Dear Yao Wang,

Hello, Yao! I'm Ivan Braginski, and I'm going to be your pen pal for the year! I'm sure we will be great friends, da? I enjoy making new friends!

I am from Russia, Moscow, to be exact. I love the city very much! It is very lively, and it is beautiful. If you have not been, I suggest you visit sometime. I'm sure you'll love it! Perhaps you can visit during the summer.

One thing that I do not like about my home is that it gets so cold. As strange as it sounds, I do not enjoy the cold! I prefer sunlight. A certain classmate of mine, Alfred, would claim that since I'm a 'commie' (Silly boy still believes that Russia is a communist country) I have been forever punished to endure cold weather. I replied that since he is a 'Capitalist Pig" he will forever be a silly little boy. I believe that irritated him, since he doesn't like to be called a child. His brother, Matthew, is less annoying. He is quite a good hockey player, and we play against each other every once in a while. You know, I accidently sat on Matthew once, the first day we met. I didn't notice that he was at a library table, and I was in a bit of a hurry, and I sat on him! I always confuse him with his brother as well. It is very embarrassing! Have you ever had to deal with an embarrassing situation before, Yao? What do you do? I never know what to do when I'm embarrassed other than apologize and run off. Is that a bad way to deal with problems? Is there any good way to deal with problems?

Do you have a family, Yao? I have two sisters. One is older than me, and the other is younger. My older sister, Katyusha, is very kind, even if she is a bit of a crybaby. My younger sister, Natalia, is little bit… scarier. She's quite jealous of my attention, and it scares me sometimes. Especially since she enjoys being around Alfred, though I think it might be to get me angry so I'll spend more time with her. She's quite devious! I don't know if I should be proud or frightened.

I have to go, Alfred the Incredibly Stupid has decided that he is going to ogle my older sister Katyusha, and that cannot be allowed.

Sincerely,

Ivan Braginski


Dear Ivan Braginski,

I'm quite pleased to be your pen pal for the year as well, Ivan. I am sure we will become close friends by the time this year is out.

I have never been to Russia, Ivan, though I may now make a visit. I reciprocate your invitation, and if you would like to visit China someday, I would be glad to be your host for your stay.

It's not at all strange for you to dislike cold temperatures. I prefer sunshine as well. I believe almost anyone would! I've read somewhere that the sun can be directly connected to your state of happiness. However, I do not believe there is any correlation between a country's form of government and the weather. That assumption is what makes your… rival, I suppose, silly. Of course, he could also be teasing you. Americans are very strange in their teasing habits, I've observed.

I suppose that my most embarrassing moment… well, I've had a few. It would be difficult for me to pick just one, Ivan. But, since you shared an embarrassing moment with me, I must share one with you. We should have an equal trade of information. This is an embarrassing moment that I had once. Most people think I look like a girl, and I'm afraid that most people are correct. I'm rather petite, and I do have girlish features. But one day a few years back, a punk boy at our school began flirting with me, thinking I was a cute girl. I ignored him, and this went on for several months until one day he grabbed me and… well… discovered that I didn't have female parts. I still don't know how to feel about that, and whether I should still kill him or if I should forgive and forget. He's improved as a person vastly, becoming the school president and a top student. But I still can't shake the feeling that he's wild and unpredictable underneath all that. I can't answer your questions well, Ivan, and I'm sorry. I'm just as confused as you are when it comes to how to act when you're embarrassed.

I do have a family, a very large one, with many siblings. Sometimes I lose count of them all! It must be nice to have two sisters, even if you're the only male. At least you wouldn't go through a large list to ensure that everyone is in the house at a proper time and that the day went well for him or her! I often wish that I wasn't the eldest in my family, because I wouldn't have so much responsibility. But then I remember that I love my family, and I should take care of them. It's my job!

I hope to hear from you soon,

Yao Wang

P.S. Do you, by chance, know a Kiku Honda? I believe he goes to your school.


AN: I'm not sure about how to write Yao. He confuses me... so this isn't that great. I apologize for that! On another note, I might not be able to update this weekend. I've been looking at my schedule, and it looks like I'll be scrounging for time. I'm sorry if that happens, and I'll try my best to update! Thank you for reading this, and have a wonderful day!