Discussion of the Day
Penfriends!
Zing27-Jan-21
Not that long ago... I was just browsing around on the internet, and I came across a penfriend-club.
I was surprised!
I thought penfriend clubs died out due to the popularity of the internet.
It's good that they still exist!
Have you ever had a penfriend?
Do you currently have one that you write to?
Comments
  • Craig P 469035
    got heap's of pen's, heap's of paper but no lotsa of friend's.
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    • Judy C 96642
      At school I had a French male pen friend!
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      • Priscilla R 316016
        Am amazed the clubs are still around. Used to have many penfriends over the world, 1 in SA, 2 in England and one in France - helped me to better read french, but not to talk it any better, haha. Of course they were different days and one wasn't as worried as one would be corresponding via the internet these days.
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        • Ann M 73686
          Loved it when I was younger..What a way to find out about the world through correspondence with people of a different county. Had penfriends in England, U.S.A. Iceland who were wonderful writers. Certainly gave me a yearning to travel.
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          • Alex H 487498
            Pen friends are a good thing to have if your really lonely but one has to be careful because these people well some of them aren't what they seem because they may appear nice when they start - getting to know them you see the real person - it's always good to have a Post office box established not your home address.
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            • Jacqueline R 353303
              I used to have 65 penfriends from all over the world. It was an amazing experience and taught me lots of wonderful things. When I travelled was able to meet up with some from NZ, Canada & USA. One of my penfriends from NZ came across for a visit, went home and returned 2 years later after she was married to live. We still remain the best of friends. I write to 1 penfriend in USA after all these years, but not as often as we used. Spent a week with her and her family when I visited just amazing. I guess the Internet is the modern penfriend but don't think it is as safe as someone as stated. At least one saves on postage which was always expensive Now your messages are instant & don't have to wait weeks or months for a reply. I too am surprised penfriend clubs are still around. Such a wonderful experience learnt lots of things and met some beautiful people.
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              • Dimitri T 100433
                no but now days most people use emails/phone to communicate?
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                • Lones
                  Yes a few, but some are just after a way to get them into a better place to live. And others become life long friends. But these days I would be very careful
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                  • Rosemary E 383382
                    During WW11 many people had penpals. They wrote to the soldiers overseas. Some females also knitted socks etc which were sent overseas by Salvation Army or International Red Cross. My Mum eventually met a couple of the soldiers who came back to Australia and were temporarily based in Adelaide near my Grandma's Deli.
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                    • Haanz
                      No pen, just mobile lol
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                      • Bev
                        I have never had a penfriend!
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                        • Joe B 288252
                          I think writing and reading is a dying skill, nowadays you can face the book, tik the tok or tweet guano to your hearts content so anything that promotes good literacy gets my vote If only there was a site to promote good manners and decorum eh?
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                          • Peter T 100083
                            I agree with you Joe as well has good manners and helping others.It all Me Me Me! Tired of this PC rubbish as well!
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                        • graeme m 189162
                          silly question. why is rewardia not able to set up some sort of page where you can request or find a penpal that is if that is what you want to do. may revive the old, just like the fashion industry does
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                          • Edith v
                            I still have a pen friend we have been corresponding since 1955.I have only met her once .It is a dying trend .
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                            • Claude H
                              I used to have a pen friend but now with the internet I am in constant contact with everyone
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                              • Frank N
                                I don't have a pen friend now, but did when I was a teenager.
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                                • Linda C
                                  No. Never knew about the internet site either. I have enough family to write to to keep me busy however, I think pre the last century and even into it plenty used to write to pen pals. Now days of course it is all social media connections. The pen is no longer powerful as the fingers have taken over.
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                                  • Stephen F 84899
                                    As a child I did have a penfriend or as I recall was called a penpal. I cannot remember how I got her but she was in Japan & did send me a small figarene - that was a long time ago
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                                    • Chuckles
                                      I wouldn't be able to fit my iMac in an envelope.
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                                      • Vicki C 68608
                                        It's too hard to post an iPad!!
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                                        • Glenda K 480778
                                          I had one many years ago when I was at school. I did not know they existed anymore. I think it would be a great idea if kids today had a pen friend to see what and how the kids of the world are doing.. But I would be very surprised if kids today would write on pen and paper and then its the cost of the stamps nowadays.
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                                          • peter w 94893
                                            Yes and no, unfortunately.
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                                            • Leanne B 76015
                                              My mum has had the same one for 64 years
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                                              • Anneliese
                                                I had 2 growing up. One from Germany, the other France.
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                                                • JustE
                                                  I joined a penpal club at school in the 1970's. I am still in frequent contact with one penfriend Uwe. We have met in person twice and spent a holiday together which was very special to us both. Over 40 years we have been best friends.
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                                                  • Paul J 94868
                                                    I've never had one...
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                                                    • LEANNE B 221779
                                                      I have been corresponding with my pen friend for 45 years. It’s a pity that this has died out
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                                                      • Lorraine C 90175
                                                        I love the idea of it but wouldn’t trust anyone these days, it’s a strange world these days.
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                                                        • EILEEN W 310556
                                                          As a lonely teen in the UK back in the 50s and 60s I had penpals all over the world. We exchanged postcards, stamps, learnt a bit about languages and other cultures. How exciting it was to receive mail from France, Japan, USA, Italy, Norway, Jugoslavia, the Azores etc. I studied languages at School and Uni and hitchhiked around Europe meeting and mixing wonderful people including my future husband. Now Facebook has replaced letter writing and I love hearing from my many International friends every day.
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                                                          • Bugalugs
                                                            No, I prefer real, live friends whom I can actually meet face-to-face!
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                                                            • Sheree T
                                                              I had one many years ago from Malaysia, after some time we just drifted away from it. I am surprised it still exists
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                                                              • Lyn 78550
                                                                No never felt the need. Quite a few emails are sent to my friends but we usually like to catch up physically if we can.
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                                                                • 'smee,SWQ!
                                                                  I had one over half a century ago - In America
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                                                                  • BRONNY
                                                                    i have a pen pal and we used to snail mail each other but now we get on fb she's from belgium and we have been friends for a long time
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                                                                    • Amber 22
                                                                      I wish I had more of them I like freands
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                                                                      • Grommie
                                                                        I had one in Germany, all he wanted was for me to write in English
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                                                                        • Lachelle B
                                                                          Hi Zing! Used to have an Italian penpal about 35 years ago, lost contact. It's all online now, the upside of having a pen friend though is you're less likely to be scammed lol. I doubt a scammer would take the time to hand write letters :)
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                                                                          • Mary B 492108
                                                                            No
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                                                                            • Robert nsw
                                                                              never had a penfriend
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                                                                              • Dhirajlal P
                                                                                No, just in this era of internet social Media , we can chat instant also with video
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                                                                                • Rifat H
                                                                                  I remember the first time we had internet introduced to our house. I played Chess while chatting with a player from Greece. I couldn't believe it, and asked something like 'You really are from Greece? wow!'. I'm at Sydney, they're at Greece! I thought that must be how penpals interact, as they describe each other's place of residence!
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                                                                                  • Sonya F 68771
                                                                                    when i was in primary school i had my cousins as pen friends they where overseas but no more that was a long time ago
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                                                                                    • Jennifer H 396811
                                                                                      I don't have a pen friend but it's nice that they are still around although not called "pen friends" as that only came into being because people actually picked up a pen and wrote to each other, usually started in schools, but now it's all social media and emails and pressing buttons. Sad really.
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                                                                                      • Elizabeth J 447888
                                                                                        Unfortunately I do not have a penfriend (I am guessing they are more email friends these days). I say this as I remember back to my high school days my French teacher encouraging us to have French penfriends. At our 20 year school reunion the girls that took them on were still writing, spoke and wrote perfect French and had visited each other many times.
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                                                                                        • Robin L 79437
                                                                                          When I was young, but not anymore
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                                                                                          • Leslie E 111465
                                                                                            They are friends with a pen.
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                                                                                            • Chosen
                                                                                              What's a pen ???? ............ just asking.
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                                                                                              • doug m 408074
                                                                                                I have lots of internet friends I write to - but letters? Haven't see one since forever!
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                                                                                                • Timtam
                                                                                                  I don't but my older sister has been writing to her penpal in the US since they were in their teens and she is in her late 60's. These days they have facebook and messenger as well writing longer letters.
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                                                                                                  • Brenda J 463318
                                                                                                    That's how I met my husband. We were 'pen-pals'.
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                                                                                                    • SueM2
                                                                                                      Used to, back when I could afford the postage! I always think it's ironic that the PO bemoan the falling postal items and do not seem to realise that if the costs were reasonable, we would use the service! I guess the word "service" is the key; the PO used to be a service operated for the convenience of it's customers, but has now become a profit driven business. I used to love receiving letters in the mail.....
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                                                                                                      • View all 4 replies
                                                                                                      • Phyrephly
                                                                                                        yeah, nothing like getting mail in your physical mailbox, sans bills of course! On penpals, my Mum promised to keep in touch with a neighbor we had in Canada, when we moved to Britain. The lady wrote Mum one letter and Mum could not read her writing, so she said she had to stop writing to her. Shame, wish Mum had kept the letter.
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                                                                                                      • SueM2Phyrephly
                                                                                                        My mother had penpals all over the world; I can still remember the excitement at Christmas when gifts started arriving, and mum's frenetic activity getting all her gifts to them organised & sent off before the closing date for "surface mail" (sent by ship rather than airmail which no-one could afford!)
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                                                                                                      • PhyrephlySueM2
                                                                                                        great if you liked to travel - pre- Covid - free or cheap accomodation, maybe and help with picking best sights to see!
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                                                                                                      • SueM2Phyrephly
                                                                                                        Sadly, those were different times as regards travel, especially for folk of my parent's generation! My mother never once met any of her penpals "in the flesh" - she wouldn't have even entertained the idea that it could be a possibility.....
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