Alright: I'm not sure who reads this blog still, but unsurprising as I'm so bad at updating it. However, this new year brings the start of my thesis preparations and -surprise, surprise- it's going to be about communication (with a focus on letters/mail).
So, to aid with my management and upkeep, I'll be shifting focus from blogspot to tumblr; this page will still exist, but more of an archive and reference than a current update of events.
Please visit and follow the new blog at http://someonetowriteto.tumblr.com/
Oh: and please write :)
Saturday, December 31, 2011
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Maybe- maybe this is just the beginning.
French the llama, it’s been a long time. Not long after my last post, I went through some health problems that really reshuffled my life. Well, actually, it’s kind of been like playing fifty-two pick up since then, but I am finally getting myself settled back into normal life… or at least as normal as my life gets. This allows for attention to be placed on the smaller but still important side projects that I enjoy. Top of that list is Someone to Write to, and all that it entails. However, maybe I need to enlist help with shameless self-promotion.
Cheers,
Elija
Cheers,
Elija
Thursday, October 14, 2010
A resurgence, of sorts.
An open letter:
This project is still very dear to my heart, but I’ve been lacking a little in spreading it about (and keeping on top of this blog). Apologies, and hopefully there’ll be more to speak of soon.
Cheers, and looking forward to reading your letters,
Elija
This project is still very dear to my heart, but I’ve been lacking a little in spreading it about (and keeping on top of this blog). Apologies, and hopefully there’ll be more to speak of soon.
Cheers, and looking forward to reading your letters,
Elija
Friday, August 27, 2010
600
All the way from the Kingdom of Bahrain, and right to my heart/mind:
“[sometimes] I turn on the AC only to cover myself with a blanket.”
“[sometimes] I turn on the AC only to cover myself with a blanket.”
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Toronto's First Post Office
As part of Doors Open Toronto, I went to visit Toronto’s first post office.
Wait. Let me start again.
I had been looking forward to this weekend since I heard about it a couple weeks ago. Over 150 buildings in the city open to the public, for free. This Thursday the Toronto Star had a pull-out guide in it, which I managed to appropriate from a coffee shop. I went through the list, and highlighted the places in my area (accessible by bike) that interested me. On the back page, near the end, this one in particular really interested me:
Toronto’s First Post Office
260 Adelaide Street East
Only operational post office pre-1851. Write a letter with a quill pen, seal it with wax and mail it from the same post office that served citizens from 1833 to 1839.
I think I started hyperventilating I was so excited. And then later when I read it to my mum on the phone, I think I started crying (just a little) I was just so excited. In revealing this, my mother started giggling and saying, “You’re such a neeeeeerd. You’re such a neeeerrrddd!”
Yes, mother. If loving mail this much makes me a nerd, then by golly I am. (Also, I just said “by golly”.)
So I went there today and ended up spending almost two hours writing letters, mailing them, and talking with the excellent staff. I wrote with a feather quill and ink, folded up the piece of paper as an envelope, and then even got to hand stamp (“Franking”) them myself. It- was- AMAZING.
They are open seven days a week, and you better believe that I’ll be going back there. Usually they’re quite quiet on weekends, and I think I want to start sending all of my mail from there, just so I can always hand stamp it. Also, I love the idea of travelling out of my way just to send some mail. Like they used to. The effort seems to make it all the more special and personal. “I worked hard to get this to you.” That kind of thing.
Here’s some information if you’re in the area and interested:
http://www.townofyork.com/service.html
Wait. Let me start again.
I had been looking forward to this weekend since I heard about it a couple weeks ago. Over 150 buildings in the city open to the public, for free. This Thursday the Toronto Star had a pull-out guide in it, which I managed to appropriate from a coffee shop. I went through the list, and highlighted the places in my area (accessible by bike) that interested me. On the back page, near the end, this one in particular really interested me:
Toronto’s First Post Office
260 Adelaide Street East
Only operational post office pre-1851. Write a letter with a quill pen, seal it with wax and mail it from the same post office that served citizens from 1833 to 1839.
I think I started hyperventilating I was so excited. And then later when I read it to my mum on the phone, I think I started crying (just a little) I was just so excited. In revealing this, my mother started giggling and saying, “You’re such a neeeeeerd. You’re such a neeeerrrddd!”
Yes, mother. If loving mail this much makes me a nerd, then by golly I am. (Also, I just said “by golly”.)
So I went there today and ended up spending almost two hours writing letters, mailing them, and talking with the excellent staff. I wrote with a feather quill and ink, folded up the piece of paper as an envelope, and then even got to hand stamp (“Franking”) them myself. It- was- AMAZING.
They are open seven days a week, and you better believe that I’ll be going back there. Usually they’re quite quiet on weekends, and I think I want to start sending all of my mail from there, just so I can always hand stamp it. Also, I love the idea of travelling out of my way just to send some mail. Like they used to. The effort seems to make it all the more special and personal. “I worked hard to get this to you.” That kind of thing.
Here’s some information if you’re in the area and interested:
http://www.townofyork.com/service.html
Monday, May 17, 2010
Oh no, a hiatus!
Time flies when you’re ridiculously busy. I’m back up a bit on letters, and my room has been chaos. However, I haven’t been home too much in the past while for it to be a problem! But my life is getting sorted, my room is getting sorted (painted and shelves!) and my stack of letters is on my finally clean/clear desk.
Let this summer been one of many letters
Let this summer been one of many letters
Sunday, February 7, 2010
"And this is a direct quote..."
The following is an excerpt for a letter I got this week, and it made me smile so widely on the streetcar, I had to share it.
I started to make a list of sorts—My life in 365 days. Each day I write a thought, something that caught my eye, a song, something that I did, etc.
My Life in 356 Days – January 2010
1 This is the start of something new
2 Slow beginning
3 Find the extraordinary in the ordinary
4 Confessed to Teresa
5 J’écrit en français pour la premiere fois
7 Pleated handbag
8 Pleated clutch
9 Pizza at Terroni. Entered from back door.
10 Republic of Doyle
11 Amore 14
12 Watched TV in the morning for the first time
13 While you were sleeping
14 Pasta with clams
15 Stroll in Chinatown & Le Gourmand
16 Can’t understand North American dating rules
17 Fear is the absence of faith
18 Over Me Now – Gloriana
19 “But… ummm” Greek yoghurt & pretzel cookies
20 Last day of vacation
21 Jake Doyle is hot!
22 “Post-It”! Meredith Grey
23 Do you see the future? An unforgettable hug
24 Positive distance
25 Julie & Julia
26 Long but exciting day. Almost perfect. Harbord Bakery chocolate brownie
27 You’re so beautiful. You smell so nice
28 “When I touched her, I felt the best part of me being touched
29 Yummy homemade pizza
30 Waiting for a call that isn’t coming
31 Dipping toes. Waiting February.
Two things really stood out for me when I read this. Number one: I used to do something very similar in high school—in those day planner/agenda things that were forced upon you for things like organizing homework. When I was 15 I started to write down “What I learned” for each day—and I don’t mean what I learned in class or from teachers; just general life stuff. That was also the year I was diagnosed with depression, so some of it is pretty sad(/teen-angsty?) They are kind of funny to look back on now, though, and to see how much has changed. I did make a ‘zine of some of the pages, and a few of them are at This Ain’t The Rosedale Library. That’s all I’ll say.
The second thing, is regarding #15 on the list: I live close to Chinatown, and Le Gourmand is one of my favourite [coffee] places in this city. Not only are their coffees/mochas amazing, but they make these walnut-chocolate-chip cookies that are beyond any cookie you’ve ever had. They’re huge, and just- so- good. Oh, and the tomato/avocado sandwiches are worth mentioning. Anyways, not the point—the point that I was aiming to make, is that I find it really cool that people that live in Toronto who write to me- I may have seen you before. We may have interacted. You could have been behind me in line at the coffee place, next to me on the subway, know a friend of a friend of a friend, etc. But it’s like that with every body. I think it’s amazing that we’re all connected, and yet so rarely see it. We’ve got all these invisible ties to each other, some stronger than others, criss-crossing and spanning the city, the country, the world. Sometimes I get a glimmer of all these invisible strings. It’s like a vast spider-web blankets this cold city, and I feel warm.
I started to make a list of sorts—My life in 365 days. Each day I write a thought, something that caught my eye, a song, something that I did, etc.
My Life in 356 Days – January 2010
1 This is the start of something new
2 Slow beginning
3 Find the extraordinary in the ordinary
4 Confessed to Teresa
5 J’écrit en français pour la premiere fois
7 Pleated handbag
8 Pleated clutch
9 Pizza at Terroni. Entered from back door.
10 Republic of Doyle
11 Amore 14
12 Watched TV in the morning for the first time
13 While you were sleeping
14 Pasta with clams
15 Stroll in Chinatown & Le Gourmand
16 Can’t understand North American dating rules
17 Fear is the absence of faith
18 Over Me Now – Gloriana
19 “But… ummm” Greek yoghurt & pretzel cookies
20 Last day of vacation
21 Jake Doyle is hot!
22 “Post-It”! Meredith Grey
23 Do you see the future? An unforgettable hug
24 Positive distance
25 Julie & Julia
26 Long but exciting day. Almost perfect. Harbord Bakery chocolate brownie
27 You’re so beautiful. You smell so nice
28 “When I touched her, I felt the best part of me being touched
29 Yummy homemade pizza
30 Waiting for a call that isn’t coming
31 Dipping toes. Waiting February.
Two things really stood out for me when I read this. Number one: I used to do something very similar in high school—in those day planner/agenda things that were forced upon you for things like organizing homework. When I was 15 I started to write down “What I learned” for each day—and I don’t mean what I learned in class or from teachers; just general life stuff. That was also the year I was diagnosed with depression, so some of it is pretty sad(/teen-angsty?) They are kind of funny to look back on now, though, and to see how much has changed. I did make a ‘zine of some of the pages, and a few of them are at This Ain’t The Rosedale Library. That’s all I’ll say.
The second thing, is regarding #15 on the list: I live close to Chinatown, and Le Gourmand is one of my favourite [coffee] places in this city. Not only are their coffees/mochas amazing, but they make these walnut-chocolate-chip cookies that are beyond any cookie you’ve ever had. They’re huge, and just- so- good. Oh, and the tomato/avocado sandwiches are worth mentioning. Anyways, not the point—the point that I was aiming to make, is that I find it really cool that people that live in Toronto who write to me- I may have seen you before. We may have interacted. You could have been behind me in line at the coffee place, next to me on the subway, know a friend of a friend of a friend, etc. But it’s like that with every body. I think it’s amazing that we’re all connected, and yet so rarely see it. We’ve got all these invisible ties to each other, some stronger than others, criss-crossing and spanning the city, the country, the world. Sometimes I get a glimmer of all these invisible strings. It’s like a vast spider-web blankets this cold city, and I feel warm.
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