Dina's Non-Fic Writing Blog

  Although letter mail might be something ordinary for older generations, I feel that for someone of our generation, it can be quite special. We grew up in a world where someone on the complete opposite side of the planet could be contacted a push of a button, and wait weeks for mail to get to other countries, not even sure if the mail was lost along the way.  When I was younger, I would participate in mailing out some items, such as the annual New Year letter that my family would put together. My sister and I would stand side-by-side as we placed stamps on the top right corner of the envelopes and dabbed water on the adhesive portion of the envelope flap. We left the address writing to my mom at the time because our handwriting back then wasn’t exactly what you would consider “legible”. But ever since we started sending emails instead of physical letters, I haven't had an occasion where I would need to send out physical mail for about 10 years. So the day I started trading ca...

A closet full of matchstick boxes, books filled with stamps, and shelves loaded with K-pop albums and photocards. Yep, I’m confused too. Even though you might see these three items as completely unrelated, each belongs as a prized possession to a generation of the Hashash family. The first time I visited my grandparents in Lebanon, you can imagine my bewilderment when my grandfather immediately dragged me to a dusty old spare room in an apartment building instead of a landmark to do some sightseeing. Before swinging open the door, he puffed out his chest and told me that this would all become mine one day. As the door complained loudly on its hinges, which looked like they’d turn to dust any moment, a view rival to the Room of Hidden Things from Harry Potter was revealed. The room was the size of the first-floor hall with every nook and cranny filled with miscellaneous items I couldn’t quite make out from where I was standing. I was uninterested at first, but before I knew it, 3 hours ...