It is now my first time visiting the Erotic Fair FICEB in Barcelona. But i know that Andrea was here many times, also nominated for one of the "Ninfa" awards. I arrived already thursday, but busy with some meetings I managed to visit the fair just Friday evening. Even before, when I was walking through this beautiful city, I was thinking many times on Andrea, asking myself if she saw the same places and streets where I was going around now. It was also exactly one year ago here in Barcelona, when her illness went public and the news found its way to the AVN online pages. Also I came to know about it this way. Just short time before, September 2004, I was sending her mails and SMS, asking her for a shooting in Prague. Then I was reading the AVN online the terrible news and so I understood, why she did not answer. Only two months later, Andrea was not more beyond us. Now in Barcelona, around 2000 km away from Prague, thinking on her, i cannont explain why and how, I was feeling somehow near to Andrea. This may sound strange out the the mouth of an atheist like me. But it was exactly this way. Then I was looking into the official press kit of the exhibition. A half page was telling about Andrea, her illness, and also her movies of course. Also the official fair shedule announced a "retrospektive of Lea deMae", showing her Movies all day in the cinema of the fair. First I did not know what I should think about the fact, that thousands of people will get horny when watching her movies, most of them not knowing, what happened to her. But for sure I was impressed by the fact, how the people here remembered to Andrea, and how many times I could read her name in the fairgrounds. It seems like nobody who knew Andrea, could forget her. I dont know, if the same would happen to another eroticstar in the same situation. But I dont think so. I am now sitting here with tears in my eyes, hacking this lines in my notebook. 10 months ago I was writing that I would carry Andrea always in my heart on all my future ways. Now I understand, how much true this is.
(just to tell who i am: I am a journalist and photographer from Munich, living partly in Germany and partly in Czech Republik. I had the honour to know and take pictures from Andrea for around four years. For me she was a very special model, like nobody else. And much more than just a model.)
It's wonderful to hear that this is still the case for Andrea. And you are right!! Whoever came in contact with Andrea never will forget her. She was one of those very rare persons that could touch your soul. The more you got to know her, the more you would love her. She was intelligent, and she seemed to know when to stand her ground when she had too. She often played the dumb blonde part. But she was far from that. She has recieved I think much respect since her death mainly because the words of her friends, family, and fans. And Bernhard, it would be nice even though you are Atheist, (and I can respect that) to have an open mind. Because there is obviously something after death we cannot explain. After almost 10 months Andrea is still speaking to us with a powerful voice. There are days that I would swear she was present with me in the same room. Silent but there. And now it just is not me? Even one of her family members had commented on how they felt like Andrea could walk right around the corner any time. Andrea is gone. But it is so obvious to me that her spirit is here among us all. Because of incidences like the one you have described is happening to a lot of people. Among things that happen that remind us of her. There is a reason.
Be thankful that she has touched you yet again to let you know she still remains part of us.
For Andrea, I love you and miss you but still believe in the person you truly were. Your spirit lives on.
I am thanking a lot for your last comment which deeply moved me. I have often thought about it and I think that you are absolutely right.
I noticed that all people wrote about Andrea only the in past tense. They wrote how wonderful woman she was and that she gone forever and everything is finished. Even if her soul lives on she is somewhere very far. I can understand it. I know how it is difficult to accept the loss of the loved person.
However I believe that life never ends. The life changes only and Andrea lives on. I think she is the same wonderful girl which she was earlier. She keeps her memory and the ability to feel. I also think that she still needs us. She needs our friendship, love and the prayers. She doesn't want to be forgotten or to be treated as part of history only.
Of course it isn't possible to see her or to touch her. However she can see us and she knows our thoughts and emotions and she can be more close us than it seems us.
Forgive me that this text is too personal but I had to write it.
She would never want to be forgotten. No of course not. The amount of people and the wide range of where they come from that come here to see news , stories, and updates of a person that has passed would really blow Andrea away. This just isn't in her home town, her country, her business. It is all around from people she knew to people that just knew of her because of her films. This feeling we have for Andrea is exactly who she was. It is quite frankly beyond words. And it is obvious that she touched more than a few hearts and lives in her short time here on earth. I could say how proud I was to of known her. But when I think of it I was very, very fortunate. After a few months without her I realized that I think she was much more of a force than she thought she would ever expect to be. I remember the day last June I was driving on the hiway. Feeling alone. Not lonley, but alone. I began to notice the warmth of the sun. Guess who popped up in my head. Yes it was Andrea. Then I began to remember her voice. Then I felt a warmth in my heart and I started to smile quite brightly. I could feel her precence. I was not sad at all. I did not feel a loss. I felt enlightened, encouraged. I knew where that was coming from. And it certainly wasn't from the sun. This is still some of the things Andrea is doing. As long as I remain breathing Andreas spirit will live inside of me. And I hope that after I stop breathing we will talk again. Until then I will miss her. But will always notice her.
I was reading again some of the early postings about the Show in Barcelona last year that you attended where there were tributes to Lea De Mae. I liked your posting a lot.
I wonder if you would share some of your recollections of your meetings with Lea (Andrea) and the modelling assignments at one or more locations over the years?
Do you have any informal pictures of Lea, I wonder. If you could send me some by e-mail as Bitmaps or larger JPG files, I can resize them as necessary with little loss of quality and post them up on here and CSS (Silvia Saint's Forum) where we have a special place for Lea too.