Before there was Facebook, Yahoo Messenger, Skype, or Friendster, even–there was mIRC.
mIRC is a shareware chat service that started in 1995, yes back when beepers, Spice Girls, and dubbed Spanish telenovelas were still cool. For years, it provided millions of users with the newfound freedom to meet virtual friends. And while the Facebook generation may unearth no trace of mIRC, it’s unforgettable for us 90s kids. For all you know, some happy endings began in these old-school wires!
Take the case of Paulo and Czarina, for example! Their 10-year relationship (and counting!) has much to thank mIRC for!
It all started in 2001 when they were still in college. Paulo was from Ateneo while Czarina was from UP Diliman. The two first met (coincidently!) when common friends introduced them to each other. But long before that, Paulo and Czarina had already been acquainted virtually in an mIRC chatroom!
Finally, the two had the chance to live out their friendship offline! And it didn’t take long until they found a deeper connection. Paulo and Czarina became a couple in 2002 and have stayed together since then. Yes, that’s ten long and beautiful years! (Beat that, mIRC!)
“We’ve been together almost everyday since the day we met. Seriously! Well, except when Czarina went to Singapore,” Paulo shared, referring to the long months that Czarina spent in Singapore where she worked as a chef.
“We promised to keep in touch every day through the internet, and we did just that,” said Czarina, “We were lucky that there was no time difference between Manila and Singapore, but we really made the effort to talk to each other and in the six months that I was in Singapore.” And thanks to technology, she adds, “We did not miss a day without being able to video chat with each other!”
Score one for technology, and another for love! Paulo and Czarina’s first decade together prove that, mIRC’s luster may have long been and gone but true love remains timeless.
“After ten years,” Paulo echoes, “we’re still very excited to be with each other each and everyday!”
Share with the 10-year kilig as it peaks in this wonderful day when Paolo and Czarina unfold the next decades together as husband and wife!