Another one about pen pals

[Hairyneville]

I know you've answered this already, but I'd like to up the ante a bit.

I've found loads of resources on the interfeck that claim to offer the chance to write to folks in Japan. I've spent some money and got a few lists and written to a few people . . . and never received a reply. Being a (angry) postal worker myself, I know this could just be down to problems with the postal systems of Britain and Japan, and the big old gulf of nothingness that seems to exist in between. But three letters in a row?

So, I'm close to giving up my search for a Japanese pen pal in favour of finding the Holy Grail, which would seem to be the easier task. Before I do, though, can anyone recommend any RELIABLE method of finding a Japanese pen pal. I'm not even that fussy. Male/female. Young/old. Tall/short. Left/right handed. Happy/psychotic. It doesn't bother me too much. Except the happy/psychotic bit. Happy would be good.

Help!

 

[thomas]

As you noticed yourself, there are tons of penpal sites out there, try emailing instead of snail mailing (unless you insist on supporting the hand that feeds you). Stefan Schauwecker's "J@pan Penfriend" is one of the largest penpal databases offering a vast selection of search criteria. The chances are high that your emails will be answered, I still receive occasional replies to my 5-year-old entry (thank God my wife doesn't know about it, lol).

 

[Hairyneville]

Cheers for that Thomas. I haven't checked it out yet, because I'm kind of resistant to all this interfeck and e-feck lark. Not that resistant, obviously, seeing as I'm here. . .

I do miss getting actual physical letters from bods all around the world, though. When I was younger I had 20 pen pals all over the place, but the more time I have to do stuff, the less I do - I work five hours a day, six days a week and finish around 10am each day, but still rarely get off my butt to do anything interesting. Still, if using the dubious joys of the infernal net is my only chance at getting in touch with Japanese folks, so be it.

Next thing you know I'll start shaving more than once a week. . .

 

[Hairyneville]

Curse you, Dark Gods of Technology! The site won't accept new registrations at the moment. Is it me? Am I so hideous? Is it because I'm an angry postal worker? Or could it mayhap be because it's the middle of the afternoon on a Saturday when everyone else is on the interfeck. . .

 

[thomas]

Welp, we also have a small penpal forum at our site (see the link in my signature), but I have no idea about how successful it actually is in linking people.

 

[Hairyneville]

No worries - I managed to register later in the evening. I did a search for men and women between 18 and 30 in Japan . . . and got almost 13,000 results. . .

I'll post again when I get in touch with someone (positive thinking, now), but first impressions are good - the dates that each person posted are shown, so there's less chance of trying to get in touch with someone who lost interest years ago. . . A bit like here, really. That was a compliment, by the way.

Wonder how long it'll take to browse all 13,000 bods. . .

 

[deborah gormley]

well, hairyneville, make sure you keep us informed on how many replies you receive, you have all of us non-Japanese members wishing we were just to be a pen-pal for you, stay positive, and you never know you might give up the "angry" title and become "big ole softy postal worker" lol:clap:

 

[Hairyneville]

Well, don't tell anyone, but I'm a big ol softie as it is. Just a big ol angry softie. Chocolate soothes the savage postman, though. And small furry animals. And Kirsten Dunst. But not all three at once, because that would just be perverted.

As for the actual pen pal thing . . . I'm not lazy, I swear, but I haven't written to anyone yet. I've got six bods' details (two lads and four lassies) but I just don't know how best to start writing to them. I think the reason I've never had a reply to any of my other letters to J-folks is that I described myself as the "cautious owner of a violent chinchilla - the embodiment of pure evil". I may skip over that part for the first few e-mails to these new unsuspecting victims. . .

On an almost related note, is it true that I twist the English language to my own devilish purposes? It's something several people have accused me of, and I suppose it may be one reason no Japanese person has ever attempted to write to me . . . nah, definitely the evil chinchilla thing, I reckon.

 

[lineartube]

I have a few pen pals to advise you to check the newest posts since they are more likely to reply, and if you find someone with similar interests even better.
Good luck.

Oh, one site that I have used before was the classifieds in www.japan-guide.com. I even got a Cameroonian pen pal. Of all the places..

 

[thomas]

Funny, I was once contacted by a young lady from Cameroon too. She even sent me her picture. That pic is now safely stored on my box, in a hidden directory my wife will hopefully never find.

 

[Hairyneville]

Hey, everyone - trust Thomas to lower the tone of a thread posted by yours truly. I'm an angry postal worker, yes, but entirely innocent and chivalarous in my intentions. And don't let anyone tell you anyone different. And if anyone does, ignore them. It's all lies.

To get back to the thread, I still haven't got in touch with anyone - I'm not lazy, just waiting for the right time. But I'll take your advice, lineartube, and only try my luck with the newer posts. Beats hunting through six hundred fricking pages of results, anyway. No, not lazy, just selective. . .

I'll let you know when I finally write to someone. Hey, why am I wasting my time with you lot anyway, when Japanese bods await my glorious words of friendship. The sooner I start begging for Japanese chocolates and CDs, the better. Ulterior motive? No, just forward planning. . .

One last thought . . . anyone got Thomas's wife's e-mail address?

 

[tosh]

...I was recently contacted by someone from the ivory coast. It seems that they had to remove a huge amount of money from the country and, if I would just hand over my bank account number, they would pay to me, a fee for helping them transfer the money. ...This scam is as old as the hills. I'm surprised that they stumbled onto Japan-Guide, and other pen-pal websites...

 

[deborah gormley]

@Hairyneville, lolol, you sure are a real gem of a character, your colourful, bright, extremely witty, and an "angry postal worker", hey while you're here writing to us folks the rest of the world is awaiting your arrival, and guess what??? "the rest of the world will just have to wait!!!"
(Debs whispers in Hairyneville's ear "Oh!! by the way, didn't any-one ever tell you? Its a terrible idea to annoy the boss's wife??, if you have/or plan ever to get a wife of your own, you have/will find out just what it's like when she gets annoyed!!!)

 

[Hairyneville]

Woah, it sure does fill me with a warm and tingly sensation to see how many bods have viewed this thread. I'd like to think that it's due to a deep concern about my search for a Japanese pen pal. I find it more likely that people are looking for pen pals themselves, which is typical of the world today; all self, self, self. But enough of that, back to talking about me.

Well, I finally wrote to someone. Yes. SomeONE. I've got the details of about twenty J-folk, but I've only written to one. Luckily, she's actually written back, so we can call it a success. Cheers Thomas for the recommendation, and thanks Stefan for hosting such a useful site. Best thing since tomatoes.

A little tip for anyone else checking out the site in search of pen pals is to check back every day, because quite often certain J-bods post their advert more than once, clearly displaying a certain desparation that hopefully shows that they're genuine, and not looking for another unsuspecting e-mail address to send porn to. It has to be said that my new friend Emi only advertised once, but there you go. Just goes to show that life really is like a box of chocolates. . .

 

[thomas]

Well, I do hope you satisfy our curiosity by keeping us updated on the proceedings.

 

[deborah gormley]

keeping us updated on the proceedings.

I want all the gory details hahaha,
hey hairyneville yes we are concerned with your search for a Japanese pen-pal, if I where Japanese I would have been top of the queue, looking for your outright opinions on everything, however its a Japanese forum and you are searching for a Japanese pen-pal, I'm so glad that you got a reply and let's keep our fingers crossed that all goes according to plan

 

[Hairyneville]

Just as long as Emi is prepared to ship over plenty of Japanese chocolate, she can have my soul, DVD collection and chinchilla.

I have a dangerously one-tracked mind.

 

[momo]

Hairyneville san,
I'm very happy for you!! You found a J-penpal at last !!!
I was thinking to write you if you wanna be my penpal, but
i guess you don't need one anymore now.

I have penpals from Germany, USA, and Switzerland.
It's been almost 6 years since we started to write back and forth.
Actually I met them first when I was in high school in Minnesota,
but now we are good penpals.
We don't write much now, but I always feel happy everytime I recieve letters or postcards from them.
It's very good feelings to have friends from other countries and who care about you.

Good Luck

 

[dark for tears]

hehe i have a lot of friends who live in asia, but none in japan yet! i'm working on that one hehe!

EDIT! i joined the site that Thomas mentioned - and i have already had one reply! weee! ^_^