[Charmaine]

Thank you, mambo_maus. Reading your post made me wake up from my semi-slumber.

- I've suspected this all along. She claims to be a graduate, yes. But that does not explain away the fact that she's so much better in English than her counterparts (who all claim to be graduates). My friend was sitting with a social work graduate from Thornburi University and they hardly mustered a decent conversation all night.

- She's always giving the excuse that she can't text me as often as she likes because her mobile line's out of credit - she has to top it up again at 7-eleven if she wants to sms. But I've realised every time when I confront her with something semi-serious, her sms replies reach me almost immediately.

- She hasn't sms-ed me for the entire day already. It's a Saturday at the club - has she disappeared into the night frolicking a random rich man?

- Whenever I ask about her about the possibility of quitting her job or bringing her over to Singapore, she would reply curtly; almost embarassingly quiet. She might have a hatful of skeletons in that closet of hers.

Below is a short extract of the MSN conversation I had with her just 2 days ago. Names are withheld for anonymity but the actual conversation (parts of it anyway) is reproduced as is, spelling errors inclusive, for authenticity.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
N says:
i at internet cafe
N says:
signal so slow
Me says:
oh? you didnt top up your internet at home?
N says:
office clost
N says:
u busy today?
Me says:
no i am not. not too busy
Me says:
i miss you
N says:
i miss u too
Me says:
is it ok i keep texting you? i think i text you 5 times a day
N says:
no disturb
N says:
i like that
N says:
pls text me
N says:
u text me or call i didt wast cradit
N says:
not same singapore
Me says:
so i can text you as many times as i want? no disturb?
N says:
No
N says:
u can text me
N says:
i like taht make me happy
Me says:
i miss you so much but cannot see you now. it's difficult for me
N says:
err
N says:
u realy no gf now
N says:
?
Me says:
You don't believe me?
N says:
so who keep calling u when i on da bed with u (my phone rang a million times)
Me says:
that's my dad
Me says:
my parents are not in Singapore. They just wanted to check on me to see if i'm alright
Me says:
you dont believe me?
N says:
y u don't tok to them
Me says:
because i was hugging you then
N says:
even u have i understand.just wondering coz u said yor ex gf is know her for long time
Me says:
No it isn't her
-----------------------------------------------------
Me says:
it hurts me to know you have to work there every day
N says:
thank u for that felling for me
N says:
how long u finish with gf
Me says:
About a year? Maybe more
N says:
not long
Me says:
do you really like me?
Me says:
pls tell me the truth
N says:
yes i do
Me says:
because everybody thinks i am crazy
N says:
true
N says:
if i not like u y stay wit u for 2 nite
N says:
my fren all go back
N says:
can i ask u..?
Me says:
all my friends think i cannot fall in love with a working girl
Me says:
Everyone think I am crazy
N says:
may be u many time fall in love with da girl?? (persumably means I fall in love easily)
(I answered her as best as I could)
------------------------------------------------------------
N says:
hey just now u ssid u know i hide something
Me says:
nevermind
Me says:
It was just a thought
N says:
hey is it alrite u chating wit me?
Me says:
yes its alright
Me says:
did you go to the internet cafe to talk to me?
N says:
yep
Me says:
thank you. I'm touched
N says:
just opposit my place
Me says:
i think i am falling in love
N says:
may be becos u don't know me well
Me says:
you think so?
Me says:
you dont want me to love you? thats why you say that
N says:
no don't get me wrong
N says:
everybody need love
Me says:
why do you say i dont know you well enough?
Me says:
what kind of person are you?
N says:
i don't know wht person i'm too
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Me says:
when will you quit?
Me says:
you want to work forever?
N says:
i knw..but nobody know da futire u know
N says:
i only can plan wht to do. but anything is can happen all da time
N says:
so i'm relax
Me says:
its not so easy to work there
N says:
i know
N says:
u think i'm stupid
------------------------------------------------------------
N says:
y u sad
Me says:
because to see you, it's very expensive
N says:
next time you come back
N says:
and i take care of u
-------------------------------------------------------------
Me says: So what happened in the end.
N says: first time he customer u know.but later he said he serius with me.so i try with him, but it's not work
N says:
i don't love him
N says:
so i tell him da true
Me says:
you try with him, but not me
Me says:
maybe i am not good enough for you
N says:
i not mean that
N says:
u verry good u know
N says:
i mean we so new
----------------------------------------------------------
Me says:
you know, i thought about bringing you to singapore
Me says:
buy your air ticket and hotel, then you can just come and i bring you around
Me says:
but that day you said no
N says:
ok let me think again may be i want to go.

----------------------------------------------------------
Me says:
if given a choice, will you still work there?
N says:
err
Me says:
nothing to say?
N says:
err
Me says:
its ok
Me says:
its your work i know
N says:
err
Me says:
thats all you can say now huh
N says:
haha
N says:
don't know wht to say

--------------------------------------------------------------

That's the gist of it, really. I apologise for forcing people to put up with our crap conversation, but if anything I hope it would help shed some light on what she's really thinking. I appreciate everyone's time in reading this.