03.2011_Sandbook Pen Pal Magazine issue 5 by Sandbook Net

VOLUME 1 • ISSUE 5

MARCH ‘11

SANDBOOK PENPALS AND SWAPPERS

THE MAGAZINE

FEATURES : • Neretva: Croatia • Never Stop Writing • Write Around the World • March Events • Fashionista

AUTHORS

EDITORIAL Dear Sandbookers,

Nina Never stop writing inlovewithsnailmail. blogspot.com/

Yanelis Gourrie PenPal for Life

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Guest Authors:

Georgia Mystrioti Georgia’s PenPals Music Show

Welcome to yet another edition of our PenPal Magazine. On the following pages you will find a lot of interesting PenPalling articles to make your correspondence even more interesting; ads to give you the chance to find the right penpal and swapper for yourself; and of course our international customs, celebration and events pages to give you a little window at the events in March. We hope you will enjoy the whole colorful and joyful combination of the topics in this March Issue. If you want to share an article or a story, promote your blog or website, don’t hesitate to contact us. We are always searching for fresh ideas to make every issue a unique and interesting one. And don’t forget: Penpalling is not just a hobby! It’s a lifestyle! Happy PenPalling!

MIKA Magazine

Thank you for taking part in issue 5, March 2011!

Cover: GAYA DESIGNS Editor: Raia Alexieva Graphic Designer: Aspeia Alexieva / GAYA DESIGNS IT administration: Jason Dimitrov Photography: Manuela Balocco Production Coordinator: Raia Alexieva Team Authors : Samantha Stroy/ Raia Alexieva / Bea from PenPalling and Letters / Rae from Glass Completely Empty Productions / Teresa Wodehouse / Melanie Anzalone. Information is correct at press time.

Raia from the Sandbook.Net Team

CONTACT US Make sure that you stay informed for the latest news: Follow us on Twitter: http://twitter.com/Sandbook Add us as a friend on Facebook: http://facebook.com/sandbooknet And join our Facebook Group: http://on.fb.me/SBNgroup And join our Facebook Page: http://on.fb.me/SBNpage Read our blog at: sandbooknet.blogspot.com Visit us on our website: www.SandBook.Net

Rach Gee Write around the world Mail Art

Penpalling & Letters

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Happy baba Marta Where to be in March Jason Dimitrov St. Joseph’s Day

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Editorial

50 Where to be in March? 54 Happy Baba Marta 56 St. Patrick’s Day 58 St. Joseph’s Day 60 World traveler: Neretva, Croatia 70 Samantha’s Thoughts

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Raia Alexieva

36 Lost PenPal 38 PenPal Ads 49 PenPalling connections

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Beauty Brite Fashionista

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Melanie Anzalone How to make a postcard Artistic Trading Cards and more

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Samantha’s Thoughts

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Samantha Stroy

6 Write around the world 10 Mail Art 14 Letters from Home 16 Snail Mailer Giveaway 18 News from around the globe 20 PenPals for Life 24 Never stop writing 26 MIKA Magazine 28 How to make a postcard 30 Artistic trading cards and more 33 Georgia’s PenPals Music Show 34 PenPal of the Month: February 2011

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Neretva, Croatia

2 Editorial 4 Content

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Birthday Twins

IN THIS ISSUE photo by Manuela Balocco

AUTHORS

74 Recipes 76 Fashionista 78 Birthday twins 80 Next issue 81 Subscribe

WRITE AROUND THE WORLD by Rach Gee

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Rach Gee http://on.fb.me/WriteAroundTheWorld

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CONTACT DETAILS: rae@glasscompletelyempty.co.uk glasscompletelyempty@gmail.com

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Office Manager http://tinyurl.com/GCE-office-cat

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Glass Completely Empty Productions http://tinyurl.com/GCE-Productions

We now have fourteen pen-pals and five stores/ websites signed up to take part. What is so wonderful is there is an amazing array of different countries in that list, from the good ‘ole UK through to Kenya. I’m really looking forward to speaking to everyone and listening to what people have to say about our little world. We are still looking for people and it doesn’t matter where you are from, please feel free to get in touch. The same goes with if you have any questions. Please don’t be afraid to ask! We want as many people as possible to get involved. We know that some of the things we’ve mentioned, such

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Where to start?! The past month or so has been hectic and I feel like I haven’t had time to breathe! So many people have enquired about the film, signed up or offered their help and I feel utterly and truly blessed to be working among you all. You are all living proof that there is still good in this world and that people are still willing to help others. Thank you so much!

as consent forms, can sound daunting but they are just a formality that every production has to go through. Beside me, there is a notebook. Within this notebook is the rough draft of the questions which will be given to all our interview subjects. These questions will not be made public so if you want to know what’s going to be happening then you need to sign up! Behind the scenes is just as frantic. As well as working on this film, I work a day job and write novels so time is always limited. I do my best to keep up with everything, replying to emails and putting people’s minds to rest and I do apologise if you don’t hear from me immediately. There’s a pile of papers with shot lists written upon them. These are the images we want to go and shoot to pad out the rest of the film. There are various places we want to go and visit, including a wonderful little shop in Brighton, Sussex. If you’ve ever visited you may know the one I’m speaking about. Pen To Paper is located in the heart of the city and sells every kind of pen and notebook you can

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Hopefully, come March when I have a few days off work, I’ll have the interview pack written, zipped

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together in preparation for mass email.

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•Finalise list of questions. •Finish FAQ document. •Complete introductory letter. •Edit release form. •Bundle everything

up and ready to email out to everyone. If you want to get involved, there’s still time. You can find all the contact details, including links to the Facebook page which contains all the information you’ll need, at the end of the article. Finally, we still have one competition running for you! Here’s how it works: Are you debating signing up for the Write Around The World film project? If you need a little incentive, up until March 25th 2011, we’re offering you the chance to win stationery and stickers! All you have to do, is email Glass Completely Empty Productions with you name, age, location and why you love penpalling. You will then be added to the mailing list for when we send out all the interview information and will also be added into the prize draw. Just email me at: rae@glasscompletelyempty. co.uk And yes, people who are already signed up are also going into the draw! Are you ready to follow your dreams? Because we are! I’m really looking forward to this film and to all that it’s going to bring. I thank all of you for helping, for promoting and for being there. Take care and hopefully they’ll be more news n e x t month!

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imagine. Squeezed into a tiny shop, you have to breathe in as you walk around lest you send something flying! Hopefully on my next visit they’ll allow me to film a little in there, which is something I’d really appreciate. I suppose I could always use the, “But I’m one of your most loyal customers!” and see how far that gets me!! We’ve also contacted Google in regard to using the Google Earth product within Write Around The World. If you’ve ever seen the NORAD Tracks Santa Christmas application, or seen any news items that use maps within them, then you’ll know what I’m speaking about. They’ve given us an estimated turn around time of 2 to 4 weeks and we’re hoping that, because we’re a small company, that they’ll allow us to use it for free. As with everyone who helps out, we’ve told them that we’ll thank them a million times over in a million different products. Please keep your fingers crossed for a positive result from them because it will make all the difference to the look of the film! Unfortunately, the next month or so is more than a little crazy with novel writing activities. There are several competitions that I have been entered into and, as I’m sure you can image, my mind’s more focussed on those at the moment. However, here’s the list of things that need to be completed before we can fully go into production:

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It was open season with the invention of mail art, with all and sundry being used in the creation of artistic pieces; bank notes, xerox and copy art, stickers, stamps (both postage and rubber), badges, food packaging and maps were all considered fair game as materials. Embossing, stitching and the usual drawing were also used with some people paying more attention to the envelopes than the contents within. Soon envelopes became oneof-a-kind artworks in themselves with the hand written address often becoming part of the art. People also created their own stationery until the entire package was one, personalised, piece of artwork.

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Mail art is a cultural movement that began in the 1960's, although one

“Inclusion” was the ethos of the 1960's mail art movement as, in their words, “anyone could afford postage”. It was a way for new, up-and-coming and

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What is mail art? Some may see it as the beautiful envelopes that drop through our doors. Some may see it as stationery covered in stickers and doodles.

Some may see it as a handmade card. All are correct but let us take a look at how mail art began...

established artists to get their work seen around the world and would take on forms that we may not recognise including handmade postage stamps and art works created using a fax machine. They were the fore-runners in hand decorated envelopes and Artist Trading Cards (ATC). In fact, ATC's originated from the mail art movement and have their roots in Switzerland.

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By Rach Gee

can imagine that is has been going on since the invention of the postal system, if not before with horseback riders carrying love letter laden envelopes from a man to his wife. The history of the current wave of mail art (also known as Postal Art and Correspondence Art) begins with Pop Artist Ray Johnson (1927 – 1995) who began a movement he called “Correspondence Art”. In 1962, he founded the “New York Correspondence (sic) School” and was used by the international network of “mailers”; people who mailed art back and forth. Correspondence art took many forms; fragments of cut-up collages, drawings with instructions, found objects, snake skins, annotated newspaper clippings. Mail art provided a new route to get art out into the open instead of into the commercialisation and ruthlessness of galleries.

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MAIL ART

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But the beauty of mail art, the true beauty of it, isn't in the aesthetic, it's the fact that it's free on

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http://mailartmartha.org.uk/ http://www.mailart.be/ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mail_art http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ray_Johnson

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MAIL ART WEBSITES

With the boom of the internet, you would think that mail art would have died a death, only being practised by a few, core people. Instead, it is as popular as ever, especially among pen-pals. With the internet and the invention of cheaper printing, more and more people are creating art that travels through the post. They may not create by their own hand, choosing instead to use

Some create ATC's and, of course, we have decos and highly decorated FB's. Some people use stickers to decorate envelopes while others create their envelopes from off cuts of gift wrap and pages from magazines. Others like to go to work with ink stamps, giving envelopes a slightly aged feel with dots of missing ink and wonderfully coloured images. Some like to keep it traditional, taking pencils and pens to envelopes or stationery and creating elaborate designs and pictures for both the postal workers and the recipient to see. Some create their own stationery, either creating designs which are printed out from the computer, while others choose to draw, doodle and decorate their papers with stickers.

so many different levels. It isn't tied down to a gallery, nor is it published in a book or shown in a movie. It's completely and utterly free, travelling the globe as gently as a butterfly on the breeze. It doesn't cost millions of pounds to create, nor does it cost millions of pounds to buy. It is an art concept that is freed from monetary commitments and open to all. It does not matter what your ability is because, as long as you have a pencil, an envelope and a postage stamp, you can create a piece of artwork and send it to whomever you so desire. All it takes is for that little spark of imagination to creep in and for you to pick up whatever lies close to you. It doesn't matter if you can't draw! It doesn't matter if you can't paint! If you have the feeling that you need to create something, the raw desire to do something different, then that is all you need to create a piece of mail art. It doesn't matter what you create for, if you have created it and it can be sent through the mail, then it's mail art!

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Once a package of art had been created, it was mailed off to another artist in the network. There were many networks, all of them with the same goal in mind; to send beautiful things through the postal system. There were mail art shows and, as before, these are now gaining ground again with videos being posted on You Tube of creations and shows. The first mail art show was in 1970 and, again, was the brain child of Ray Johnson.

pre-printed stationery and envelopes but I believe that, in many people's eyes, this would be viewed as a piece of art which travels via the postal system, hopefully bringing a smile to all who handle it. Rather than becoming the preserve of the artistically challenged, it seems that everyone can now create their own artworks to send to friends.

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Words were also a huge part of mail art and were incorporated into the notes that were sent along with the art. They became a kind of visual poetry with many different styles and fonts being created. Recordings became common place, of prose and poetry alike. First they were sent on cassette tape, and then on CD and now, with the rise of the internet, mail art is once again gaining ground with people using social networks, blogs and websites to send art through the mail.

So go on, what will you create?! If you do create any mail art, feel free to email pictures to: rae@glasscompletelyempty. co.uk

LETTERS FROM HOME Contest by Kristina McMorris Written by PenPalling and letters

and the list goes on... What is the prize offered in this contest? A nostalgic memory box full of

your contact info as well (name, postal address, telephone number, e-mail address) and send everything to k r i s t i n a @ kristinamcmorris.com or via postal mail to: Letter

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written long ago. It can be a message to God, an estranged relative, a deployed serviceman, your favorite celebrity,

gorgeous stationery, a fleurde-lis wax seal and nostalgic goodies worth $150 (~110â&#x201A;Ź) as can be seen below. When you submit your letter, enclose

Entering automatically signs you up for Kristina's rare but fabulous e-newsletters. The winner will be announced

HOME by Kristina McMorris hits major bookstores and online retailers February 22nd! Inspired by the epistolary courtship of the

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WWII letter, an imaginary note from Juliet to Romeo, from Donald Duck to Daisy, or from Amelia Earhart to a secret love with whom she might

Watch a brief video about the true story behind the book at: Letters From Home - A Video

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As it is explained in the following link: Letters From Home Contest, you have to submit a love letter by March 31st, 2011 if you are interested in

Contest P.O. Box 100 Troutdale, OR-97060 United States of America

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Home" at the moment and therefore has organized letter contest.

writing to isn't the one replying. Woven around this tenuous thread are three female friends whose journeys t o w a r d independence take unexpected turns as a result of romance, tragedy, and deception, their repercussions heightened by an era of the unknown. Beautifully rendered and deeply moving, Letters From Home is a story of hope and connection, of

With sales of its global rights on the rise, and book club rights sold to Reader's Digest and Doubleday, the novel has received glowing endorsements from the likes of Kristin Hannah (New York Times bestselling author of Firefly Lane), Pam Jenoff (bestselling author of The Kommandant's Girl), and Lynn "Buck" Compton (famed "Band of Brothers" WWII veteran).

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In the midst of World War II, a Midwestern infantryman falls deeply in love through a yearlong letter exchange, unaware that the girl he's

sacrifices made in love and war - and the chance encounters that change us forever.

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Kristina also wanted to share with us some highlights about "Letters From Home" from her publisher's press kit: Spotlighted in the March issue of Woman's Day magazine, LETTERS F R O M

author's grandparents, this award-winning novel is being hailed as "ambitious and compelling...[a] sweeping debut." (Publishers Weekly)

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and contacted around midApril. Have fun and good luck!

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have run away. It can be a letter you once received, a copy of one you have sent, or one you should have

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A few days ago I was contacted by awardwinning author Kristina McMorris. Kristina is promoting her debut novel "Letters Fr o m

participating. It can be short or long, funny or heartwarming, poetic or satirical, real or made up. Some ideas include: an actual

And for WWII letters, special book club features, 1940s recipes, and more, visit: Kristina McMorris Website A portion of the author's proceeds from sales will benefit United Through Reading, a nonprofit organization that video records deployed U.S. military personnel reading bedtime stories for their children. h t t p : / / b i t . l y / kristinamcmorris 15

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snail mailer giveaway

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countries that have sketchy mail systems. I actually joked with Caitlin that the reason she chose me to work with again is because she wanted more mail and she concurred that receiving a Thank You was much appreciated! Remember to send "Thank You's", they may open doors that would otherwise remain closed! I hope this finds you all having the luck of the stamp! Let the mailing begin!

Mika lifestyle magazine

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I will need email contact info. I will not try to track you down. I learned from the last drawing that this is a waste of my time. Entries must be received by March 17th, St. Patrick's Day! I will reveal the winner(s) that weekend. Finally, you must be a US or Canadian citizen to enter and 18yrs of age. Sorry my non-North American readers, these are CSN rules. I also think the odds would be stacked against some

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http://bit.ly/snailmailer number, the person who is a follower of the Pick a number between blog will win over a non1-100 and send it to me follower. You do not in a letter or postcard. have to follow my blog Feel free to make mail to win, but it betters art on them or whatever your odds and if you you feel comfortable read me already- just with. Valerie who won make it official! last year is going to send *IF 2 or more followers me the winning pick in are tied, names in a hat the mail. The number and the girls at work will that is the closest to her draw the winner. But I pick without being over will send consolation prizes to the other will be the winner. TheSnailMailer , P.O. Box names in the hat as they 4635 , , Bethlehem, PA deserve something for 18018 USA . . being so close. *IF 2 folks have the same *IF you are not a follower,

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Christmas eveAROUND and day THE GLOBE NEWS FROM

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Penpallling will finally have its own soundtrack!

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On her Penpals music show experiment, Georgia will be blasting music up to 11 from as diverse genres as the world we live in! Send in your comments, requests, questions for the show!! As Georgia sums it up: “You are the music, your wish is my command!”

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Get in touch on powerofthesun89@hotmail.com and on the FB page of the show!

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packed furniture, might soon pave the way for the future of postal service – the country’s postal service is mulling over the possibility of letting customers pay for postage using text messages instead of old school stamps. This messaging system By Edwin Kee will respond with a coded number, where it can be Sweden, the land that written on a letter as proof of brought you the safest postage payment. Of course, cars around as well as flat nothing is set in concrete just 18

yet since officials will have to sit around the table and debate the plans as well as set a date for its deployment, although chances are pretty high you will still be using stamps to send your snail mail until the summer. Neighbors Denmark are slightly ahead of the game already, as they will be rolling out a similar service from April 2011 onwards. http://bit.ly/e1eitI

Airing premiere: March 20, 2011

PENPALS FOR LIFE

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Tell us a bit about yourself (hobbies, where you live, etc) My name is Yanelis Gourrie, I was born in a small town in Cuba, came to the USA when I was 9 years old and have lived here in Tampa Florida ever since then. I love dancing, reading, writing, movies, penpalling, drawing, 20

theme parks, skydiving, traveling. I am 31 years old, Capricorn. I have no kids. Love to make new friends, love to write, trade postcards/ magnets. Love to meet new people and learn about their cultures. How did you start with your penpalling? How long do you

been working on PenPals for Life? I started in September 2010 but would only log in to the account every few days. It was slowly getting members but I did not fully give my attention to it. In January 2011 after being lay off from my job I started finding myself getting more and more involved and making my passion, my imagination of what I had originally planned for the site a reality. Tell us more about PenPals for LIfe - what can we expect to find on your Facebook page? Pen pals For Life is a place where we feel like family, where we talk everyday about our lives, we help each other with motivation. We have daily contest, giveaways, monthly swaps, Meet and Greets in different towns, Newsletter, Pet Contest, Member of the week and Member of the Month. We have a virtual friendship book, Book Reviews, Recipe Book that we are working on and much, much moreâ&#x20AC;Ś We are always open to new ideas. How many of you are in the team? I love to give the team members a title to make

it more official and more creative. Yanelis Gourrie-Creator/ Owner/President of Pen Pals For Life Kerri SantoroAdministrative Assistant of Pen Pals For Life Teresa Santoro-Pen Pals For Life Vice President Nina Biina- Advisor & Marketing Pen Pals For Life Kerri, Teresa and Nina were just members of the page whom after a while of being on the page and helping out and seeing a lot of action on the page from them. I asked if they would love to help with the page. Now they are part of the team and help daily. We make a great team and I am grateful to have them. I do consider ALL the members part of the team, as they make the page what it is. Without all 841 members that we have today, we would not be such a wonderful page like we are today. Have you partnered with someone (like eshops/shops/sites beside Sandbook)? I have only partnered with members groups, but not really with other sites besides Sandbook. But we are currently working on that. We love to continue to do this. So

if you are out there and l like to partner, please let us know. Anything else you would like to ad? I love pen paling and we strive to make sure we have good, honest, quality pen pals. We strive to make sure you feel like family and that our page is not just another pen pals page. We are proud of what we have done so far and are very proud of our members whom we consider family. Any tip or advice you want to give to our readers? Always be safe when pen paling. Have fun, enjoy every second of it and visit us, so you can make a everlasting friendship. How to contact you? Pen Pals For Life Po Box 27321 Tampa, Florida 33623 USA http://www.facebook. com/Penpalsforlife penpals4lifeinfo(AIM) Email: penpalsforlife@ live.com

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http://www.facebook.com/Penpalsforlife

penpal? I started pen paling when I was 14 years old I came across an ad in a magazine and have been pen paling ever since that (I am now 31). I still stay in touch with that first pen pal I met when I was 14. It is one of my passions. When I first started I did not know of anyone who was into pen paling, so this one a wonderful world that I was able to discover myself. How did the idea about your penpalling site come out? One day I was sitting and thought to myself, I like to be able to make a page of pen pals, where everyone can find each other, everyone can have fun, can have discussions and be who they truly are and not be judge by financial income, by looks or anything, but by a simple heart and writting letters. I searched Facebook and so others pen pals pages, but I wanted something different and said let me see what I can do.... and then all of the sudden new ideas, new members and the page turned into a success overnight. How long have you

** We are currently working on a webpage besides facebook. We are also searching for people willing to help us with that webpage.

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http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/Penpalsforlife Hello, Join our page : http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/Penpalsforlife, where we are a friendly, family oriented and friendship everlasting page of pen pals. We have daily communication, over 450 members and growing everyday. We have Giveaways, contest, virtual friendship book, photos, tips on pen paling and newsletter. Join us today and become part of a great pen pal page. We love be your pen pal..

Thanks,

Yanelis Gourrie Pen Pals For Life Owner/President 22

GAYA DESINGS GRAPHIC AND WEB DESINGS WWW.REDSKYATMORNING.NET

NEVER STOP WRITING

http://inlovewithsnailmail.blogspot.com/

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By Nina from http:// there is no click and not TRY to become friends, inlovewithsnailmail. much to say, just for the because in the end you don't know each other blogspot.com/ purpose of writing!? at all, yet. You cannot don't really know from a promisingVery often I read in I profile or penpal ads that people understand that. When looking don't want "a penpal I start penpalling with penpal ad if you and the that stops writing after a new penpal, I think other one are made to one or two letters" and that we have several become good friends. I find this request quite things in common, Even if you might have strange. Do they want exchanged one or two a lot in common and the new penpal to go nice mails or messages even find each other on writing and writing - but everytime, in the very sympathetic, it necessarily although he/she feels beginning it is just a doesn't 24

mean you will become great penpals! I still have not found out what the particular "something" has to be, so that it works out in the end. It seems to be a bit of a mystery or matter of chemistry. I really don't know... So, I guess there is no point in forcing myself

or the other one to go on writing by any means although you feel there is no good connection. And most of times you realize that after one, two or three letters already. Of course, then it is better to stop the correspondence, because it won't be fun for anybody. Therefore, the request

to find a penpal that "doesn't stop writing after one or two letters" is not very realistic, I think. Of course, there are also people who start writing with a huge amount of new penpals at the same time and realize only later that they have not enough time to write regularly

with all of them and disappear without a word. But in those cases, I don't care too much, because in the end I haven't got to know these people yet. I guess everybody in the penpal world has made those experiences that people promised to write a first letter, but you never heard of

them again. That's quite normal and nowadays i don't even give it a second thought anymore. I wonder what you think about this!? Do you also have written in your profile that particular request? And if so, what was your intention to write it down? 25

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Mika

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MIKA magazine is a brand new electronic (digital) lifestyle magazine. The first issue of the magazine is going to be released on April 1, 2011 and will feature articles in several topics: Celebrity News and Events, Music and Movies, Fashion and Beauty, Style, Love, Party Time, Secrets and Health. Do you want to be a part of our team? Be an author with us and contact us at mikamagazine(at)gmail.com

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Contact us at: Twitter: www.twitter.com/MIKAmagazine Facebook: www.facebook.com/MIkaMagazine Blog: www.mikalifestylemagazine.blogspot.com Email: MikaMagazine@gmail.com

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coming out

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HOW TO MAKE A POSTCARD

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By Melanie Anzalone

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Hello, I'm Melanie (28) from Germany and I already wrote a few articles. This time I want to write a little bit about making cards. I really like doing crafts and at the moment I make a lot of cards which is the reason why I decided to tell a little bit about it. I know sometimes it's hard to make a card because you don't really know where you should start. 1. First you need a topic for your card. In my example card I used the topic „thank you“.

2. Now you need a sketch. I used this one for my card. You can find them online or create them by yourself, it doesn't matter. You don't need a sketch but it's much easier to use one when you don't have much practice and ideas. It helps a lot.

3. If you have the sketch and the topic you should decide on the picture. For the topic „thank you“ you can use almost every picture. A lot of people like to stamp and there are so many nice rubber stamps you can buy. I love the „Magnolia“ stamps for example. But you can also use stickers or something else. Be creative. 4. Okay, now we have the topic, the sketch and the picture and it's time to think about the colors. Don't use too many different colors as that doesn't look good. It's not hard to find the right paper. You can use everything. My favorite paper is scrapbooking paper because of all the nice designs. But I also use uni color paper (one color paper). Combine design paper with uni color paper. That always looks good. 5. To decorate I like to use ribbons, stones, flowers... Go to a craft store, you can find a lot of stuff there. I know sometimes it's expensive, which depends on the store. Once in a while I like to buy my craft stuff in the decoration sections in stores. They sometimes have little small stuff you can use for crafts. It can be much cheaper than the actual craft stuff. I always keep an eye open and when I see something cheap or on sale I buy it. What helped me a lot to create my cards was looking for examples online or to use those sketches. I hope I could of given you some ideas how to surprise your pen pal with a nice handmade card. Have fun and be creative!

ARTISTIC TRADING CARDS AND MORE http://manzalone.blogspot.com

By Melanie Anzalone

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I started with Donuts too and it's also quite fun to make those. Easy and they look really cool. The second thing I made out of clay were cupcakes. They are also really easy and so cute. I love making those sweets. If you're getting better, you can try smaller and more complicated stuff. And I promise you will get better and better the more you make. The clay I use is called Fimo which gets soft if you work with it. To make it hard you only have to put it in the website, oven for 30 minutes. I like you can to surprise my pen pals also write with my polymer clay

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A few of my pen pals share my other hobby besides writing letter which is doing crafts. I love to do all kinds of crafts and I always have something handmade at home I can send my pen pals. With some of my pen pals I swap ATC's which are „Artist Trading Cards“. The size has to be 2,5“ x 3,5“ or 6,4 cm x 8,9 cm. The front side you can design the way you want. You can draw something, a scrap booking design, a nice picture... Whatever you want. Everything is allowed. On the back side I always write big ATC or Artist Trading Card. Then you write down your name, the title of the ATC, the date and if you have a blog or a

the address down. It's so much fun to make and collect them. I also always look for ATC swap partners. So if someone wants to swap some, let me know. My E-mail address is: manzalone@ hotmail.de Then I'm also really into making jewelry and other stuff out of polymer clay. I got the idea from another pen pal. I googled and found a lot of good videos on Youtube which really help to make the little food and get new ideas. If you never made it before I would start making Donuts and decorate them.

Penpallling will finally have its own soundtrack!

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my blog and show the nicest ones in my next craft article.

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you want, send me some pictures of the crafts you made after reading that article. I'm gonna put them on

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Get in touch on powerofthesun89@hotmail.com and on the FB page of the show!

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Airing premiere: March 20, 2011

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handmade card for a birthday than one you bought at a store. And if you need craft supplies check out eBay. I usually buy my stuff for the jewelry and for scrap booking there. Some stuff is much cheaper than in a store. In Germany it's so expensive to buy craft supplies in a craft store. I'm going to check out the big craft store Michaels in California and write about when I'm back. If someone needs help, feel free to ask me. Have fun being creative

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stuff. I'm also trying to sell some, because I can't keep them all and I need some money for my trip next month to California. If you are interested you can check out my blog: http://manzalone. blogspot.com or my shop on DaWanda: http://de.dawanda.com/ shop/mausebabyle. I hope I get some new ideas for more crafts when I go to the USA. In my cards article you can read about all my cards I make. Cards is something you always need and it's much nicer to send out an

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penpals Music Show

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Georgia’s

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PENPAL OF THE MONTH CONTEST Our PenPals of the Month FEBRUARY 2011

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you started penpalling? No. I guess that the chances to stay penpals with your very first penpal are very slim. Do you prefer typed or hand written letters? Handwritten. Give some tips/idea how to make a letter more interesting?

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simply send it to us at fun@sandbook.net . We will get in touch with you and publish the best ones! How long have you been penpalling? More than 20 years now! Time flies by really fast! Do you still write (stay in touch) with the first penpal with whom

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And one day.... You are a Winner!

Hello from Canada! This is our interview with Danielle (Danny) from Canada, who is our PENPAL OF THE MONTH February 2011. She is going to share some of her pen palling experience with all of us. Don’t forget this section is focused on pen pals around the globe. Tell us you own story or answer the questions in this section, then

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““Have you ever had a penpal who understands you completely? If you haven’t, then you would probably never believe me when I say that Danielle is a very close friend of mine, cross that – she’s like a sister to me! She is the type of friend who only after a couple of letters really knows YOU! Yes, the true, unique and beautiful YOU. With such a friend you don’t need to pretend and to worry about anything – you can freely discuss life and culture, voice your opinion and never even for just a tinny little second doubt that she wouldn’t understand you or she will get angry with you if you don’t share her opinion. It’s such a joy to receive a 10 page letter and start reading it with a hot cup of cacao. It’s like I have picked up the phone and called her! Our letters feel like an ongoing conversation, which hopefully will never end. So, dear Sandbook Team, if you are searching for a PenPal of the Month February 2011 – look no more! Danielle is your Winner!.” Lisa O.

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It all starts with filling out an application that’s available on our website and your nomination is done in no time.

I have noticed that penpals stress out when they write letters because their English isn’t good. I have just one piece of advice for all of you – relax! You are among friends! You will be getting used to it in no time! I am sure! How many penpals do you have? About 20. Are you searching for more penpals? If so - write a short message to the people who are reading this interview. No, I don’t search for new penpals! How did you come to know FBs / How long have you been swapping them? Over a decade – don’t remember exactly! What do you look for in a penpal? A: A penpal should be honest and ready to share things about his/her personal life in order to make his/hers letters interesting. Have you met a penpal? Share some stories if you had. No. How did you decide to participate in our PenPal of the month contest? My pallie Lisa nominated me! And I won! Yey! I almost never win contests! Leave a message to the site’s users who are thinking about joining this contest? A: If I could win, then you could do so, too!

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Lisa O. from USA and Danielle P. from Canada!

LOST PENPAL

Samia Oumohand, France samgunsjovirow@yahoo.com Hi all! I’m looking for my former penpal Jerry Lynn Daniels. She was a huge fan of French supermodel Laetitia Casta and is from the USA (from Tennessee, if I’m not wrong). If you know her, please let me know at: samgunsjovirow@yahoo.com

Sonia Hardoin (born 08-08-1973) 461 Rue de la Trapinière F-50000 Saint-Lô France (address valid until 1993)

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Tammy Albertson Dupont, USA (via Facebook) I have been looking fofr a friend of mine who I lost contact with along time ago and I really miss her. Her name is Kim Bear and she lived in Texas. I would love to get back in touch with her. Her maiden name was Heiliman. Jules Muni (via Facebook) My penpal of 15 years Jacqueline Mcinnus who last known lived in Kingston, Jamaica.I hope that I will be able to get back in touch with her. 37

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Marlene Miller, Ohio, USA marlene159@zoominternet.net Hello, my name is Marlene Miller, 55 and I am in Ohio in United States, have a favor to ask, am looking for friend I wrote to about 8 yr s or so ago, we lost touch, when she divorced. Her name was Jennie Smith. She lived in Australia, has son and daughter ,grown now, We wrote and taped letters on regular bases. We were doing email then lost my computer( blewup) and lost contact as well as her addy as never had it when she moved. Anyone able to help, please email me at marlene159@zoominternet.net and put in message about her,thanks for any help you can give.

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Katarina Långdahl, Sweden kat.sweden@gmail.com I’m looking for my lost pen friend Yvonne Bell in Miami, Florida. She’s born 1973.

Tina Jacobs (Nieman) ,USA tina70mercer@yahoo.com I had a pen pal from Greece who I wrote up to 5 years ago and we just lost touch. Her name is Helene Anastasopoulou. I have wrote her old address a few times and no response. I have searched her on the internet and still no success. She is 39 and lived in Patras as her last address I had. I’m hoping we can reconnect.

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SeongMi An, South Korea sweetheart0529@gmail.com Hello! It’s SeongMi An from South Korea I lost my penpals for some reasons. I’d love to keep in touch with you again. Please e-mail me, I miss you guys!

Katarina Långdahl, Sweden gulliolli@yahoo.com I'm looking for two lost pen friends. Mauy Burr who used to live on Taylor Avenue in East Brunswick, NJ. She's born 1973.I'm also looking for Ellen Blaze who used to live on Kane Street in Lackawanna, NY.

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Sarah Trewhitt, UK therose1972@hotmail.co.uk Hiya , This is not really for any one in particular .. but i used to pn pal about 5-6 year ago and had to give up for many many reasons .. i have started pen palling again over the past year and if there are any of my old pen pals out there that would like to get in touch then please do so.

Nanda S. Gaikwad (born 24-02-1973) 26-A-Sarnath Anushaktinagar IND-Bombay (now Mumbai) 400094 India (address valid until 1993) Additional information: her father worked at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in Bombay (Mumbai).

Beverly Kuttler Rampero, USA (via Facebook) I’m trying to find a good friend of mine. Her name is Aimee Plunkett. We have been writing for about 17 years. She use to live in Tracy, California but then moved away to another state and I lost her new address. I havent heard from her since.

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Maria Nieves (or Maria Neus) Estébanez Gutiérrez (born 29-03-1974) Carrer Briquets 1, entlo primero E-Barcelona 08033 Spain (address valid until 1991)

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Theda, Germany info.tiehsvd@forum-artium.net

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Then this is the section for you. Place your story about your Lost penpal and we will try to help you

Katharina Nöhring (was: Melter), Germany KathaNoehring@aol.com Actually I am looking for a couple of former pals: Nike van Heeswijk from the Netherlands, Josephine (Joyce) Camilleri from Malta (Gozo island), Vivienne Hunter from England, Zenildo Rosa Jr. from Brasil. We lost contact a LONG time ago, and I would love to get back in touch. Does anyone know about them? Any help is appreciated! l i k e

HAVE YOU LOST A PENPAL? YES? Reconnect!

Tom Todd, England lustywinos@yahoo.com Kara from Wichita Ks. We wrote for about 10yrs in the eighties. Queen fan.

PenPal & Swappers Ads How to place an ad in the magazine? Go to www.sandbook.net and click the Magazine section. Then simply select â&#x20AC;&#x153;Place an Adâ&#x20AC;? and you will have to fill out the form that loads on your computer screen. Ads placed on pages/groups/ walls on Facebook will not be printed. Please note that the ads on our website are ads for the website itself. Unless you fill out the form under Magazine --> Place an Ad, you wonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t see your ad here. Who can post an Ad? Anyone can post an ad in search for swappers or penpals. Our Ad Policy: 1) We are not a dating site/community - write appropriate ads to have them published. 2) No inmates - we have kid members in our community! 3) No money requests - such ad will result in your permanent ban from our community. 4) Snail mail addresses - we are not going to publish any snail mail addresses for security reasons. So you are going to be in charge of sending your home addresses to future penpals. We will publish your email address. 5) Religious, racial or discriminative materials would not be tolerated. 6) Any form of abusive or rude language is forbidden and will result in your ban from our community. What is the policy on Commersial Ads? Commercial Ads are paid ads for products or service that is not classified as a penpal or a swapper ad or an add from a small business that provides supplies for correspondence (stationary, address labels). Such ads are going to be negotiated with the respective companies. For more information email magazine@sandbook. net SandBook.Net Team

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name : Martina Email : Martina_J_@gmx.at age : 25 country : Austria Ad : Hello! I love it to find nice and long letters in my mailbox... you too? Then we should become penpals. My name is Martina and I am from Austria. I am looking for penpals around my age from anywhere in the world (female penpals only!). My hobbies/interests include: writing/reading letters (of course), shopping, surfing the internet, traveling (I LOVE

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Name: lesley griffin Your age : 53 country : england Ad: i’m looking for penfriends any country and any age have been penpalling for 41 years and started at the age of 12 my hobbies are computer and internet and driving and eating out photography i live in england message me and i will write that is 100 per cent i answer all letters am married for 30 years put images or photos on all letters write soon and we can be come good and fond friends. Love, Lesley

it), reading, movies, PS3, Wii, Name: Radhia Nintendo DS, spending time with Age :43 my boyfriend, going out and Country: Tunisia lots of other things... Interested? akrimi.0208@live.fr Please contact me at A warm hello to you all! Is there Martina_J_@gmx.at I am looking anyone who is interested in snail forward to hear from you! mail penpalling? I am a Tunisian woman, happily name : Jolene married, have only one daughter; Email : Whiterose232006@ I am stay at home mom, looking yahoo.com for FEMALE snail mail pals from age : 28 all over the world. I like movies, country : USA reading; crocheting, cooking, Ad: Hello Everyone, I’m looking listening to music, postcards, for new pals & swappers. I swap stickers, Kawaii things, writing anything from FBs to Stickers. I’m letters and swapping; I like not accepting any new penpals sending and receiving little from overseas at this time but surprises in the letters. There’s I take any amount of pals & nothing more joyful than getting swappers. I’m always taking new a letter from a friend ;Enough of pals from Canada & USA. So feel bills in my mailbox! So! Let’s start free to drop me a line & I’ll get penpalling!. back to as soon as I can. My email is: Whiterose232006@ Name: Kimi yahoo.com Thanks, Jolene Age: 19 Country: Australia name : Natalie E-mail: kimberley. Email: natkenfloppy@ jensen91@gmail.com hotmail.com Hello, potential future penpals! age : 37 I’m Kim from Australia. I’ve been country : Canada pen palling since I was 9-yearsAd : Hi my name is Natalie and I’ve old, and I’m looking for serious been paling for about 25 years pen pals of any age, sex, race, (started when I was in grade 6) religion and species (I welcome I like snail letters (I do still swap you, extra-terrestrial friends!). Fbs from time to time) and emails Ones who won’t stop writing but so either way is perfect for me. I who aren’t overly demanding, love hearing from new people. I either - life does get in the way of am married and have a 3.5 year things, sometimes. Intelligence old daughter who is the apple of and/or open-mindedness is my eye. always a plus in my pen pal Please email me at natkenfloppy@ searches, too! ^__^ hotmail.com and we will go from Here’s a little bit about me. I am a there. Hope to hear from you female (I had to specify because soon. Please no prisoners. I once had a penpal when I

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I love swapping things (stamps, stickers, magnets, stationery), sending small gifts from time to time ... I’m a school teacher, mum to be (in january) and I’d love to know you, you who are reading this ad :) Just contact me by mail at : ciloune@gmail.com and I’ll send you my snail mail address.

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name : Eliska Email : elda999@seznam.cz age : 26 country : Czech Republic Ad : Hello everyone, my name

over the world. My name is Anita, my Nickname “Angel” im married and my sign is libra. I live with my husband in Austria. My hobbies are: reading, writting letters and emails, skype, Facebook, Internet, Photography, playing saxophone, Rory Latimer cooking, Music, Concerts, Formulatimerj@telkomsa.net la 1, Soccer, Esoterism, Religion, Your age : 39 Gothic, Middle Age, history and country : South Africa more. Im a very funny and helpAd : Hello Everyone I am a 39 year ful person. My job is nurse for elold Caucasian Male in Cape Town derly and I work with Alzheimer South Africa. I am hard of hearing Patients. Hope to find nice female but that doesnt get me down. pals between 20 to ? years. Nice to I love to write snail mail letters. meet you send a email to schutzThat is a hobby of mine now after engel.anita33@gmail.com 9 years. I do have some wonderful pen pals who have become great name : Tina Bryan friends. tinabryan23@yahoo.com Yes I am single however all I ask is Your age : 36 for friendship, I will be single until Your country: usa, San the good Lord takes me home. I Diego, cailfornia will be a faithful letter writer and Ad : hello all,my name is Tina if you would like me to give you looking for pen pals that will write some names of my penpals to to me more then once.my hobbies message and ask for a reference are making hats and scarfs and that is fine. you can message sell them. my intesterest,writing them. I also enjoy reading, to pen pals,talking on the phone watching a good movie, Military with pals and texting.e-mail if you History, camping and spending want a pal tinabryan23@yahoo. time with a good friend. I write com back as soon as I can after your letter arrives. name : Cécile I look forward to hearing from ciloune@gmail.com you. age : 27 country : France name : Anita Ad : Hello everybody, I’m looking s c h u t z e n g e l . a n i ta 3 3 @ for new penpals from all over gmail.com the world, no matter where you age : 34 come from :) I can write in french, country : Austria english, spanish or romanian so Ad : Hello my name is Anita and feel free to contact me in your own im searching for nice female Pen- language if it’s one of above. I love pals, Epals and Swapper from all writing and receiving long letters.

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Gregory Lentz Email: gj.lentz76@gmail.com Your age : 34 Your country : USA Ad : Hello! I’d be interested in trying out some E-Pal correspondences with folks from all over the world and all walks of life! I like to learn about other cultures, a little bit of a history buff, foodie, self taught artist and aspiring writer of many genres. I like to swap postcards, nothing in particular as long as they are stamped and written, as I relish the personal connections as much as the beauty of the cards. I enjoy all kinds of movies, tv shows I keep up with are: any Law & Order, CSI, Fringe, The Event, House, Lie To Me, Castle...I’m a huge Bon Jovi fan, I like to read Stephen King, Dean Koontz, and I’m hooked on George R.R. Martin’s A Game of Thrones.

is ELiska I am 26 years old, I am looking for penpals, as I like writting (and also receiving letters :-) ) so much. I am taking care of my little girl at home. I will be glad to find new penpals! See you!

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name : Mandi Moore moore87@yahoo.com age : 23 country : USA Ad : Seeing long letter pals worldwide, ladies only. Hobbies: Reading, TV & movies, music, photography, scrapbooking, playing computer games, etc. I have one son, 17 months old. Swaps: FBs, Mommy FBs, slams. Please email me for address! mandi.moore87@ yahoo.com

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PenPal and Swappers Ads

name : Meli manzalone@hotmail.de age : 28 country : Germany Ad : Hey everyone, I’m looking for pen pals from New York, Las Vegas and the Bay Area - California. I love long handwritten letters,

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name : Yvonne inkytrailers@yahoo.com age : 37 country : Netherlands Ad : Hiya! Thought I would give this a try as I am looking for a few new pals :). I am specifically looking for long letter and somewhat regular pals from Italy, Portugal, the Middle East (Iran in particular) and Asia, Japan in particular but all countries are fine :) as long as have something in common. My only request being you can express yourself in English or Dutch well enough to have a decent conversation. I don’t want to get stuck in sole conversations about the weather. As for the meaning of regular, I don’t expect you to write every

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name : Victoria G nekrobows@yahoo.com age : 18 country : California USA Ad : Hello im from socal! I love all kinds of music im looking for all postcards and basically to start swapping picture clippings stickers surprise donated books anything really for my penpal swapper scrapbook to remember my youth when i age. Here’s my main interest: Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus Punk bands John Waters! Courtney Love Kurt Cobain & Nirvana Seria Killer(anything works) Bette Davis Ariel(the little mermaid) anything 1950s anything is welcome and appreciated email me: nekrobows@yahoo.com

month but I do like to receive (at least) 3 to 4 letters a year so I guess I’d like you to write - and I will do the same :) - once every two to three months. If you are more regular, then so am I :). Also I like you to ask and answer questions and I can tell you upfront I tend to ask many questions - you’d better be prepared *LOL*. A quick word about me, I am in my late 30s, married without kids and work fulltime. When I am not working I have plenty to keep myself busy with *laugh*. I love books and would not be able to live without them. They are great way to relax as well as to learn from! I enjoy watching movies though I find that at this stage of life, I need to see them in the cinema as I am not having peace of mind watching them at home :(. Also I love cooking and like to experiment with different ingredients, I love walking, taking photos, travelling, keeping up to date with (and form an opinion about!) what is happening in this world, I enjoy going to the theater, like to listen to music, socializing with family and friends. Quite a normal person I would think *grin*. If it did get you interested, I would love to hear from you! Have a great day!

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Your name : Bev Email : BlondieBear75@ hotmail.com age : 35 country : Australia Ad : Hi All.....I am a stay at home mom of 4 from sunny Qld who would love to write to other Aussie’s. I have a wide range of interests and hobbies including reading, scrap booking, card making, pen palling, spending

name : Petra Schmied p.schmied02@gmx.at age : 40 country : Austria Ad : Hi, I am a 40-year-old Austrian with an 8-year-old daughter. I love snail mailing and have various interests including travelling, reading, dancing, languages (German, English, French and some Spanish), sports etc. Please send me an email if you are interested and I will send

you my address.

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name : Angela Benton nkotbfan@live.com age : 29 country : United States Ad : I am 29 years old. Married and have 3 kids. I love nkotb. Facebook. Making new friends. Hot summer days, swimming, and birds chirping. I have 2 cats. I enjoy taking pictures. I enjoy concerts. I love music videos.

name : Anastasia Email : aja23@yandex.ru age : 29 country : Russia Ad : Hello people! I’m an active penpaller for many years already and used to have many penpals but recently most of them stopped writing me or writing too seldom because they are too busy and I understood that I have only a few left. Thought these ones are very important for me, I still want to find some new friends About me: My name is Anastasia, I’m 29y.o. and I come from SaintPetersburg, Russia but I’d love to move to Europe at least for some time soon. For sure, I like my country but it would be exciting to live in other places of the world to see how people live there. At the moment I’m working as a secretary. I have lots of hobbies, just a few to mention: watch movies, tv, read books, write letters, meet my friends or chat with them online, paranormal things, etc. I’m quite open-minded and chatty girl, so I can talk about almost anything. Just give me a subject^) I’m not very much into clubbing and prefer an evening with a good book or movie but sometimes it’s a real fun to go out I’m looking for: I am looking for female penpals at any age from

everywhere, with absolutely different hobbies, who write long letters (e.g 2 pages of A4 papers or 2-4 pages of B5 papers, well it depends on how your life is) at least once in 2 months and I won’t stop writing after a few letters. The way of a letter may be quite long but there’s nothing we can do With my future penpal I’d love to discuss not only life events, but also share our ideas, thoughts, dreams, feelings and everything. With whom we’d share our attitude to events, happening in the world around us. There are no forbidden topics for me and I love ask and answer tons of different questions. I love letters in a form of a conversation. I don’t mind typed letters, if they stay sincere and personal. I can play stamps back, if you ask me. If you like, we can exchange postcards, photos, fbs and other small things. I would prefer, if you speak fluent English or German and won’t have troubles expressing your thoughts and feelings. So, this was my introduction and now I’m waiting for a letter from you

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name : Katarina kat.sweden@gmail.com age : 41 country : Sweden Ad : I’m looking for pen pals aged 25-55, esp. from USA, New Zealand or the Latin American countries. I love cats, writing letters and swapping. I enjoy to go shopping, watch TV, search for ancestors, read books & cartoon magazines and just have a nice time.

time with my hubby and children and heaps more. I am willing to write to both men and women. Look forward to hearing from you.

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name : Gina powerofthesun89@ hotmail.com age : 21 (close to 22) country : Greece Ad : Hi! My name’s Gina, I’m 21, Greek, rather humorous and a senior-year student of Ancient Greek & Latin Literature. I’m looking for fellow female penpals from any countries that speak English or French. Apart from

penpalling, I love heavy metal, collecting postcards and vinyls, reading international literature, writing poetry and crime novels! Looking forward to hearing from you!

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was younger, and her mother said we couldn’t write anymore because she thought I was a male due to my uni-sex name) and I’m 19-years-old. I major in Linguistics and the Indonesian language at university. I love languages. Biiiig fan. My hobbies and interests are: crafting, sewing, listening to music (indie rock, indie pop, alternative, classic rock, etc.), watching films, thrifting, kawaii, going to alternative music festivals, politics, designing my own clothing, cooking, vintage, anime, culture, travel, languages, history, science, religion (I’m an atheist, however), philosophy, kitsch and geeky things like dinosaurs, sci-fi, hacking (Though I don’t know how, argh! I just think it’s great.), studying voluntarily and video/computer games. If you’re interested in my attempt at an appealing pen pal ad, don’t be afraid to send me an e-mail! Though, I will get a tad grumpy if I receive requests for romance or money. I have a boyfriend, and I’m a poor university student. :D

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Name : Mandee Email : southernfaith@ live.com Age : 27 Country : usa Ad : I’m Seeking To Make New E-Pal Friends And New Facebook Pal’s Aswell. Send Me Msg If Your Seeking The Same Or Like To Be Pal’s..xoxo

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Name : alison hepworth Email : malin@malin.karoo. co.uk Age : 44 Country : england Ad : hi there i am alison 44 mum to 4 23 to 16 live in town called hull uk hobbies are palling travelling reading music tv computer family i am after pals to wrtie from asia all europe usa canada australia new zealand, worldwide females

Name : Samantha Stroy Email : itsapenpalworld@ gmail.com Age : 27 Country : USA Ad : Hello everyone, Im looking for some long letter penpals who enjoys a little bit of numerology,astrology,tarot, and twilight and vampire novels. SOmeone who likes to swap various things that fit in an envelope. I am a married stay at home mom of 3. I promise to write back. Long letter pals only please.. I love reading,writing,s hopping,divination,hello kitty, and so much more.. Hope to hear from you all soon.

Name : Karen Email : leahrosesmom@ cox.net Age : 48 Country : Middle Georgia USA Ad : Hello, my name is Karen. I am a 48 year old single mom of a 7 year old daughter and a 23 year old son, living in Middle Georgia USA. I am new to penpalling and hope to share this hobby with my 7 year old daughter. I love reading books (and reading long letters), classic rock music, arts & crafts (making jewelry, crochet & cross stitch), and blogging. I write poetry and I love to take digital photographs. I hope to eventually swap FBs, and postcards. I am looking for a female penpal, preferably around my age, in the US, a mom and a Christian is a plus. I can write short, long or medium letters. I can be reached at leahrosesmom@cox.net. Thanks!

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Name : Stephanie Fatta Email : aveggiemom@yahoo.com Age : 30 Country : USA Ad : Hi everyone! I am a married mom of one son. I love pen palling and looking for new pen pals from the USA only please. I am looking for long term/sincere pals around my age. I enjoy reading, travel, pen palling, working out, healthy, beauty, blogging, houseplants, and so much more! Email me for my address if you are interested!

for now.

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Ad : hello penpalfriends , im looking for long letter penpals who write regular about anything , love to hear your story`s . im almost 38 years old (12 february) , but feel more like 30 hahaha . my hobby`s and likes are : writting letters , swapping , walk with my dogs , photography , facebook , kawaii , diddl , disney and manny more , i will tell that in my letter . if you want to write with me , give me a message . happy writting everybody . greetings Rosita

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swapping, horses, traveling, am from Wisconsin in the USA. stationary, crafts and the USA. I have been penpalling on and Feel free to email me. off since 1989. It’s an awesome hobby. I love reading, 70s and 80s name : John Ferguson rock music, crafts, scrapbooking, Email : jferguson92200@ journals, history, thrift stores, yahoo.com travelling, the paranormal, age : 26 penpalling, and swapping fb’s/ country : USA stickers/stationary. I also swap Ad : I like snail pen pal only in the postcards. Short or long letter USA, & e-mail pen pal from all pals welcome. Hope we can over. My hobbies are collecting meet.... postcards, collecting wrestling cards, & many more. Especially Name : Phyllis Estep writing to people. Email : phyllisestep@live.com name : Louise Age : 60 Email : Country : usa louisexmarie@gmail.com Ad : Hello I am a 60 year old wife, age : 21 mother and grandma. I would like country : UK pen pals any ages. I will answer Ad : Hello! Hobbies; reading, all. I will also swap fb, slams, post writing, penpalling, letters, cards, recipes and many other music, films, walking, socializing, things. write me if you want a drawing. I am looking for email or faithful pal. phyllis Estep P.O. Box snail mail. I’m looking for a penpal 6311 christiansburg, va. 24068 that will write for a long time as i’m hoping to form a long-lasting Name : Henry friendship. I’ve never swapped or Email : hbaker@ collected anything but if you want rochester.rr.com to send me something then feel Age : 57 free. Anyways, email me and we Country : USA can chat some more :) Everything Ad : I am disable gentleman isn’t going to fit in here. Louise x looking for e-pals in USA only, I like WWE wrestling, and law name : Colleen books and action movies and contact me at: country music Colleen Penpal on Facebook. Add me! Name : Rosita Druijf age : 45 Email : roos.chimene@ country : USA upcmail.nl Ad : Hello Friends... Colleen from Age : 38 the USA saying hi to everyone!! Country : the Love this magazine!! I am 45 and Netherlands

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Name: Josh Cowan Email: jcowan1023@ gmail.com Age: 31 Country: USA Ad : My favorite color is green. My favorite food is seafood and sushi. My favorite drink is root beer. My favorite sport is basketball and I play basketball through Special Olympics. I

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Name: Sandra Email: penpals4me@live.se Age: 21 Country: Sweden Ad : Hello everybody! My name is Sandra, I’m 21 years old and live in Sweden. I’m searching for penpals from all over the world, in around my own age! But especially from: Denmark, New Zealand and Germany. And UK

Name: Michele Cimons Email: micgci126@yahoo. com Age: 51 Country: USA Ad : My name is Michele. I’m 51 years old. I live in New York in the USA. My interests are cats, animals, listening to music, watching tv, reading, movies, Disney, soap operas, crafts, internet, Facebook, penpalling, fill in puzzles, word search puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, nature, flowers, walking, postcards, stickers, Hello Kitty, and much more. If anyone is interested in being penpals. Please email me at: micgci126@yahoo.com. Thanks I hope to hear from someone soon. Michele

love music and my favorite singer is Weird Al Yankovic and my favorite music group is Blink182. My favorite actor is Jim Carey and my favorite actress is Olivia Newton-John. My favorite movies are Ace Ventura, Despicable Me, and Karate Kid. My favorite TV shows are the Price is Right, Minute to Win It, American Idol, America’s Funniest home videos, America’s got talent, Dancing with the stars, and So you think you can dance. My favorite animal is the frog. My favorite cartoon characters are Spongebob Sqaurepants, Scooby Doo, The Flintstones, Yogi Bear, and Family Guy. My Favorite Super Hero is Batman. I have Cerebral Palsy and participate in Special Olympics. My favorite special Olympics events are bowling, basketball, and cycling.

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Name: Lisa email: lisaluvsfbs@aol.com Age: 45 Country: usa My name is Lisa and i am 45 years old USA mother to two (ages 12 & 18) lisaluvsfbs@aol.com I am Native American/German/ Irish lady. I love making friends with ladies all over the world. I enjoy photography, swapping fbs, phone calls, music, family, God, learning about other

Name: Danette Email: D.Danette.L@gmail.com Age: 51 Years old Country: USA Ad: Hello, I am 51 years old, 4 children & 5 grandchildren. I have more furry children than I can count, I rescue, spay/neuter and find good-loving homes for strays and homeless animals. Many decide to stay with me :) I am an artist who loves to read, sew, knit, crochet, paint, sculpt. I love the outdoors. I enjoy movies, music, the supernatural, the sea, swimming, walking and more. I love letter writing, though sometimes there may not be tons to say.

London and in West Chester and Forks. But of course anyone can contact me if they’re interested :) I love to read and write. When it comes to books I almost only read fantasy, and right know I’m stuck on vampires. I love the music groups: HIM, 3oh!3 and The Rasmus. Write me a mail if your interested =)

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Name : Katka Louzilova Email : katerina174@post.cz Age : 34 Country : Czech Republic Ad : Hi, my name is Katka, I am 34, have 2 children, living in Prague. I love to write and recive letters , I would love to find penpals from all over the world. My hobbies include reading, cooking, travelling.

cultures. I am especially looking for Middle Eastern ladies to correspond with, I traveled to the Middle East in 2007 and loved the people I met there. I am not looking to push religion, just make friendships. Would love to hear from other moms anywhere.

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Name : Sandra Walker Email : southernrosebelle@ yahoo.com Age : 59 Country : USA Ad : hobbies: collects postcards and foreign coins. Loves to read. Likes to cook. Married, 2 sons (grown-NO grandchildren or daughters-in-law.Wants pen pals who like to write more than a paragraph. NO religious stuff please (I have my own religion). I have 3 dogs. Much more but will tell when you write.

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mail penpal? One who will not stop writing after a couple of letters or who only writes twice year? A penpal to talk with about everything from the sublime to Name : barbara the ridiculous? A penpal who glisczinski enjoys stuffing letters, decorating Email : yumyum1948@ envies and getting something in yahoo.com the mail besides bills? Then look Age : 62 no further! For the low price of Country : united states postage, you can have all this in Ad : Hello from Wisconsin.I am the form of a long letter life long 62 a Type 2 Diabetic also am snail mail pal who loves - loves, disabled.Looking for women I say! - who loves the written from 35 to 80 to write to by snail word in all its guts and glory. I’m mail.My interests are counted 41 with two grown children in cross stitch, needlepoint, plastic college and an ornery old hubby canvas, knitting, latch hook, I’ve had for 21 years. We have 1 reading, gardening, cooking, black cat who’s 13 years old and crossword puzzles ,jigsaw puzzles a loveable crab apple. I enjoy and collecting postcards. Want so many things I can’t begin to worldwide penpals. list them but here a few of the highlights: Kawaii, penpalling, Name : Tonya Cassell family, animals, ancient history, Email : Regency romances, Dr. Who, AGT, tazzymania2001@gmail. sticker, Facebook, sci-fi, writing... I com collect Kawaii, Hello Kitty, stickers, Age : 36 s/p shakers, pens, postcards, FBs, Country : United States LBs, SBs. I swap postcards, FBs, Ad : I love photography, pen LBS, SBs and take all excess. I’m paling, and collecting celebrity looking for ladies only 30-50 from autographs. I collect celebrity anywhere, especially UK, Ireland, autographs, Christmas village France, Spain, Japan, Scotland. As pieces, china dolls, stuffed always, no men(happily married) animals, and crystal figurines ,cons, Africa/Ghana(I’m no fool and I don’t have money to spare Name : Nelda Dunlap so forget it). Please put penpals Email : and this site name in the subject rosepetunia69@gmail. line so I don’t think you’re spam com and delete you. I look forward to Age : 42 hearing from all my new friends. Country : USA Nelda Dunlap 316 W. Tyler Av Ad : Hello all my new friends. Are Charleston, Illinois 61920 USA you looking for a devoted snail

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hanging out with family and friends. Please email me if you want to pen pal with me. Sorry no prisoners or men plz.

PenPalling Connections:

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booklet coming out april 21, 2011

Yahoo Groups that you might want to join: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/strictlysnail http://groups.yahoo.com/group/crazy_pen_pals

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booklet coming out 21 April 2011

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ANGELS

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Sandbook.NEt and gaya designs present: Samantha stroy

My name is Maxine. I’m the owner of www.penpalmagazine.blogspot.com and www.friendshipbooks.blogspot. com As the names suggest, the former focuses its attention on penpal newsletters and magazines, and the later - on FB’s - what are they, how to make them, how to swap them, etc. Follow the blogs to learn all the cool stuff that I have prepared for you!

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PenPal Directory and Newsletter Hi! I am Tracy. I sell stationery address and stickers. I also have a penpal Directory and a newsletter. Take a look at my links if interestered. My new thing is making a catalog of all my designs: http://tracyscreationsstationary.shutterfly.com/ http://addresslabels4sale.shutterfly.com/ For more information contact: Tracy Sanders, tracylynnsanders38@yahoo.com

Penpals ‘nd Swappers magazine Penpals `nd Swappers is a new magazine for people who like to write letters and swapping, also for people who are looking for new penpals and swappers. In this magazine there are PenpalAdds and SwapperAdds, all around writing letters and swapping and many many more. How can I order it? Just send an e-mail to penpalsandswappers@ googlemail.com with your name and e-mail address. You get your magazine by e-mail. How to get my PenpalAdd/SwapperAdd in the magazine? Please, send your PenpalAdd or SwapperAdd via e-mail to: penpalsandswappers@googlemail.com. Please do not forget your address or e-mail address.

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Pen Pal Book C/O Kimberly Garigin 3726 Green Pond Rd Gray Court, SC 29645 One issue is $12 black or $18 color. Subscription for 4 issues is $20 black or $25 color. Its like buying two and getting two FREE. Comes out Jan. Apr. Jul. & Oct. I take Cash, checks & Money orders in my name. It is non-profit!! Pen Pal ads to be put in is FREE starting with Jan 2011. Business ads r 5 cents per word/symbols & count your name & address. Add $2 more for Canada or $4 more for Over seas. I use quick print to see the darker print its $4 per issue or $16 for 4 issues. No Inmates!!! For more information contact: Kimberly at vandine69@yahoo.com

WHERE TO BE IN MARCH

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March 11th: Lithuania: Independence Day On 11 March 1990, Lithuania became the first Soviet Republic to declare Independence (it was occupied by the Solviet Union from 1944 till 1990). On March 11th every year, major cities in Lithuania celebrate the Independence Day with parades, public speeches and festivities and other exciting state-

March 12th travel to the sunny Mauritius and celebrate the Independence Day March 12, 1968 is when Mauritius gains its independence from the United Kingdom. Listen to sega (the flokelore music), join the local celebrations and don’t forget to enjoy the beauty of the island. Some interesting facts about Mauritius that you must know are that it is the only known habitat of the extinct dodo bird and that Mauritius was the 5th place in the whole world to issue stamps. Yes! Stamps! The same stamps that you use daily to send letters! Actually in the two stamps issued in 1847 that are known as Mauritius Post Office stamps (“Red Penny” and a “Blue Two Pence”) are considered the most famous and valuable in the whole world.

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International Woman’s Day March 8 The history behind March 8th started as a Socialist political event, but shortly afterwards the holiday spread from countries mainly in Eastern Europe, Russia, former Soviet bloc to a worldwide event, losing its political flavor and becoming an day of appreciation for women across the globe. It’s a day when men can express their love for women in a way somewhat similar to a mixture of Mother’s Day and of course the big St. Valentine’s Day. Some regions (and countries) have saved the original political and human rights theme designated by the United Nations, and political and social awareness of the struggles of women worldwide are brought out and examined in a hopeful manner.

supported entertainment, which is often televised. Governmental buildings and major squares raise the Lithuanian flag to honor the brave officers whose dedication and life made way to Lithuanian independence. As a public holiday, shops and educational institutes do not work. (Special thanks to Kamilė Pranskūnaitė for letting us know more about the holiday!).

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that passes across the streets.

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used translation Happy Baba Marta!). Learn more about the wonderful atmosphere, the symbolism behind the red and white threads by reading the This is your guide for events and special dates cultural section in the magazine. worldwide. So enjoy trip around the globe as we present customs and special dates from the globe. March 3rd : Bulgaria: National Holiday March 3rd still continue your stay in Bulgaria and enjoy the National Holiday! Nobody goes to work, March 1st be in Bulgaria and wish “Happy Baba Marta” to everyone! the children do not go to school, but there are March 1st you should spend in Bulgaria. Few organized events in which wreaths of flowers are days before March 1st, you can find small “red and placed on monuments of fallen heroes and their white villages” and “shop markets” appearing in all memory is honored. There are public speeches the busy corners of the streets in all of the cities and the flag of Bulgaria is raised up over many across Bulgaria. Why? Because in March, Bulgaria buildings and squares and private homes. celebrates a very unique tradition: we exchange martenitzi (small red and white things) and we March 6th : Ghana: Independent Day wish each other Chestita Baba Marta (in translation On March 6th, pack your bags and go to sunny Happy Grandma Marta, or the more frequently Ghana to join the celebration for Ghana’s 54th Independence Day. Ghana attained independence from Britain on 6th March, 1957, a cause for celebration among Ghanaians from different walks of life. Students from all across the country display cultural and marching skills, different types of cultural dances and choreography. Hear the speech of President Mills and learn more about the Ghanaian culture. There is also a parade

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by Raia Alexieva

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March 26th be in Bangladesh to celebrate Independence Day On March 26, 1971, Bangladesh’s independence was formally declared. There is a great variety of activities in the celebrations of the Independence day in Bangladesh: rallies, discussions and children’s painting competitions are just a few that come to mind..

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March 19th: Italy - Father’s Day and Saint Joseph’s Day Festa del Papa, the Italian name for Father’s Day, is celebrated on March 19, St. Joseph’s Feast Day in Italy. Households prepare traditional spreads of special Italian breads and cookies. This is the day when families show their gratitude to their fathers with favors and gifts. So when you pack your bags and land in Italy on March 19th, make sure you immerse in the local culture by ordering a traditional and all so very delicious breakfast. Zeppole, the most common pastry treat for Father’s Day in Italy, is usually prepared for breakfast. The breakfast is served on a tray decorated with ribbons and red roses (red roses are the traditional flower of Father’s Day). During your stay in Italy make sure you taste some typical Italian desserts such as tiramisu, gelato, zabaglione, Zuppa Inglese, cannoli,

March 25th be in Greece and celebrate the Independence Day March 25 is both a national (revolution against the Turks (Ottoman Empire)) and religious holiday (Annunciation). March 25 is the nameday for Vangelis or Evangelos and Vangelio or Evangelia or Eva.

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Genoise cake and so on.

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March 17th, fly over to Italy and be part of the Celebrations for 150 Years of the Republic Italy declares its independence on March 17, 1861 and the Kingdom of Italy is proclaimed. March 17 has been declared an Italian national holiday for 2011, celebrating the 150th anniversary of the unification of Italy. On March 17 banks and

many shops will be closed but most major tourist sites and museums should remain open. Turin, the first capital of unified Italy, already has special exhibits and celebrations planned and there will likely be special events throughout Italy. Many events are on the calendar in Italy to mark this momentous occasion. It is likely that there will also be celebrations around the world, as there are about 60 million Italians, or descendants of Italians, living outside of Italy.

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services. Most cafés and restaurants are open especially in downtown Budapest! March 17th, dress up in green and find yourself in Ireland for St. Patrick’s Day Make sure, you wake up in Ireland on March 17th to fully immerse yourself into the St.Patrick’s Day Celebrations. Or go to your local Irish Pub/Club. Don’t forget to dress up in green, put on your cheerful mood, pick up your friends and party hard! Read more about the celebration in the cultural section of this magazine.

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March 15th be in Hungary: Celebrate the National Revolution Day and also the National Holiday On March 15 – travel to Hungary and see how the National Holiday Day there is celebrated. On 15th March Hungarians commemorate the Revolution and the following War of Independence against the Austrian-Habsburg rule in 1848-49. This day is one of the most prominent National Holidays in Hungary. Shops and services are closed on 15th March (day off work). Public transport services operate according to holiday schedule, meaning less frequent

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WHERE TO BE IN MARCH

MARCH 1ST OR HAPPY BABA MARTA, EVERYONE!

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world, is notified in the Bulgarian folklore at the beginning of the spring season, the new beginning, source of the good. That is why white and red are being weaved in the martenitza, the way the man and woman are entwined, to create something new and good. The tradition goes on that whenever you see a stork or if April 1st comes before that, you should take off your martenitza and place it under a stone or at a fruit tree. So that the year will be fruitful and successful. We greet each other and say Happy baba Marta!

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Couple of days to up to even a week or so before March 1st, while walking on any street in Bulgaria, you can see the “red and white villages” and “shop markets”. Come March 1st, we exchange martentizi, which are small red and white items/bracelets or badges/ and are a special and very unique tradition we have over here. We wish each other Chestita Baba Marta (in translation Happy Grandma Marta, or the more frequently used translation Happy Baba Marta!). The tradition behind the martenitzi is ancient. The martenitzi are a typical Bulgarian tradition and no other nation celebrates the month of March with them. On the first of March and the first few days after, Bulgarians give to one another white and red tassels or small bracelets or badges called "Martenitsa" or "Martenichka" (the plural form of which is "Martenitzi" if you prefer to spell it in English with an s... the "tz" sound is a letter in the Bulgarian alphabet. Actually the Bulgarian alphabet itself is the prototype of all Slavianic alphabets, as the languages share a lot of similarities). The roots of this holiday are very deep, as it is connected with many symbols, legends and myths, than the general beliefs for health and luck. Most of them date back to pagan times (or as early as the first establishment of the Bulgarian nation/ country which was way back in time – in 681 AD). The red colour is a symbol of the feminine beginning, health, conception and birth, and the white, on the other hand, is the male beginning, strength and light. This invariable combination between the man and woman, which actually rules the

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By Raia Alexieva

ST PATRICK’S DAY

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Patrick’s Day is that the color associated with the feast was originally blue. But over the years it varied from blue to green. Eventually, the green was established as the true color of the celebration. The green color symbolizes the “color of life”, nature, growth, health, renewal, etc. Also the color of luck (remember the green cloves that I was telling you about in the beginning of the article?!). Green on the day can be also be found on clothes, hats, ribbons and even there is a green beer (quite an awkward color for it, but totally delicious!). So don’t forget, come March 17th, dress up in green, pick your friends and go out to a local Irish Pub or Club – you will be immersed in the absolute fantastic atmosphere of laughter, drinking and great luck!

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day which i s celebrated in Europe from the 9th and 10th Centuries. St. Patrick is a religious holiday commonly recognized in Ireland, and is also celebrated internationally on 17 March. In 1903, Saint Patrick's Day became an official public holiday in Ireland. St. Patrick Day is celebrated in the Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland, Newfoundland and Labrador, and is also widely celebrated by Irish, among others in Great Britain, Canada, the United States, Argentina, Australia, New Zealand, and Montserrat. An interesting fact about Saint

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and later on a bishop. That is when Patrick was entrusted a position in Christianise, where he spent the last 30 years of his live. He died on 17 March 461 and was commonly recognized in Ireland as the Patron saint of Ireland. Saint Patrick's Day is a feast

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By Raia Alexieva Green Clovers, beer and cheerful leprechauns – what else do you need for a fabulous celebration? Saint Patrick’s Day has it all. Maybe you have seen the celebrations or actually taken part in them – no matter what the case is, I am sure that you have been taken by the wonderful mood, great atmosphere and lots of smiles. Not to mention the famous Irish accent – what not to love about St. Patrick’s Day?! Having no Irish roots, I must say that it is one of the best holidays that I wish was celebrated around the globe. But before we talk any further about the fest, let’s get back in time and discover who Saint Patrick truly was! The story of Saint Patrick starts in the misty time of 4th century. He was born in Roman Britain and at the age of sixteen kidnapped and taken as a slave to Ireland. He eventually managed to escape to the coast and returned to Britain, where he joined the Church in Auxerre, Gaul. He became a priest there

ST JOSEPH’S DAY

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holiday is know as Jum San Ġużepp in Malta. Usually the day is noted with a mass in the morning and an afternoon picnic. There is also a procession that walks to the Saint Joseph’s monument. Spain celebrates the day as a version of Father’s day and in some parts of the country it is celebrated as Falles. The tradition about sharing food is particularly vivid in the Philippines. Usually an old man, young woman and a small boy are chosen from the poor and are dressed as St. Joseph, the Virgin Mary, and the child Jesus. They attend the feast table and eat with the best silverware and china that a family can afford. In New Orleans, Louisiana, both public and private St. Joseph's altars are built and are open to any visitor. The food is generally distributed to charity after the altar is dismantled. There are also parades in honor of St. Joseph. Tradition in New Orleans also holds that by burying a small statue of St. Joseph upside down Where is St. Joseph in your front yard, your day celebrated? house will sell more In Malta, this public promptly.

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make a feast to honor him, should he hear their prayers. As soon as the first rain came, a big celebration was prepared. Since the fava bean was the plant that saved the people from the starvation, the fava bean is greatly appreciated on the day. It is used to prepare alters and also in the dishes that are typical for the holiday. Sharing food and giving away food to charities are a major part of the tradition. Since the tradition comes from Italy, the Sicilian pastry zeppola is very commonly prepared on the day. Since St. Joseph favors pastry bakers, sweet desserts are also very popular. The traditional St. Joseph's Day altar consists of flowers, cookies, meatless dishes, limes, candles, wine, fava beans, specially prepared cakes, breads and zeppole. Foods are traditionally served containing bread crumbs to represent saw dust since St. Joseph was a carpenter. The traditional color of the festival is red.

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Ages. It is said that the people of Sicily prayed to St. Joseph (San Giuseppe in Italian) to end the drought that was devastating the lands and threatening the people with starvation. In appreciation to the Saint, the people vowed to

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Joséline, etc) as well as for schools and organizations bearing his name. Carpenters and Pastry Chefs also have Saint Joseph as Patron Saint. The legend of St. Joseph comes from Sicily, Italy and dates from the Middle

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Who was St. Joseph? Saint Joseph was a Saint Joseph's Day is carpenter and also the celebrated on March 19. spouse of the Virgin Mary. It is also called Feast of St. Saint Joseph's Day is the Joseph or Solemnity of patronal day (name day in Saint Joseph. The day is some regions) for people also known as Father’s Day with the same name’s in Italy. root (Joseph, Josephine,

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By Jason Dimitrov

wORLD TRAVELER: CROATIA By PenPalling and Letters

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Penpalling & Letters: www.penpallingandletters.blogspot.com

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At the shores of the neretva

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Hello everybody! As you already know my name is Maria and I come from Croatia. I started penpalling in 1997 when our teacher gave us addresses to write to people from abroad. I don't remember very well what we were learning that day or how many of us joined but I know I was really happy about it! Then I got my first FB (Friendship Book) and I met nice penpals through those, too. Due to family problems I lost contact with these first penpals of mine but I met new ones later on. I was also reading teen magazines and they were full of penpal and swapper ads. That is how I met my best penfriend Tanja and we have been friends for fourteen years now! I also like postcards and I like getting them from my pals as well as sending them back. I love

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Hello Maria and welcome to Penpalling & Letters!Itisapleasureyouareparticipating in Travelling around the World sharing Cultural Heritage, Folklore and Background!What couldyoutell us about yourself, Maria?

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Hello from Hrvatska! This is how the natives of this land call it in their language. We are located today in southeastern Europe, at the crossroads of the Pannonian Plain, the Balkans, and the Adriatic Sea. Hrvatska is a young country although its origins date back to the early VII century; the area where Hrvatska is today has been inhabited since the Prehistoric period. Some of its symbols are the "karst", "Plitvice Lakes National Park" or its insular territory, which consists of over one thousand enchanting islands!

The city of Metković

When Greeks began to colonize the islands on the Adriatic coast, they found a strategic position to establish the "emporium" (port)

repeatedly bombed and also in the period 19911992, during the War between Serbia and Croatia.

was first mentioned in 1422, in a file kept in the Dubrovnik archives: "in flumaria Narrenti subtus Metchovich" which means "On the River Neretva, Metković". It was born as a small agricultural and cattle-raising town.

in Vid (it is an ancient settlement which was called Narona in the past), near Metković. Also, two centuries were filled with frequent clashes between the Ottomans and the Venetians. In the Second World War Metković was

Are there some remarkable landmarks or features worth to be mentioned?

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Maybe you would like to share with us some facts about its history.

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which flows through the town and separates it in two. Metković is not far away from the Adriatic Sea and very close to the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina (in fact, Mostar, the fifth largest city in Bosnia, is only 35Km far away from Metković). Lots of fields and mountains surround my hometown. Location of Metković within Croatia

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Would you like to disclose now what are you going to present under the title "At the shores of the Neretva"?

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Yes, of course! I would like to say that it is a pleasure to be here today sharing a story about my part of the world: a small place called "Metković". Where is your hometown, Metković, located? How is the area surrounding it? My town is situated in the southeast of Croatia, in the valley of the River Neretva

Do you remember when was Metković born as a city?

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Penpals are always welcome but I am only interested in females. Age is not important and I don't care if they write long or short letters as long as they don't mind that I usually type my letters. I do that because my handwriting is awful and I like my letters to be nice and understandable. I decorate letters by adding stickers or I draw

something. Mutual interests are fine but that is not the most important, either. We are all different after all but what I like the most is that my future penpals are nice, caring and understanding!

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Maria, are you looking for penpals at the

moment?

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stamps, too. I have been collecting them for a while now and my first album is almost full. I also love stickers. I use them to decorate letters and I like colourful ones, glitter pens and stationery but it is so hard to find those in my town... Recently, I also started a blog: "Fallen Angel".

It is a small town with a population slightly over 15,000 nowadays. I live on the Predolac Hill, in the old part of the town, and I can see everything from my balcony: the river, the border with Bosnia and Herzegovina, the whole right side of the town, the fields around the city, the mountains surrounding it... If I go a little bit up on the hill, I even can see the whole city of Metković. It is really beautiful when you climb up and see the landscape and the whole Neretva Valley. Metković in the 1900s.

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Can you describe Metković?

"Saint Ilija's Church" is the most important feature of the town and it is situated on the 63

mountains which surround the whole Neretva Valley. The coastline is not far away from Metković: only about 20Km far from the city.

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There are fields and meadows in the near vicinity, as well as

What makes the city famous and wellknown? Picking mandarins in the field from October on as part of the tourism (agriculture has traditionally been the main activity in the Neretva Valley), great food (fish, eel and frog stew Neretvastyle, Dalmatian prosciutto, fried frogs, grilled eel, seafood salad, boiled coot with sauerkraut, seashells...), the boat marathon and photo safari. What do people do for a living? Which are the typical jobs/works in the area? 65

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Which landscape can we found around the city and along the River Neretva?

PenPalling and Letters is a blog dedicated to correspondence. You can find many interesting articles there together with polls, so feel free to voice out your opinion. There is also a section with interesting links that you can follow and learn more about the wonderful hobby of penpalling!

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strategic importance and was abandoned. View of the Neretva flowing through Metković in the 1900s. Mountains surrounding the city at the background

Find PenPalling & Letters on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/penpallingandletters

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they had to give in to a Venetian siege and leave the tower. However, with the towers strategic importance, the Turks wanted it back and they got it several times. During the next centuries, the Venetians and the Turks succeeded one another in being masters in the tower. This rivalry came to an end when Austrian troops kicked them out. Under Austrian rule the river altered its course and the tower lost its

Penpalling & Letters: www.penpallingandletters.blogspot.com

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"Kula Norinska" or "Norin Tower" in Krvavac II is

close to the MetkovićOpuzen road and was built by the Turks in the beginning of the XVI century. The tower was initially built where the River Norin met the River Neretva. The purpose was to keep the Venetians away from the valley and to have a stronghold where the Turkish possessions in the territory of Bosnia and Herzegovina could be defended from. The Turks did not quite succeed. Already in 1685

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southern slope of the Predolac Hill. It was built between 1867 and 1874, and is a stone building with three naves in the type of a basilica in Romanesque and Neogothic style. There is a lovely view from it of the whole Neretva Valley and the city. "Kula Norinska" or "Norin Tower". Built in the XVI century by the Turks

The Mediterranean climate predominates in Croatia. However, sometimes, during winter and early spring frosts may appear as a part of the flow of cold air due to the opening of the continent. It can be really dangerous for crops as plants and vegetation start sprouting in early spring, already.

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Which climate can we find in Metković?

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From Metković to Zagreb there is a distance of about 500Km, which takes around six hours by bus or car through the motorway. It takes about two-three hours longer if you go by "normal" roads. Split is around 140Km (around two hours by car) and Dubrovnik is around 80Km (around one hour by car) far away. There are islands and tourism centres along the whole coast of Croatia (from north to south), but the closer ones are Pelješac Peninsula (about 20Km by ferry), Hvar Island (about 60Km) and Brač Island (about 90Km). Perhaps it sounds far at first but you can get from Metković to any island in southern Croatia within two hours. The same view as above at present times

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How far is your hometown from the capital, Zagreb? And from the main Croatian tourism centres?

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the "Augusteum", and There is always something seventeen marble to see and do when you statues in natural height. come to visit Metković. Anyone who is visiting If anyone who is should have a walk the city, reading this article is around interested in visiting especially through the Croatia and maybe old part of the city, has the chance to go its narrow streets and to Metković during typical houses without her/his stay, what forgetting Saint Ilija's would you enhance Church; also along the about your homecity shores of the Neretva. and the Neretva You can go for a hike to area so they think: the Predolac Hill and see "I should visit this the beautiful panorama charming place of the valley. It is always when going to possible to visit the Croatia next time!"? Ornithological Museum

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Which interesting features stand out in Metković at the moment?

There is the Ornithological Museum which has an important "Bird Collection". It contains more than 340 exhibits, among which are specimens of 218 bird species and 310 species recorded on the Neretva area so far. There is also the Narona Archaeological Museum in Vid (small place only a few minutes far away from Metković). Fifteen years ago they did an archaeological research in that town and found some remains of a Roman temple,

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The most typical jobs in Metković are those which take place in the office, at schools, shops... but also a lot of people work on their land, grow fruits and vegetables, especially mandarins. Almost everybody has a small piece of land with mandarin trees on, including me! Ornithological Museum. Collection of bird species

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Croatia is a country in Central Europeand Southeastern Europe at the crossroads of the Pannonian Plain, the Balkans, and the Adriatic Sea. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. Croatia borders Slovenia to the north, Italy to the west, Hungary to the northeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina to the southeast, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast.Croatia is a member of the United Nations, the Council of Europe, NATO, the World Trade Organization and CEFTA. The country is a candidate for European Union membership and is a founding member of the Union for the Mediterranean. Croatia is classified as an emerging and developing economy by the International Monetary Fund and a high income economy by the World Bank. 67

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To preserve the significance and history of the lađe, in 1998 the very first race involving these relics from the past was organized from Metković to Ploče. At the start of the inaugural race, there were a total of eighteen local crews. Ever since, a new record number of entries is received every year. As

A week prior to the actual marathon, the time trials for starting positions are held in Opuzen (individually over 100 metres). Depending on the trials, starting positions are assigned. The start of the race is in Metković under the main bridge. The course runs along the Neretva to the harbour in Ploče. Approximately, at the halfway mark, in the town of Opuzen, an interchange of up to six crew members is permitted (although it is not compulsory to change). Then, further down the river, we go through the small village of Komin, until the final destination in the harbour of the coastal town of Ploče. The winners normally achieve their goal in about two hours and fifteen minutes, following continuous, non-stop rowing. Spectators follow the race in cars on either side of the river, by train (the railway is parallel to the river route) or on board the many boats and vessels that accompany the lađe.

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Lađe have served for centuries as water vehicles which transported people, animals and farming products. Because of its narrow size, lađe are able to enter every tributary that flowed into the Neretva as well as the Neretva itself. It can be

said that the lađe to the Neretva represents the same the gondola does to Venice.

2.8 meters, the depth is 70cm, with 23 spokes or wooden rods. The actual oars must also be made of wood.

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along the shores and banks of the Neretva and also important people in Croatia come to see it, even the president of the country.

for the old lađe lying peacefully in the rivers, they were awaken from their slumber and repaired to live another day in the following year's race. Since the old lađe were all of different dimensions, and so that all competitors would race in vessels of the same size, in 2004 a new c u s to m - m a d e lađe were built, which would be used specifically for the marathon. Each rowing crew consists of ten rowers, a drummer and a cox. There can be a minimum of twelve and a maximum of eighteen people in each squad. Anyone who is willing to participate may be part of the crew. The competing lađe must be wooden, comprise a traditional shape and must meet the official competition rules as far as actual dimensions are concerned. That is, the length must be between 7 and 8.2 meters, the width between 2.45 and

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There is also the annual amateur sporting competition called "Maraton Lađa". It is a 22.5Km marathon from Metković to Ploče where competitors race in old vessels native to the Lower Neretva River called "lađa" or "ladja" ("lađe" or "ladje" in plural). It is held on the second Saturday of August every year. The most exciting moment of the race happens to be on the starting line, with the lađe situated right under the bridge. More than three hundred competitors participate in thirty lađe, which together with the rhythmic beating of the drums by each team's drummer, makes it for a colourful and noisy spectacle. Around 50,000 viewers follow the marathon competition

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Patrik Ćavar, Ivan Čupić, Slavko Goluža and Nikša Which sports are Kaleb (Croatian handball practiced in the national team). There city? Do you have a is also the poet Ivan well-known team Slamnig, the actress Vera in Metković? Zima and the singer, Matija Vuica who were all Handball and football born in Metković. are the most popular sports in Metković, but Would you like to also basketball and share with us any tennis. We don’t have other interesting a very famous team feature about your although several players homecity, Maria? in the Croatian handball national team are from One of the largest folklore Metković. festivals, "Na Neretvu Misecina Pala", is held Do you know about in Metković every May. any personality/ During two weekends famous person the open stage of the coming from town theatre hosts over a Metković? hundred folklore groups from Croatia and from The most famous people abroad, which preserve are those involved in the tradition of their sports: Igor Štimac and regions through songs, Darijo Srna (Croatian music and dance. national football team);

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away Adriatic coast.

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and the Bird Collection. If tourists come in May, they can enjoy the folklore festivals. In July there is the "Brudetijada" (a gastronomic competition which consists of preparing "brudet") in Opuzen, a town only ten minutes far away fromMetković.TheNeretvastyle fish stew, brudet, is an unique dish also because it is prepared in a somewhat different way in different parts of the Neretva Delta. The main ingredients are freshwater fish, eels and frogs and it is usually quite spicy. It is served with polenta. Many visitors taste the stew at the end of the contest accompanied by music and singing. In August it is possible to see the boat marathon "Maraton Lađa" or go the the beach and enjoy the sea in the not so far

SAMANTHAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;S THOUGHTS

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My daughter recently received an award at school for doing her homework and turning it in on time. I am a very proud mom. She reminds me a lot of myself. I always excelled in school and I continue to love to learn as much as I can on various subjects. I think that's what intrigues me about penpalling. You get to meet people all over the world, you get to know and learn about different cultures, food, customs, religions, and so much more. There's always something to learn from each penpal. Each penpal is different so there's always something new to learn even if they come from the same country. That's what I love most.

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There's going to be an Angel booklet coming out this month that I am preparing about finding your guardian angel's, what does it mean when you keep seeing the same number appear over and over again, and so on. It will be interesting and I hope you all check it out.

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Lately, with my penpalling I have been a bit behind. Just haven't been in the "writing" mood. Maybe it's lack of motivation or inspiration but I don't like it at all. Writing has always been an outlet for me to get my feeling's and Then there's The First Day of Spring the true "me" out of the bag.

I can't say life has been getting in the way, although it has I usually have time for a letter or two. It's all about the "mood" and lately I haven't been in that mood. Maybe it's the weather, I don't know. I have to admit writing means everything to me and I am lost without it. Wish me luck on finding my muse again.

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on March 20th. The fresh smell of the air, flowers and the sunshine. The best time to go outside and write or relax and have a BBQ (editorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s note: barbeque) with your family. Which we do every year. That's what I mean by the word "fresh!"

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had live music, green beer, dancing (my dad and I danced), and fireworks. I now pass on the celebration and history with my children. They still make you wear some sort of green on St. Patrick's Day at school and if you don't then you get pinched by your classmate's. I don't know who made up that silly game or rule but it has been around since the early 1900's. Maybe even earlier. I don't know. Just recently found out that my husband's family comes from Ireland.

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Welcome to another issue of Samantha's Thought's. As I sit here thinking about future plans for this summer with my family, there's something about March that seems fresh. What I mean is not only is it Saint Patrick's Day (For those who don't know what the holiday is or celebrate it, it is an Irish holiday (March 17th) in which we celebrate for good luck. My ancestor's on my mom's side come from Ireland and some were even Druid's) which has always had a meaning to me. As a child my nana

used to take me to Old Sacramento, California (the town I live in) and we would watch the parade they would have and have what's called " A Shamrock Shake," made out of peppermint ice cream and green food coloring into a milkshake. I remember dressing in all green, with glitter, and a green sparkly wand with a star on the top of it and I would wave it around in the air as I was some kind of faerie princess. In my mind I was. LOL. In my adult life I got to share this special day with my husband one year visiting my father in Reno, Nevada, where they

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Hello Everyone,

What is your favorite place that you have learned about from your penpal? Mine has to be a friend I write to in France. She had some amazing stories she would tell me 71

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every time she wrote me, sad we lost write anymore due to postage reasons but we talk via Facebook and it's nice to look back on our letters and see the cool and funny stories. What kind of music puts you in the penpalling mood? To me it's not the kind of music but the type of day and light I have around me. I have to have a well lit room in order to feel comfortable and in the penpalling mood. When I am in the mood I tend to write more then one letter and sometimes I can write for hours on end. How do you store your letters? I have heard of people who wrap their letter's up in ribbon and put them in a box. I tend to like this idea. I usually just put the one's I replied to in a box and it is quite unorganized but I am looking for ideas on how to put my letter's in a nice and cute way. How do you store the letter's you reply to when you are done or the ones you have to reply to? What is your favorite website to find penpals? Mine was Interpals for the longest time but then people kind of left the website and now it's hard to find the person you want to write or you have in common with. If you want to find me on there it's www.Interpals.net/ foundmyangelnow I hope you have a great March and enjoy the magazine. Here's the ways you can contact me if you want. xoxoxo, Samantha Stroy itsapenpalworld@gmail.com www.facebook.com/AngelBaby916 http://itsapenpalworld.blogspot.com 73

RECIPES REcipes

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This section will view recipes send by you, our readers. Soon we will be able to cook some really ineresting and very diverse dishes coming from all the corners of the world.

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Mika lifestyle magazine

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Mix Milk, sugar, salt, shortening & cool to lukewarm dissolved yeast in warm water. Combine with milk, wheat germ & 2 ½ C sifted flour. Beat until smooth. Mix in enough remaining flour to make a dough that leaves sides of bowl. Knead Until smooth and elastic about 10 minutes. Place in greased bowl. Turn to grease top. Cover and put in warm place to: Rise until double about 1 hour. Punch down and let rise again. Turn onto board. Divide in half, cover and let rest 10 minutes. Shape into 2 loaves. Put in greased loaf pans. Cover & let rise until almost double, about 1 hour. Bake in hot oven 425° for 25-30 minutes until done and sounds hallow when tapped.

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Home Made Bread 1 ¾ C Scalded Milk 2 TBS Active Dry Yeast 2 TBS Sugar 1 ½ C Warm Water 110° 2 TSP Salt 1/3 C Wheat Germ ½ C Soft Shortening 5-6 C Sifted Flour

FASHIONISTA

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http://beautybrite.blogspot.com

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exfoliators that are better than using chemical based products. Despite its grainy feel, sugar in a scrub is gentle enough to be used on the skin and protects against the loss of moisture. Surprisingly, the use of sugar scrubs in your skincare routine can also help eliminate blemishes and restore balance to the skin’s natural oils. Best of all, sugar is probably one of the least expensive scrubs you will ever find!”

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found a basic recipe and you can add your own essential oils and herbs of your choice to create your own. You are probably wondering how sugar can benefit your skin? According to carefirst. com, “Sugar can help skin naturally glow because of its fine texture. Sugar scrubs don’t clog your pores, preventing you from icky breakouts. Sugar scrubs act as natural

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Thanks to the economy, my husband and I have been unemployed for too long. I am constantly looking for ways to save money, be frugal, and living green! While I love topampermyself,Icannot afford a fancy spa or fancy products! Instead, I choose to try to make my own beauty products. I was recently perusing my favorite" bath and

body" website and found several sugar scrub products that looked so delicious to try! They were, however, a little too pricey, which lead me to search online for homemade recipes! Making sugar scrubs at home is so easy and only takes a handful of ingredients! You don’t have to spend a fortune at a store, since you are really paying for the fancy packaging! I

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By Stephanie Fatta

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Basic Sugar Scrub Recipe

Homemade Sugar Scrubs

Peppermint Sugar Scrub

1 cup granulated white sugar 1 cup granulated white sugar ½ cup olive oil (you can substitute sweet 6 peppermint candies (approx 1/4 cup), finely almond oil, jojoba oil, or coconut oil) crushed into a powder 1/2 cup olive oil (or any of the oils in the basic recipe) Directions: 6 drops peppermint essential oil (optional) Mix both ingredients well and store in glass jar Directions: with lid 1. Mix together granulated white sugar and Scents to use: a few drops of essential oil - feel crushed peppermint candies until well blended free to use any one of the following: lavender, 2. Pour liquid ingredients into sugar mix and jasmine, sandalwood, vanilla, etc. blend well

CELEBRITY BIRTHDAY TWINS:

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March 1st – Justin Bieber (Singer) March 1st – Roger Daltrey (Singer with The Who) March 2nd – Jon Bon Jovi (Musician) March 2nd – Dr Seuss (Author) March 3rd – Landon Donovan (Soccer Player)

champion) March 25th – David Lean (Film director) March 26th - Vicki Lawrence (Actress) March 26th – Robert Frost (Poet) March 27th – Stacy “Fergie” Ferguson (Singer) March 27th – Edward Steichen (Photographer) March 28th – Lady Gaga March 28th – Maxim Gorky (Novelist) March 29th – Elle Macpherson (Model/ actress) March 29th – Eugene McCarthy (Anti-war senator) March 30th – Norah Jones (Jazz vocalist) March 30th – Eric Clapton (Guitarist) March 31st – Pavel Bure (NHL player) March 31st – Rene Descartes (French philosopher who said, “I think, therefore I am.”)

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Happy Birthday March Babies!

March 18th – Adam Levine (Singer for Maroon 5) March 18th – Queen Latifah (Actress/rapper) March 19th – Bruce Willis (Actor) March 19th – Glenn Close (Actress) March 20th – Nick Wheeler (Guitarist) March 20th – Holly Hunter (Actress) March 21st – Kevin Federline (Dancer) March 21st – Gary Oldman (Actor) March 22nd – Reese Witherspoon (Actress) March 22nd – Andrew Lloyd Webber (Composer) March 23rd – Keri Russell (Actress) March 23rd – Akira Kurosawa (Japanese film director) March 24th – Peyton Manning (Quarterback) March 24th – Alan Sugar (Millionaire and star of “The Apprentice”) March 25th – Sheryl Swoopes (Basketball

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www.famousbirthdays. com

March 11th – Thora Birch (Actress) March 11th – Rupert Murdoch (Owner of a global media empire) March 12th – Frank Catalano (Jazz saxophonist) March 12th – Jack Kerouac (Beat Era poet) March 13th – Rachael Bella (Actress) March 13th – William Casey (CIA agent) March 14th – Taylor Hanson (Singer/ keyboardist) March 14th – Billy Crystal (Comedian/actor) March 15th – Joe Hahn (Turntablist for Linkin Park) March 15th – Andrew Jackson (7th US President) March 16th – Flavor Flav (Rapper) March 16th – Jerry Lewis (Comedian/actor) March 17th – Caroline Corr (Drummer for The Corrs) March 17th – Nat “King” Cole (Singer)

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March – spring is springing, the flowers are beginning to appear and the sun should be returning from its winter hibernation. If you were born in March, hopefully your birthday will be filled with sun and happiness. Check out this month's list to see who you share your birthday with! For more famous birthdays, go to:

March 3rd – Jason Newsted (Former bass player for Metallica) March 4th – Sterling Knight (Disney Channel star) March 4th – Eva Mendes (Actress) March 6th – Shaquille O'Neal (Basketball player) March 6th – Lou Costello (Comedian) March 7th – Paul Cattermole (Member of S Club 7) March 7th – Rik Mayall (Comedian) March 8th – Bob, Clint and Dave Moffatt (The Moffatts) March 8th – Kat Von D (Tattoo Artist) March 9th – Bow Wow (Rapper) March 9th – Samuel Barber (Composer) March 10th – Carrie Underwood (Country singer) March 10th – Prince Edward (Son of Queen Elizabeth II)

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By Rach Gee

Birthday Twins Birthday Twins! What’s more cool than finding someone who shares the same birthday date with you? No matter how far away you live from one another an instant connection is made. On one and the same day, you party together to celebrate Your own Special Day! The Team of Sandbook.Net 78

would like to say a very Happy Birthday to: 2nd March 1984,Tanya Riley from USA, 2nd March 1991, Anggraeni Wulandari, 6th March 1991, Andreja from Slovenia, 10th March 1952, Teresa from

Kingston upon Hull (England), 13th March 1989, Manuela Balocco, Italy, 13th March 1988, Veronika Cordes, Germany, 26th March 1980, Trisha Stevens from Sapulpa, OK, USA, 28th March 1962, Karen Yaughn from the USA

May you all have a wonderful day! To join our birthday twin section, send us your birthday, name, country and email to our email: fun@sandbook. net To contact any of our Birthday Twins, log onto our website and look at the BirthdayTwin Section. 79

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Yes! So go ahead and tell all of your penpals and swappers about it. Promote the magazine so we can choose from various penpals and swappers ads. The Again, get in touch with us and let us know the name of the topic that you want to write about. If it is not more, the merrier! already taken, we’d give you the go ahead to write it. We are doing that simply to ensure that we don’t have one and the same stories printed under variation of names. The deadline for all articles is the end The “Subscribe” area on our website collects of the month (Nov 30th, 2010). Any articles submitinformation such as your name/nickname and an ted after the deadline with be either published in the email address. After filling out the form, we will send next issue (December one) or will be left for the one you a notification when the latest issue is released. after it (January 2011 one). It’s done simply to ensure Don’t forget to check your spam folder - our automatic we have enough time to design your pages so that system message may be stuck in there. When you they will have the look that we all will enjoy. Thank find it, just click “not spam” and your notification will you for your understanding. appear in your inbox next time.

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PenPalling and Letters Fashionista Letter Insider Write Around the World

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Samantha’s thoughts Lost PenPals Birthday Twins PenPal Meetings Penpals & Swappers Ads

April 1st: Fool’s day The Easter Holiday World Traveler

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