ringer

by mike
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Ok..Ok..She didn't exactly say yes at the onset. But I did check with her before I slipped the ring in her finger and she confirmed that it was a definite YES (whew!).

So how did the ring come to be?

Well, I started browsing as early as August last year. It wasn't a full blown search at that time, but I knew then that I would before the year ended.

The real search began right after I got back from my US stint last October. Foolish of me to think that it would be easy. Cut. Clarity. Color. Carat. I must have been sleeping when they taught that in school!!!

It took me more than a month of searching before I finally came across my diamond. With the help of a friend (who also just recently got engaged), I found a stone that was as brilliant, as white, and as clear as I wanted it to be.

My joy was short-lived though. There was this tiny little problem.... I still didn't know her ring size and it was already December. Oh boy!! :0

I was running out of ideas on how I'd get her ring size. I was even contemplating just plainly asking what her ring size is. But thank God for cousins!! While we were hanging out in my cousin's place after the first bday of my god-daughter Nicole (Dec. 10), I asked my cousin, Ate In, if she could find a way to get Pia's ring size. She said leave it to her, and true enough, after an hour, she was able to get it. All it took was a story about a quaint little store in Switzerland that sold precious stones and she was able to sway Pia into trying out her ring (how gullible...hehe).

The following week, I had the stone set. I wanted a setting that was classic in look, feminine in style, and not too common. After looking through several designs, one design stood out. It was then that I realized that I've found "my perfect ring".

I had my ring a good two weeks prior to the year-end...just enough time to ask for blessing from both my parents and her parents. Everything turned out as I hoped for and the rest is history.


Today's is the first day of the new year. 2005 has not been easy for both of us. We were apart for majority of the year (10 out of the 12 months). I was in the US from Jan-Oct and when I came back, she left for vacation for 3 weeks. As cliche as it may sound, absence really does makes the heart grow fonder. And with the wedding preparations just around the corner, we truly are looking forward to a fun-filled 2006.