By now, I’ve told what seems like the entire world, but in case you somehow didn’t get the memo: Sean proposed to me and I said yes! Well, actually, I said “Are you serious?! Seriously?!?! YES!!!”
Although you already know how the story turned out, I’d like to share the details of what was quite possibly the best day of my life (WARNING: This is a loooooong one):
Since we’re both going to school next year, meaning two very long years living in different cities, we had been discussing getting engaged for some time now. However, I made Sean promise that if it wasn’t going to happen in China, he would tell me, so that I could stop wondering when and how it was going to happen and focus on all the other wonderful things about being here. So a couple of weeks ago when he said “It’s not going to happen in China,” I figured all was said and done for now.
We had planned to visit the Great Wall this past weekend for quite some time. While Sean went on an overnight at the Wall when he first came and I had been in 2001, neither of us had been to a restored part of the Wall on this trip and wanted to go to get some good pictures. Sean kept insisting we go to Badaling, the closest and therefore most touristed part of the Wall. Myself and others kept insisting this was a bad idea, but Sean pushed back saying it was easy to reach by train. Fine. I’ll let him have his way.
We get in a cab and as I’m telling the cabbie to go to the train station, Sean interjects and shoves a map towards the driver, pointing out streets and places I’ve never heard of. At first, I think this is just a way to get to the correct part of the train station, as Chinese train stations are black vortexes of misinformation. But as we start rolling, I realize we’re going nowhere near the station. When I question him, Sean claims he read something in the guidebook and we’re going to have a surprise. At this point, I think something fishy might be up. But how could he call my parents? How could he have arranged all this in such a short time? And then there’s the whole “not in China” thing … I figure he just planned a fun detour.
That detour turns out to be a rented motorcycle with a sidecar! For awhile, we have mused about buying a sidecar motorcycle and driving around Eastern Europe. I even geekily already named my would-be blog “Europe on the Side.” So I was obviously thrilled, and even moreso when he explained we’d be going to the nicer part of the Wall at Mutian’yu.
After a series of false starts — turns out getting the thing going without stalling is a bit tricky — we were on our way over the highways and byways of Beijing’s outer bouroughs. Although I feared for my life once or twice on the Chinese highway, the wind rushing over our faces and all the Chinese that waved to us made the ride pleasantly exhilarating, not to mention the exquisite vistas stretching out in front of us. The day was warm and clear, with cotton clouds speckling deep blue skies. Toto, I don’t think we’re in China anymore!
We arrived at the Wall shortly after noon, and after a quick bit of instant noodles, we ascended the Wall for a 4 hour hike. Although the restored part of the Wall is only 2.5 km, the undulating walk including many uneven stairs and can take quite a while.
Arriving in the afternoon meant all the flag-following tour groups had already departed, and very few tourists remained.
At one point, it started to storm, and we rushed for cover in one of the turrets. Given my luck, I was convinced we’d be hit by lightning. Well, at least I would be hit. While watching the rain fall, Sean began to get a bit down on the weather. i obviously now know why, but at the moment I just tried to convince him that the shower looked to be passing and would just serve as a much needed cooling agent.
Of course, I was right, and the skies cracked open with sun once again less than 30 minutes later. We continued our hike all the way to the far eastern part of the restored Wall until we met a “No Tourists Passing” sign marking the end of the restoration. beyond this sign stretches what is known as “wild Wall,” where trees and bushes cover the walkways and the stones crumble on either side. The majority of the Great Wall is indeed wild Wall, and in some ways these parts are more charming than the clean-scrubbed restorations. After following one branch of the wild Wall for a bit, we decided to hope through a turret window to get onto another branch.
After pushing our way through shrubbery for 15 minutes or so, I realized we should make a move home as we had to return the motorcycle. Sean suggested we get to the top of the next turrent to enjoy the beautiful view over the entire valley and the expanse of the Wall snaking in front of us.
When we reached the top, Sean said he was going to pull out his camera (a not small task since it was buried in his backpack). As he was fussing and I was snapping photos, I started to talk about how perfect the day had been: the weather (even the rain), the sidecar bike, the lack of tourists. At that moment, Sean put his hands around my waist, leaned towards me and said, “Can I make this day a little more perfect?” I turned my head around and said “Uh, what?” to which he replied, “Will you marry me?”
And that’s when I sputtered out the “Are you serious?!?!” All the thoughts of it not being in China, how he couldn’t have planned this, etc., rushed through my head and I couldn’t believe it. I was so surprised, shocked and happy. And when he said, “Yes, I’m serious. Will you marry me?” I started crying.
Sean then said, “Let’s do this right,” and proceeded to get down on his knee. However, he slipped on the crumbly gravel and ended up on two knees instead. I quipped, “You don’t have to beg me,” through my joyful tears. He told me how much he loved me and that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with me, and I repeated “yes” an inordinate number of times, sprinkled with a few “oh my God” ’s and a hearty helping of “I love you so much” ’s.
He slipped a gorgeous pearl and diamond ring on my finger. We had actually looked at the ring before when we were talking about getting an “alternative” engagement ring, but it was so much more beautiful than I had remembered it. And that it was bought at our favorite store in Hongqiao pearl market and features a Chinese pearl will always hold such special significance for us.
Giddy with the excitement of the newly betrothed, we hopped down the wall and took a fantastic sled ride to the bottom. After driving the sidecar bike back to the shop, we immediately when to the pearl market to have it sized down and then went out for a huge sushi dinner filled with beer, wine and lots and lots of raw fish. Of course, the day ended with many phone calls to loved ones to share our excitement.
We could not be more ecstatic to start the next phase of our relationship and I’ve had a perma-grin on since this weekend. I could not have dreamed up a more perfect proposal, or a more perfect man with whom to spend the rest of my life.
Click here for pictures:
Posted by piegirl 
Posted by piegirl 
Posted by piegirl 
