1. Who are you?
I’m a girl whose name is translated as Palace island in the sea ^.^ I live in a beautiful city in the South of Germany where I’ve studied something about China and Slavic languages… I’m half-Russian, quarter-German and quarter-Ukrainian and I speak Russian as my mother tongue… If I would be a dot on the map, I would put myself between Asia and Europe ~ the place where I was born… What I like about Germany is that people know how to leave you alone… What I don’t like about Germany is that people know how to leave you alone…
I hate to end my sentences with full stops, so I use smileys, points of ellipsis or exclamation marks instead… I gave a big piece of my heart to the Chinese language, I need it every day, like a drug ^.^ I’ve collected some knowledge inside my brain and I think that others deserve knowing it too, this is why I like being a teacher… In my opinion you can pass on knowledge through games, riddles and funny stories as well ^.^
I’ve noticed that I often start my sentences with ‘I’ and I have to admit that I am kinda egocentric… though it’s not the same as cold-hearted, arrogant or selfish! I always need a good balance between work – family – friends in my life, I think I can have everything I wish for, why not?
Does it all make sense?
This is what I usually tell to everyone who asks… But in fact I’m a little tanuki! Now it’s not a secret anymore… sigh… A tanuki is a raccoon dog (it looks pretty much like a raccoon, but it’s a relative of the dog) who lives in Eastern Asia… If it’s clever enough, it can transform itself into anything else, even a human being *hint hint* =^.^= A tanuki loves food so much and when it gets scared, it plays dead… *drop*
2. How long are you into penpalling? Can you describe us your path into it?
Since my childhood I’ve been incredibly fascinated by this world of ours, the people who live in it! I was attracted by everyone who seemed ‘different’… Besides I always loved paper and writing, so my first penpals were my mother’s friends’ daughters who lived in other cities… Then I wrote to the friends that I had to leave after moving to Germany… And then I’ve learnt enough English to start writing to young people from abroad ~ and these were the ‘real penpals’ we talk about, huh? My first pal from abroad was a boy from Egypt who was incredibly talented with drawing on his envelopes… So he was also my first ‘mail art’ experience ^^ Then, there was a girl from the Philippines who was a bit of a culture shock because she was amazingly friendly and gentle! It was all about 15 years ago, when I was about 13 years old… I loved the fact that I can make friends with people from such far away countries… Then, writing also helped me to develop my language skills… and finally, what really matters for me now is that you can feel close to someone you’ve never met before… I’d like to add that the more I get to know about different cultures and lifestyles, the more fascinating is it to discover that people are actually all the same… (Not everybody would agree, but I only state my opinion here ^.^)
3. How would you describe yourself as a letter writer and what you look for in one?
When I exchange letters with someone, I want to have the feeling of a real conversation. I’m very (!) chatty in real life and I can spend hours in a café with a friend talking about this and that without much action. During the years of my studies, I trained my brain to change to the ‘standby mode’, but usually it works at full speed and I like thinking about how people behave, what they experience in life, what’s going on around the world… So, I want to talk about a lot of things in my letters and I expect my pals to be chatty as well! I don’t see the point in short letters (and for those who might ask again ~ no, I don’t count the pages!!)… Maybe someone would call me unimaginative, but if there is nothing written that would inspire me to reply or comment, then I don’t feel like writing neither… I’ve experienced how hard it can be in real life to talk for two persons because the other side is just passive and well, it’s just the same in letters. I don’t want them to become hard work… I think little details in life make it fascinating, so I try to add a bunch of them to every story I tell… I put effort into my letters ~ I have them lying beside me when I answer them, try to decorate them nicely, try to take part in my pal’s life and I think I can demand just as much as I give (in the emotional sense ^.^)!
"A box where I store the C6 letters ^.^"
4. Through your past experiences how does post-offices in your country seems to work sending and delivering mail?
I think so far it works great… There were some cases when letters were lost or damaged, but not so often. I see a problem in the direction the things are taking though ~ like the fact that post-offices have to cooperate with bakeries and other shops and the staff know nothing about the guidelines. There was a lady who had been asking me ‘Where is Malta?’ each and every time I sent a letter to there for years until I moved T.T I think it’s a shame that people don’t know all the countries there are when they work at the post-office! Most of the time the people who work there aren’t friendly and what kinda hurts me ~ they’re careless… It doesn’t matter that I’ve made a beautiful envelope, it will be destroyed by an ugly postage sticker T.T They treat something I’ve put so much heart into in the same way as bills… wuuuhuuuuu T.T
And the postage is getting ridiculously expensive!!
"A part of the wall near my desk with some wonderful things I've got from friends and pals"
5. Relate ecology movement and penpalling in the same thought.
Difficult… I would like to hear your version, Joana, because I’m feeling like a complete dumbo right now ^.^ (it’s nothing to grin about =.=) The only thing I can think of is recycling stuff to decorate the letters… You can also send ‘fair trade’ and ‘organic’ stuff to your pals…
"The most beautiful maki I've ever produced (with a little help from my friends)"
6. What can be done to do not let die the art of letter writing?
You know what? The most important thing (in my opinion) is that you stay interested in it yourself, that you can feel inspired to write back to the friends you’ve met through penpalling! Sure, you can promote the whole thing and help others to get penpals (what I did in high-school), but it’s also (maybe even more) important to keep the love for penpalling in your heart as well… From my own experience, I’ve noticed that people get excited easily and lose interest as easily as that! The first reply is written on the same day, the second a week later and the third after a few months… Why? I know that life has its twists and turns and I can accept if someone feels like he doesn’t click with me, but people should remember that letter writing is not a hobby like ikebana (why do I think of ikebana? o.O) or fitness studio, it’s not a simple way to kill boredom… There is always a person waiting for an answer, someone who has feelings ^.^ Ah, I’m getting too pathetic ^.^ But as long as you continue writing yourself, you don’t let it die, huh? So if you’ve found a great penpal, please keep in touch ^^
"Some of my hand-carved stamps... As you see I'm a beginner, but I love the fact that I can have all the designs I want ^^"
7. What simple pleasures in a letter makes you smile?
Getting a letter and writing a letter is equally good ^.^ When I get a letter from someone I’ve been writing to for a long time, it makes me feel warm to hear some news from the person I care about… If it’s a first letter, I’m excited to discover what the future will bring for our relationship… In writing a letter, I enjoy having the feeling that somebody is so close to me… Like, I was writing a letter to Sara when her interview came out and I felt a bit puzzled ~ how can she be there, if she’s here with me? ^.^
8 . What is the worst enemy of penpalling? (one word)
Carelessness *bad bad*
"To add a rather unusual pic of my city ~ I see this when I look out of the window at our Slavic department… "
9 . What other hobbies or interested do you have?
I love languages, especially tonal ones… Have you ever listened to a tonal language (Chinese, Vietnamese, Yoruba, I’ve heard that even Swedish has tones)? It all goes up and down in a melody and it’s so expressive! I like speaking Cantonese, it sounds like throwing peas on a drum ^.^ (Please, dear Cantonese speakers don’t be upset by this comparison ^.^)
I love music and singing… I think the best instrument ever is the human voice <3 I prefer female singers ^^ I am the karaoke queen! My best mark was 97 (out of 100) for Ayaka’s ‘I believe’ ^0^ I’m keen on discovering music from all over the world, whether it’s pop/ rock or folklore… I love Slavic composers ~ Bártok & Stravinsky ROCK!
I like paper craft ~ for example making cards, paper cuts and surely MAIL ART ^.^ I’m writing calligraphy sometimes, my favourite is the seal script because you move your hand slowly and evenly and it feels like meditation...
10. Tell something utopian (or not) that you would like to exist about penpalling.
I would like to have enough time to write to a penpal in every country ^.^ But it is absolutely utopian, because I like long letters and I won’t take all the time I have in life for letters only ^.^ Now I can only do my best in writing to people I already know and treasure, no matter where they’re from ^.^ Unfortunately (for whom? ^.^) I can’t take any new pals now…
I would also like to know beforehand whether someone will be a good penpal … hehe… You put so much hope into the opportunity to make a new friend and if the outcome doesn’t meet the expectations, it’s sad ^.^
"Here I will spend my next holiday ~ Tsushima island"
11. How do you prepare to reply a letter? How, when and where?
Prepare… I like having my desk clean and free of stuff that usually lies around there, I like listening to music while writing and maybe I will make myself a tea as well ^^ I prefer writing in the morning because I get sleepy in the evening (oh, really?? o.O), I also like preparing an envelope before writing the letter, but it’s not always possible because I don’t always know what I’ll send when I’m finished with writing… Yeah, I’m usually sitting at my desk, because there is enough space for everything and I can check the dictionary and wikipedia on the net…
"I'm always interested in handwritings, this is a reason why I hate typed letters..."
12. Any last thought?
I feel honoured to be part of this project ^^ If someone cares ~ this is my tanuki blog ~ Starshine whirls make my head spin ^.^ 
It sounds like a weird pun or riddle… It’s not… It’s nothing ^.^
I’m not trying to sound especially mysterious, but I’m a bit afraid of the internet and the information that is stored there… Please bear with me…
P.S. to Darja from Joana - See, when e less expect we answer to the question 5., I just asked a little of imagination and you did it :)
I hope you enjoy to meet Darja, I'm very glad for having her here, I can assure you that she has a great soul and her friendship is memorable. Who's next?
Source: http://ecologicstoryteller.blogspot.com/2010/07/letter-writers-circle-3-meet-darja.html
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