My Story So Far

[Martin]

Dave, I am so happy to hear this news. I wish you both a long and happy life together.

[Arnold]

It really is great to hear/see meetings turn out this well .. to the point of no return .. only to ask THEE question . Each and everytime I get to follow a Guy through this and find him being over-joyed to have found such ( which sometimes seemed almost un-reachable ) wonderful Woman in a far away Land . It reminds me , of my first Trip and feel this happiness all over again . This is why , being here  AFTER we are done with our Journey .. is so great .. get to enjoy other's with their up and down's . Makes it all worth it .

[Bee964]

Thanks for all the feedback. I have been laid-up the past several days due to catching the flu and was bed ridden for 3 and a half days. I have felt a little better today so I will try to finish up the trip. Although not much happened there are still things to say about my trip.

After Lotus mountain we did not plan any other excursions out to see major sights. We wanted to spend as much time as possible together knowing it may be a while before we see eachother again. Truthfully speaking I was surprised that we hit it off right from the get go. I was prepared to see some rough spots in getting to know eachother face to face. She thought the same thing. There has been no rough spots to work through. I have found it amazing that 2 people could meet on the internet and get along very well together and then plan a trip to meet face to face and get along so very well. Usually as we drive around GuangZhou LingLing would get laughing because I tend to make comments under my breath to the people that stare at me. I would not say anything mean or belittling to them. Some people would just stop in their tracks and look. So I would not feel so centred out I would usually try to say something funny to them. I had a man asking me to take his and his wifes picture at a park. He was looking at his camera and talking to me in cantonese and when he looked at me properly and realised I was not chinese he just froze. I was chuckling and said that I wondered when he would look up. Then to my surprise he asked me where I was from in very good english. I guess the expression on my face was priceless.  LingLing and the wife had a good laugh over it.

We spent the last couple days walking the markets and looking for gifts to bring home to the friends and relatives. Most places we went to she would haggle with the owner. I wanted to get 2 compacts, one for each of my daughters. We walked away with 12, 2 RMB each, 24 RMB total. 2 would have cost 10 RMB at full price. So now I think every female relative I have is getting one. I found these led scrolling name badges in an electronic shop. A friend of mine and both my daughters being in retail will get them. I stuck to getting just the three and still got a good price on them. She told me that if I buy 12 I could have got them at almost half price. My friend likes his. I have not given it to my daughters yet.

She would walk through the food market and grab something from the bin and ask me if I like it. Depending on the taste I would usually say something. She did this with a dried mushroom once. So I took it and examined it and proceeded to try it. She started yelling "No no no.... you must prepare first!" I would respond that I cannot tell you if I like it until I try it. Most things are all right but some things I just did not like. Every shopping trip was like that.

When we would eat we would stick to smaller out of the way places that she knew about that were very good. LingLing really likes the small noodle shops around town. They are pretty good though. I want to say something here about eating with chopsticks. This was my first time doing this. After almost 3 weeks I had some good times with them and then there were some bad times. Most meals there would usually be at least one incident when I would grab something, say a shrimp, and just as I get it to my mouth one of the chopsticks would move a little and the shrimp would go flying off to the floor. Most times the waitstaff would bring a spoon for me but I would still percevier. Well, sometimes I would give up and use the spoon.

It is well into march now and I have neglected to finish this post due in part to the fact that I still was not well and the illness continued well into the 2nd week. Then I had a rather nasty letter from a lawyer and I have been kept busy looking for records in my files. I have these now and feel a little more relieved and a lot less stressed so I will try to continue.

We spent our last couple days together just enjoying eachothers company. We knew that parting was going to be hard and we were trying to prepare ourselves for it. We knew that we got along very well together and we seem to be a good match for eachother. We talked about where our relationship will be headed now that we know we want to be together. We also talked about when I should return for another visit with her. She just wants me to come back and stay forever. I know this is not possible and she knows this too but as she said she was just telling me what she wants. I am thinking that I hope that I can return before the end of june because that is when my visa expires but that may be a tight squeeze. I think that september may be a better bet as to when I can return.

The last night was a restless one. I could not sleep. I kept waking up and I would just look at her sleeping. Then I would fall back asleep for another 30 minutes or so and wake up and just watch her sleep again. When the alarm went off at 4:00 am my heart just sank. I did not want to leave. I never felt so bad. Here I was with a woman that was everything that I ever wanted and I had to leave her and come home. I thought to myself that it will probably help if I think about seeing my children, my parents and friends. It did help a little but I still did not want to leave. We got up and got ready and packed up the remaining things in her car and off we went to the airport. When we got to the airport we kept ahold of eachother and did not let go until we had to. We saidour good byes and I went through security and headed toward the gate. When I got to the gate I sat down and started to get ready relax a bit before boarding the plane. Then I heard her cell phone ringing in my pocket! Crap! I still have her cell phones in my pocket! I had to race back to the security spot and ask a guard to take her phones to her. At least I got one last look at her before I had to leave. This brought tears to my eyes again. I headed back to the gate and sat down for about 5 minutes before I had to board the plane and head back home.

When I got back to Toronto I did not get my luggage again. It had been hijacked again by the US TSA again. It would arrive the next day and I told the airline I would return to pick up the bags. That is when I had a long conversation with the airline personel. They told me what was happening to my luggage on this trip. When you travel through the US they will take your bags and examine them at their facility on the airport grounds. This takes time. Usually more time than people have between flights. So your bags will get put on the next flight out to the destination outside of the US. In the case of my flight to china it was the next day.o when my bags got to Shanghai there was nobody there to claim them and recheck them through to GuangZhou. This is why they took 5 days to get to me and when I returned home it took an additional day to get my bags. I did claim them in New York and rechecked them through to Toronto but the TSA grabbed them and took them to their facility and this delayed my bags. What a pain in the ass!!

As I am home now for several weeks I feel the strong urge to return to china to be with LingLing. I will start looking at flights again but I will keep in mind that I need some time between connecting flights to make sure I get my bags! I am looking forward to my return to china and moreso to being with my LingLing!!

Dave C

ps.

LingLing's best friend lives in Switzerland, about one hours drive from where my sister lives. I am going back to France in may and I hope that I get a chance to meet her and her family. She is married to a frenchman and they have a daughter that is 3 years old. I have talked to this friend several times on the phone and I would like to meet her face to face.

Dave C

[john1964]

Dave, I have had such a good time reading your post today, I can relate to your story so many ways, Wow, so many memories have come flooding back to me, The people in Beijing would stop in their tracks to stare at MinYing and me and this was annoying to me and a little uncomfortable to my wife, We both perceived with the relationship and now i am so proud to say she is my wife, The story in her home town was a little different some three months later when i returned and she did not care about the locals staring at us,,She would not let me go, Hand in hand every where we went.

Our last night together in Beijing on my first trip was a lot like yours, sleepless and my heart sank too when the alarm went off, I know how you felt.

True the family, Children can make you feel good but the desire to be back in China with my wife is so overwhelming, The communication sometimes can be so hard but i have to concentrate on the bigger picture , It might take a while but it is worth the wait, Really happy to read your post today, I thank you for making my day bright and remembering why i am here, cheers, ,,,,  John .

[Bee964]

John,

Thanks for the comments on the post. I am trying to think of when I can return to this amazing woman! I hope it is sometime soon. I have been thinking of sometime in september realisticaly but I am hoping for sometime sooner. My visa expires the end of june but I don't know if I can return by then. I really hope to but I won't hold my breath. There seems to be nothing but problems cropping up left and right. I will keep everybody posted here though on when I get the trip booked.

This amazing woman is worth the effort at getting back there.

Dave C

[john1964]

Hi Dave, I know what you mean when you say that problems keep cropping up every where, My next flight is booked for the 25th of May but problems keep arising, MinYing is pleading with me to return and i will do my best to not disappoint her but i may have to, My visa will expire soon too but i will renew it anyway.
Amazing woman,,,Ha ha , I know where you are coming from, Every so often my wife does something that keeps me begging for more,,Just today she texted me during her English class  and wrote "good morning husband" In English,, for first time ,I was so overwhelmed and i have had a smile on my face all day long,  If only China was closer to Australia , I would return every month just to be with this AMAZING woman,,, Happy for you Dave,,regards from John.

[Arnold]

Isn't it amazing how we now appreciate those " LITTLE " things sooo much more .. when we're apart ? It can make Love grow at record speeds .

I know how it feels Dave , weeks seem like Years . You'll make it ... ohhh .. both of you will !

[halfpint]

These long distance relationships are a challenge.  Many highs and lows.  Hopefully, we are all up to the challenge!

[Irishman]

Only long distance until they arrive home with you! Its a long journey but one I'm glad I took, couldn't be happier now:)

[Bee964]

Ahh to have the luck of the Irish! Yes you are at the end of this stage of the journey Irishman. Now the page turns and you have started on the next stage. And how we are green with envy!

Yes Arnold and John it is the little things that make it worth the wait. I love getting those text messages on my phone. "Just wanted to say hi." or "Good morning honey!" means so much sometimes.

I happened to find a flight to Hong Kong for $1058 CDN from Toronto for the middle of may to the middle of june, nonstop, and I am seriously thinking about it since LingLing said she could meet me at the airport there. I was thinking of going back to China sometime later in the year, september or october. I will have to make my mind up soon I guess.

Dave C

[Jingle]

Such a looooooooooong story

[Jingle]

Such a looooooooooong story

heh heh heh ....  a lot of us have very long stories, that are still going !!!   

lol...wats ur story ?

[shaun]

Jingle,  maybe we should be asking you what is your story. 

I have noticed your English is very good.  When your are comfortable enough why don't you tell us your story.

The short side of mine is that I have a fiance who lives in Shaoguan.  She failed her first attempt on an interview in Guangzhou and we are preparing for our second  attempt.  I plan to see her before the end of this year and we will marry then.

[Arnold]

Yes .. Shaun is right Jingle . Most Stories from the Member's here are pretty much explained to some degree ( bad or good ) , so please tell us a little about yourself .. if you are interested in finding somebody here . Which by the way is not an easy thing .. as we are not loaded with Single Member's in our Forum . After posting some details , you will see who is interested in starting a Friendship/Relationship with you .

As for my Story , it is like an open Book on my Blog which you can visit anytime from my URL on the bottom of each Post .
So feel free to let us know about you , we are all Friends here ( I think ) and see what becomes of it .

[Jingle]

Jingle,  maybe we should be asking you what is your story. 

I have noticed your English is very good.  When your are comfortable enough why don't you tell us your story.

The short side of mine is that I have a fiance who lives in Shaoguan.  She failed her first attempt on an interview in Guangzhou and we are preparing for our second  attempt.  I plan to see her before the end of this year and we will marry then.

Thanks for the compliment , Shaun  as for me , i dont really have so many stories to share , if compared to all of you    if u really intersted in knowing me ,i will tell u later ,but can not promise my stories are intersting ,lol ,actually quite boring