After 43 years of corresponding by mail, two pen pals, one hailing from Newfoundland and the other from Singapore, finally met face-to-face this week.
Sonya Clarke Casey expressed, “We have been sharing our highs and lows through letters for decades. We always ended with ‘I hope someday we will meet.’ But meeting in person seemed like a distant dream.”
Clarke Casey and Michelle Anne Ng initially connected as pen pals in 1983 through a school program when they were in Grade 5.
Since then, they have maintained a continuous exchange of letters.
After 43 years of exchanging letters, two penpals from Newfoundland and Singapore met in person for the first time this week. The CBC’s Laura Howells brought us that story.
Seated together in St. John’s, the two women sifted through stacks of letters they had cherished over the years: filled with handwritten notes, carefully chosen stationery, and envelopes adorned with personal drawings.
Reading from a letter she wrote in 1992, Clarke Casey chuckled, “The weather here is starting to warm up. Today it’s 4 degrees! Do you have a boyfriend now?”
Ng shared another letter where she discussed her fondness for the song 99 Luftballoons, exclaiming, “it’s like four pages long!” as Clarke Casey reminisced about the joy of receiving such a detailed letter.
During their childhood, they eagerly anticipated each other’s letters, which would take weeks to travel across the globe.
Ng would provide insights into life in Singapore, including snippets about local teen fashion, while Clarke Casey would describe her experiences in Carbonear, N.L., even sketching a map of her favorite swimming spot. Sonya fondly recounted sharing details with Michelle about Prince Charles and Diana’s visit to Harbour Grace and the thrill of seeing them in person.
Their correspondence served as a cultural exchange and the foundation of a lifelong bond.
As their letters accumulated, their friendship deepened, transcending through university, travels, and life milestones. Clarke Casey vividly remembered informing Ng about her pregnancy with her first child.
“Reflecting on your past and thinking about what you were doing in 1984 is a nice journey,” remarked Clarke Casey. “Those letters are the only way to truly know that.”
While adapting to modern times, the friends incorporated emails and Facetime into their communication, but they still cherished handwritten letters.
Clarke Casey emphasized, “Receiving a physical letter in the mail is incomparable.”
Ng recalled feeling “elated” upon receiving her first letter from Carbonear, N.L.
Sonya reminisced about the thrill of her father bringing