Following the latest internet love story I've received an unusual number of e-mail and it appeared to me that the writers had one common purpose in sitting down to their keyboards - the desire to tell their story.  Perhaps because the earlier stories introduced cyber love in a sad or frightening light, now there were people writing who perhaps wanted to prove that the internet is not only a place where psychotics and damaged souls go to find companionship.  It is also a vehicle to meet' for people who might never otherwise have the opportunity to find happiness.  Gabor's letter is also proof of  this:

Dear Andrea,
The latest issue of the Internet Kalauz got in my hands a few days ago and right on the cover I saw the caption "Internet Love Story."  The title had my attention immediately since I am among those who are in a similar situation.  I read the story in the issue and liked it.  I felt sorry for Victoria that her romance did not end as it does in the Hollywood movies, but life is sometimes raw and cruel.  At the end of the article I saw an invitation to respond if someone had similar experiences.  I am not in the category where my romance is in the "past," my adventure is happening now.

Believe it or not, but the fact that this romance exists is because of the Internet Kalauz, because the address where we've met was listed in the IK - we could say it was an accident.  In an earlier issue I've found the web sight for www.eslcafe.com where there was an opportunity for interaction and learning and practice of English.  It was then, as it is now, that I am in a need of continuous practice, I've visited the address.  The first several visits nothing happened that was out of the ordinary.  I've had pleasant conversations with my modest level of English with a range of individuals from throughout the world - until WHAM, when she appeared.  Somehow we began a conversation and almost immediately we hit it off.  She was a beginner with English as was I and with the cute mistakes she made with the tenses and the charmingly exciting modesty about her, she charmed me off my feet.  We would talk for hours - it was unforgettable!  I promised that we would talk again, exchanged e-mail addresses, etc.

Two or almost three weeks passed where I was not able to get on the net because of my job but finally one afternoon I logged on and as the twist of faith would have it, ended up at the ESL Cafe‚ site again.  She wasn't there, or at least at first I did not think so.  Unexpectedly I received a message from an individual whose name was unfamiliar to me up until then. (It was her.)  At first, I was asking where do we know each other from but the person would not tell me (she loves guessing games) but after a while I realized it was her.  Naturally, it was a big help in this guessing game that this person told me that he/she was (also) from Malaysia.  Then I've asked if she had an ICQ number - and what do you know - she did.  I've added it to my address list immediately and invited her for a private chat.  She accepted.  We spoke all night with our ''kitchen-English" but had no trouble understanding each other.  In a private chat she was able to relax somewhat but remained exceptionally timid and modest, which I believe must characteristic of Asian women.  We liked each other so well that after this we were on the chat whenever we could find time and continue to do so.  We have these virtual dates more and more frequently!

The next step was that I've asked for her mailing address and she for mine.  Soon I've received a brief note from her that she sent as an experiment to see that she copied the address correctly.  Everything was fine.  It was around that time that I've sent her the only existing scanned photo of myself - which, while I consider myself no better than average looking, is not a flattering photo of me.  She was still willing to converse with me after receiving it and I took that as a promising sign.  (Remembering the photo reference in your article about the photo exchange in Victoria's story.)

She introduced me to several of her girlfriends and I felt that I've succeeded in convincing them also that I was not a hopeless case.  I've asked her often for a photo of herself but finding various excuses she had avoided sending me a photo until now.

I've received snail mail from her yesterday and to my surprise there was a group photo included.  Naturally, she was playing her guessing game again but I was nut successful in guessing which might be her - but in the meantime, I realized that it really did not matter.  I did not fall in love with her because of what she looked like (I assume you've realized by now that this is what this long preview is leading up to), but rather for what she said, her thoughts and views and her expression made her feel so close to me regardless of the fact that there are more than 7000 km and an entire culture that stand between us.  She is 19 and I'm 24 but I still find her behavior at times childish, but I always write this off to different upbringing.  I've tried through our conversations to give her more confidence, more expression to her will.  While these things are not altogether missing from her character but to my European eyes they seem to be in altogether too small portions.

Whether or not the feelings of romance are mutual I don't know, although her girlfriend had made references to this on several occasions.  In any case, in my mind our relationship belongs to the platonic romance category, the love of the soul that is developing.  I hope she sees it the same.  I suspect it will remain this way - at least for a good while - as the distance between us appears impossible to bridge despite the fact that modern man sees the distances on our planet shrinking all the time.  Perhaps once, if Faith also wills it, we will meet in person.

So much for history.  I realize there is nothing extra, I suspect there are similar stories out there by the dozen but it still felt good to tell someone who listened - or in this case read.  I could not tell my friends about this - they would probably laugh at me - but I know you would not do that.

Greetings,
Gabor