The Proposal - Part 1

This entry is not something I would normally put up on the Internet but because it's such a significant event, I have to put it down in words, for memories sake, and for me to share my great experience to all of you reading this... :)

Initially, I thought of something simple but because she's someone so special, she deserves something unforgettable! So, lotsa thoughts were put into planning this, which requires lotsa time and effort. It has to be a special day, so I planned for a beautiful morning, and a lovely night. For the morning, I want her to be greeted in the most lovely and yet, surprising manner. To do that, I decided to decorate her cube. For the night, it's obvious that since I'm gonna pop the question, it has to be a place that is romantic. Like duh? :P

It all started with the preparation. Lunches after lunches, I skipped them, just to go off to the shopping malls to get all the necessary. So, what's on my list?

For the morning, since I wanted to decorate her cube, I went to get a vase. Guess what! I never knew vases can cost up to hundreds of Ringgit! Okay, I obviously didn't spend so much but still, it was shocking! Instead I spent lotsa time searching for an affordable one, and finally found it deep in the corners of Jusco, in Queensbay Mall. Why the vase? Here goes... I went down to the florist and left my vase there with instructions for the lady to fill it with roses, both red and white, and those little flowers (what are those called?). I also asked for a few stalks too, which I'll explain why later.

Next item was a pillow. She actually has a pillow on her seat at her cube already, but dear, I hope you don't mind me saying this, that gold pillow is not pretty, and it doesn't match you, a beautiful girl ;) So I thought of replacing it and I searched high and low for a nice, red, heart-shaped pillow but I just can't find it, neither in Queensbay Mall nor Gurney Plaza. And when I stumbled upon it on my second walkabout in Queensbay Mall, I found the perfect heart! But guess what, it's a decorative item in one of the shops! I begged them to sell it to me but they just won't! They said they got it in Jusco sometime last year, and I went another round in Jusco, and I just can't find it! Argh! Hopes dashed, I settled for a nice little red but squarish pillow.

Other decoratives include a little Christmas tree, since Christmas is around the corner. Oh, and there was a Forever Friends bear too :D It's one that has a Christmas cap and a little gift on its lap. It's a very cute one, for the cute girl I'm giving to! ;)

The day has come, well, not exactly that day but the eve of it, since I need to make sure the décor is there when she comes in to work the next morning. So, I went to the florist, grab the flowers and vase and brought it home, leaving the fan turned on to ensure the flower doesn't die when I'm out. I went back to work to pick her up for dinner at Pekaka Cafe with the others. Just as she went off to order her food, I "stole" her Intel badge. I had to cause I needed the access to her building, else I can't get to her cube.

The mission started the moment I dropped her off at her car in Intel, which was about 11pm already. I went straight home to get the vase and flowers, and then to the restaurant (I'll explain more later), and back to Intel. *phew* Putting on her badge, I quietly walked into the Intel premise. Bad news was, the badge didn't work! I can't get in! Argh! I went back to my car, thinking what I should do. Then I used my badge and go in instead, and it failed again! The vase and the luggage bag, yes, I used a luggage bag to store all the other stuff, were already at the entrance of her building. I thought to myself, okay, one last time, with her badge... Marched back to my car, grabbed her badge and went in again. By now, the guards on duty must be very suspicious of me already! As I walked for that few minutes to her building from my car, I kept praying. Guess what... It still failed! Ahh! I was lost, don't know what to do. The last thing that came to my mind was to be honest with the guards and asked them to let me in. And I did just that... It's a do-or-die mission, so I just had to ask them! I told them I just wanna leave some things on my girlfriend's cube... They obviously didn't allow! I begged non-stop, and soon, they asked me to call the Control Room, which I did and had to give me ID too. By now, it was already 45 mins past the time I started begging them and eventually, they allowed! Phew! Close call! Thank God! One of the guards had to accompany me in, just to make sure I do what I said I would.

At her cube, I put the vase with flowers, right behind her laptop docking station. Well, I brought some ribbons, hoping to tie around it but failed and I don't exactly like to work with someone just behind me, rushing me. Then I put on the Christmas tree on the right side of the station and I removed that not-so-pretty pillow and put mine on her chair. At last, I took a few stalks of red and white roses that I bought earlier, peel off the petals and sprinkled them all over the table. Perfect! Lastly, I left the Forever Friends bear on her chair, with the pillow :)

Phew, all done and that actually took 30mins plus, instead of just a few minutes, which I told the guards. Just as I was to leave, the Control Room called the guard who was with me and asked why was I taking such a long time. Just in time!

It was almost 2am when I left Intel. What a night! Thank God all still went well! Just needed more patience and determination. Don't give up so easily! Persevere till you reach your goal! And mine is to ensure a beautiful morning for my dearest Win Nee :)

As for the night, well, I reserved a table for two at Feringgi Garden. It's a beautiful place, and it's a place we both wanted to go months back. And of course, dim lights, nice music, just a romantic place.

From the same florist, I reserved a few stalks of red and white roses. From another florist, I asked them to deliver a bouquet of a dozen of roses and a dozen of Ferrero Rocher, since she likes chocs lots! :P

Ah, being the cheapo me, I bought a bottle of sparkling juice from Jusco. Well, actually, it's not exactly me being cheapo, but it's because the two of us don't drink alcohol, and she loves sparkling juice! ;)

Also, I burnt two copies of an audio CD with just Canon in D, one of which is a backup. You'll always need backups in cases like this!

Ah, what else is left? ...the most important thing, of course. It can't be a proposal without a ring, right? :D Searching for it high and low, I finally decided on one that I found in Gurney Plaza. It's just a simple one, but a really nice one, with a diamond, of course ;) It's the perfect one, and I was sure she would love it!

Okay, night has fallen, and we started out journey in a jam. Yes, it was raining. It took us 45 minutes to get there, and we had to rush back by 10pm for a birthday celebration. It all didn't seem too good at the start, but it worked out just as planned :)

We arrived, and headed straight to the table I booked the night before. I was at the restaurant the night before (the night just before I went into Intel to decorate her cube), just so I can drop the sparkling juice, book a nice table, and tell the waiters and waitresses what to do. I also wanted to have a "feel" of what's going to happen tomorrow, just so all will work out according to plan.

The table was well decorated, with a special white cloth covering it, with red and white roses spread across the table, and of course, a candle light flickering as we spend a wonderful time, right next to a beautiful Christmas tree. The environment was just great, dimmed lights, slow lovely music, and a drizzling wet night to make it so very cozy!

Dinner served, and hoping that the night would last forever, but knowing that I have a birthday celebration to attend to, I hurriedly asked for an excuse to go to the washroom, which I didn't, but instead, I went to the waitress who received the flowers from the florist. I also dropped her the CD, and instructed her to play Canon in D.

As the music started, I asked her to increase the volume, and I walked to my darling with the bouquet of flowers on one hand, and the ring on the other. As I stopped right next to her, she was already smiling at the flowers. I went down on one knee, and nervously, I asked her the question. She was all smiles, and I couldn't believe my ears when she said, "Yes, yes, okay, get up..." :) Hehe, she's one shy girl, and the other customers all around us clapped, and congratulated us! :D But wait, I wasn't up yet, cause only then, I slipped the ring onto her finger. Wow! It sure was a moment to remember! :D As the music continues, we took photos of this memorable moment! Finally, it was done! :D

Thank God all went smoothly, and thank God it was a YES from her! She's been an amazing blessing ever since, and I can't tell you how much she has helped me in all ways; my life, my walk with Him, my ministry, my work, and just about every area of my life! Thank God for this angel that You've sent me, Lord! It's such a miraculous gift, and surely, it's only by Your grace that I have received this! :D

November 27th 2008, and it is, indeed, still a very significant date for us, the day we turned from friends, to great friends, committing ourselves to marriage, well, almost, as I'll leave that for The Proposal - Part 2 :)

Edit: A few were confused with this entry :P Well, the above is my proposal to Win Nee to ask her to be my girlfriend, not wife, not just yet ;) ...and by that saying we're committing ourselves to marriage, it actually means that our end goal, from this, would be, hopefully, and almost, an eventual marriage :)