WE FELL IN LOVE THROUGH GOOGLE TRANSLATE!

Madina wasn’t going to a let a language barrier stop true love

- Lisa Brookman

Tapping into the phone keypad, I smiled.

I’m having a nice time, I typed in Russian in Facebook Messenger.

Me too, a message came back in English.

Pasting the answer into Google Translate, I smiled as I read the response in my native tongue. Then the man sitting beside me grinned.

To be fair, it was a bit odd to be messaging someone you were sitting next to in a cafe. But as I spoke very little English and my good-looking friend, Matthew, then 27, didn’t speak Russian, it was just as well we had Google Translate to help us out.

After I’d  own into Darwin, NT, from Kazakhstan – formerly a part of the Soviet Union – for a friend’s birthday, I’d fallen for Matthew’s smile and kind heart.

Through a friend, I’d boldly asked him out for a coffee and now, after spending two weeks together, I was due to  y home tomorrow and didn’t want to be parted from him.

I’m going to miss you, I typed sadly.

Me too, Matthew replied.

When I  flew home, I wondered if I’d ever see Matthew again. But being more than 9000 kilometres apart didn’t seem to matter.

I couldn’t stop thinking about him.

Matthew’s messages kept coming thick and fast.

As I replied, I put each of my responses into Google Translate. I was so thankful it smashed through our language barrier and meant I could tell him my feelings.

I can’t believe how much I miss you, I told him.