Wednesday, October 26, 2005
Please Mr. Postman - The Carpenters
Who actually waits for the postman anymore? I mean, the only mail he brings these days are either bills or junk mail. Or more bills.
How different it was 10 years ago, before everyone had internet connection, when the cheapest way of communication is by sending a letter!
Send a letter!!!!
Ever done that before? No, I'm not saying click on the send button. I'm saying sitting down, taking a pen (I know someone uses a pencil - why dun u ever write anymore? :-( Oh well...), and writing down thoughts onto a piece of paper, folding the paper, slotting it into an envolope, sealing it, addressing it, afixing a stamp on it and drop it into a red post box!!!!
Whoa, I got tired just typing that out!!! Wouldnt it be so much easier to just sit down before a PC, type it out and click on a button?
Yeah, I guess - but it's just not the same.
I'm going on about this cuz I saw me mate, Michael actually replying a letter - by snail mail!!!
I have not done that for ages. Neither has he. And we started talking about how we are missing out on .... the simple beauty and joy of writing a letter - and of course, receiving letters! He was telling me that when his mate told him she had sent a letter to him, how excited he was, how he checked the mail everyday in anticipation and finally seeing the letter!
I know wat he meant. I remembered - receiving mail was one of the simple joys in our lives during our undergraduate days. Every week, without fail, I'll receive a letter from... her. It doesn't really matter if it was long or if it was short. It was in her handwriting (albeit in pencil), it was her thoughts, it was a part of her! And when a week passed by and no letter came, I got worried. I wondered wat had happened. I started fearing that perhaps she got tired of writing. But then, 2 letters came the next week!!! :-)
I guess some of you may not appreciate it - after all, we have e-mail these days. Within seconds of hitting the "send" button, the receipient would have it up on his PC thousand of miles away. Or how bout instant messaging? Heck, even now wif Skype or Google Talk, you dun even have to type anymore anymore.
But corresponding thru letters has its own magic! You actually read - not just the words but the handwriting. There is so much one can express thru writing. Not only that, you get to touch and feel the letter, the words on paper. Each letter can have its own identity.
After watching "Almost a love story" together, I would write to this mate using the tray-liners from McDonalds - as the character did in the movie. I've received letters written on colourful paper, on paper wif drawings, on perfumed paper, on papers of all kinds of sizes.
I used to fold my letters in a particular manner which can drive some people up the wall trying to figure out how to unfold it! There was a fren who folded her letter into the shape of a t-shirt before. When I was in London last time, I made my own envelopes! Me flat mates would notice that I would receive letters in green envelopes.
And some envelopes would come wif small comments from the sender - either some lame remark, a note to the postman thanking him, or watever!!!!
Dun forget the stamps too! I followed a fren's style of afixing the stamp at an angle!!!
Letters can come written in all kinds of coloured ink with all kinds of pens. And the handwriting - that prolly is wat makes it most special! That makes it so personal. And from the handwriting, you can tell when the person writing it is excited, or is sad, or is angry!
On top of that, you can enclose all kinds of stuffs. Michael showed me wat was enclosed in the letter to him - some band-aids in case he cuts himself! :-) I used to enclose junk like leaves (autumn leaves to which me mate would gladly take a deep breath of it - before remembering how dirty it prolly is!!!!), newspaper cuttings (the worst was when me fren here sent me the newspaper report regarding Shona's accident...), photos, bus tickets, pamphlets, hair (!), drawings etc.
Sigh... memories. :-)
I confess I dun write anymore. I haven't written for a long, long time. I can't seem to find the time - altho back then, I used to spend hours just writing - at anytime, anywhere - in the library, while waiting in the laundry room, at the mechanic, during lunch (where I would highlinght the stains and explain wat food made it...!!!!!). It's sad that we have lost the art of corresponding thru written letters.
And at this point, entering my 4th week, I'v only received 2 letters - one from the bank (my first letter at Essex - from Barclays!!!!!) and one from this dear, dear sister in church who sent me the church's bulletin - as she had faithfully done so every month when I was in London previously and as she is still faithfully doing to many others all over the world! Bless her wonderful heart!
Looks like letter writing will fade into antiquity. So sad. I still have ALL the letters I received when I was studying in London 10 years ago. It's part of my past which I will never let go. :-)
How different it was 10 years ago, before everyone had internet connection, when the cheapest way of communication is by sending a letter!
Send a letter!!!!
Ever done that before? No, I'm not saying click on the send button. I'm saying sitting down, taking a pen (I know someone uses a pencil - why dun u ever write anymore? :-( Oh well...), and writing down thoughts onto a piece of paper, folding the paper, slotting it into an envolope, sealing it, addressing it, afixing a stamp on it and drop it into a red post box!!!!
Whoa, I got tired just typing that out!!! Wouldnt it be so much easier to just sit down before a PC, type it out and click on a button?
Yeah, I guess - but it's just not the same.
I'm going on about this cuz I saw me mate, Michael actually replying a letter - by snail mail!!!
I have not done that for ages. Neither has he. And we started talking about how we are missing out on .... the simple beauty and joy of writing a letter - and of course, receiving letters! He was telling me that when his mate told him she had sent a letter to him, how excited he was, how he checked the mail everyday in anticipation and finally seeing the letter!
I know wat he meant. I remembered - receiving mail was one of the simple joys in our lives during our undergraduate days. Every week, without fail, I'll receive a letter from... her. It doesn't really matter if it was long or if it was short. It was in her handwriting (albeit in pencil), it was her thoughts, it was a part of her! And when a week passed by and no letter came, I got worried. I wondered wat had happened. I started fearing that perhaps she got tired of writing. But then, 2 letters came the next week!!! :-)
I guess some of you may not appreciate it - after all, we have e-mail these days. Within seconds of hitting the "send" button, the receipient would have it up on his PC thousand of miles away. Or how bout instant messaging? Heck, even now wif Skype or Google Talk, you dun even have to type anymore anymore.
But corresponding thru letters has its own magic! You actually read - not just the words but the handwriting. There is so much one can express thru writing. Not only that, you get to touch and feel the letter, the words on paper. Each letter can have its own identity.
After watching "Almost a love story" together, I would write to this mate using the tray-liners from McDonalds - as the character did in the movie. I've received letters written on colourful paper, on paper wif drawings, on perfumed paper, on papers of all kinds of sizes.
I used to fold my letters in a particular manner which can drive some people up the wall trying to figure out how to unfold it! There was a fren who folded her letter into the shape of a t-shirt before. When I was in London last time, I made my own envelopes! Me flat mates would notice that I would receive letters in green envelopes.
And some envelopes would come wif small comments from the sender - either some lame remark, a note to the postman thanking him, or watever!!!!
Dun forget the stamps too! I followed a fren's style of afixing the stamp at an angle!!!
Letters can come written in all kinds of coloured ink with all kinds of pens. And the handwriting - that prolly is wat makes it most special! That makes it so personal. And from the handwriting, you can tell when the person writing it is excited, or is sad, or is angry!
On top of that, you can enclose all kinds of stuffs. Michael showed me wat was enclosed in the letter to him - some band-aids in case he cuts himself! :-) I used to enclose junk like leaves (autumn leaves to which me mate would gladly take a deep breath of it - before remembering how dirty it prolly is!!!!), newspaper cuttings (the worst was when me fren here sent me the newspaper report regarding Shona's accident...), photos, bus tickets, pamphlets, hair (!), drawings etc.
Sigh... memories. :-)
I confess I dun write anymore. I haven't written for a long, long time. I can't seem to find the time - altho back then, I used to spend hours just writing - at anytime, anywhere - in the library, while waiting in the laundry room, at the mechanic, during lunch (where I would highlinght the stains and explain wat food made it...!!!!!). It's sad that we have lost the art of corresponding thru written letters.
And at this point, entering my 4th week, I'v only received 2 letters - one from the bank (my first letter at Essex - from Barclays!!!!!) and one from this dear, dear sister in church who sent me the church's bulletin - as she had faithfully done so every month when I was in London previously and as she is still faithfully doing to many others all over the world! Bless her wonderful heart!
Looks like letter writing will fade into antiquity. So sad. I still have ALL the letters I received when I was studying in London 10 years ago. It's part of my past which I will never let go. :-)
# posted by imissw : 1:50:00 am
Comments:
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and now u spend hours blogging!!! haha i still write letters! but it takes weeks before i go to the post office! sigh.. which reminds me..
yeah, maybe if i cut down on blogging... NOT!
anyways, blogging has taken over my journalling - and dun get me started on journalling!!!!
oh dear - i just realised all me written journals are back home on an open shlef in me room!!!!!!
so when will i receive a letter from u? ;-P
anyways, blogging has taken over my journalling - and dun get me started on journalling!!!!
oh dear - i just realised all me written journals are back home on an open shlef in me room!!!!!!
so when will i receive a letter from u? ;-P
for your info, i've written about 20 letters since being here (i kno this cause i ran out of envelopes, pack of 20)
And i try to send them asap, cause i cant bear to miss the day's post pick up
U've not given ur address la, HOW are we supposed to write
(i sure hope its not written in some previous post or i'm gonna sound idiotic)
I got the church's bulletin too!
=)
And i try to send them asap, cause i cant bear to miss the day's post pick up
U've not given ur address la, HOW are we supposed to write
(i sure hope its not written in some previous post or i'm gonna sound idiotic)
I got the church's bulletin too!
=)
ANd, i doubt it will fade away lor...I realized coming here that SO many ppl still post letters, and dont use email
The cute lil post office here usually has someone sending off a letter
worry not Obi-Mun
I'm sure during ur kids generation, snail mail will still be around
The cute lil post office here usually has someone sending off a letter
worry not Obi-Mun
I'm sure during ur kids generation, snail mail will still be around
"realised" is spelt wif an "s", not a "z" like how the yanks do it.
we use the Queen's english, mind you!
and i have sent an e-mail to all our "No Fear" grp members (that includes you!) containing me add and me phone number! :-(
so when am i getting any letters??????
we use the Queen's english, mind you!
and i have sent an e-mail to all our "No Fear" grp members (that includes you!) containing me add and me phone number! :-(
so when am i getting any letters??????
if u sent to the streamyx address, i dont have it lar...thats my HOUSE COM's email add...did u not realiZe that ?
go figure another way
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go figure another way
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