| Our story is pretty much like "You've Got Mail" the only difference is that for David and me it is, "You've Got an Instant Message!" June of 2000, David and I met through the matrix of the internet - much so though the help of Yahoo! Personals. The dot com industry was just starting to create waves in the Philippine industry (at least for what I know of) whereas it was already a radical soar in America. David was (still is) working for PEP technology in Costa Mesa, California while I was working for GMA Network (Channel 7) in Diliman, Quezon City, Philippines. As a curious individual, I rush headlong into the matrix of the web to see what it can really offer. As it is, the internet offers ton of information on any given topic. For this reason I crept and familiarized myself with the works of the internet. Then on one casual fine day, it occurred to me that perhaps the internet can be an avenue to meet new people and meet new friends. An interesting idea to ponder! Public chat room isn't my cup of tea. It seems to me that the place was a rigmarole of conversation; of different pen names relentlessly exchanging ideas. Ergo! I bail out of public chat rooms and found Yahoo! Personals. I tested the waters, put on a catchy ad. No photos, just some curious-triggering phrases. To cut to the chase, David was one of those who responded to my ad. He sent me a private Instant Message hoping to start a conversation, but I since I was so busy working at that time, I requested him to drop me an e-mail if he wouldn't mind and give me a brief description of himself. That very same day, I got his e-mail and I said to myself...hmmm...not a bad writer at all. The next day, he found me online, we chatted quite argumentatively. Despite the lenghty argument and exchange of point of views, the conversation went smoothly. On we chatted for 3 months before we decided to exchange photos. To a some extent I was hoping that David wasn't just an internet hobby since I am starting to believe that he is a good man. Few months afterwards, David told me of his tentative plan to visit the Philippines. Just the very idea of him visiting me gave me banks of butterflies in my stomach. A thin woman as I already was, I believed I lost another 10 pounds pondering on his planned visit. Doubts triggeried on our minds. We've talked and agreed that his visit is non-committal. He is only visiting as a friend and wherever our friendship will lead us, we will only take "baby steps." He arrived October 2000, amusingly enough I had my entire family as his grand entourage waiting for his arrival. My eldest sister "sweetly" pestered me with the odd possibility that David might not be the young good looking man he claimed to be, but rather an old balding fat "joe." She said, "What if I am right my dear sister? What if he isn't what he said he was?" I strongly replied, "If you are right "Ate" (A Filipino term use for an older sister) it means he lied and since he lied it is only but fair to send him back to where he came from." Turned out, David is real, with no excess emotional baggage to speak of. I can't remember what time he arrived, the only thing I remember was that we waited for an hour and half at the airport. At the very first sight of him, I felt my blood rushed to my face; and when he held my hand, it seemed that my heart beat raised to an abnormal rate of 100 times per minute. We fell in love the very minute we saw each other face to face. He stayed for a week and during that one week that we've been together, we had so much fun just trying to know each other. He loved his stay...even more so he loved the beaches and the warmth that was extended to him by his Filipino friends in the Philippines. David promised to come back soon to ask me for marriage. On April 2001 he kept his promise and came back. On April 29, 2001 he gave me a custom made engagement ring and proposed marriage to which I have said yes. That day when I said yes I have totally accepted that my spinster days were over. I have finally found the man I prayed for - an answered prayer. Finally the wait is over. July 10, 2001, I flew to United States on a fiancee visa. August 10, 2001, David and I tied the knot civilly at his hometown which is Bakersfield, California. Ten months after, exactly on June 26, 2002 we got married for the second time in Sanctuario De Santo Domingo, Manila, Phils. The rest...is a wonderful...bumpy...but happy married life. A chronicle of our married life can be read at: http://www.oocities.org/david_gracepearson/chronicle.html . |
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