Cyber Friends

Anedra, OOD and I were chatting at my Kedai Kopi when the other two ladies were talking about their first phone call to each other. Yang satu kata she was nervous, yang lagi satu, excited. And then I asked them if it were their first time calling and eventually meeting up with a cyber friend. They both said yes, and then they asked me, and I said that all my friends that I have met in the US were all met via the internet. So then OODY has been harrassing (hehe) me to blog about internet friends.

Hmmm, where should I start, I met my husband through the internet. But that was 2 years after being an active internet chatter and meeting a new girlfriend who lives in Singapore and we were never seperated thereafter, her name was Siti. She is a therapist for SGH and a very smart lady. She like me, had a few internet boyfriends. We used to meet up and talk about nothing but internet chatting. So much fun!

Since I keep promising myself that I have to make this posting as short as possible (cos if I type in detail, my previous posting will be drowned!). So let me get back to how I met my husband. Yes, through Yahoo messenger. At that time, you could pick and choose on who you wanted to chat with, depending on their interests. We were chat buddies for exactly 12 months when I went to San Francisco to see a girlfriend from Canada (another internet buddy) with my kids in tow. Remember, the husband and I were NOT internet lovers. We were just 2 bullish humans who loved to outsmart each other. Sometimes we would argue over something stupid and not chat for ages…but made up again and started talking about anything under the sun.

But when we met, the attraction was phenomenal. Loved his eyes, his beautiful smile and his truthfulness and sincerity about himself. How did I gauge his truthfulness and sincerity? Cos he was what he said he was when we were chatting on the internet. Its like we had known each other for ages. We just started chatting in person on where we left chatting online! Yeah yeah, took us only 14 days to decide that we're inseparable. The kids love him, I love him, so the only hurdle was just my parents. HUGE gigantic hurdle OK…that part, look out on my future posting.

When I moved here, I was introduced to rantauan.com. The owner (Issy) is my old best friend's sister. I was the third member to join the website. The website proved to have made a change in my life being so far away from home. Issy and I used to chat every morning cos we were 2 ladies, who were not working at that time and were bored to death! We spoke on the phone every so often and eventually met up with 2 other rantauan members in LA, who are my bestest and closest sisters here. By then, we had known each other so well, that we just sat and talked.

Through rantauan.com, I met many many friends online and eventually in person when I went back to Singapore, or when they moved to San Francisco. I can say that ALL my friends here in San Francisco and LA, we all met through the internet.

I would like to salute one of my longest internet friend, Kak Teh. We've known each other for more than 3 years. She has given me the inspiration to be strong when I was away from home and the kids. She also has been giving me endless tips on a happy marriage and again I wish to repeat this again, if not for her, I wouldn't be a blogger and meet more wonderful friends. I am sure when we get the REAL chance to meet in person (the day will come Kak Teh), we would be like long lost relatives!

Yes, at first, meeting a cyber friend for the first time can be a nerve wrecking experience. At one time, my husband refused to meet anymore of my 'imaginary' friends but I guessed he got used my reason for wanting to meet up with my chat friends…to be happy, to hang on to my roots and feel that I belong somewhere .

One tip about being a cyber friend, be honest, be yourself and do not ever try to be someone that you are not. You will be amazed that being youself online is not a difficult task to do. When you have chatted with someone for a while, talk on the phone and then meet up, you will not feel the difference.

Inilah kehidupan seorang perantau, nak make friends pun kena gunakan internet!