Hi all!!
First of all i will apologize for my english it's not my first language.
I couple a weeks ago I stumbled across this site, and since then i have been thinking about getting a penpal, for the reason to getting to know another human who is in a situation that i have never been near and also for practising my english.
But i do no knoe where to start, how do i pick a penpal, there is som many of them ;), i what do i tell in the first letter.
When i think about what to write, i have not so much to tell, it seems that i have a pretty boring life, nothing much happens, woulde anyone be interested to write to someone booring as me??
any advice about starting is welcome, also if you have any doubts before you sent your first letter.
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Hey, welcome!
I suggest you browse the profiles and look for some that you find interesting. There are always a few profiles bound to stand out. Do check if your comfortable with what they seek exactly, so you hopefully won't be up for any surprises when it comes to that.
Basically, consider it a chat you'd have with someone you would meet for the first time. Tell them a bit about yourself, about what attracted you to their profile, etc. and take it from there if you get a reply. Don't be afraid about being boring or shallow or anything like that. You're not. And you'll see you'll have much to talk about and to offer once things are in motion. My days can be far from exciting too, or monotone, but there can be a great conversational topic in even the smallest things. Besides, you'll most likely get many questions in return.
The best advice I can give us to just take a chance and go for it :)
Happy writing!
I second that
thanks for the advice. :)
I'm a litte bit concerned over my language issues, but if the ad says willing to correspond overseas i guess they have to have some comprehension that the words might look funny sometimes.
Yep, and besides that we understand you very well so I don't think there will be a problem with US inmates understanding you! :) Happy writing!
When you are not certain about some words you can use a dictionary or a translate site, but watch out with the translate sites because sometimes they translate it too literally :) I'm from belgium so english isn't my native language either. I just told my pp's that it was possible that I make some grammatical mistakes in my letter. But really it doesn't bother them, they are just happy to get a letter and the fact that I'm making an effort to write in english they really appreciate that :)
Hey and welcome to WAP.
As ilseke and Franconia said: don't worry about your English, it's fine :)
Happy writing! :)
About 2 years ago there was a Dutch girl on here who had English like yours and said the guy she was trying to write with didn't like her letters because her English "wasn't good enough" and he had to correct all the mistakes, etc. Ummmm.... if you or your letters are not good enough for someone because English is not your fist language, wow, what an incredible ingrate who maybe doesn't DESERVE someone taking time out to write a letter!!!! NEXT!
I think that is very, very rare to find someone acting like that over language. And if you did... pfffffffffft... he can go back to his letter-less life, then, or go find a perfect person to write him. Joke. I think the language thing is to be expected ESPECIALLY if they tick the "will write overseas" box. Please do try to find one that is willing to write overseas because that might mean they think they have the funds for the extra stamps and MIGHT have the sense to know that English might not be your first language!
I wouldn't worry about your life being monotonous to them. Nothing is as monotonous as being in prison. The very fact that you live overseas will be of interest to them. You will eat different foods, have different weather, different national celebrations, different traditions and so on to what they have experienced before.
I'm pretty sure that even if you just write a short and simple letter telling them where you live and what you do for a living and perhaps some information about your town (climate, any natural features such as forests, rivers, etc nearby) they will be intrigued and will want to find out more. A postcard with pictures of the area will also be a delight for an inmate inside the walls who may never have even ventured much beyond the state line.
Haha thanks a lot,it is good to know that there can be a "problem", but i hope i will find someone with a brain that can read it anyway.
I can correct the text if it is totally incomprehensible, but not for some minor grammatic issues or misspellings, it won't give me anything to write to a moron anyway ;).
:nothingtoadd:
^^ just wanted to use that one ^^ :D
My first letter in the mailbox, i did it :gday:
Yay, congratulations :D
Yay! I'm glad you decided to write :) You'll have a blast, I'm sure. As for your English, I'm going to guess your pen pal is not going to care, and if he does, jsut find another one to write to, as you said there are so many on this site!
Also, about the English thing, given the quality of the U.S. education system sometimes, you may have better English than your potential pen pal. :p
I remember in high school there was a foreign exchange student from Latvia in my English class and she spoke better than half of my classmates. :rollinglaugh:
I remember, when I was in high school; there was, in my English class, a foreign exhange student from Latvia. Her command of English was better than that of half of my classmates. :lol:
No, really. She spoke better than half of my classmates. Whenever we'd have to give a speech in front of the class she didn't stand up and start it off like, "Uhh... yeah... Umm.... So... Okay, so.... Uhhh...." Even if English wasn't her first language she got up there and owned it.
(And at least I can type. :p )
I type much better when I'm sober.
Sorry about that, but you know me by now. Eye jest cain't letten a chaince go bye.
(English is not my first language either.)
If you can use the word 'comprehension' in a sentence then your English can't be that bad :D
But seriously your English is good don't worry about that.You may not bungee jump or go in year long safaris in Kenya but that doesn't make you boring,there are many things that you can talk about,brothers and sisters-what time you woke up this morning-what you study-where do you work-what kind of foods you like and so on...On your first letter or email just introduce yourself,tell them what you do for a living,maybe the reason you decided to write to them and whatever you would say to someone that you meet for the first time,when they reply they will ask you so many question you won't know which one to answer first hahah
Just do it,it's an amazing experience :D
Well my friend, I had to use the google translator to spell comprehension correctly ;). (Wont be any handwritten letter from me, i need my translator for some words :yup: )
I wrote a short letter yesterday and presented myself, so now I'll just have to wait and see if there is any reply, i'll give it 2-3 weeks, otherwise i have to search through the ads again :detective: i guess.
2 or 3 weeks is not a very long time as it can take up to a few months for them to write back, due to all kinds of circumstances. Just don't give up on it too easily, it's awesome of you that you want to dedicate some of your time to make someones life a tiny bit brighter. hapy writing!
OK, now you got me thinking :4_17_10:.... I do not want to wait several months before I realise that this guy wont respond at all.... but I do not want to find someone else too soon, and then the first one writes back.. I only want one PP to start with...
But you are probably right i have to give it some more time than 2-3 weeks. THANKS :notworthy:
Hello SwedeGirl!:) I pick my pen-pals by age and common interests. I wrote to both guys and girls initially but none of the girls replied me haha. I did a very general intro of myself in the first 'letter' (the email off this site), like my name, age, where I am from and what I'm doing etc. I was initially apprehensive about whether I would sound interesting to them, but lol, they think I am even though I'm boring as hell haha. They just really want to feel connected to the outside world, so any mundane happenings in our lives are like interesting pieces of news to them:) Hope I've helped, and good luck in your pen-pal journey!:)))
First, I'd like to say, "Your English is fine to me." Secondly, I am new to this as well. Thirdly, Just go on each profile and take your time reading their profile, and see there crimes if your looking to be in communication with someone with a lesser crime. Then email and pick and choose. I've did it and so far I like it. Any little words of inspirations will put a smile on his/her face. And that's what matters.
Well it took exactly 2 weeks and one day for the respons, i got it today!!
:amillanbliss:
Congratulations. :) The waiting is tough, but usually worth it. Enjoy!
Yay : ) I'm glad you got a reply so soon. I know it's already been said, but just thought I would throw out my support - your english is fine, I think they're looking for someone to write, they won't mind errors : )
Not that you were counting! haha! wonderfull I hope you have a great time writing back and developing a friendship
Thanks, he also told me the english was fine :)
my plan was to start staking the mailman (my neighbor) next week, but she got away with that this time.
LOL From what I understand we have a few mailman stalkers. So you'll fit right in! ;)
haha ops!! busted :o
swedegirl, honestly I've seen WAY worse English than yours! Don't even sweat it! Any inmate who has a problem with the way somebody communicates is not worth the time or the correspondence, that's for the superficial! I hope you enjoy your new friendship, I have 8 that I write to simultaneously, 1 on Death Row, they are a handful sometimes but they are all great people! Happy writing!