Ma Diyin, 46, married Laurent, 47, on April 1, after getting to know each other via the Internet some eight months ago. A Chinese-style wedding ceremony was held in a restaurant in Chengdu, punctuated with side shows of acrobatics, Sichuan operas and folk dances.

 

Ma was divorced, when she saw Laurent's information at a dating website in early last July . "In the picture, he was in a red down jacket and standing on a snowfield, smiling at me," said Ma. Then she sent an E-mail to Laurent, with a picture of herself. Laurent replied to her E-mail the following day, saying "when I saw your picture, I could feel that you were smiling at me, too." From then on, the two E-mailed each other regularly, and Ma learned that Laurent was very fond of Chinese culture.

 

Last July 20, Laurent told Ma that he would visit Chengdu, and that was how they first met.

 

Laurent said a lot to Ma when he was about to leave; however, Ma could hardly understand his words, except "I love you". Thus Laurent wrote a note to propose to her, and Ma accepted at once.

 

They wrote at least 20 E-mails every day in the next 8 months, until they got married last Sunday.

 

(chinanews April 4, 2007)