Meson and Sarena


Thursday, July 3, 2008


On this page, you'll find the stories of "How We Met" and "The Proposal"
(with "His" and "Her" versions)

How We Met

Meson on Sarena

It’s really hard to pinpoint when I actually first met Sarena, though I do remember talking to her and one of her friends during my sophomore and her freshman year. But it wasn’t until 2 years later where we really did start to talk. First it was Celebrations, the English handbell performing group which she had joined and that I helped conduct. Then before I knew it, she would come with me after school to the Great Harvest Bread Co. and get some free samples of bread (I must have eaten at least 100 slices of free bread while I was in high school). Then I would drop her and whoever was in car off at their house before I would go home and procrastinate to the best of my ability.

Before I knew it, we ended up being pretty good friends. We never really hung out by ourselves during highschool, though I did go over her house once (her dad was VERY quiet, by the way).

It kept up for a while, but like all great things, it came to an end once the next school year started and I was in college. Or so I thought.

There were very few people I kept in contact with after high school. Sarena happened to be one of them. We still chatted whenever I was online and hung out a couple times during my college breaks.

We kept in touch pretty much through college and all the way into the working world. She became a fully licensed physical therapist, and I became a fully certified music teacher.

Then one day, I took a class with a guest speaker from Brazil. He opened my eyes to a lot of music from Latin America, particularly samba and salsa music. I was so fascinated that at the end of the class, I talked to the professor about the music I was hearing, telling him that I wanted to learn more. The conversation took a turn with the professor telling me that in order to really understand the music, one has to also learn how to dance to it. I decided then that I wanted to take dancing lessons.

I remember going online one day and talking to Sarena and telling her that I was going to take lessons. She replied that she was always thinking about that as well, being particularly interested in salsa dancing. So we decided that we would start looking around for a studio. We ended up finding a studio that just opened, so after a couple of visits, we decided to enroll in lessons there (it helped that they were offering a 2 for 1 deal). We would meet a few days a week for lessons and sometimes, end up hanging out before or after to eat or sometimes just relax at Barnes and Noble.

Then one day, I started noticing that Sarena wasn’t being the usual optimistic self that she was. She then told me that she was having problems with her relationship. Eventually, it got to a point where she stopped attending classes outside of our private lesson. Then she didn’t attend private lessons. I called her to see if she was okay and she told me that she was busy and couldn’t come to dance classes (I found out a couple months later that she had ended her relationship). Life continued on, though it did feel weird to come by myself. After all, this was something that we both started together. But since it’s hard to back out of something that you’re committed to, I still kept going.

Eventually, I started to see her at classes again. Just like before, we started catching up and talking as if though we saw each other yesterday. She seemed to be like her old self again. As for me, I was continuing to do the same. Interestingly enough, there was a dance showcase that was happening within the next month, so we had to train extra hard for it, especially since it was going to be our first solo dance. Besides spending extra time at the studio, we even ended up spending extra time practicing at each other’s houses (she has a small, but wooden floor while I had a big, but ceramic tile floor). We didn’t want to fail or look bad.

To be honest, it’s really hard to say when it was starting to become more than just a “dancing” relationship. Maybe it started happening when we started practicing more. Maybe it started when I took her out to dinner at PF Chang’s because I just got a decent tax return. Maybe it was when she invited me to the Bodyworlds exhibit at the Franklin institute. Next thing I know, here I am, having conversations with her late at night at her house (which I never did), hanging out with her even when there weren’t any classes that night.

Then one Tuesday night on May 2, 2006, we went out to dinner. And by Wednesday May 3, we became a couple.

Sarena on Meson

I cannot pinpoint the exact moment in time when I met Mes. All I could remember was that we were a couple of the few Filipinos that roamed the halls of Cherry Hill High School East and were members of similar clubs, particularly, the Asian ones (ACS, KCC, etc). Mes was a year ahead of me so I did not share classes with him that would bridge the gap of acquaintance to friendship. It was not until my junior year and his senior year through our involvement in the Music department (he was in multiple choir ensembles, Orchestra, and Band while I was in Vocal) did our friendship blossomed. Our high school music department started a new English hand bell group, which I joined. Being a new group, we were in need of a director. Mes, having played English hand bell at his church (and a proficient player that he was and still is), was nominated by our teacher for the position. Needless to say, it was the start of our journey into friendship.

My impression of Mes at that time? Well, he was in the "popular" crowd with the touch of Asian stereotype- Mr. Overachieving Smarty pants (AP/honors classes, multiple clubs and activities). But unlike some of the upper classmen, he was very down to earth and approachable. He mingled even with the not-so-popular social butterflies like me. He was (and still is) a gentleman. For example, he would always offer rides to fellow students who stayed late or missed the bus after school (students like me) even though it was out of his way. If time permits, Mes would take us to Bread&Co for free samples of their tasty bread. Mes played the big brother type of friend in high school, not just to me but to many of the underclassmen.

After his graduation, Meson and I kept in touch, particularly through our “bulkmail” email group and instant messenger. Whenever he’d come back home to Cherry Hill, we would meet up to catch up. This friendship continued on well even after my graduation. (He was one of the two people from highschool I kept in touch with.) Through the years, our friendship persevered through many seasons of life, from changing majors and colleges to relationships and break ups despite the distance and the busyness of life. It wasn’t until last year that this friendship would evolve into something more.

The Proposal

may 27, 2007::her version

First of, we want to praise God and thank Him for all that He has done and continues to do... we want to lift this time of celebration up to Him....

I must have told this story a thousand times now... but I still love re-telling it... I must say, my fiancé is an excellent planner/researcher... to think I would tease him for being predictable- unable to keep secret surprises from me.....

How he proposed:....it started off with a simple conversation a few months ago where his parents asked him if I would like to come to his cousin's wedding in Texas this past memorial day weekend (Saturday)... of course having had a horrible experience with vaca's with a significant other's family from a previous relationship, I was very hesitant to go.... I told him that it would be upto my parents, whose decisions I weighed very heavily since Mes and I started dating esp regarding things such as these .... however, for many weeks, I dragged my feet on this issue since I knew the chances of my coming was very slim... but Mes surprised me by asking my rents himself without my knowledge until after the fact.....alot of people asked me if I knew, to which responded, "I really had no idea he was asking something else besides my coming to the trip".... (my mom has such a funny version of that night Mes asked for my hand-I wish she could write it down here...anywho, apparently mes had planned to ask them sooner had he known they were going to the phils for a couple of weeks, info which he only found out the night before they left)

Earlier during the week of, Mes told me he had planned a night out for just the two of us on sunday, something that his dad approved of and was encouraging about, "That'll be good so you and Sarena can have time together".... the night included dinner for 2 at Mark's American Cuisine (a former church that they had turned into a restaurant, apparently one of the top 10 in the country) and possibly a visit at a famous park on the way to dinner.... again, I didn't have any clue to the motive of his plan since this was nothing out of the ordinary because he loves taking me out to eat...

Fast forwarding to the day of, it had started to rain the afternoon after church on sunday (we attended his relatives' church at Rice Temple Baptist church in Houston), that the visit to the park didn't look promising... Mes was of course discouraged but there was still the dinner which we were both looking forward to =)... around 4ish, we noticed that the rain had stopped (dinner reservation was at 6:15) and Mes brought up again the idea of visiting the park before dinner (which i have to admit, i was getting a little annoyed because that meant getting ready earlier... haha... "there he goes again with that park" .....)... but i decided to be a sport and be supportive of his plans for a romantic evening for us.... another perk of the night: was that his uncle lent us his daughter's car for our night out in town which was great in minimizing the hassle of using taxi cabs....

We got to the park around 5:30 and decided to walk around and check out the place... I was busy taking pictures and admiring the romantic scenery and somewhat noticing Meson's quiet demeanor... "Let's go to the japanese garden," he says (where he had originally intended to propose)... when we got there the place was closing at 6:00pm, which was in 5 mins.....so we briefly walked around, took pictures,....Mes was very quiet, apparently wasn't too impressed with the garden (one of the top sites in houston for proposals).... anyways, we finished walking around and decided to make our way to the restaurant.

I should mention that before we left the marriot (where we all-his parents, he, and i- were staying at) Mes brought this green gift box- which he mentioned was for his cousin's bday in 2 wks (we had planned to meet up with him right after dinner)... I got a little annoyed that he would buy him a present without consulting me (since we usually get presents together)... but I was too preoccupied with the plans for the night to even dwell on the issue....

We got to the restaurant, valet parked... Mes brought the gift in with him... I just thought-maybe he didn't want to get it stolen or something... afterall, the day before, his mom brought in both of her purses into the wedding reception for similar reason (she later tells me was because she had the ring in one of them)...

Mes told me he intended to propose at the restaurant... however he aborted the plan when it started becoming busy and more patrons were pouring in....during mid-dinner, he suggested for us to go back to the park (there he goes again with the park thing)... i told him, i doubted we could go back being it would be dark by then and thinking that we wouldn't be allowed on grounds.... I kept insisting that he should call his cousin to see what we were supposed to be doing after dinner... "in a minute," he says..... we enjoyed our meal, talked 'bout the wonderful wedding and the weekend.... by the time dessert rolled around, it was still light out, so i agreed to go back...

When we pulled up at hermann park for the 2nd time of the night, Mes tells me, "actually the gift is for you but don't open it yet. I want you to open it when we're in the park." (I absolutely love his sweet and thoughtful gifts!) on our way in, there was a concert going on- beautiful, romantic music was permeating the whole area. Absolutely perfect ambiance!.... Mes picked a spot, asked me to finally open the gift... I opened it-it was a Barbie doll.... At first glance it looked like a princess doll... on top of it was a sheet of paper stating 10 reasons why he was giving me a Barbie doll (with #2 being because growing up I never got to have a real Barbie doll- a little tidbit I told him about me a long time ago- I'm surprised he remembered).. I skimmed through the top 10 once.... Mes told me to look at the doll again and to read the list slowly.... I glanced at his gift once more and saw that it was a Wedding Barbie.... my first real one.... when I got to #1 which instructed me to look at him, he took the doll from me temporarily, got down on one knee and asked me to marry him....I cried first, of course.... and then said YES!..... and the slow dance music played on in the background as we danced the night away.... =)

The ring is of course just perfect very simple yet elegant with designs that speak "very me" and "very him"....I have to give kudos to my whole family, who for almost a whole month was tight-lipped and did not spill any beans regarding Meson's plot.... for tito and tita for playing along the whole weekend... we thank our parents for everything they have done for us.....our church, who in the past have prayed for us, who last night prayed over us, and who continue to lift us up in prayers.... our youth, for being part of our testimony and who we hold dearly in our hearts.. for those who have greeted us and shared our wonderful life altering news... and of course we give glory to the One up above who is the author of our story...... a new chapter has begun and we praise God for this wonderful time and we lift these upcoming months of planning to Him...

may 27, 2007::his version

After many weeks of praying and planning, I had planned to ask Sarena to marry me during Memorial Day weekend after my cousin’s wedding at Houston. The plan was either to ask at a local park (Hermann Park) or at a restaurant that I had reserved prior to arriving. Throughout the entire time, I had consulted a lot of family and friends, and most importantly, God through prayer. After all, it was through Him that this relationship had begun and taken the turns that it had and of course it is up to Him to determine where it will go.

Sarena and I arrived without incident that Friday night and we settled into the hotel suite that my parents had rented for the four of us to stay in. Since we got there late Friday night, we just unpacked some things and slept.

Saturday was a very busy day. My cousin’s wedding was really beautiful, starting from the music beforehand all the way down to the recession. Afterwards, we ended up driving to the reception, which was really nice. I introduced Sarena to my uncle and aunt and after the ceremony to my cousin and her brother, both of whom I haven’t seen in about 7 years. At the reception, we sat with my other cousins, who already knew her from my family’s Thanksgiving dinner. At our table, one of my cousins asked when we were going to get married. I found that funny due to the irony of the situation (none of them knew of my intentions). I remember giving some kind of elusive answer, then quickly went back to eating our food. The day ended with an after-party, where my cousins and I discussed having a reunion. I silently chuckled to myself, since I would be the one providing one (assuming Sarena was going to say yes).

Sunday came and I was feeling nervous. I actually haven’t been sleeping well the last couple of days, which I told Sarena. When she asked why, I told her that I was just excited for the weekend (obviously it was a little more than that). We went to the same church as yesterday for service and participated in a study group after (very interesting and enlightening, by the way). I was a bit worried about the day because when we left the church, it was starting to rain. I was guessing that going to the park wouldn’t be an option. When we got back to the hotel, we ended up taking a nap, since we were both tired from the night before (and because my nervous energy was starting to run out).

When we woke up, we still had a couple of hours before our reservation. However, the rain disappeared and on top of that, it was sunny and clear outside. So after going to the local supermarket to buy some water and get Starbucks, I urged for us to go to the park, saying “I heard it was really nice there.” So we went in our car (which was actually our cousin’s) and drove. On the way, however, I ended up grabbing a box which housed a Barbie Wedding doll along with a sheet titled, “Top 10 Reasons why I gave You this Barbie Doll.” The number one reason said for her to look at me, from which I would do the deed. I told her that my cousin’s brother’s birthday was coming up and that I got him a present (a total lie, of course) and that we would give it to him if we ended up hanging out with him after our dinner (which didn’t happen, though we talked about it the day before). She didn’t seem to suspect anything.

So we got to the park a little bit before our dinner. It was a beautiful place, filled with a replica of the Washington Monument and reflecting pool, a wonderful and clear lake, and of course the beautiful Japanese gardens. Unfortunately, it was also filled with a lot of people at the time so after some self-deliberation, I decided not to propose to her then.

We then went to the restaurant. Although the meal was very satisfying and she was happy about it, I decided not to propose then for the same reason I didn’t propose at Hermann Park: There were too many people around. At this point, I was starting to feel desperate to salvage the situation. I then looked up at the window as we were finishing our meal. It was then I noticed that it was still sunlight outside. So I asked Sarena if we could go to the park. She seemed puzzled (and maybe a little annoyed), but she said yes anyway.

By the time we got to the park, the atmosphere was completely changed. The night lights were on, the sun was setting, but most importantly, no one was at the park. At first I was wondering why, but then I realized that there was a concert going on at another section of the park, where they were singing romantic MoTown songs (which helped the mood). We were walking around, enjoying the atmosphere when I saw the perfect spot to propose. So I took her there, told her how much I thanked her for coming with me this weekend and gave her the present. She opened it up and seemed confused about the Barbie Doll. I then asked her to read the Top 10 paper with it, but she skimmed it and was still confused. I then asked her to read it again. When she finally got down to the number one reason, I took the doll from her (by then, she realized what kind of doll it was), got down on one knee, pulled out the box that the ring was in and asked…

After what felt like forever (it was only a minute) of her crying (and me asking again what her answer was), she said yes. Then we danced the night away as the concert music played on...