Shaw-Fen's Story

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How did we met?

As a kid,I love watching sports on TV.Gymnastics and table tennis were among my favorites. My father had a great influence on this.I remember everytime I watch these events on TV during Olympic games,dad would tell me how good Nadia Comaneci,how versatile Li Ning.Well,as a kid,I used to watch Olympic games with my father.Both our favourite events were gymnastics and table tennis games. As we went along,dad would tell me a little bit about geopolitical stuffs of Romania and the Soviet Union,the two countries that dominated gymnastics in Olympics.I was amazed and dreamed of meeting those people one day.
I worked as a Passenger Services Agent for Singapore Airport Terminal Services,a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines for 6 years.My employment at Singapore Airlines was,I would say a fruitful and meaningful one.It was an interesting job,meeting different nationalities and people from all walks of life.German tourists were the ones whom I found most unique.It was probably the language they spoke.Or it was the unique intonation of their language. Well,I just couldn’t resist sometimes to lean over and hear their conversations.I couldn’t understand a word but it just sounded so unique and beautiful even though they did not sound as gentle and soft as French.
I was so eager to know and understand what they were talking about.My curiosity finally ended when I enrolled myself into a German course in Goethe-Institut.After one and half year course,I was able to master the German Grammar but couldn’t speak so fluently.I thought things might improve if I go for an intensive six month or one year course in Germany.
So,in March 1998 I went on internet to search for a language school in Germany.Did not find one immediately, instead of continue searching I started browsing through websites for pen pals.I came across Joe’s particulars in one of these e-mail-pals’ site.I found him interesting,he reads a lot, loves to write letters and travel.Furthermore,he is a German.Mmmmh... maybe he could help me.Without ado, I e-mailed him and asked if he was interested to have a friend from this part of the world-Asia.Bingo,he replied and said ‘Yes’.I did not tell him my intention.We started e-mailing and wrote about everything from books to movies to travel to religions,except about language school.Later on,I found that we have so much in common,the things we went through,the same thoughts we share on family matters,politics,books,movies,places and so on. Nevertheless,something did boggle me,doubts,worries and suspicious.I was not sure if there was such a coincident to know someone like Joe.Was he trying to just please me?Or was it something else ?Two months later we were in love through the cyber space.We exchanged photos and continued emailing.
Six months later,I came to Germany for vacation with my pal, Kim.We would meet each other for the first time.I arrived at Frankfurt airport very early in the morning,after custom I spotted a man with thick beard and three roses in his hand.It was Joe that I recognized,it was an odd feeling meeting for the first time.Nevertheless,I gave him a kiss.
He came to Singapore that year for Christmas.We took a train from Singapore back to Kuala Lipis on New Year eve 1998.Joe met my mother on New Year’s day 1999.It was a tense situation as my mother did not agree to see him before he arrived.Thank God,mother did not put up a big drama with me,she treated him like a guest and the meeting went on well.We thought she might like Joe.
He went home after the holiday and our daily lives back to normal again.Keeping contacts with emails.After a few serious discussions,finally I told Joe about the language school course plan.He supported my plan and then a decision was made.I quit my job and came to Germany end of October 1999.
We spent our second Christmas together,but this time in Germany.It was that new year’s eve that we decided to get married.I called my mother the next day to ask for her blessing.Rather startled,or not so except that it was,she finally gave her blessing.She kept her cool as usual even amidst unbearable ordeal.But deep down her heart,I knew she was rejoicing.
We registered our marriage here in Gelsenkirchen on the 20th APR 2000 and had a church wedding also in Gelsenkirchen at the Methodist Church on the 6th.MAY 2000.