Two weeks ago i discovered the world of chatting in different Chat Rooms. For most of computer literate people, its nothing new. But as a late bloomer like me, i just happen to visit it accidentally thru my brother who told me how to get in there and he’ll gonne see me there. And that’s how it started, my escapades in the chat world.

At first i was using my real ID, with my name printed bold on it, till it came to my mind that i can chat more freely when i use a pseudonym. So, i made a new ID with an even tantalizing and inviting name..and there i go again in the chat rooms.

My first day in the room was quite an experience. People are sending messages like “ASL”, and didn’t know what the hell does it mean..till i gathered all my courage and asked a pinoy chatter, told him i’m new to chatting, what ASL is. He replied pitifully that ASL means age, sex, location. Well, although its quite embarrassing not to know that, but still, it is better to ask than to be ignorant my whole life, isn’t it? I didn’t know chatters could be dirty , nasty and primitive as well. Somebody invited me to view his webcam which i eagerly accepted, just curious to know how my chat mate looks like. In my surprise, what i saw was the “head” peeping between his legs. Confused as i am, i thought i made a mistake of clicking the wrong thing. I’m not that good in computer you know. I hurriedly closed the window, turn off the computer and went to bed, still thinking what i have seen. The next day i asked a friend who used to chat before and told me that’s just normal in the chat room. A lot of chatters are showing themselves off via webcam, and most of them are expecting the same from their chat friend to do too.

The next observation i noticed was, chat rooms are flooded by stupid, shallow and horny youngsters. Most of them in their twenties and couldn’t converse intelligently. I know most chatters are lying about their age, me too, but when you see whose on the other cyber line, you can conclude that they are really young. The only thing they can write is “ASL plz”, “u cam?”, “cool” etc. I thought i will be able to communicate with someone decently and intellectually. But i think that’s a wrong place to look for such.

Another thing i found out, is that the chat rooms, especially in the Philippines (Pinoy Chat, Metro Manila Barkada etc) are lots of Indians there. Almost every other guy trying to contact you is an indian. They could be really blessed of having computers perhaps. I’m not a snob, but i easily get turned off when a guy writes grammatically incorrect english. Nope, im not talking about typographical error, but real incorrect sentences or phrases…”may view u cam?”, “what u do where work?”, “u look husband?”. Gee, how could i start a conversation with those idi**ts?

On the other hand, there are also lots of guys who will uplift your well being by showering you compliments like “you look georgeous”, “wow, u r beautiful”, “u look younger than ur age” etc. Oh di ba?! Yeah, two weeks chatting and i can almost write a book about it. But i would say, it’s a nice way of killing time when you are bored, or as a chatter said to me, “im board”, nyehehe!!

There was a young girl in Austria who was kidnapped while walking on her way to school. She was ten years old at that time. Though intensive search by the policemen, she was nowhere to be found. That was the year 1998. Last week, after 8years in the confinement of her kidnapper, she was able to flee. Now, she’s 18. She was kept and held incognito by the authorities to protect her from the mass media and curious mob who were just too excited to know her story and to see how she look like as well. Computer-made photos based on her last pictures before she disappeared 8 years ago were the only one published in the papers as to speculate how she might have looked like now as a young lady. The authorities and a psychologist who is helping her recover from all her mental, emotional and physical stress and likewise guiding her back to normal life and society, were her only company at the moment. Her parents who all those years when she was lost, didnt gave up their hope of finding her again, who were davastated, got sick and ruined because of the worries about the disappearance of the daughter, were just been given two times access to the beloved kid. The psychologist said the young lady isn’t prepared yet for too much emotions. She should recuperate first and be left alone. Why the hell?! She was already left alone by herself for 8 years! Didn’t this psycho think that the girl might have missed her family and that she could recover faster in the confinement of her love ones? Anyways, this only happens in europe where authorities have more to say as to how the parents should bring up their children. Feelings are alien in this continent. I think my father will box his way to getting me back home again if that will happen to me.

During her first public appearance and interview yesterday, she said she was held captured in a small basement shaft under the garage, where no one can hear her even if she cry on top of her lungs. But instead of losing hopes, she made the best out of her situation. She educate herself by reading and secretly plan her escape. She was fully aware that once her escape didn’t succeed, she can never get out of the basement again. That’s why she played his game, and do patiently all what the culprit say until he fully trusted her. Maybe he thought after so many years her will was already bent and she blindly accepted him now as her protector. So he started taking her in the grocers, let her help him do the household etc. Only when he’s not home should she return in her prison. The long-awaited chance to escape came when, while she was cleaning his car in the garage, his phone rang. Because the vacuum cleaner was too loud, he walked away from the car and turned his back from her. Voila! This is now the spectacular run for her life that she has been waiting for. She run through the gardens of the neighborhood, climbed over the fences and asked the next couple that came her way to call the police. Unfortunately these people didn’t have a mobile phone so she continue running till she saw an open window and inside was a woman doing something in the kitchen. She call the attention of this person and told her her name, that she was the missing child and so on. The neighbor hastily informed the authorities and in just few minutes the police recovered her. So what happened to the kidnapper? Well, what do you expect from cowards who can only intimidate kids? He drived to the next train station, lie down on the tracks and let the next speedy train roll over his sinful, bestialic, rotten body!!

Such a kidnap story is one of a kind. It didn’t happen yet that the kidnapped person re-appear after years of absence. The girl grew up into a beautiful young lady and her interview showed her as an eloquent speaker, matured and intelligent person. I was amazed by this because i love stories with happy ending….