What is this, and why are you tagging me in Facebook notes?

Hello,

So, I'm in Japan. And before I left, I talked a lot of talk to a lot of people about how I was going to blog and facebook-note and postcard-send and in general constantly fling news and reminders of my existence at you from afar. But then I got here and it turns out that working in a country where your coworkers turn in 6-6 workdays is pretty tiring, and when I sat down to type or write something to you, I'd be so worn out I wouldn't have a whole lot to say. And it wasn't only the blanking out, but the fact that I'd really just want to watch an X-Files and go pass out, bearing in mind that I'd still have to cook dinner and lunch, iron my clothes for tomorrow, and maybe do some dishes or laundry. And plan for the weekend, which always seem to fill up, as happens when you live with eighty very sociable folks in a society where most of you are illiterate and can't talk much, either.

A dilemma!

But then, I was writing an email during some downtime at work, and by the time I finished, it was clear that not only had it not killed me, but also that it said basically the same stuff I'd wanted to blog about, but with a personal side.

So instead of sending that email, I'm starting this blog with it. Each post is addressed to a single person, but open to anyone. In-real-life letters are great and all, but they're just too private. The greater part of what's good about knowing all of you is what emerges when, in various combinations, we're all in a loud room together. Besides, in the near future we won't even want privacy, so why cling to it now? How many people, having bothered to get the hang of, say, Twitter, go on to just direct-message their friends one at a time? Nobody. Zero people. Especially not you.

I have no idea what kind of pace I'll keep with the letters, but I'll make sure to bug you when there's another one up that I want you to get. Sometimes I write lonnnnng letters, though, and on top of that is the fact that from time to time I absolutely will use twenty words when three could and should have done. In my defense, I hardly ever get to use English here, so bear with me when I go overboard--and you can even nudge me in the right direction, should friendship, hostility, or a sense of good style so move you.

I'm looking forward to poking at my own letters and looking at how I change my tone and content when I'm writing to different people. If I threw in a few scatterplots and some vague evolutionary psychology, I could call this a mad social-science project. Just to keep things blurry, though, I promise to be extra mean to Sara Quinn. And extra nice to Lucas Rizoli.

The first letter is to Jade because she was the one I was writing to when I thought of this, and since she's the boss of most of you, you dare not complain. So this is the newest new plan, and if I didn't wear you out with all that, you can go back and read other people's mail right away.

Sincerely,

André Bovee-Begun



PS:
3-2-1-57-602 Minatomjima Nakamachi, Chuo-ku, Kobe-shi
650-0046
JAPAN