Even after the internet has seeped into every aspect of people's lives, some still choose to write and exchange letters with strangers miles away. Kompas Gramedia's Bobo magazine first introduced Tiara Kirana Prameswari and Lianty Putri to the world of handwritten correspondence.

"The first time I met and searched for pen pals was when I was still in elementary school, around fifth grade. At that time, the internet was not so easily accessible, and I happened to like reading Bobo magazine," said Tiara. 

Meanwhile, Lianty, who lives in Tebingtinggi, North Sumatera, only seriously started looking for pen pals when she was in high school. "Even then, [I was still looking for pen pals from] Bobo. I sent a letter, put my address on it, and said I wanted to find some pen pals, and then some letters came."

For Rifina Dwiseptia Hanafi in Depok, West Java, her mother was the first to introduce her to the hobby. "My mother used to write letters with her pen pals and collect used stamps," said the librarian, who started exchanging letters in 2018.

Collection: Lianty still keeps all the letters she received in her desk drawer. (Courtesy of Lianty Putri) (Personal collection/Courtesy of Lianty Putri)

The 24-year-old rediscovered the charm of exchanging letters because of the tedium she experienced from instant communication. "Although the message [arrives instantly], the unpleasant side effect is that we are kind of required to respond quickly too — and it's tiring," she said.

"Communicating by letter also offers a different sensation. The feeling of getting a letter is even more special because it comes after a long wait, and it is written by hand."

Vessels for the seekers

Tiara resumed the hobby when she was still in high school. "I wanted to practice my English. I used an application to find pen pals from around the world," said the junior auditor of a public accounting firm. 

She prefers to practice her linguistic skills through letters rather than social media, saying, "I wouldn't know how to start the conversation [with a stranger in social media] because the people might not have the same idea. With letters, it's [not as awkward]."

As more and more people like Tiara search for pen pals, Rifina decided to share her knowledge on the various methods of finding one. "Personally, I used to have trouble finding up-to-date sources of information about this hobby, that's why I started writing on my blog [rufindhi.wordpress.com], then made an open chat on LINE [messenger], and there I met some friends who invited me to make a community account on Instagram."

Rifina now manages an Instagram account called @penpaling.id with Riana and Putra (not their real names). It now has 311 members on LINE and 943 followers on Instagram. Members can send their introductory lines to the administrators, which are then posted with the sender's username tagged in the caption so any potential pen pal can contact the sender to exchange further information.

Good activity: Penpaling.id community believes that corresponding is a good hobby for youth. (Courtesy of @penpaling.id) (Personal collection/Courtesy of @penpaling.id)

"It was created at the request of our [group chat members] who want to look for pen pals within Indonesia because there have been many Instagram accounts looking for [international] pen pals," said Riana. The 23-year-old apparel company employee also occasionally shares informative posts and guidelines on exchanging letters.

Lianty was one Instagram user who looked for pen pals through social media, although she used a different approach. "I had a lot of pen pals from abroad — the United States, China, Malaysia. I looked for them on Instagram using hashtags that are specifically dedicated to looking for pen pals."

It was not without a catch. "I also used a special account to do that, and I forgot the credentials," Lianty admitted. Social media is also filled with all sorts of people, and the English education major is attentive when it comes to sharing her information. 

"Most of the seekers are my age, even younger, so I trust them. But if I meet a prospective pen pal whose age is a bit above me, then I'll be more cautious."

Putra took a different approach and rented a PO BOX from his local post office. "It ensures my privacy, and the letters arrive faster."

Slow boat to China

Putra, who currently resides in Balikpapan, West Kalimantan, believes that although it seems old-fashioned, exchanging letters is a positive activity for today's young people. "There are many activities to relax the mind such as writing stories, decorating letters or even preparing inserts and cover letters to be addressed to the recipient," said the final year university student.

"It has more sensation than chatting or emailing because it must be sent in physical form," Lianty concurred. "I can't see their handwriting in the emails, but I can see it in the letters. Sometimes there are cute doodles too. Emails might end up being deleted, but if it's a letter, we can keep it. I still keep the ones I received in my desk drawer."

For Lianty, who has never traveled anywhere abroad, the letters also act as an extension of her pen pals' origins. "My most memorable moment was when my pen pal from Utah, the US, sent dry maple leaves from the fall in their letter. I thought then, 'Wow, it feels good to be able to hold a maple leaf.' It's really nice."

Exchanging small gifts is one of the common courtesies in the world of pen pals. Rifina has experienced this herself. "Some gave unexpected gifts. A pen pal in Jakarta gave me sandals, someone from Malaysia sent me a headscarf, another from Bekasi sent postcard books — just to name a few."

Unfortunately, just like any other long-distance relationship, these friendships can be very fragile. Some might stop sending letters after a while for a myriad of reasons.

"Maybe because sending letters with stamps is no longer the main form of communication, so Pos Indonesia sometimes pays little attention to this service. Letters are often lost, which is understandable, but of course, we don't expect it to happen again and again," Rifina said.

Her displeasure is shared by Putra, who also heard numerous similar complaints from the community members. "Postal rates at several post offices that are not in accordance with relevant regulations, the application of LPU [Universal Postal Service] stickers are often haphazardly pasted or the slow delivery speed." were some of the complaints he and others shared.

Making friends: Lianty would love to resume her hobby after the pandemic, to ensure better logistics. (Courtesy of Lianty Putri) (Personal collection/Courtesy of Lianty Putri)

Lianty lost several pen pals because some of her letters went missing on the way. "[We didn't intend to] stop corresponding, but the letters disappeared on their way. Postage stamp delivery can't be traced. I don't know how they went missing, I tried asking [my pen pal] and resending the letter, but it went missing too — so that's it. Domestic pen pals last longer because the letters arrive, although sometimes they too go missing."

The setback has not made her falter as she plans to find more pen pals — but probably not anytime soon. "Maybe [I'll do it] after the pandemic, so [the postal service] can run more smoothly so that my letters won't disappear on their way again," she said.

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