Kia Ora Koutou :) Greetings to you all...

I'm Pip, I'm 23 and I live in Dunedin which is on the southeast coast of New Zealand. I'm discovering that writing a description of myself is pretty hard, to say the least! Where to begin?...

I'm qualified as a teacher but there are so many other things I'd rather be doing with my life. Things to see, try, explore, experience..​. the future is pretty unsure for me at the moment - I'm yet to discover "my calling"​ haha.

As for who I am... I tend more towards being a bit reserved - I'm not a party animal and can easily spend (and enjoy!) time alone. However, I love people... and especially enjoy getting to know people from different corners of the world. That's why I'm here!

My ultimate goal is to find some committed pen and paper snail-mail penpals. Finding a proper handwritten letter in my letterbox can honestly make my day. I've had penpals for many years, and never ever get 'over' writing and getting to know people via mail. However, note I wrote 'committed' above! Please don't reply if you're going to write twice then quit... or only reply every 3 months. On the other hand, if you're willing to invest time and effort into writing, then please send me a message :) I truly appreciate little extras like nice paper, pens, stamps, sometimes including things like postcards, photos etc. I do that too, of course! :D

If you're not into writing proper letters, don't feel discouraged from sending a message or writing on my wall :) I'd love to hear from you.

Plz dnt rite 2 me lyk dis. I can't tolerate deliberate bad grammar. It's a real pet hate of mine, and chances are you won't get a reply.

Also, don't bother adding me as a friend before we actually ARE friends. I won't accept.

*Mail :) I enjoy writing as much as receiving.
*Reading
*Walking (accompanied​ by my iPod = relaxation!)​
*Getting into nature, especially in Summer - I love hiking.
*Travel, both within NZ and out (funds permitting!)​
*Going to the gym, though I wish I could be more diligent, haha
*Relaxing with a good DVD
*Spending time with my family
*Listening to music
*Learning! Trying to teach myself new things. I'm currently teaching myself Dutch, and I'm improving my Maori

My real favourites:
*The Strokes
*Muse
*Arctic Monkeys
*Keane
*Lily Allen
*Fleetwood Mac

... and other than that I listen to a huge variety of music. My iPod tells me I listen to pretty much everything - from pop to industrial rock to reggae to r'n'b.

Well... this tends to divide into two groups: cheesy and feel-good...​

*Mamma Mia
*Sound of Music
*Mean Girls
*Wild Child
*Angus, Thongs and Perfect Snogging (lol, like it or lump it!)

or cop'n'robber​, gangster action flicks...

*The Departed
*Casino Royale
*The Italian Job
*Rocknrolla

Skins. Other than that, I don't really watch TV.

Anything at all by Alexander McCall Smith. I also love Harry Potter. I love reading, but tend to get lazy and re-read my favourites. Please feel free to recommend me something! I'm trying to broaden my horizons :D

"Ko te manu kai i te miro, nona to ngahere. Ko to kai i te matauranga, nona te ao"

(Maori proverb = "The bird who eats from the berry gains the forest. He who eats from knowledge gains the world."​)