the store. Once in a while I like to buy my craft stuff in the
decoration sections in stores. They sometimes have little small stuff
you can use for crafts. It can be much cheaper than the actual craft
stuff. I always keep an eye open and when I see something cheap or
on sale I buy it.
What helped me a lot to create my cards was looking for examples
online or to use those sketches. I hope I could of given you some
ideas how to surprise your pen pal with a nice handmade card. Have
fun and be creative!
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ARTISTIC TRADING CARDS AND MORE
http://manzalone.blogspot.com
By Melanie Anzalone
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I started with Donuts too
and it's also quite fun to
make those. Easy and
they look really cool. The
second thing I made out
of clay were cupcakes.
They are also really
easy and so cute. I love
making those sweets.
If you're getting better,
you can try smaller and
more complicated stuff.
And I promise you will
get better and better the
more you make. The clay
I use is called Fimo which
gets soft if you work with
it. To make it hard you
only have to put it in the
website, oven for 30 minutes. I like
you
can to surprise my pen pals
also
write with my polymer clay
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A few of my pen pals
share my other hobby
besides writing letter
which is doing crafts.
I love to do all kinds of
crafts and I always have
something handmade
at home I can send my
pen pals.
With some of my pen
pals I swap ATC's which
are „Artist Trading
Cards“. The size has
to be 2,5“ x 3,5“ or 6,4
cm x 8,9 cm. The front
side you can design
the way you want. You
can draw something, a
scrap booking design, a
nice picture... Whatever
you want. Everything
is allowed. On the back
side I always write big
ATC or Artist Trading
Card. Then you write
down your name, the
title of the ATC, the
date and if
you have a
blog or a
the address down. It's
so much fun to make
and collect them. I also
always look for ATC swap
partners. So if someone
wants to swap some,
let me know. My E-mail
address is: manzalone@
hotmail.de
Then I'm also really
into making jewelry
and other stuff out of
polymer clay. I got the
idea from another pen
pal. I googled and found
a lot of good videos on
Youtube which really
help to make the little
food and get new ideas.
If you never made it
before I would start
making Donuts and
decorate them.
Penpallling will finally
have its own soundtrack!
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my
blog
and
show the nicest ones in
my next craft article.
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you
want,
send me some pictures
of the crafts you made
after reading that article.
I'm gonna put them on
a t
Get in touch on
powerofthesun89@hotmail.com
and on the FB page of the show!
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Airing premiere: March 20, 2011
and
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32
handmade card for a
birthday than one you
bought at a store.
And if you need craft
supplies check out
eBay. I usually buy my
stuff for the jewelry
and for scrap booking
there. Some stuff is
much cheaper than in
a store. In Germany it's
so expensive to buy
craft supplies in a craft
store. I'm going to check
out the big craft store
Michaels in California
and write about when
I'm back. If someone
needs help, feel free to
ask me.
Have fun being creative
t h e
stuff. I'm also trying to
sell some, because I can't
keep them all and I need
some money for my trip
next month to California.
If you are interested you
can check out my blog:
http://manzalone.
blogspot.com or my
shop on DaWanda:
http://de.dawanda.com/
shop/mausebabyle.
I hope I get some new
ideas for more crafts
when I go to the USA.
In my cards article you
can read about all my
cards I make. Cards is
something you always
need and it's much
nicer to send out an
c h e c k
penpals
Music Show
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Georgia’s
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On her Penpals music show experiment,
Georgia will be blasting music up to 11
from as diverse genres as the world
we live in! Send in your comments,
requests, questions for the show!! As
Georgia sums it up: “You are the music,
your wish is my command!”
PENPAL OF THE MONTH CONTEST
Our PenPals of the Month FEBRUARY 2011
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you started penpalling?
No. I guess that the chances to stay penpals with
your very first penpal are very slim.
Do you prefer typed or hand
written letters?
Handwritten.
Give some tips/idea how to make
a letter more interesting?
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simply send it to us at fun@sandbook.net . We
will get in touch with you and publish the best
ones!
How long have you been
penpalling?
More than 20 years now! Time flies by really fast!
Do you still write (stay in touch)
with the first penpal with whom
t h e
And one day.... You are a Winner!
Hello from Canada! This is our interview with
Danielle (Danny) from Canada, who is our
PENPAL OF THE MONTH February 2011. She
is going to share some of her pen palling
experience with all of us.
Don’t forget this section is focused on pen
pals around the globe. Tell us you own story
or answer the questions in this section, then
c h e c k
““Have you ever had a penpal who
understands you completely? If you
haven’t, then you would probably never
believe me when I say that Danielle is
a very close friend of mine, cross that –
she’s like a sister to me! She is the type of
friend who only after a couple of letters
really knows YOU! Yes, the true, unique
and beautiful YOU. With such a friend
you don’t need to pretend and to worry
about anything – you can freely discuss
life and culture, voice your opinion and
never even for just a tinny little second
doubt that she wouldn’t understand
you or she will get angry with you if you
don’t share her opinion. It’s such a joy to
receive a 10 page letter and start reading
it with a hot cup of cacao. It’s like I have
picked up the phone and called her! Our
letters feel like an ongoing conversation,
which hopefully will never end. So, dear
Sandbook Team, if you are searching for
a PenPal of the Month February 2011 –
look no more! Danielle is your Winner!.”
Lisa O.
i t ?
It all starts with filling out an
application that’s available
on our website and your
nomination is done in no
time.
I have noticed that penpals stress out
when they write letters because their
English isn’t good. I have just one piece
of advice for all of you – relax! You are
among friends! You will be getting
used to it in no time! I am sure!
How many penpals do you
have?
About 20.
Are you searching for
more penpals? If so - write
a short message to the
people who are reading
this interview.
No, I don’t search for new penpals!
How did you come to know
FBs / How long have you
been swapping them?
Over a decade – don’t remember
exactly!
What do you look for in a
penpal?
A: A penpal should be honest and
ready to share things about his/her
personal life in order to make his/hers
letters interesting.
Have you met a penpal?
Share some stories if you
had.
No.
How did you decide to
participate in our PenPal
of the month contest?
My pallie Lisa nominated me! And I won! Yey! I
almost never win contests!
Leave a message to the site’s
users who are thinking about
joining this contest?
A: If I could win, then you could do so, too!
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Lisa O. from USA and Danielle P. from Canada!
LOST PENPAL
Samia Oumohand, France
samgunsjovirow@yahoo.com
Hi all! I’m looking for my former penpal Jerry Lynn Daniels. She
was a huge fan of French supermodel Laetitia Casta and is from
the USA (from Tennessee, if I’m not wrong). If you know her,
please let me know at: samgunsjovirow@yahoo.com
Sonia Hardoin (born 08-08-1973)
461 Rue de la Trapinière
F-50000 Saint-Lô
France (address valid until 1993)
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Tammy Albertson Dupont, USA (via Facebook)
I have been looking fofr a friend of mine who I lost contact with
along time ago and I really miss her. Her name is Kim Bear and
she lived in Texas. I would love to get back in touch with her. Her
maiden name was Heiliman.
Jules Muni (via Facebook)
My penpal of 15 years Jacqueline Mcinnus who last known lived
in Kingston, Jamaica.I hope that I will be able to get back in touch
with her.
37
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Marlene Miller, Ohio, USA
marlene159@zoominternet.net
Hello, my name is Marlene Miller, 55 and I am in Ohio in United States, have
a favor to ask, am looking for friend I wrote to about 8 yr s or so ago, we
lost touch, when she divorced. Her name was Jennie Smith. She lived in
Australia, has son and daughter ,grown now, We wrote and taped letters
on regular bases. We were doing email then lost my computer( blewup)
and lost contact as well as her addy as never had it when she moved.
Anyone able to help, please email me at marlene159@zoominternet.net
and put in message about her,thanks for any help you can give.
a t
36
Katarina Långdahl, Sweden
kat.sweden@gmail.com
I’m looking for my lost pen friend
Yvonne Bell in Miami, Florida. She’s
born 1973.
Tina Jacobs (Nieman) ,USA
tina70mercer@yahoo.com
I had a pen pal from Greece who
I wrote up to 5 years ago and we
just lost touch. Her name is Helene
Anastasopoulou. I have wrote her old
address a few times and no response.
I have searched her on the internet
and still no success. She is 39 and lived
in Patras as her last address I had. I’m
hoping we can reconnect.
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SeongMi An, South Korea
sweetheart0529@gmail.com
Hello! It’s SeongMi An from South Korea I lost my
penpals for some reasons. I’d love to keep in touch
with you again. Please e-mail me, I miss you guys!
Katarina Långdahl, Sweden
gulliolli@yahoo.com
I'm looking for two lost pen friends.
Mauy Burr who used to live on Taylor
Avenue in East Brunswick, NJ. She's
born 1973.I'm also looking for Ellen
Blaze who used to live on Kane Street
in Lackawanna, NY.
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Sarah Trewhitt, UK
therose1972@hotmail.co.uk
Hiya , This is not really for any one in particular ..
but i used to pn pal about 5-6 year ago and had to
give up for many many reasons .. i have started pen
palling again over the past year and if there are any
of my old pen pals out there that would like to get
in touch then please do so.
Nanda S. Gaikwad (born 24-02-1973)
26-A-Sarnath
Anushaktinagar
IND-Bombay (now Mumbai) 400094
India (address valid until 1993)
Additional information: her father
worked at Bhabha Atomic Research
Centre in Bombay (Mumbai).
Beverly Kuttler Rampero, USA (via Facebook)
I’m trying to find a good friend of mine. Her name is Aimee
Plunkett. We have been writing for about 17 years. She use to live
in Tracy, California but then moved away to another state and I
lost her new address. I havent heard from her since.
t h e
Maria Nieves (or Maria Neus) Estébanez
Gutiérrez (born 29-03-1974)
Carrer Briquets 1, entlo primero
E-Barcelona 08033
Spain (address valid until 1991)
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Theda, Germany
info.tiehsvd@forum-artium.net
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Then this is the section for you. Place your
story about your Lost penpal and we will try
to help you
Katharina Nöhring (was: Melter), Germany
KathaNoehring@aol.com
Actually I am looking for a couple of former pals: Nike van Heeswijk
from the Netherlands, Josephine (Joyce) Camilleri from Malta (Gozo
island), Vivienne Hunter from England, Zenildo Rosa Jr. from Brasil.
We lost contact a LONG time ago, and I would love to get back in
touch. Does anyone know about them? Any help is appreciated!
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HAVE YOU LOST A PENPAL?
YES?
Reconnect!
Tom Todd, England
lustywinos@yahoo.com
Kara from Wichita Ks. We wrote
for about 10yrs in the eighties.
Queen fan.
PenPal & Swappers Ads
How to place an ad in the magazine?
Go to www.sandbook.net and click the Magazine
section. Then simply select “Place an Ad” and you
will have to fill out the form that loads on your
computer screen. Ads placed on pages/groups/
walls on Facebook will not be printed. Please
note that the ads on our website are ads for the
website itself. Unless you fill out the form under
Magazine --> Place an Ad, you won’t see your ad
here.
Who can post an Ad?
Anyone can post an ad in search for swappers or
penpals.
Our Ad Policy:
1) We are not a dating site/community - write
appropriate ads to have them published.
2) No inmates - we have kid members in our
community!
3) No money requests - such ad will result in your
permanent ban from our community.
4) Snail mail addresses - we are not going to
publish any snail mail addresses for security
reasons. So you are going to be in charge of
sending your home addresses to future penpals.
We will publish your email address.
5) Religious, racial or discriminative materials
would not be tolerated.
6) Any form of abusive or rude language is
forbidden and will result in your ban from our
community.
What is the policy on Commersial
Ads?
Commercial Ads are paid ads for products or
service that is not classified as a penpal or a
swapper ad or an add from a small business
that provides supplies for correspondence
(stationary, address labels). Such ads are going to
be negotiated with the respective companies. For
more information email magazine@sandbook.
net
SandBook.Net Team
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name : Martina
Email :
Martina_J_@gmx.at
age : 25
country : Austria
Ad : Hello! I love it to find nice and
long letters in my mailbox... you
too? Then we should become
penpals.
My name is Martina and I am from
Austria. I am looking for penpals
around my age from anywhere
in the world (female penpals
only!). My hobbies/interests
include: writing/reading letters
(of course), shopping, surfing
the internet, traveling (I LOVE
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Name: lesley griffin
Your age : 53
country : england
Ad: i’m looking for penfriends
any country and any age have
been penpalling for 41 years
and started at the age of 12
my hobbies are computer and
internet and driving and eating
out photography i live in england
message me and i will write that
is 100 per cent i answer all letters
am married for 30 years put
images or photos on all letters
write soon and we can be come
good and fond friends.
Love, Lesley
it), reading, movies, PS3, Wii, Name: Radhia
Nintendo DS, spending time with Age :43
my boyfriend, going out and Country: Tunisia
lots of other things... Interested? akrimi.0208@live.fr
Please contact me at
A warm hello to you all! Is there
Martina_J_@gmx.at I am looking anyone who is interested in snail
forward to hear from you!
mail penpalling?
I am a Tunisian woman, happily
name : Jolene
married, have only one daughter;
Email : Whiterose232006@ I am stay at home mom, looking
yahoo.com
for FEMALE snail mail pals from
age : 28
all over the world. I like movies,
country : USA
reading; crocheting, cooking,
Ad: Hello Everyone, I’m looking listening to music, postcards,
for new pals & swappers. I swap stickers, Kawaii things, writing
anything from FBs to Stickers. I’m letters and swapping; I like
not accepting any new penpals sending and receiving little
from overseas at this time but surprises in the letters. There’s
I take any amount of pals & nothing more joyful than getting
swappers. I’m always taking new a letter from a friend ;Enough of
pals from Canada & USA. So feel bills in my mailbox! So! Let’s start
free to drop me a line & I’ll get penpalling!.
back to as soon as I can.
My email is: Whiterose232006@ Name: Kimi
yahoo.com Thanks, Jolene
Age: 19
Country: Australia
name : Natalie
E-mail: kimberley.
Email: natkenfloppy@
jensen91@gmail.com
hotmail.com
Hello, potential future penpals!
age : 37
I’m Kim from Australia. I’ve been
country : Canada
pen palling since I was 9-yearsAd : Hi my name is Natalie and I’ve old, and I’m looking for serious
been paling for about 25 years pen pals of any age, sex, race,
(started when I was in grade 6) religion and species (I welcome
I like snail letters (I do still swap you, extra-terrestrial friends!).
Fbs from time to time) and emails Ones who won’t stop writing but
so either way is perfect for me. I who aren’t overly demanding,
love hearing from new people. I either - life does get in the way of
am married and have a 3.5 year things, sometimes. Intelligence
old daughter who is the apple of and/or open-mindedness is
my eye.
always a plus in my pen pal
Please email me at natkenfloppy@ searches, too! ^__^
hotmail.com and we will go from Here’s a little bit about me. I am a
there. Hope to hear from you female (I had to specify because
soon. Please no prisoners.
I once had a penpal when I
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I love swapping things (stamps,
stickers, magnets, stationery),
sending small gifts from time to
time ... I’m a school teacher, mum
to be (in january) and I’d love to
know you, you who are reading
this ad :) Just contact me by mail
at : ciloune@gmail.com and I’ll
send you my snail mail address.
t h e
name : Eliska
Email : elda999@seznam.cz
age : 26
country : Czech Republic
Ad : Hello everyone, my name
over the world. My name is Anita,
my Nickname “Angel” im married
and my sign is libra. I live with my
husband in Austria. My hobbies
are: reading, writting letters and
emails, skype, Facebook, Internet,
Photography, playing saxophone,
Rory Latimer
cooking, Music, Concerts, Formulatimerj@telkomsa.net
la 1, Soccer, Esoterism, Religion,
Your age : 39
Gothic, Middle Age, history and
country : South Africa
more. Im a very funny and helpAd : Hello Everyone I am a 39 year ful person. My job is nurse for elold Caucasian Male in Cape Town derly and I work with Alzheimer
South Africa. I am hard of hearing Patients. Hope to find nice female
but that doesnt get me down. pals between 20 to ? years. Nice to
I love to write snail mail letters. meet you send a email to schutzThat is a hobby of mine now after engel.anita33@gmail.com
9 years. I do have some wonderful
pen pals who have become great name : Tina Bryan
friends.
tinabryan23@yahoo.com
Yes I am single however all I ask is Your age : 36
for friendship, I will be single until Your country: usa, San
the good Lord takes me home. I Diego, cailfornia
will be a faithful letter writer and Ad : hello all,my name is Tina
if you would like me to give you looking for pen pals that will write
some names of my penpals to to me more then once.my hobbies
message and ask for a reference are making hats and scarfs and
that is fine. you can message sell them. my intesterest,writing
them. I also enjoy reading, to pen pals,talking on the phone
watching a good movie, Military with pals and texting.e-mail if you
History, camping and spending want a pal tinabryan23@yahoo.
time with a good friend. I write com
back as soon as I can after your
letter arrives.
name : Cécile
I look forward to hearing from ciloune@gmail.com
you.
age : 27
country : France
name : Anita
Ad : Hello everybody, I’m looking
s c h u t z e n g e l . a n i ta 3 3 @ for new penpals from all over
gmail.com
the world, no matter where you
age : 34
come from :) I can write in french,
country : Austria
english, spanish or romanian so
Ad : Hello my name is Anita and feel free to contact me in your own
im searching for nice female Pen- language if it’s one of above. I love
pals, Epals and Swapper from all writing and receiving long letters.
c h e c k
Gregory Lentz
Email:
gj.lentz76@gmail.com
Your age : 34
Your country : USA
Ad : Hello! I’d be interested in trying
out some E-Pal correspondences
with folks from all over the world
and all walks of life! I like to learn
about other cultures, a little bit of
a history buff, foodie, self taught
artist and aspiring writer of many
genres. I like to swap postcards,
nothing in particular as long as
they are stamped and written, as I
relish the personal connections as
much as the beauty of the cards.
I enjoy all kinds of movies, tv
shows I keep up with are: any Law
& Order, CSI, Fringe, The Event,
House, Lie To Me, Castle...I’m a
huge Bon Jovi fan, I like to read
Stephen King, Dean Koontz,
and I’m hooked on George R.R.
Martin’s A Game of Thrones.
is ELiska I am 26 years old, I am
looking for penpals, as I like
writting (and also receiving letters
:-) ) so much. I am taking care of
my little girl at home. I will be glad
to find new penpals! See you!
i t ?
name : Mandi Moore
moore87@yahoo.com
age : 23
country : USA
Ad : Seeing long letter pals worldwide, ladies only. Hobbies: Reading, TV & movies, music, photography, scrapbooking, playing
computer games, etc. I have one
son, 17 months old. Swaps: FBs,
Mommy FBs, slams. Please email
me for address! mandi.moore87@
yahoo.com
l i k e
PenPal and Swappers Ads
name : Meli
manzalone@hotmail.de
age : 28
country : Germany
Ad : Hey everyone, I’m looking for
pen pals from New York, Las Vegas
and the Bay Area - California. I
love long handwritten letters,
a t
n e w s
l a t e s t
t h e
c h e c k
i t ?
name : Yvonne
inkytrailers@yahoo.com
age : 37
country : Netherlands
Ad : Hiya! Thought I would give
this a try as I am looking for a
few new pals :). I am specifically
looking for long letter and
somewhat regular pals from Italy,
Portugal, the Middle East (Iran
in particular) and Asia, Japan in
particular but all countries are
fine :) as long as have something
in common. My only request
being you can express yourself
in English or Dutch well enough
to have a decent conversation.
I don’t want to get stuck in sole
conversations about the weather.
As for the meaning of regular, I
don’t expect you to write every
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l i k e
name : Victoria G
nekrobows@yahoo.com
age : 18
country : California USA
Ad : Hello im from socal! I love
all kinds of music im looking for
all postcards and basically to
start swapping picture clippings
stickers
surprise
donated
books anything really for my
penpal swapper scrapbook to
remember my youth when i age.
Here’s my main interest: Hannah
Montana/Miley Cyrus Punk
bands John Waters! Courtney
Love Kurt Cobain & Nirvana Seria
Killer(anything works) Bette
Davis Ariel(the little mermaid)
anything 1950s anything is
welcome and appreciated email
me: nekrobows@yahoo.com
month but I do like to receive (at
least) 3 to 4 letters a year so I guess
I’d like you to write - and I will do
the same :) - once every two to
three months. If you are more
regular, then so am I :). Also I like
you to ask and answer questions
and I can tell you upfront I tend
to ask many questions - you’d
better be prepared *LOL*.
A quick word about me, I am in
my late 30s, married without
kids and work fulltime. When I
am not working I have plenty to
keep myself busy with *laugh*.
I love books and would not be
able to live without them. They
are great way to relax as well as
to learn from! I enjoy watching
movies though I find that at this
stage of life, I need to see them
in the cinema as I am not having
peace of mind watching them at
home :(. Also I love cooking and
like to experiment with different
ingredients, I love walking, taking
photos, travelling, keeping up to
date with (and form an opinion
about!) what is happening in
this world, I enjoy going to the
theater, like to listen to music,
socializing with family and
friends. Quite a normal person
I would think *grin*. If it did get
you interested, I would love to
hear from you! Have a great day!
n e w s
Your name : Bev
Email : BlondieBear75@
hotmail.com
age : 35
country : Australia
Ad : Hi All.....I am a stay at home
mom of 4 from sunny Qld who
would love to write to other
Aussie’s. I have a wide range of
interests and hobbies including
reading, scrap booking, card
making, pen palling, spending
name : Petra Schmied
p.schmied02@gmx.at
age : 40
country : Austria
Ad : Hi, I am a 40-year-old
Austrian with an 8-year-old
daughter. I love snail mailing and
have various interests including
travelling, reading, dancing,
languages (German, English,
French and some Spanish), sports
etc. Please send me an email if
you are interested and I will send
you my address.
l a t e s t
name : Angela Benton
nkotbfan@live.com
age : 29
country : United States
Ad : I am 29 years old. Married
and have 3 kids. I love nkotb.
Facebook. Making new friends.
Hot summer days, swimming,
and birds chirping. I have 2 cats.
I enjoy taking pictures. I enjoy
concerts. I love music videos.
name : Anastasia
Email : aja23@yandex.ru
age : 29
country : Russia
Ad : Hello people! I’m an active
penpaller for many years already
and used to have many penpals
but recently most of them
stopped writing me or writing
too seldom because they are
too busy and I understood that
I have only a few left. Thought
these ones are very important for
me, I still want to find some new
friends
About me: My name is Anastasia,
I’m 29y.o. and I come from SaintPetersburg, Russia but I’d love
to move to Europe at least for
some time soon. For sure, I like
my country but it would be
exciting to live in other places
of the world to see how people
live there. At the moment I’m
working as a secretary. I have
lots of hobbies, just a few to
mention: watch movies, tv, read
books, write letters, meet my
friends or chat with them online,
paranormal things, etc. I’m quite
open-minded and chatty girl, so
I can talk about almost anything.
Just give me a subject^)
I’m not very much into clubbing
and prefer an evening with
a good book or movie but
sometimes it’s a real fun to go out
I’m looking for: I am looking for
female penpals at any age from
everywhere, with absolutely
different hobbies, who write long
letters (e.g 2 pages of A4 papers
or 2-4 pages of B5 papers, well it
depends on how your life is) at
least once in 2 months and I won’t
stop writing after a few letters.
The way of a letter may be quite
long but there’s nothing we can
do With my future penpal I’d love
to discuss not only life events, but
also share our ideas, thoughts,
dreams, feelings and everything.
With whom we’d share our
attitude to events, happening in
the world around us. There are no
forbidden topics for me and I love
ask and answer tons of different
questions. I love letters in a form
of a conversation. I don’t mind
typed letters, if they stay sincere
and personal. I can play stamps
back, if you ask me. If you like, we
can exchange postcards, photos,
fbs and other small things. I
would prefer, if you speak fluent
English or German and won’t
have troubles expressing your
thoughts and feelings. So, this
was my introduction and now I’m
waiting for a letter from you
t h e
name : Katarina
kat.sweden@gmail.com
age : 41
country : Sweden
Ad : I’m looking for pen pals
aged 25-55, esp. from USA, New
Zealand or the Latin American
countries. I love cats, writing
letters and swapping. I enjoy to
go shopping, watch TV, search
for ancestors, read books &
cartoon magazines and just have
a nice time.
time with my hubby and children
and heaps more. I am willing to
write to both men and women.
Look forward to hearing from
you.
c h e c k
name : Gina
powerofthesun89@
hotmail.com
age : 21 (close to 22)
country : Greece
Ad : Hi! My name’s Gina, I’m 21,
Greek, rather humorous and a
senior-year student of Ancient
Greek & Latin Literature. I’m
looking for fellow female penpals
from any countries that speak
English or French. Apart from
penpalling, I love heavy metal,
collecting postcards and vinyls,
reading international literature,
writing poetry and crime novels!
Looking forward to hearing from
you!
i t ?
was younger, and her mother
said we couldn’t write anymore
because she thought I was a
male due to my uni-sex name)
and I’m 19-years-old. I major in
Linguistics and the Indonesian
language at university. I love
languages. Biiiig fan.
My hobbies and interests are:
crafting, sewing, listening to
music (indie rock, indie pop,
alternative, classic rock, etc.),
watching films, thrifting, kawaii,
going to alternative music
festivals, politics, designing my
own clothing, cooking, vintage,
anime, culture, travel, languages,
history, science, religion (I’m an
atheist, however), philosophy,
kitsch and geeky things like
dinosaurs,
sci-fi,
hacking
(Though I don’t know how, argh!
I just think it’s great.), studying
voluntarily and video/computer
games.
If you’re interested in my attempt
at an appealing pen pal ad, don’t
be afraid to send me an e-mail!
Though, I will get a tad grumpy
if I receive requests for romance
or money. I have a boyfriend, and
I’m a poor university student. :D
l i k e
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l a t e s t
t h e
c h e c k
i t ?
l i k e
a t
Name : Melissa G Holland
Email :
Name : Stefanie
melissagholland@
Email : stef.langenberg@ hotmail.com
web.de
Age : 35
Age : 45
Country : USA
Country : Germany
Ad : Hi my name is Melissa
Name : John Ferguson
Ad : I am looking for poeople and I’m 35 yrs old. I’m looking
Email : jferguson92200@
from around the world to for new pen pals in the USA
yahoo.com
swap postcards with. Besides only for right now. I enjoy
Age : 26
in swapping postcards I am collecting recipes,cookbooks,
Country : USA
interested in reading, travelling, postcards,recipe
postcards,
Ad : collecting postcards, photography, genealogy and stationary, Hello Kitty items,
collecting wrestling cards, listen history. I prefer my postcards and so much more. I have been
to music, reading, coloring, play written and stamped, not in an penpalling since 2006. My
my ps2, collecting wrestling envelope.
hobbies are making new friends,
magazines, & much more.
facebook, watching tv/movies,
Name : Fabi
listen to music, penpalling, and
n e w s
Name : Mandee
Email : southernfaith@
live.com
Age : 27
Country : usa
Ad : I’m Seeking To Make New
E-Pal Friends And New Facebook
Pal’s Aswell. Send Me Msg If Your
Seeking The Same Or Like To Be
Pal’s..xoxo
Email : writing-fabi@web.
de
Age : 23
Country : Germany
Ad : Hello everyone out there, my
name is Fabienne, but everyone
says Fabi. I am 23 years old and a
female. I am searching for LONG
LETTER pen pals. No matter
where you are from. My hobbies
are writing, photographing and
a lot more. I don’t mind your age
or your gender. Just write me
an email which makes me want
responding right away.
And mention Sandbook in your
email (best would be: “Sandbook
- pen pal” as your email subject).
I would love to get to know you
before writing letters to you. I
am not sure if I can answer all
messages, but I will sure try to.
Write me a long email and your
chances are getting better. I
hope I will find some nice friends.
l a t e s t
Name : alison hepworth
Email :
malin@malin.karoo.
co.uk
Age : 44
Country : england
Ad : hi there i am alison 44 mum to
4 23 to 16 live in town called hull
uk hobbies are palling travelling
reading music tv computer family
i am after pals to wrtie from asia
all europe usa canada australia
new zealand, worldwide females
Name : Samantha Stroy
Email : itsapenpalworld@
gmail.com
Age : 27
Country : USA
Ad : Hello everyone, Im looking
for some long letter penpals
who enjoys a little bit of
numerology,astrology,tarot, and
twilight and vampire novels.
SOmeone who likes to swap
various things that fit in an
envelope. I am a married stay
at home mom of 3. I promise to
write back. Long letter pals only
please.. I love reading,writing,s
hopping,divination,hello kitty,
and so much more.. Hope to
hear from you all soon.
Name : Karen
Email : leahrosesmom@
cox.net
Age : 48
Country : Middle Georgia
USA
Ad : Hello, my name is Karen. I am
a 48 year old single mom of a 7
year old daughter and a 23 year
old son, living in Middle Georgia
USA. I am new to penpalling
and hope to share this hobby
with my 7 year old daughter. I
love reading books (and reading
long letters), classic rock music,
arts & crafts (making jewelry,
crochet & cross stitch), and
blogging. I write poetry and I
love to take digital photographs.
I hope to eventually swap FBs,
and postcards. I am looking
for a female penpal, preferably
around my age, in the US, a
mom and a Christian is a plus. I
can write short, long or medium
letters. I can be reached at
leahrosesmom@cox.net. Thanks!
t h e
Name : Stephanie Fatta
Email :
aveggiemom@yahoo.com
Age : 30
Country : USA
Ad : Hi everyone! I am a married
mom of one son. I love pen palling
and looking for new pen pals from
the USA only please. I am looking
for long term/sincere pals around
my age. I enjoy reading, travel,
pen palling, working out, healthy,
beauty, blogging, houseplants,
and so much more! Email me for
my address if you are interested!
for now.
c h e c k
Ad : hello penpalfriends , im
looking for long letter penpals
who write regular about anything
, love to hear your story`s . im
almost 38 years old (12 february) ,
but feel more like 30 hahaha . my
hobby`s and likes are : writting
letters , swapping , walk with my
dogs , photography , facebook ,
kawaii , diddl , disney and manny
more , i will tell that in my letter .
if you want to write with me , give
me a message . happy writting
everybody . greetings Rosita
i t ?
swapping, horses, traveling, am from Wisconsin in the USA.
stationary, crafts and the USA. I have been penpalling on and
Feel free to email me.
off since 1989. It’s an awesome
hobby. I love reading, 70s and 80s
name : John Ferguson
rock music, crafts, scrapbooking,
Email : jferguson92200@
journals, history, thrift stores,
yahoo.com
travelling,
the
paranormal,
age : 26
penpalling, and swapping fb’s/
country : USA
stickers/stationary. I also swap
Ad : I like snail pen pal only in the postcards. Short or long letter
USA, & e-mail pen pal from all pals welcome. Hope we can
over. My hobbies are collecting meet....
postcards, collecting wrestling
cards, & many more. Especially Name : Phyllis Estep
writing to people.
Email :
phyllisestep@live.com
name : Louise
Age : 60
Email :
Country : usa
louisexmarie@gmail.com
Ad : Hello I am a 60 year old wife,
age : 21
mother and grandma. I would like
country : UK
pen pals any ages. I will answer
Ad : Hello! Hobbies; reading, all. I will also swap fb, slams, post
writing,
penpalling,
letters, cards, recipes and many other
music, films, walking, socializing, things. write me if you want a
drawing. I am looking for email or faithful pal. phyllis Estep P.O. Box
snail mail. I’m looking for a penpal 6311 christiansburg, va. 24068
that will write for a long time as
i’m hoping to form a long-lasting Name : Henry
friendship. I’ve never swapped or Email : hbaker@
collected anything but if you want rochester.rr.com
to send me something then feel Age : 57
free. Anyways, email me and we Country : USA
can chat some more :) Everything Ad : I am disable gentleman
isn’t going to fit in here. Louise x looking for e-pals in USA only,
I like WWE wrestling, and law
name : Colleen
books and action movies and
contact me at:
country music
Colleen Penpal on
Facebook. Add me!
Name : Rosita Druijf
age : 45
Email : roos.chimene@
country : USA
upcmail.nl
Ad : Hello Friends... Colleen from Age : 38
the USA saying hi to everyone!! Country : the
Love this magazine!! I am 45 and Netherlands
l i k e
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l a t e s t
t h e
c h e c k
i t ?
l i k e
a t
Name: Josh Cowan
Email: jcowan1023@
gmail.com
Age: 31
Country: USA
Ad : My favorite color is green.
My favorite food is seafood
and sushi. My favorite drink is
root beer. My favorite sport is
basketball and I play basketball
through Special Olympics. I
n e w s
Name: Sandra
Email:
penpals4me@live.se
Age: 21
Country: Sweden
Ad : Hello everybody! My name
is Sandra, I’m 21 years old and
live in Sweden. I’m searching for
penpals from all over the world,
in around my own age! But
especially from: Denmark, New
Zealand and Germany. And UK
Name: Michele Cimons
Email: micgci126@yahoo.
com
Age: 51
Country: USA
Ad : My name is Michele. I’m 51
years old. I live in New York in
the USA. My interests are cats,
animals, listening to music,
watching tv, reading, movies,
Disney, soap operas, crafts,
internet, Facebook, penpalling,
fill in puzzles, word search
puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, nature,
flowers, walking, postcards,
stickers, Hello Kitty, and much
more. If anyone is interested
in being penpals. Please email
me at: micgci126@yahoo.com.
Thanks I hope to hear from
someone soon. Michele
love music and my favorite
singer is Weird Al Yankovic
and my favorite music group
is Blink182. My favorite actor
is Jim Carey and my favorite
actress is Olivia Newton-John.
My favorite movies are Ace
Ventura, Despicable Me, and
Karate Kid. My favorite TV shows
are the Price is Right, Minute to
Win It, American Idol, America’s
Funniest home videos, America’s
got talent, Dancing with the
stars, and So you think you can
dance. My favorite animal is
the frog. My favorite cartoon
characters are Spongebob
Sqaurepants, Scooby Doo,
The Flintstones, Yogi Bear, and
Family Guy. My Favorite Super
Hero is Batman. I have Cerebral
Palsy and participate in Special
Olympics. My favorite special
Olympics events are bowling,
basketball, and cycling.
l a t e s t
Name: Lisa
email:
lisaluvsfbs@aol.com
Age: 45
Country: usa
My name is Lisa and i am 45 years
old USA mother to two (ages 12 &
18) lisaluvsfbs@aol.com
I am Native American/German/
Irish lady. I love making friends
with ladies all over the world. I
enjoy photography, swapping
fbs, phone calls, music, family,
God, learning about other
Name: Danette
Email:
D.Danette.L@gmail.com
Age: 51 Years old
Country: USA
Ad: Hello, I am 51 years old, 4
children & 5 grandchildren. I
have more furry children than I
can count, I rescue, spay/neuter
and find good-loving homes for
strays and homeless animals.
Many decide to stay with me :)
I am an artist who loves to read,
sew, knit, crochet, paint, sculpt.
I love the outdoors. I enjoy
movies, music, the supernatural,
the sea, swimming, walking
and more. I love letter writing,
though sometimes there may
not be tons to say.
London and in West Chester and
Forks. But of course anyone can
contact me if they’re interested
:) I love to read and write. When
it comes to books I almost only
read fantasy, and right know I’m
stuck on vampires. I love the
music groups: HIM, 3oh!3 and
The Rasmus. Write me a mail if
your interested =)
t h e
Name : Katka Louzilova
Email :
katerina174@post.cz
Age : 34
Country : Czech Republic
Ad : Hi, my name is Katka, I am 34,
have 2 children, living in Prague. I
love to write and recive letters , I
would love to find penpals from
all over the world. My hobbies
include
reading,
cooking,
travelling.
cultures. I am especially looking
for Middle Eastern ladies to
correspond with, I traveled to
the Middle East in
2007 and loved the people I met
there. I am not looking to push
religion, just make friendships.
Would love to hear from other
moms anywhere.
c h e c k
Name : Sandra Walker
Email :
southernrosebelle@
yahoo.com
Age : 59
Country : USA
Ad : hobbies: collects postcards
and foreign coins. Loves to read.
Likes to cook. Married, 2 sons
(grown-NO grandchildren or
daughters-in-law.Wants pen pals
who like to write more than a
paragraph. NO religious stuff
please (I have my own religion). I
have 3 dogs. Much more but will
tell when you write.
i t ?
mail penpal? One who will not
stop writing after a couple of
letters or who only writes twice
year? A penpal to talk with about
everything from the sublime to
Name : barbara
the ridiculous? A penpal who
glisczinski
enjoys stuffing letters, decorating
Email : yumyum1948@
envies and getting something in
yahoo.com
the mail besides bills? Then look
Age : 62
no further! For the low price of
Country : united states
postage, you can have all this in
Ad : Hello from Wisconsin.I am the form of a long letter life long
62 a Type 2 Diabetic also am snail mail pal who loves - loves,
disabled.Looking for women I say! - who loves the written
from 35 to 80 to write to by snail word in all its guts and glory. I’m
mail.My interests are counted 41 with two grown children in
cross stitch, needlepoint, plastic college and an ornery old hubby
canvas, knitting, latch hook, I’ve had for 21 years. We have 1
reading, gardening, cooking, black cat who’s 13 years old and
crossword puzzles ,jigsaw puzzles a loveable crab apple. I enjoy
and collecting postcards. Want so many things I can’t begin to
worldwide penpals.
list them but here a few of the
highlights: Kawaii, penpalling,
Name : Tonya Cassell
family, animals, ancient history,
Email :
Regency romances, Dr. Who, AGT,
tazzymania2001@gmail.
sticker, Facebook, sci-fi, writing... I
com
collect Kawaii, Hello Kitty, stickers,
Age : 36
s/p shakers, pens, postcards, FBs,
Country : United States
LBs, SBs. I swap postcards, FBs,
Ad : I love photography, pen LBS, SBs and take all excess. I’m
paling, and collecting celebrity looking for ladies only 30-50 from
autographs. I collect celebrity anywhere, especially UK, Ireland,
autographs, Christmas village France, Spain, Japan, Scotland. As
pieces, china dolls, stuffed always, no men(happily married)
animals, and crystal figurines
,cons, Africa/Ghana(I’m no fool
and I don’t have money to spare
Name : Nelda Dunlap
so forget it). Please put penpals
Email :
and this site name in the subject
rosepetunia69@gmail.
line so I don’t think you’re spam
com
and delete you. I look forward to
Age : 42
hearing from all my new friends.
Country : USA
Nelda Dunlap 316 W. Tyler Av
Ad : Hello all my new friends. Are Charleston, Illinois 61920 USA
you looking for a devoted snail
l i k e
hanging out with family and
friends. Please email me if you
want to pen pal with me. Sorry
no prisoners or men plz.
PenPalling Connections:
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booklet coming out april 21, 2011
Yahoo Groups that you might want to join:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/strictlysnail
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/crazy_pen_pals
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booklet coming out 21 April 2011
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ANGELS
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Sandbook.NEt and gaya designs
present: Samantha stroy
My name is Maxine. I’m the owner of
www.penpalmagazine.blogspot.com
and
www.friendshipbooks.blogspot.
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As the names suggest, the former
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newsletters and magazines, and the
later - on FB’s - what are they, how to
make them, how to swap them, etc.
Follow the blogs to learn all the cool
stuff that I have prepared for you!
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PenPal Directory and Newsletter
Hi! I am Tracy. I sell stationery address and stickers. I
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making a catalog of all my designs:
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For more information contact:
Tracy Sanders, tracylynnsanders38@yahoo.com
Penpals ‘nd Swappers magazine
Penpals `nd Swappers is a new magazine for people who like to write letters and swapping, also
for people who are looking for new penpals and
swappers. In this magazine there are PenpalAdds
and SwapperAdds, all around writing letters and
swapping and many many more. How can I order
it? Just send an e-mail to penpalsandswappers@
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get my PenpalAdd/SwapperAdd in the magazine?
Please, send your PenpalAdd or SwapperAdd via
e-mail to:
penpalsandswappers@googlemail.com.
Please do not forget your address or e-mail address.
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Pen Pal Book
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3726 Green Pond Rd
Gray Court, SC 29645
One issue is $12 black or $18 color. Subscription for 4 issues is $20 black or $25
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It is non-profit!! Pen Pal ads to be put in is
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For more information contact:
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WHERE TO BE IN MARCH
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March 11th: Lithuania: Independence
Day
On 11 March 1990, Lithuania became the first Soviet
Republic to declare Independence (it was occupied
by the Solviet Union from 1944 till 1990). On March
11th every year, major cities in Lithuania celebrate
the Independence Day with parades, public
speeches and festivities and other exciting state-
March 12th travel to the sunny
Mauritius and celebrate the
Independence Day
March 12, 1968 is when Mauritius gains its
independence from the United Kingdom. Listen to
sega (the flokelore music), join the local celebrations
and don’t forget to enjoy the beauty of the island.
Some interesting facts about Mauritius that you
must know are that it is the only known habitat of
the extinct dodo bird and that Mauritius was the
5th place in the whole world to issue stamps. Yes!
Stamps! The same stamps that you use daily to send
letters! Actually in the two stamps issued in 1847
that are known as Mauritius Post Office stamps (“Red
Penny” and a “Blue Two Pence”) are considered the
most famous and valuable in the whole world.
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International Woman’s Day March 8
The history behind March 8th started as a Socialist
political event, but shortly afterwards the holiday
spread from countries mainly in Eastern Europe,
Russia, former Soviet bloc to a worldwide event,
losing its political flavor and becoming an day of
appreciation for women across the globe. It’s a day
when men can express their love for women in a way
somewhat similar to a mixture of Mother’s Day and
of course the big St. Valentine’s Day. Some regions
(and countries) have saved the original political
and human rights theme designated by the United
Nations, and political and social awareness of the
struggles of women worldwide are brought out and
examined in a hopeful manner.
supported entertainment, which is often televised.
Governmental buildings and major squares raise
the Lithuanian flag to honor the brave officers
whose dedication and life made way to Lithuanian
independence. As a public holiday, shops and
educational institutes do not work. (Special thanks
to Kamilė Pranskūnaitė for letting us know more
about the holiday!).
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that passes across the streets.
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used translation Happy Baba Marta!). Learn more
about the wonderful atmosphere, the symbolism
behind the red and white threads by reading the
This is your guide for events and special dates cultural section in the magazine.
worldwide. So enjoy trip around the globe as we
present customs and special dates from the globe. March 3rd : Bulgaria: National Holiday
March 3rd still continue your stay in Bulgaria and
enjoy the National Holiday! Nobody goes to work,
March 1st be in Bulgaria and wish
“Happy Baba Marta” to everyone!
the children do not go to school, but there are
March 1st you should spend in Bulgaria. Few organized events in which wreaths of flowers are
days before March 1st, you can find small “red and placed on monuments of fallen heroes and their
white villages” and “shop markets” appearing in all memory is honored. There are public speeches
the busy corners of the streets in all of the cities and the flag of Bulgaria is raised up over many
across Bulgaria. Why? Because in March, Bulgaria buildings and squares and private homes.
celebrates a very unique tradition: we exchange
martenitzi (small red and white things) and we March 6th : Ghana: Independent Day
wish each other Chestita Baba Marta (in translation On March 6th, pack your bags and go to sunny
Happy Grandma Marta, or the more frequently Ghana to join the celebration for Ghana’s 54th
Independence Day. Ghana attained independence
from Britain on 6th March, 1957, a cause for
celebration among Ghanaians from different
walks of life. Students from all across the country
display cultural and marching skills, different
types of cultural dances and choreography. Hear
the speech of President Mills and learn more
about the Ghanaian culture. There is also a parade
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by Raia Alexieva
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March 26th be in Bangladesh to celebrate
Independence Day
On March 26, 1971, Bangladesh’s independence was
formally declared. There is a great variety of activities in
the celebrations of the Independence day in Bangladesh:
rallies, discussions and children’s painting competitions are
just a few that come to mind..
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March 19th: Italy - Father’s Day and Saint
Joseph’s Day
Festa del Papa, the Italian name for Father’s Day, is celebrated
on March 19, St. Joseph’s Feast Day in Italy. Households
prepare traditional spreads of special Italian breads and
cookies. This is the day when families show their gratitude
to their fathers with favors and gifts.
So when you pack your bags and land in Italy on March 19th,
make sure you immerse in the local culture by ordering a
traditional and all so very delicious breakfast. Zeppole,
the most common pastry treat for Father’s Day in Italy, is
usually prepared for breakfast. The breakfast is served on
a tray decorated with ribbons and red roses (red roses are
the traditional flower of Father’s Day). During your stay in
Italy make sure you taste some typical Italian desserts such
as tiramisu, gelato, zabaglione, Zuppa Inglese, cannoli,
March 25th be in Greece and celebrate the
Independence Day
March 25 is both a national (revolution against the Turks
(Ottoman Empire)) and religious holiday (Annunciation).
March 25 is the nameday for Vangelis or Evangelos and
Vangelio or Evangelia or Eva.
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Genoise cake and so on.
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March 17th, fly over to
Italy and be part of the
Celebrations for 150 Years
of the Republic
Italy declares its independence on
March 17, 1861 and the Kingdom
of Italy is proclaimed. March 17 has
been declared an Italian national
holiday for 2011, celebrating the
150th anniversary of the unification
of Italy. On March 17 banks and
many shops will be closed but most major tourist sites and
museums should remain open. Turin, the first capital of
unified Italy, already has special exhibits and celebrations
planned and there will likely be special events throughout
Italy. Many events are on the calendar in Italy to mark this
momentous occasion. It is likely that there will also be
celebrations around the world, as there are about 60 million
Italians, or descendants of Italians, living outside of Italy.
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services. Most cafés and restaurants are
open especially in downtown Budapest!
March 17th, dress up in green and
find yourself in Ireland for St.
Patrick’s Day
Make sure, you wake up in Ireland on March
17th to fully immerse yourself into the
St.Patrick’s Day Celebrations. Or go to your
local Irish Pub/Club. Don’t forget to dress up
in green, put on your cheerful mood, pick
up your friends and party hard! Read more
about the celebration in the cultural section
of this magazine.
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March 15th be in Hungary:
Celebrate the National Revolution Day and
also the National Holiday
On March 15 – travel to Hungary and see
how the National Holiday Day there is
celebrated. On 15th March Hungarians
commemorate the Revolution and the
following War of Independence against the
Austrian-Habsburg rule in 1848-49. This
day is one of the most prominent National
Holidays in Hungary. Shops and services
are closed on 15th March (day off work).
Public transport services operate according
to holiday schedule, meaning less frequent
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WHERE TO BE IN MARCH
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MARCH 1ST OR HAPPY BABA MARTA, EVERYONE!
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world, is notified in the Bulgarian folklore
at the beginning of the spring season, the
new beginning, source of the good. That
is why white and red are being weaved
in the martenitza, the way the man and
woman are entwined, to create something
new and good.
The tradition goes on that whenever you
see a stork or if April 1st comes before that,
you should take off your martenitza and
place it under a stone or at a fruit tree. So
that the year will be fruitful and successful.
We greet each other and say Happy baba
Marta!
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Couple of days to up to even a
week or so before March 1st, while
walking on any street in Bulgaria,
you can see the “red and white
villages” and “shop markets”. Come
March 1st, we exchange martentizi,
which are small red and white
items/bracelets or badges/ and are a
special and very unique tradition we
have over here. We wish each other
Chestita Baba Marta (in translation
Happy Grandma Marta, or the more
frequently used translation Happy
Baba Marta!).
The tradition behind the martenitzi
is ancient. The martenitzi are a
typical Bulgarian tradition and no
other nation celebrates the month
of March with them. On the first of
March and the first few days after,
Bulgarians give to one another white
and red tassels or small bracelets
or badges called "Martenitsa" or
"Martenichka" (the plural form of
which is "Martenitzi" if you prefer
to spell it in English with an s... the
"tz" sound is a letter in the Bulgarian
alphabet. Actually the Bulgarian
alphabet itself is the prototype
of all Slavianic alphabets, as the
languages share a lot of similarities).
The roots of this holiday are very deep, as it
is connected with many symbols, legends
and myths, than the general beliefs for
health and luck. Most of them date back
to pagan times (or as early as the first
establishment of the Bulgarian nation/
country which was way back in time – in
681 AD).
The red colour is a symbol of the feminine
beginning, health, conception and birth,
and the white, on the other hand, is the
male beginning, strength and light. This
invariable combination between the man
and woman, which actually rules the
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ST PATRICK’S DAY
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Patrick’s
Day
is
that the color
associated with the feast was
originally blue. But over the years it
varied from blue to green. Eventually,
the green was established as the
true color of the celebration. The
green color symbolizes the “color of
life”, nature, growth, health, renewal,
etc. Also the color of luck (remember
the green cloves that I was telling
you about in the beginning of the
article?!). Green on the day can
be also be found on clothes, hats,
ribbons and even there is a green
beer (quite an awkward color for
it, but totally delicious!).
So don’t forget, come March 17th,
dress up in green, pick your friends
and go out to a local Irish Pub or
Club – you will be immersed in the
absolute fantastic atmosphere of
laughter, drinking and great luck!
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day
which
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celebrated in Europe from the
9th and 10th Centuries. St. Patrick
is a religious holiday commonly
recognized in Ireland, and is also
celebrated internationally on 17
March. In 1903, Saint Patrick's
Day became an official public
holiday in Ireland. St. Patrick Day is
celebrated in the Republic of Ireland,
Northern Ireland, Newfoundland
and Labrador, and is also widely
celebrated by Irish, among others
in Great Britain, Canada, the United
States, Argentina, Australia, New
Zealand, and Montserrat.
An interesting fact about Saint
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and later on a bishop.
That is when Patrick
was
entrusted
a position in
Christianise,
where he spent
the last 30 years
of his live. He
died on 17
March 461 and
was commonly
recognized in
Ireland as the
Patron saint of
Ireland.
Saint Patrick's
Day is a
feast
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By Raia Alexieva
Green Clovers, beer and
cheerful leprechauns –
what else do you need for
a fabulous celebration?
Saint Patrick’s Day has
it all. Maybe you have
seen the celebrations
or actually taken part in
them – no matter what
the case is, I am sure that
you have been taken by
the wonderful mood,
great atmosphere and
lots of smiles. Not to
mention the famous
Irish accent – what not
to love about St. Patrick’s
Day?!
Having no Irish roots, I
must say that it is one
of the best holidays that
I wish was celebrated
around the globe. But
before we talk any
further about the fest,
let’s get back in time
and discover who Saint
Patrick truly was! The
story of Saint Patrick
starts in the misty
time of 4th century.
He was born in Roman
Britain and at the age
of sixteen kidnapped
and taken as a slave to
Ireland. He eventually
managed to escape to
the coast and returned
to Britain, where he
joined the Church
in Auxerre, Gaul. He
became a priest there
ST JOSEPH’S DAY
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holiday is know as Jum
San Ġużepp in Malta.
Usually the day is
noted with a mass in
the morning and an
afternoon picnic. There
is also a procession
that walks to the Saint
Joseph’s monument.
Spain celebrates the day
as a version of Father’s
day and in some parts
of the country it is
celebrated as Falles.
The tradition about
sharing
food
is
particularly vivid in the
Philippines. Usually an
old man, young woman
and a small boy are
chosen from the poor
and are dressed as St.
Joseph, the Virgin Mary,
and the child Jesus. They
attend the feast table
and eat with the best
silverware and china
that a family can afford.
In
New
Orleans,
Louisiana, both public
and private St. Joseph's
altars are built and are
open to any visitor.
The food is generally
distributed to charity
after the altar is
dismantled. There are
also parades in honor
of St. Joseph. Tradition
in New Orleans also
holds that by burying
a small statue of St.
Joseph upside down
Where is St. Joseph in your front yard, your
day celebrated?
house will sell more
In Malta, this public promptly.
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make a feast to honor
him, should he hear
their prayers. As soon
as the first rain came,
a big celebration was
prepared. Since the
fava bean was the plant
that saved the people
from the starvation,
the fava bean is
greatly
appreciated
on the day. It is used
to prepare alters and
also in the dishes that
are typical for the
holiday. Sharing food
and giving away food
to charities are a major
part of the tradition.
Since the tradition
comes from Italy, the
Sicilian pastry zeppola
is very commonly
prepared on the day.
Since St. Joseph favors
pastry bakers, sweet
desserts are also very
popular. The traditional
St. Joseph's Day altar
consists of flowers,
cookies, meatless dishes,
limes, candles, wine,
fava beans, specially
prepared cakes, breads
and zeppole. Foods
are traditionally served
containing
bread
crumbs to represent saw
dust since St. Joseph
was a carpenter. The
traditional color of the
festival is red.
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Ages. It is said that the
people of Sicily prayed to
St. Joseph (San Giuseppe in
Italian) to end the drought
that was devastating the
lands and threatening the
people with starvation. In
appreciation to the Saint,
the people vowed to
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Joséline, etc) as well as for
schools and organizations
bearing
his
name.
Carpenters and Pastry
Chefs also have Saint
Joseph as Patron Saint.
The legend of St. Joseph
comes from Sicily, Italy
and dates from the Middle
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Who was St. Joseph?
Saint Joseph was a
Saint Joseph's Day is carpenter and also the
celebrated on March 19. spouse of the Virgin Mary.
It is also called Feast of St. Saint Joseph's Day is the
Joseph or Solemnity of patronal day (name day in
Saint Joseph. The day is some regions) for people
also known as Father’s Day with the same name’s
in Italy.
root (Joseph, Josephine,
By Jason Dimitrov
wORLD TRAVELER: CROATIA
By PenPalling and Letters
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Penpalling & Letters: www.penpallingandletters.blogspot.com
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At the shores of the neretva
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Hello everybody! As you already know my
name is Maria and I come from Croatia. I started
penpalling in 1997 when our teacher gave us
addresses to write to people from abroad. I don't
remember very well what we were learning
that day or how many of us joined but I know I
was really happy about it! Then I got my first FB
(Friendship Book) and I met nice penpals through
those, too. Due to family problems I lost contact
with these first penpals of mine but I met new
ones later on. I was also reading teen magazines
and they were full of penpal and swapper ads.
That is how I met my best penfriend Tanja and
we have been friends for fourteen years now! I
also like postcards and I like getting them from
my pals as well as sending them back. I love
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Hello Maria and welcome to Penpalling &
Letters!Itisapleasureyouareparticipating
in Travelling around the World sharing
Cultural
Heritage,
Folklore
and
Background!What couldyoutell us about
yourself, Maria?
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Hello from Hrvatska! This is how the natives of this
land call it in their language. We are located today
in southeastern Europe, at the crossroads of the
Pannonian Plain, the Balkans, and the Adriatic
Sea. Hrvatska is a young country although its
origins date back to the early VII century; the
area where Hrvatska is today has been inhabited
since the Prehistoric period. Some of its symbols
are the "karst", "Plitvice Lakes National Park" or
its insular territory, which consists of over one
thousand enchanting islands!
The city of Metković
When Greeks began
to colonize the islands
on the Adriatic coast,
they found a strategic
position to establish
the "emporium" (port)
repeatedly bombed and
also in the period 19911992, during the War
between Serbia and
Croatia.
was first mentioned in
1422, in a file kept in
the Dubrovnik archives:
"in flumaria Narrenti
subtus
Metchovich"
which
means
"On
the
River
Neretva,
Metković". It was born
as a small agricultural
and cattle-raising town.
in Vid (it is an ancient
settlement which was
called Narona in the
past), near Metković.
Also, two centuries were
filled with frequent
clashes between the
Ottomans
and
the
Venetians. In the Second
World War Metković was
Are there some
remarkable
landmarks or
features worth to
be mentioned?
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Maybe you would
like to share with
us some facts
about its history.
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which flows through the
town and separates it in
two. Metković is not far
away from the Adriatic
Sea and very close to
the border with Bosnia
and Herzegovina (in
fact, Mostar, the fifth
largest city in Bosnia,
is only 35Km far
away from Metković).
Lots of fields and
mountains surround
my hometown.
Location of Metković
within Croatia
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Would you like to
disclose now what
are you going to
present under the
title "At the shores
of the Neretva"?
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Yes, of course! I would like
to say that it is a pleasure
to be here today sharing
a story about my part of
the world: a small place
called "Metković".
Where is your
hometown,
Metković, located?
How is the area
surrounding it?
My town is situated
in the southeast of
Croatia, in the valley
of the River Neretva
Do you remember
when was Metković
born as a city?
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Penpals are always
welcome but I am only
interested in females.
Age is not important
and I don't care if they
write long or short
letters as long as they
don't mind that I usually
type my letters. I do that
because my handwriting
is awful and I like my
letters to be nice and
understandable.
I
decorate letters by
adding stickers or I draw
something.
Mutual
interests are fine but
that is not the most
important, either. We are
all different after all but
what I like the most is
that my future penpals
are nice, caring and
understanding!
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Maria, are you
looking for
penpals at the
moment?
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stamps, too. I have been
collecting them for a
while now and my first
album is almost full. I
also love stickers. I use
them to decorate letters
and I like colourful
ones, glitter pens and
stationery but it is so
hard to find those in my
town... Recently, I also
started a blog: "Fallen
Angel".
It is a small town with
a population slightly
over 15,000 nowadays.
I live on the Predolac
Hill, in the old part of
the town, and I can
see everything from
my balcony: the river,
the border with Bosnia
and Herzegovina, the
whole right side of the
town, the fields around
the city, the mountains
surrounding it... If I go
a little bit up on the
hill, I even can see the
whole city of Metković. It
is really beautiful when
you climb up and see
the landscape and the
whole Neretva Valley.
Metković in the 1900s.
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Can you describe
Metković?
"Saint Ilija's Church"
is the most important
feature of the town
and it is situated on the
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mountains which surround the whole Neretva
Valley. The coastline is not far away from Metković:
only about 20Km far from the city.
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There are fields and
meadows in the near
vicinity, as well as
What makes the city famous and wellknown?
Picking mandarins in the field from October on as
part of the tourism (agriculture has traditionally
been the main activity in the Neretva Valley),
great food (fish, eel and frog stew Neretvastyle, Dalmatian prosciutto, fried frogs, grilled
eel, seafood salad, boiled coot with sauerkraut,
seashells...), the boat marathon and photo safari.
What do people do for a living? Which
are the typical jobs/works in the area?
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Which landscape
can
we
found
around the city
and
along the
River Neretva?
PenPalling and Letters is a blog dedicated
to correspondence.
You can find many interesting articles
there together with polls, so feel free to
voice out your opinion.
There is also a section with interesting
links that you can follow and learn more
about the wonderful hobby of penpalling!
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strategic
importance
and was abandoned.
View of the Neretva
flowing through
Metković in the 1900s.
Mountains surrounding
the city
at the background
Find PenPalling & Letters on Facebook:
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they had to give in to a
Venetian siege and leave
the tower. However,
with the towers strategic
importance, the Turks
wanted it back and
they got it several
times. During the next
centuries, the Venetians
and the Turks succeeded
one another in being
masters in the tower.
This rivalry came to
an end when Austrian
troops kicked them out.
Under Austrian rule the
river altered its course
and the tower lost its
Penpalling & Letters:
www.penpallingandletters.blogspot.com
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"Kula Norinska" or "Norin
Tower" in Krvavac II is
close to the MetkovićOpuzen road and was
built by the Turks in
the beginning of the
XVI century. The tower
was initially built where
the River Norin met
the River Neretva. The
purpose was to keep
the Venetians away from
the valley and to have a
stronghold where the
Turkish possessions in
the territory of Bosnia
and Herzegovina could
be defended from. The
Turks did not quite
succeed. Already in 1685
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southern slope of the
Predolac Hill. It was built
between 1867 and 1874,
and is a stone building
with three naves in
the type of a basilica
in Romanesque and
Neogothic style. There
is a lovely view from it of
the whole Neretva Valley
and the city.
"Kula Norinska" or "Norin
Tower".
Built in the XVI century
by the Turks
The Mediterranean climate predominates in
Croatia. However, sometimes, during winter and
early spring frosts may appear as a part of the flow
of cold air due to the opening of the continent. It
can be really dangerous for crops as plants and
vegetation start sprouting in early spring, already.
c h e c k
Which climate can we find in Metković?
i t ?
From Metković to Zagreb there is a distance of
about 500Km, which takes around six hours by
bus or car through the motorway. It takes about
two-three hours longer if you go by "normal"
roads. Split is around 140Km (around two hours
by car) and Dubrovnik is around 80Km (around
one hour by car) far away. There are islands and
tourism centres along the whole coast of Croatia
(from north to south), but the closer ones are
Pelješac Peninsula (about 20Km by ferry), Hvar
Island (about 60Km) and Brač Island (about 90Km).
Perhaps it sounds far at first but you can get from
Metković to any island in southern Croatia within
two hours.
The same view as above at present times
l i k e
How far is your hometown from the
capital, Zagreb? And from the main
Croatian tourism centres?
t h e
c h e c k
a t
l a t e s t
n e w s
n e w s
l a t e s t
a t
the "Augusteum", and There is always something
seventeen
marble to see and do when you
statues in natural height. come to visit Metković.
Anyone who is visiting
If anyone who is should have a walk
the
city,
reading this article is around
interested in visiting especially through the
Croatia and maybe old part of the city,
has the chance to go its narrow streets and
to Metković during typical houses without
her/his stay, what forgetting Saint Ilija's
would you enhance Church; also along the
about your homecity shores of the Neretva.
and the Neretva You can go for a hike to
area so they think: the Predolac Hill and see
"I should visit this the beautiful panorama
charming
place of the valley. It is always
when going to possible to visit the
Croatia next time!"? Ornithological Museum
i t ?
Which interesting
features stand out
in Metković at the
moment?
There is the Ornithological
Museum which has an
important "Bird Collection".
It contains more than
340 exhibits, among
which are specimens
of 218 bird species and
310 species recorded on
the Neretva area so far.
There is also the Narona
Archaeological Museum
in Vid (small place only
a few minutes far away
from Metković). Fifteen
years ago they did an
archaeological research
in that town and
found some remains
of a Roman temple,
l i k e
The most typical jobs
in Metković are those
which take place in the
office, at schools, shops...
but also a lot of people
work on their land, grow
fruits and vegetables,
especially mandarins.
Almost everybody has
a small piece of land
with mandarin trees on,
including me!
Ornithological Museum.
Collection of bird species
l i k e
i t ?
c h e c k
t h e
Croatia is a country in Central Europeand
Southeastern Europe at the crossroads of the
Pannonian Plain, the Balkans, and the Adriatic
Sea. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. Croatia
borders Slovenia to the north, Italy to the
west, Hungary to the northeast, Bosnia and
Herzegovina to the southeast, Serbia to the east,
and Montenegro to the southeast.Croatia is a
member of the United Nations, the Council of
Europe, NATO, the World Trade Organization and
CEFTA. The country is a candidate for European
Union membership and is a founding member
of the Union for the Mediterranean.
Croatia is classified as an emerging and
developing economy by the International
Monetary Fund and a high income economy by
the World Bank.
67
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68
To
preserve
the
significance and history
of the lađe, in 1998 the
very first race involving
these relics from the
past was organized from
Metković to Ploče. At the
start of the inaugural
race, there were a total
of eighteen local crews.
Ever since, a new record
number of entries is
received every year. As
A week prior to the
actual marathon, the
time trials for starting
positions are held in
Opuzen (individually over
100 metres). Depending
on the trials, starting
positions are assigned.
The start of the race
is in Metković under
the main bridge. The
course runs along the
Neretva to the harbour
in Ploče. Approximately,
at the halfway mark, in
the town of Opuzen,
an interchange of up
to six crew members is
permitted (although it
is not compulsory to
change). Then, further
down the river, we
go through the small
village of Komin, until
the final destination
in the harbour of the
coastal town of Ploče.
The winners normally
achieve their goal in
about two hours and
fifteen minutes, following
continuous,
non-stop
rowing. Spectators follow
the race in cars on either
side of the river, by train
(the railway is parallel
to the river route) or
on board the many
boats and vessels that
accompany the lađe.
n e w s
Lađe
have
served
for
centuries
as
water vehicles which
transported
people,
animals and farming
products. Because of its
narrow size, lađe are able
to enter every tributary
that flowed into the
Neretva as well as the
Neretva itself. It can be
said that the lađe to the
Neretva represents the
same the gondola does
to Venice.
2.8 meters, the depth is
70cm, with 23 spokes or
wooden rods. The actual
oars must also be made
of wood.
l a t e s t
along the shores and
banks of the Neretva and
also important people in
Croatia come to see it,
even the president of the
country.
for the old lađe
lying peacefully
in the rivers,
they
were
awaken
from
their
slumber
and repaired to
live another day
in the following
year's race. Since
the old lađe were
all of different
dimensions,
and so that all
competitors
would race in
vessels of the
same size, in
2004 a new
c u s to m - m a d e
lađe
were
built,
which
would be used
specifically for
the marathon.
Each
rowing
crew
consists
of ten rowers, a
drummer and
a cox. There can be a
minimum of twelve and
a maximum of eighteen
people in each squad.
Anyone who is willing
to participate may be
part of the crew. The
competing lađe must
be wooden, comprise
a traditional shape and
must meet the official
competition rules as far
as actual dimensions are
concerned. That is, the
length must be between
7 and 8.2 meters, the
width between 2.45 and
t h e
There is also the annual
amateur
sporting
competition
called
"Maraton Lađa". It is
a 22.5Km marathon
from Metković to Ploče
where competitors race
in old vessels native
to the Lower Neretva
River called "lađa" or
"ladja" ("lađe" or "ladje"
in plural). It is held on
the second Saturday of
August every year. The
most exciting moment
of the race happens
to be on the starting
line, with the lađe
situated right under the
bridge. More than three
hundred
competitors
participate in thirty lađe,
which together with
the rhythmic beating
of the drums by each
team's drummer, makes
it for a colourful and
noisy spectacle. Around
50,000 viewers follow the
marathon competition
c h e c k
Patrik Ćavar, Ivan Čupić,
Slavko Goluža and Nikša
Which sports are Kaleb (Croatian handball
practiced in the national team). There
city? Do you have a is also the poet Ivan
well-known team Slamnig, the actress Vera
in Metković?
Zima and the singer,
Matija Vuica who were all
Handball and football born in Metković.
are the most popular
sports in Metković, but Would you like to
also basketball and share with us any
tennis. We don’t have other interesting
a very famous team feature about your
although several players homecity, Maria?
in the Croatian handball
national team are from One of the largest folklore
Metković.
festivals, "Na Neretvu
Misecina Pala", is held
Do you know about in Metković every May.
any personality/ During two weekends
famous
person the open stage of the
coming
from town theatre hosts over a
Metković?
hundred folklore groups
from Croatia and from
The most famous people abroad, which preserve
are those involved in the tradition of their
sports: Igor Štimac and regions through songs,
Darijo Srna (Croatian music and dance.
national football team);
i t ?
l i k e
away Adriatic coast.
l i k e
and the Bird Collection.
If tourists come in
May, they can enjoy the
folklore festivals. In July
there is the "Brudetijada" (a
gastronomic competition
which consists of preparing
"brudet") in Opuzen, a town
only ten minutes far away
fromMetković.TheNeretvastyle fish stew, brudet,
is an unique dish also
because it is prepared
in a somewhat different
way in different parts
of the Neretva Delta.
The main ingredients
are freshwater fish,
eels and frogs and it is
usually quite spicy. It
is served with polenta.
Many visitors taste the
stew at the end of the
contest accompanied
by music and singing. In
August it is possible to
see the boat marathon
"Maraton Lađa" or go
the the beach and enjoy
the sea in the not so far
69
SAMANTHA’S THOUGHTS
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My daughter recently received
an award at school for doing her
homework and turning it in on
time. I am a very proud mom. She
reminds me a lot of myself. I always
excelled in school and I continue
to love to learn as much as I can on
various subjects. I think that's what
intrigues me about penpalling.
You get to meet people all over
the world, you get to know and
learn about different cultures, food,
customs, religions, and so much
more. There's always something
to learn from each penpal. Each
penpal is different so there's always
something new to learn even if
they come from the same country.
That's what I love most.
n e w s
c h e c k
There's going to be an Angel
booklet coming out this month
that I am preparing about finding
your guardian angel's, what does
it mean when you keep seeing
the same number appear over and
over again, and so on. It will be
interesting and I hope you all check
it out.
l a t e s t
i t ?
Lately, with my penpalling I have been
a bit behind. Just haven't been in the
"writing" mood. Maybe it's lack of
motivation or inspiration but I don't
like it at all. Writing has always been an
outlet for me to get my feeling's and
Then there's The First Day of Spring the true "me" out of the bag.
I can't say life has been getting in
the way, although it has I usually
have time for a letter or two. It's
all about the "mood" and lately I
haven't been in that mood.
Maybe it's the weather, I don't
know. I have to admit writing
means everything to me and I am
lost without it. Wish me luck on
finding my muse again.
t h e
l i k e
on March 20th. The fresh smell of the
air, flowers and the sunshine. The
best time to go outside and write or
relax and have a BBQ (editor’s note:
barbeque) with your family. Which we
do every year. That's what I mean by
the word "fresh!"
c h e c k
had live music, green beer, dancing
(my dad and I danced), and fireworks.
I now pass on the celebration and
history with my children. They still
make you wear some sort of green on
St. Patrick's Day at school and if you
don't then you get pinched by your
classmate's. I don't know who made
up that silly game or rule but it has
been around since the early 1900's.
Maybe even earlier. I don't know. Just
recently found out that my husband's
family comes from Ireland.
i t ?
Welcome to another issue of Samantha's
Thought's. As I sit here thinking about
future plans for this summer with my
family, there's something about March
that seems fresh. What I mean is not
only is it Saint Patrick's Day (For those
who don't know what the holiday is
or celebrate it, it is an Irish holiday
(March 17th) in which we celebrate for
good luck. My ancestor's on my mom's
side come from Ireland and some were
even Druid's) which has always had
a meaning to me. As a child my nana
used to take me to Old Sacramento,
California (the town I live in) and
we would watch the parade they
would have and have what's called
" A Shamrock Shake," made out of
peppermint ice cream and green food
coloring into a milkshake. I remember
dressing in all green, with glitter, and a
green sparkly wand with a star on the
top of it and I would wave it around
in the air as I was some kind of faerie
princess. In my mind I was. LOL. In my
adult life I got to share this special day
with my husband one year visiting my
father in Reno, Nevada, where they
l i k e
Hello Everyone,
What is your favorite place that
you have learned about from your
penpal? Mine has to be a friend I
write to in France. She had some
amazing stories she would tell me
71
l i k e
i t ?
c h e c k
t h e
l a t e s t
n e w s
a t
every time she wrote me, sad we lost
write anymore due to postage reasons
but we talk via Facebook and it's nice to
look back on our letters and see the cool
and funny stories.
What kind of music puts you in the
penpalling mood? To me it's not the
kind of music but the type of day and
light I have around me. I have to have a
well lit room in order to feel comfortable
and in the penpalling mood. When I am
in the mood I tend to write more then
one letter and sometimes I can write for
hours on end.
How do you store your letters? I have
heard of people who wrap their letter's
up in ribbon and put them in a box. I
tend to like this idea. I usually just put
the one's I replied to in a box and it is
quite unorganized but I am looking for
ideas on how to put my letter's in a nice
and cute way. How do you store the
letter's you reply to when you are done
or the ones you have to reply to?
What is your favorite website to find
penpals? Mine was Interpals for the
longest time but then people kind of
left the website and now it's hard to
find the person you want to write or you
have in common with. If you want to
find me on there it's www.Interpals.net/
foundmyangelnow
I hope you have a great March and enjoy
the magazine. Here's the ways you can
contact me if you want.
xoxoxo,
Samantha Stroy
itsapenpalworld@gmail.com
www.facebook.com/AngelBaby916
http://itsapenpalworld.blogspot.com
73
RECIPES
REcipes
i t ?
l i k e
This section will view recipes send
by you, our readers. Soon we will be
able to cook some really ineresting
and very diverse dishes coming from
all the corners of the world.
c h e c k
a t
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l a t e s t
t h e
c h e c k
Mika
lifestyle magazine
75
i t ?
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74
l a t e s t
Mix Milk, sugar, salt, shortening & cool
to lukewarm dissolved yeast in warm
water. Combine with milk, wheat germ
& 2 ½ C sifted flour. Beat until smooth.
Mix in enough remaining flour to make
a dough that leaves sides of bowl.
Knead Until smooth and elastic about
10 minutes. Place in greased bowl.
Turn to grease top. Cover and put in
warm place to:
Rise until double about 1 hour. Punch
down and let rise again. Turn onto
board. Divide in half, cover and let rest
10 minutes. Shape into 2 loaves. Put in
greased loaf pans. Cover & let rise until
almost double, about 1 hour.
Bake in hot oven 425° for 25-30
minutes until done and sounds hallow
when tapped.
t h e
Home Made Bread
1 ¾ C Scalded Milk
2 TBS Active Dry Yeast
2 TBS Sugar
1 ½ C Warm Water 110°
2 TSP Salt
1/3 C Wheat Germ
½ C Soft Shortening
5-6 C Sifted Flour
FASHIONISTA
l i k e
http://beautybrite.blogspot.com
i t ?
c h e c k
a t
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l a t e s t
i t ?
t h e
a t
c h e c k
exfoliators that are better
than using chemical
based products. Despite
its grainy feel, sugar in a
scrub is gentle enough to
be used on the skin and
protects against the loss of
moisture. Surprisingly, the
use of sugar scrubs in your
skincare routine can also
help eliminate blemishes
and restore balance to the
skin’s natural oils. Best of
all, sugar is probably one
of the least expensive
scrubs you will ever find!”
n e w s
found a basic recipe and
you can add your own
essential oils and herbs of
your choice to create your
own.
You
are
probably
wondering how sugar
can benefit your skin?
According to carefirst.
com, “Sugar can help skin
naturally glow because
of its fine texture. Sugar
scrubs don’t clog your
pores, preventing you
from icky breakouts.
Sugar scrubs act as natural
l a t e s t
Thanks to the economy,
my husband and I have
been unemployed for
too long. I am constantly
looking for ways to save
money, be frugal, and
living green! While I love
topampermyself,Icannot
afford a fancy spa or
fancy products! Instead, I
choose to try to make my
own beauty products.
I was recently perusing
my favorite" bath and
body" website and found
several sugar scrub
products that looked
so delicious to try! They
were, however, a little
too pricey, which lead
me to search online for
homemade recipes!
Making sugar scrubs
at home is so easy and
only takes a handful
of ingredients! You
don’t have to spend a
fortune at a store, since
you are really paying for
the fancy packaging! I
t h e
By Stephanie Fatta
l i k e
Basic Sugar Scrub Recipe
Homemade Sugar Scrubs
Peppermint Sugar Scrub
1 cup granulated white sugar
1 cup granulated white sugar
½ cup olive oil (you can substitute sweet 6 peppermint candies (approx 1/4 cup), finely
almond oil, jojoba oil, or coconut oil)
crushed into a powder
1/2 cup olive oil (or any of the oils in the basic recipe)
Directions:
6 drops peppermint essential oil (optional)
Mix both ingredients well and store in glass jar
Directions:
with lid
1. Mix together granulated white sugar and
Scents to use: a few drops of essential oil - feel crushed peppermint candies until well blended
free to use any one of the following: lavender, 2. Pour liquid ingredients into sugar mix and
jasmine, sandalwood, vanilla, etc.
blend well
77
CELEBRITY BIRTHDAY TWINS:
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l a t e s t
t h e
c h e c k
a t
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l i k e
l a t e s t
March 1st – Justin Bieber
(Singer)
March 1st – Roger Daltrey
(Singer with The Who)
March 2nd – Jon Bon Jovi
(Musician)
March 2nd – Dr Seuss
(Author)
March 3rd – Landon
Donovan (Soccer Player)
champion)
March 25th – David
Lean (Film director)
March 26th - Vicki
Lawrence (Actress)
March 26th – Robert
Frost (Poet)
March 27th – Stacy
“Fergie”
Ferguson
(Singer)
March
27th
–
Edward
Steichen
(Photographer)
March 28th – Lady Gaga
March 28th – Maxim
Gorky (Novelist)
March 29th – Elle
Macpherson (Model/
actress)
March 29th – Eugene
McCarthy
(Anti-war
senator)
March 30th – Norah
Jones (Jazz vocalist)
March 30th – Eric
Clapton (Guitarist)
March 31st – Pavel Bure
(NHL player)
March 31st – Rene
Descartes
(French
philosopher who said,
“I think, therefore I am.”)
t h e
Happy Birthday March
Babies!
March 18th – Adam Levine
(Singer for Maroon 5)
March 18th – Queen
Latifah (Actress/rapper)
March 19th – Bruce Willis
(Actor)
March 19th – Glenn Close
(Actress)
March 20th – Nick Wheeler
(Guitarist)
March 20th – Holly Hunter
(Actress)
March 21st – Kevin
Federline (Dancer)
March 21st – Gary Oldman
(Actor)
March 22nd – Reese
Witherspoon (Actress)
March 22nd – Andrew
Lloyd Webber (Composer)
March 23rd – Keri Russell
(Actress)
March 23rd – Akira
Kurosawa (Japanese film
director)
March 24th – Peyton
Manning (Quarterback)
March 24th – Alan Sugar
(Millionaire and star of
“The Apprentice”)
March 25th – Sheryl
Swoopes
(Basketball
c h e c k
www.famousbirthdays.
com
March 11th – Thora Birch
(Actress)
March 11th – Rupert
Murdoch (Owner of a
global media empire)
March 12th – Frank
Catalano
(Jazz
saxophonist)
March 12th – Jack Kerouac
(Beat Era poet)
March 13th – Rachael
Bella (Actress)
March 13th – William
Casey (CIA agent)
March 14th – Taylor
Hanson
(Singer/
keyboardist)
March 14th – Billy Crystal
(Comedian/actor)
March 15th – Joe Hahn
(Turntablist for Linkin
Park)
March 15th – Andrew
Jackson (7th US President)
March 16th – Flavor Flav
(Rapper)
March 16th – Jerry Lewis
(Comedian/actor)
March 17th – Caroline Corr
(Drummer for The Corrs)
March 17th – Nat “King”
Cole (Singer)
i t ?
March – spring is
springing, the flowers
are beginning to appear
and the sun should be
returning from its winter
hibernation. If you were
born in March, hopefully
your birthday will be filled
with sun and happiness.
Check out this month's list
to see who you share your
birthday with! For more
famous birthdays, go to:
March 3rd – Jason
Newsted (Former bass
player for Metallica)
March 4th – Sterling
Knight (Disney Channel
star)
March 4th – Eva Mendes
(Actress)
March 6th – Shaquille
O'Neal (Basketball player)
March 6th – Lou Costello
(Comedian)
March 7th – Paul
Cattermole (Member of S
Club 7)
March 7th – Rik Mayall
(Comedian)
March 8th – Bob, Clint
and Dave Moffatt (The
Moffatts)
March 8th – Kat Von D
(Tattoo Artist)
March 9th – Bow Wow
(Rapper)
March 9th – Samuel
Barber (Composer)
March 10th – Carrie
Underwood
(Country
singer)
March 10th – Prince
Edward (Son of Queen
Elizabeth II)
l i k e
By Rach Gee
Birthday Twins
Birthday Twins! What’s more cool
than finding someone who shares
the same birthday date with you? No
matter how far away you live from
one another an instant connection is
made. On one and the same day, you
party together to celebrate Your own
Special Day!
The Team of Sandbook.Net
78
would like to say a very Happy
Birthday to:
2nd March 1984,Tanya Riley
from USA,
2nd March 1991, Anggraeni
Wulandari,
6th March 1991, Andreja from
Slovenia,
10th March 1952, Teresa from
Kingston upon Hull (England),
13th March 1989, Manuela
Balocco, Italy,
13th March 1988, Veronika
Cordes, Germany,
26th March 1980, Trisha
Stevens from Sapulpa, OK, USA,
28th March 1962, Karen Yaughn
from the USA
May you all have a wonderful
day!
To join our birthday twin section, send
us your birthday, name, country and
email to our email: fun@sandbook.
net
To contact any of our Birthday Twins,
log onto our website and look at the
BirthdayTwin Section.
79
NEXT ISSUE
Is the next issue free?
How to become a guest
writer?
How does the subscribe
feature on the website work?
Coming out: APRIL 11, 2011
Commercial Ads are paid ads for products or service
that is not classified as a penpal or a swapper ad or
an add from a small business that provides supplies
for correspondence (stationary, address labels). Such
ads are going to be reviewed and negotiated with the
respective companies. For more information email
magazine@sandbook.net
Make sure that you stay informed for the latest news
Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Sandbook
Add us as a friend on Facebook
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And join our Facebook Group: http://on.fb.me/SBNgroup
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Read our blog at: sandbooknet.blogspot.com
Visit us on our website: www.SandBook.Net
81
What is the policy on
commercial Ads?
a t
I don’t see my Ad. Why?
n e w s
1) Promote us - tell your penpals and swappers about
the magazine.
2) Give us feedback - either on our website
www.sandbook.net or through Facebook/Twitter.
3) Become a guest writer - Contact us with your idea
of an article. We need to make sure that the topic is
still not taken by someone else. We don’t want to
print out articles with similar content. Deadline of all
The published ads are in agreement with our policy: articles is the 30th of each month. If we receive the
1) we are not a dating site/community - write article after that date - your article is going to be run
in the next issue. If you decide to send any pictures
appropriate ads to have them published!
2) no inmates - we have kids that are members in our with your article, you will need to have the rights to
that image and the image needs to be with a minimal
community!
3) money requests - such ad will result in your resolution of 800x600.
permanent ban from our community.
Go to www.sandbook.net and go to the Magazine
section. Then simply click “Place an Ad” and you will
have to fill out the form that loads on your computer
screen. Please remember to give your actual/real email
address, as it will be the only connect information that
anyone can use to get back in touch with you.
l a t e s t
What can I do to help with the
magazine?
t h e
How to place an ad in the
magazine?
c h e c k
Yes! So go ahead and tell all of your penpals and
swappers about it. Promote the magazine so we can
choose from various penpals and swappers ads. The Again, get in touch with us and let us know the name
of the topic that you want to write about. If it is not
more, the merrier!
already taken, we’d give you the go ahead to write
it. We are doing that simply to ensure that we don’t
have one and the same stories printed under variation of names. The deadline for all articles is the end
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