Cyberpals

A

s I continue with my daily life with its mundane activities and petty concerns, I often find myself amused at our ever shrinking world. Technology has brought us together in a way unimaginable only a decade or two ago. Chat rooms, IMs and blogs have connected us so intimately that we can make friends with people we have never met in person... It reminds me of penpals when I was in elementary school. Could we be penpals for the 21st century?

Life was so different when I was a little kid in the late 50s and early 60s. I remember my mother recording our voices onto a reel-to-reel tape recorder to send to Japan so grandma could hear our voices. It was, by today's standards, a quaint way of using "technology" to bring grandparent and grandchild together even though we had never yet met. But now, I have met so many people through Xanga, it has gone beyond a mere novelty or an amusing diversion. It has become a part of my life.

There are so many people I feel familiar with now, even though I have never met them. As you might imagine, I have developed an affinity with those who comment most frequently, particularly those who I have had a running comment-conversation with for over a year. I would list them here but I'm afraid I would miss someone and risk offending him or her needlessly and unintentionally. But they know who they are... I think.

So do you consider me your penpal? No, a better word: Cyberpal? Do you consider me your cyberpal? And do any of you new visitors want to be my cyberpal?

April Senryu

JustBeingV: ps~ did i miss the next senryu?

Omigod! I've been so busy with work that it kinda slipped my mind. Indeed, we haven't had a senryu salon in a couple of months, so let's have one. School is winding down so I think I can judge them without too much fuss.

So the topic this time is: Revenge

The topic came to me since we've been reading ENCHI Fumiko's Mask in class, a frightening book about a revenge plotted by a woman over years... against men.

For those new here: All subscribers are welcome to submit a senryu. Your submission will be "judged" by me and will subsequently be posted here with my commentary, so submit at your own risk. If you want to learn how to compose a senryu in English, read this introduction and especially this explantion of structure, grammar and content.

Rules:

1. Participation is open to current subscribers only. RBJ members who have bookmarked me--check my Tomodachi list--as well as Blogline subscribers are also invited to participate.
2. Submit only one senryu--I will not choose your best one only your first one, so check it before you submit it
3. Submit your senryu as a comment to this post only. For those of you who do not have a Xanga account, you can email your senryu to me using the link on this page.
4. Senryu must be composed in English. (Taku and Fooky, this refers specifically to you guys!)

I look forward to reading your senryu.