Taking cue from one of Noemi’s articles sometime in January 2007, I bloghopped to Annmanila’s Ode to Ode. To her first post “The Best is Still to Be”, I commented, “life is full of surprises, dear Anna,and the best is yet to come! i did enjoy reading your blog, and will continue to do so. i saw some similarities in us (you have 6, i have 7, you are nearing retirement, i have taken early retirement, i too write poetry). congratulations! you write really really well!”
That “conversation” started it all. I never tired reading Annamanila’s posts, in the same way that she never tired reading mine (I believe, so). It was the start of a beautiful cyberfriendship, capped with chats and SMSs in the latter part of the friendship, 2 face-to-face encounters and a round of scrabble after that.
We have thought of ourselves as kindred spirits, for how else can you define this: As soon as I start commenting on her post, she’s also doing the same, commenting on mine (when there are so many links in our blogrolls), or when I start to comment, she would come by way of a chat, or vise versa. We would talk of so many things, we do share secrets, mind you, secrets we hope to carry until our dying day, that was our promise. One time if it were not only 5 am, and she needed at least 3 hours of beauty sleep, we would not have ended our chat.
And, oh, we do not always agree on issues, we found out that we have a lot of differences, too. This is perhaps why the friendship continues to grow. As you may have noticed, we both write as passionate as can be, sometimes to the point of wanting everything perfect.
I can describe Annamanila’s writing style in one sentence: “Clearly, Annamanila knows how to romance the keyboard—weaving post after post, enamoring her readers, who would want to read her post till the very end, and end up still wanting for more”.
I write this post a day before Annamanila’s birthday. Annamanila, a cyberfriend no more, now she is more of a friend for REAL, a friend in PERSON. Our first face-to-face encounter was the end of our cyberfriendship–when we met the faces behind the names. Not that cyberfriends are not real—they are! It’s just there is still one factor that separates the CYBER from the REAL—the face-to-face encounter, which SEALS the friendship. It then becomes the start of something new—something REAL.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, ANNAMANILA, my cyberfriend no more, now a REAL FRIEND—A FRIEND IN PERSON!
By the way, many my not know it yet, but Annamanila also writes on “Hurting, Coping, Healing (Stories of Women Betrayed as told to Anna”. Find out more here. The name speaks for itself. In here, you will find stories that impart lessons to the readers. There are so many people out there who are hurting, coping, healing, who will, one way or another, benefit from Anna’s stories. There are many people out there who have no else to turn to. These stories serve as inspiration to many, that it is not the end of the world, that negative energies may be turned to positive energies, making the person a better person in the end.
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27 responses so far ↓
melai // Apr 29, 2007 at 11:43 am
happy birthday to AnnaManila
ako kaya makakatagpo ng ganyang friendship sa net?
A toast to both of you..
mga magaganda at magagaling na pinay blogger
ann // Apr 29, 2007 at 12:06 pm
Happy Birthday to your new friend tita dine. I also read her blog.
noemi // Apr 29, 2007 at 2:08 pm
I still remember that entry where annamanila asked for tips on promoting her blog. Am so happy she has so many readers now.
Rach // Apr 29, 2007 at 2:59 pm
Hi Dine. I’m happy for you and Annamanila. I’m glad that your paths have crossed online where a spark of friendship has started. It’s wonderful that you decided to take another step in building a stronger friendship.
lady cess // Apr 29, 2007 at 3:57 pm
namalikmata ba ako? has your picture been deleted? why oh why?
anyway, im glad for you both. you two are destined to be girl friends for life
Sidney // Apr 29, 2007 at 5:06 pm
Happy birthday to AnnaManila!
Nice you met her in person !
Kyels // Apr 29, 2007 at 5:52 pm
I love meeting blogger friends. And sometimes they are really, really different in reality in which will make things better!
[:
Gina // Apr 29, 2007 at 6:10 pm
Di ba may saying: ‘Love comes from the most unexpected places’? In this instance naman, Friendship comes from the most unexpected places- Cyberworld! It’s nice that you have found a new friend in Annamanila !
jho // Apr 29, 2007 at 6:40 pm
congratulations to the beginning of an unending friendship!
Belle // Apr 30, 2007 at 12:11 am
i hope i am not too late yet to greet ms.anna happy birthday. i, too, got hooked reading anna’s writing. happy birthday! would hop to her site now and greet her once again.
jun // Apr 30, 2007 at 9:23 am
From the movie Barbie Fairytopia: “Strangers are friends you haven’t met yet.”
May all the Pinoy bloggers be. (and the rest of them too).
diogenes // Apr 30, 2007 at 2:29 pm
Living online, I am obsessed with my online friends; I love them. Dine Racoma, keep an empty mug for me in the party!
I have known this wonderful lady since a few weeks only but am impressed by her spirits and energies. She wrote a post for my Fine Art of Blogging project where I found her to be a compulsive reader, impulsive writer and obsessive compulsive. I am trying to find more.
rhodora // Apr 30, 2007 at 5:11 pm
Oh, Dine! I hope and look forward to meeting you too – soon, hopefully! My daughter will start college in Manila this June, and by then, I will be spending more time there, so a meeting with you is so very possible!
Happy birthday to dear Anna!
annamanila // Apr 30, 2007 at 5:42 pm
Dine, this is one of the most extraordinary gifts I have ever received on my so-called ‘day.’ One that money can’t buy.
I didn’t mean to celebrate a birthday online but thanks to you … masarap pala!!
Tonight, I will thank God for bounteous blessings — including the gifts of friendships, yours and so many others’.
Thanks so much to all you guys who came to my online party with loads of good wishes and good cheer.
JAMIE // Apr 30, 2007 at 8:59 pm
It was nice to finally meet you sexy mom…
oh really, it’s tita anna’s bday?! hehe… best to greet her thru text.. hehe thanks for the info. we’ll see more of each other in the blog-o-sphere
aMgiNe // Apr 30, 2007 at 10:19 pm
wow thanks for the info. ill leave her a message on her blog then.
pining // Apr 30, 2007 at 11:43 pm
Finally, a picture of Annamanila
Thanks for sharing Sexymom!
Hoping to meet you in the near future too
Mr Ala Eh // May 1, 2007 at 12:03 am
I want to meet more bloggers too. At the next blogparteeh perhaps?
auee // May 1, 2007 at 12:32 am
aha! So that’s Annamanila
Happy Birthday dear… belated na ko pero habol pa din.
Sexy Mom thanks for sharing, it’s really sweet of you.
Leah // May 1, 2007 at 12:32 pm
Kindred spirits…I just said that to Annamanila..Chat with her today as well. Birthday pala nya. Happy Birthday!
You both look great.
julie // May 1, 2007 at 7:11 pm
So, there you are Annamanila. Belated Happy Birthday to you. Here’s hoping that PMN will have an eyeball soon…
Ann // May 1, 2007 at 7:14 pm
It’s great meeting online friends.
Happy Bday to your friend.
Tiffany // May 1, 2007 at 11:43 pm
That’s a really beautiful post
I’m really touched (kahit na I’m in no way related to the post XD).
Happy Birthday, Miss AnnaManila!
carlotta // May 2, 2007 at 12:15 am
happy birthday to annamanila! it’s great that you’ve finally met her in person, in real life and not just cyber. =)
Chateau // May 5, 2007 at 9:46 am
Hi Dine! Isn’t it wonderful when we find friends for keeps through the web?
Happy birthday, annamanila! And now i finally have a face to connect to the writer!
sasha // May 8, 2007 at 7:47 pm
I also want a pic with tita annamanila!
Nakakatuwa how friendship starts in the most unlikely place ano, tita? I gained quite a number of friends na rin dito sa blogworld. And I never regretted befriending them talaga.
Here’s to more years of friendship between you two! And more years of blogging!
niceheart // May 10, 2007 at 8:23 pm
That is so sweet. A friendship that started on-line and now in person. You both look great. Couldn’t tell that you have 6 and 7 kids.
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