Special Links to my Biggest and Dearest Fan:

My Very Dear Mother (See some pictures on her 85th Birthday)

Mom’s 86th Birthday in Bucharest, Romania

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FROM:   Bruce Coy, American Born, Doctoral Physical Therapy Medical Student DATED: May 2000 Kalman, I have been reading the Great Escape. Kalman you have a knack for detail, it is very intense and interesting. Maybe you should think about publishing it in some other form? Anyway it is more than a sitting's worth, and now I can place some of the stories you told me. . FROM:   http://www.ceausescu.org site DATED: May 2000 Kalman, If you dont mind, we will add a link to our website. . FROM:   http://www.romania.org/ site DATED: May 2000 Kalman, Very interesting site! . FROM:   WEE-CHENG TAN, London/Singapore DATED: May 2000 Kalman, Interesting stuff you have. You should submit it to Yahoo! and rec.travel-library. . FROM:   Cristian Tudose, a 10 year "transplant" from Romania into Finland DATED: May 2000 Kalman, Impressive story!!! It brings me back memories of my own 1990 escape ... . FROM:   Jeroen van Marle of Netherlands DATED: May 2000 Great story, Kalman! Have you been back to Romania since then? Why don't you put any of your own photos online? I'll add it to the list of Romanian links at www.inyourpocket.com as well as on my homepage. . FROM:   Pete Baumgartner of Radio Free Europe DATED: May 2000 Kalman, Thanks for your very interesting story. I will pass it on to some Romanian colleagues of mine. I have just a couple of questions, as your story ends in the 1970s, if you will forgive my curiosity. Where do you work now? Were your parents ever able to come and visit you in the States? Have you been back to Romania since you left it? Thanks for sharing your personal story and creating a fascinating website. Best regards, . FROM:   Estey Manning, American Born Housewife DATED: May 2000 Kalman, Your story was very enjoyable reading --very close to the version you told to me in Cambridge at a coffee shop so many years ago! Good work! Are you working on the next chapters? Bring your fans up to date with your latest adventures. All is well with me --no adventures to speak of! My best regards, . FROM:   Prof. Bryan Caplan, Department of Economics, George Mason University, USA DATED: July 2000 Kalman, Wow! I missed an hour of work to read every word. Wonderful. All of my Romanian relatives-through-marriage will hear about this! . FROM:   Theodor Tauber, Petah-Tikva Israel --a 30 year "transplant" from Romania to Israel DATED: July 2000 Shalom Kalman! Bravo! I could not took my eyes from my computer reading your stunning story! I was deeply moved and I believe that it brought tear to my eyes ... . FROM:   Bob Schadler, USA DATED: July 2000 Dear Kalman, Just had a chance to read your story and found it charming, gripping, harrowing, heart-warming, hilarious and important. I assume you won't mind that I'll recommend it to our e-mail list. You might be interested in knowing more about our organization: Victims of Communism Memorial Foundation. It's chartered by Congress to raise private resources to build a memorial/museum in Washington to tell the story of the 100 million killed by communism regimes and those not killed but still victims in the hope that such regimes will not recur in the 21st century. Thank you for putting your story for the rest of the world to benefit from it.! . 2 0 0 0 - 2 0 0 1 - 2 0 0 2

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FROM:   Janet Mertz-Hill, born in Chicago, USA DATED:  January 2001 RE: WHAT A WONDERFUL STORY thank you for sharing it!  hope you are still doing well!! janet  - what the dew is to the flower,  gentle words are to the soul . FROM:   Angele Yanor, TV Producer, Canada DATED:  January 2001 Hi Kalman, Fascinating. Whatever happened with the Pittsburgh family that was so kind to you? Did you repay them? Did you ever see the daughter again? Did you marry? What were the repercussions to your family? What were the Romanian police called at that time? I have a lot of questions because I'm naturally curios as a TV producer. I'm 29, and live in Vancouver, Canada. Cheers/Angele . FROM:   Kathleen Andersen, Assistant Director of Media Relations of HIAS, New York, NY, USA DATED:  April-May 2001 Dear Kalman, I am writing on behalf of HIAS, the Hebrew Immigrant Aid Society. This year, we are celebrating our 120th anniversary, and we are working on many commemmorative projects. One is a book of personal immigration stories written by people HIAS has assisted. We saw the story of your escape from Romania at your website, and were wondering if you would be interested in submitting the story of your escape and life to be considered for the book. Thank you very much [for your reply]! We are honored to be able to use your story. Thank you so much for adding the link to our site! That is very kind of you. With best wishes, Kathleen Andersen HIAS . FROM:   Teo Paduraru, "Best Computers", Bucharest, Romania DATED:  June 2001 Hi Kalman! I'm a 29 years old Romanian who lives in Bucharest. You have a special gift telling stories as I hit the Contiune button dozens of times, going forward into your narration, almost breathless. Don't you think that "we", the readers, deserve a following of how are you in this millenium? I'll be surely glad to read it! Your admirer, Teo . FROM:   Nancy A. Cygan, a native of Chicago, USA DATED:  June 2001 Kalman,   Thanks so much for your story of escape from Romania.  It was well written and I found myself sitting beside you through all the highs and lows.  It is an especially poignant story for me at this time as I have a friend who is trying to find his way out of Romania and into the USA to pursue his chosen profession.   I am very glad that Chicago gave you such a warm welcome and that you came to call her home.  You see, I am a native Chicagoan and am proud that we have such a wonderfully diverse population.  It helps to make the world that much smaller since I can reach out into my own neighborhood and find people like you.   Thank you, Nancy.     . FROM:   Lora Lyda, 16, born in the USA DATED:  July 2001 Kalman,   I just fininshed reading your entire site (it took me 2 and a half hours!! :)!!)  I enjoyed it very much......mostly about your time in Romania.  God has burdened me for the country of Romania and I love the people there.  Last year when I was 15 I visited there for the first time on a mission trip and I fell in love with the country just like you did my country.  When you were escaping Romania......those officials were angels sent from God to protect you and lead you safely here.  I thank you for the time and energy you spent in making this site! . FROM:   Edison Thomaz, 25, born in Brazil,                          currently graduate student at MIT Media Lab in Cambridge, Mass. USA DATED:  August 2001 Hi Kalman, I checked your web site and read about your escape to the west and it was truly amazing. A great story, a great read. These days, we kind of take for granted everything that we have, our freedom, and forget the types of hardships that a lot of people, including you, had to go through. Talk to you later, Edison . FROM:  Vlady Zeiger, 51, born in Romania, living in US since 1981 DATED:  November 2001 [Liberal translation from Romanian] Esteemed Kalman, I read with fascination your story and I could not think of anything else... I was able continuously to place myself in your shoes as I was able to understand completely what you felt throughout your entire journey. From time to time I continue to revisit your story since from yesterday this is the only thing that I am thinking about. Your story affected me very much. Maybe this is why I am so taken and my writing is so dispersed. Please excuse me. Wishing you all the happiness and good health. Vladi . FROM:  Daniela Shewfelt, 28, a 4-year "transplant" from Romania to Canada DATED:  November 2001 [Liberal translation from Romanian]   Dear Kalman, I read breathlessly your immigration story to America and I think that it is truly amazing with lots of humor and twists. Your hot dog story is something else and I may be using it for my class. I cannot tell you how much I have enjoyed reading your story. Your style of writing in English is extremely captivating. Have you written other books? Wishing you well and lots of health. Daniela . FROM:  Bryan Horton, born in the USA DATED:  December 2001 Kalman - Thank you for sharing this story. Being a U.S. citizen by birth as many U.S. citizen, tend to forget what a great country the United States really is - which is a shame. I stumbled upon your story searching for things having to do with Romania - since my "wife-to-be" is Romanian and still living in Bucharest. This story helps greatly as to how she is feeling and what some of her fears might be coming to live in her new country - America (August 2002). I would think that this would make a very good movie and would be of interest to screenwriters in Hollywood. Have you had such an offer to make your story into a movie? You will have to keep me updated on whether there is thoughts on making your story into a movie. Many thanks. Best Regards - Bryan   . 2 0 0 0 - 2 0 0 1 - 2 0 0 2

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FROM:  James P. Donovan, born in the USA DATED:  January 2002 HI, I read your story and I could not stop until I had finished. Thank you for sharing it with us. I worked in California for a few years with a friend who was born in Romania and he told me his story at least part of it. What I remember the most is that it took him 5 years to leave. Some of his family had already left and was here in America. I worked with a Russian also in the same place and he escaped Russia in a boat but his son was killed during the escape. You had more courage than I think I ever had but of course I was born here. I was lucky. I am now disabled but I worked as an Electrical Engineer. Thank you for sharing the newpaper story with us also. I just wanted to say thank you and I am happy that you are a part of this great country. Pat Donovan . FROM:   Shelly Palmer Bugar, born in the USA and married with a Romanian! DATED: September 2002 Dear Kalman, I just read with great interest your story on the Internet about coming to America.  It was truly engaging and never once did I want to "skip ahead."  Upon finishing, the burning question in my mind was, "how is your dear mother?"  Well, after navigating your site, I was truly happy to see her smiling face during recent birthday celebrations!  Her support of you, despite the seperation, was truly heartfelt.  And it's clear from the pictures that you are a good son! Thank you so much for sharing such a wonderful story for others to enjoy.  I was born here in America, but it's stories like yours that never allow me to take that, and the freedoms I enjoy, for granted. Kind regards, Shelly Palmer Bugar PS. By the way, my husband too defected from Romania in 1986.  He was 26 years old at the time.  I recounted to him your story, leg for leg, and I could tell he was intrigued.  He particularly laughed at the train ride into Graz with the gypsies!  Too funny!   . 2 0 0 0 - 2 0 0 1 - 2 0 0 2

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