Originally Posted on 16th July 2008

“Meishan, will you marry me?””Get up you silly pork! Don’t embarrass me here!”

“I won’t until you answer me properly!”

“Aiyo… Yes lah yes lah!”

“Yes what?”

“Yes I will marry you!”

There was I, kneeling on the cold sand in the middle of St Kildas Beach, Melbourne, Australia, proposing to my girlfriend of 5 years. It was a sunny, yet cold day – 13 degrees it was on the Celsius scale.

It was evident that she was touched. She had never expected me to have bought the rings. Proven from the fact that she had prodded me into jewelry chains multiple times during the last 2 months. Asking me to look at rings. Painful time for me as she has expressed that there were nicer designs elsewhere.

There was even once that she doubted that I would buy the rings to propose marriage. But I held my ground and did not divulge the secret.

Kein was the person who had thought of such a plot. Along the way he had sent me samples of photographs and satellite images of the place that we would be going to. He even engaged the President of the Photography Club – Chandra to take the pictures. It is with my most sincere thanks to Kein that the entire thing was a success.

I had the jitters for weeks before the actual event itself. Whenever I thought about the coming overseas trip, I would start to feel nervous and exhilarated at the same time. I was worried that it will not go well. What if it rains? What if I forget the rings? What if I want to change my mind?

Yes I thought of that. Why did I though? I questioned myself on my purposes of a proposal. Did I do it so that I can have free sex for the rest of my life? Unlikely, since being in a marriage is harder than anything else I know of.

I realized my proposal was due to many different reasons all cumulating to a single consequence. I love this woman. I admit that finding a soul mate in this crazy world and worse, society is a real hard task and that I may be the most blessed man to have found one. I wanted to recognize that this is the point where we have decided to commit to each other and to Him. I wanted her to know that she means a lot to me for me to want to do this. I wanted her to be able to tell her friends that I proposed at a place that shall always be in her heart. I needed to do it proper so we can move on to the next stage in our love live – marriage.

It was a happy occasion, a day when the seagulls flew easily on the strong winds. A day when the yachters adjusted their sails to match the currents. Where the penguins came out to meet the swans.

A perfect day for a proposal.