Expectation is the root of all heartache. How true is that statement.

A Proposal Must Be Perfect

Decided to write here about how the awesome Mr J proposed to me. As this blog is not known to anyone (except my stalkers :P), this post is to basically serve as a beautiful reminder on how the proposal happened, so I can look back at it fondly when I'm in my twilight years.

Alright, so it all began during my birthday. Or rather the plans were set in motion before my birthday when he  attempted to pakat with mum as well as to squirrel out stuff like my favourite flowers (no preference whatsoever - so whichever is cheaper would be great) and such. I've already made clear to him that I consider birthdays to be important days and he brilliantly set me on the wrong path by asking me if I were to mind should he not get me any birthday present. Of course I would! So, with such a statement, I had no expectations whatsoever.

However, all the plans were led awry when Mum fell down and fractured her knee. With his main co-conspirator out of action, his plans were all out of whack. Mum was admitted to Hospital Tawakal and she called him - in which he rushed all the way to Bentong from Kuantan. Faithfully he drove me to the Hospital on Friday, and followed Dad and me on Saturday to visit her. This would obviously cut down his preparation time. But despite the setback, he was perfectly sweet to Mum - the ideal son-in-law I guess. :P 

Here we are on the 3rd of November in Mum's luxuriously first class room - not that we can afford it, but because there weren't any beds left elsewhere. Here Dad sure looks surprised to be caught on camera! But I  think it's cute the way he's holding Mum's hand. And in this photo we can see how alike chec and me are. 

 From this pic we can conclude that I slug everywhere! And in here, chec is an accomplice! Hehehe.

 Later that night, after a dinner of noodles and fried rice bought from an alternative restaurant (supposed to be Indah Rasa but it has changed management, unfortunately) and a bath in which I've already changed to my pjs, J suddenly told me he wanted to take photos with the cake. So he told me to change. I told him to take tomorrow, but he said cannot, coz today's the birthday. So I followed along.

 During which, he presented me with an unexpected present!

 A gleeful looking me with my unexpected present. 

I've actually kind of hoped he'd propose on my bday, unfortunately, when I saw the size of the present, I guess it's not meant to be today (unless he's devious enough to hide the ring in such a big box with lots of padding)

 Pic with Daddy Dearest, one of the rare ones in which he was actually smiling. Hehehehe.

 Making a birthday wish which came true in the end!

 Greedy me chomping on my cake.

 Initially I tried to unwrap the present carefully, coz I wanted to save the wrapping paper as memorabilia...

 However, my patience ran out and I ended up tearing my present open! As usual it's in the ever useful Lactulose box. 

 Me with part of the present. My guess was correct. No ring anywhere in sight.

There were two books in the box. J asked me "How many books are there in the series?" And I answered that there were "3, I think." 

He also said that I looked disappointed in this pic. In a sense it's true. I like books, but I thought I'd be getting a ring instead. 

So he gave me another present! It was a homemade bookmark of us! And a clue written on a coloured paper!

 At first I didn't realize it was a clue. J told me to ask Dad. Dad said, should be lo. So it started with me hunting under tables for the next clue (and there were so many tables in our house).

Each clue was in a white envelope and are different coloured. Along with the clues was another bookmark. They were all nicely done. J helped me hold all the bookmarks while I searched for all the clues (all over my own house). Dad was occasionally helpful as well. :P

 Us with all the fourteen clues. After I completed the hunt, J gave me the final part of my bday present, which was the third book. Then I arranged all the bookmarks according to the numbers behind them, in piles of five. J rearranged them to the arrangement you see on the table.

As I sat on the table admiring the sight of my fourteen bookmarks, Dad asked if that was all. Initially I was a bit grumpy at him, of course it's all and it's not a puny gift either! But he kept persisting, and in the end I looked at the bookmarks carefully.

To the top right hand corner, there were letters! Spelling out : Will 

 You

 Marry 

 Me

So I got my proposal after all! After which, he got down on a knee and said, "Fiona Ooi, will you marry me?" 

The first thought in my head was that he sure pronounced my name weird. But I guess the Ooi is hard to pronounce. :P

The second thought was that "Man, I've got to remember every second of this!"

After which I nodded and said "Yes!". And we hugged and kissed in front of Dad, the cameraman. :P

The overall haul that night. Three wonderful books (to while away my time when he's not around, he said), fourteen beautiful bookmarks with their hidden message, fourteen clues to lead me to each bookmark, and a ring which cements my promise to marry him.

The end.