Explore the World with a Pen Friend!

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That first letter was the hardest one for me to write. For a while, I was at a loss for words — I couldn't believe that I had to tell this person about my whole life! After I thought for a while, though, the words began to come. I told him of my family and pets, and our customs, culture, and holidays. Then I walked to the post office and airmailed my letter.

It seemed like I waited weeks for a reply. Finally, one day I went out to the mailbox and found a letter from Daniel. I was very excited to hear from him. He told me of his-customs, family, and school. He also told me he lived in Kowloon Peninsula, which is really connected to Red China and separated by a river from the rest of Hong Kong. That letter made me realize how geographically ignorant I was: I thought Hong Kong was a part of China!

We exchanged more letters. I was very surprised when I learned the number of courses Daniel took in school. I felt I was bragging when I wrote him that I was taking poetry, geometry, choir, Spanish, biology, and history. He wrote back that his courses were physics, chemistry, biology, Chinese, English, mathematics, geography, additional math, physical education, music studies, and religious studies.

I was flabbergasted! I thought schools in the U.S. were tough, but this was unbelievable! I wrote him back that my mother wanted to thank him because now I had stopped complaining about my homework.

In another letter, I told him how I imagined Hong Kong as being "a land of rickshas, pagodas, and temples — a land with the smell of tea leaves in the air." He wrote back, "You've been watching too many movies. This is a place of skyscrapers, shopping malls, designer clothing, and modern ways." He even sent a picture of himself and his friend Phillip showing off their designer shoes!

I wrote to tell him of a new hit movie in the U.S., and he wrote back to say he'd already seen the same movie in Hong Kong. We wrote each other about our hobbies and our favorite sports. I taught him some Spanish and he taught me some Chinese. We learned and benefited a lot from our friendship.

I am now 17. Daniel and I have become extremely close friends even though we've never even seen each other. I was happy for him when he passed his college qualifying test, and excited with him when he got a part-time job in a toy factory. I felt sorrow for him when he told me how he lost his mother when he was little and when a typhoon recently struck Kowloon. We send each other birthday and Christmas presents, pictures, clothes, and food. We have even talked on the telephone. It may seem strange, but you can get to know someone really well without ever seeing him.

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