Thursday, September 13, 2012

My Journey to Kuantan - Part 4 - Love at First Sight

This week I am sharing a series of blog posts explaining how I ended up where I am today - in Kuantan. If you have missed any previous posts, you can get yourself acquainted with them here:

PART 1 - RAISED IN ENGLAND (1982-2002)


PART 2 - SERVING AS A VOLUNTEER (2002-2004)


PART 3 - MISSING MALAYSIA (2004-2005)


I came back to Malaysia for my second holiday in a year in May 2005. This time I went alone and for a period of 3 months. I had planned all the places I was going to visit and the people I wanted to see, including Kuala Lumpur, Ipoh, Kuching and Singapore.

However, just a few days into my holiday, on the island of Borneo, a girl called Fidelia threw my plans upside-down in a matter of seconds!

Meeting Fidelia one night in Kuching was completely unplanned. I didn't even know she was around. It was her younger sister Florina, who made the call and engineered our meeting.

It was after 10pm and Fidelia was coming back home from work. She walked through the door of a friend's house and it was love at first sight!

I don't know how it happened but I just thought silently in my mind, "this is the girl I'm going to marry!"


This was a picture we took on that first night we met each other. We look good together already!

Just a month later we were engaged. Can you believe it? Neither can I!


Here's where I proposed to Fidelia with a poem I wrote. Can you tell she said "yes"?!


We held a very simple engagement party at Fidelia's home. Didn't cost much but it was a nice evening spent with family and friends


Can you spot the mystery hovering paper plate?!


I briefly went to Ipoh but didn't last long there as I missed Fidelia too much! I swiftly returned to Kuching! The rest of my holiday was spent with Fidelia in Kuching and then in Kuala Lumpur.

At church in Kuching


We came in 2nd place and won RM100 in a blowpipe competition in Kuching! (How good does Fidelia look?!)


At Mid-valley Megamall in Kuala Lumpur


Our favourite picture together at KL Tower


We had a great day out at Sunway Lagoon water park. Later we spent some time on a children's train, and chocolate tasting at Sunway Pyramid, Subang Jaya, West Malaysia






Here's where my holiday came to an end. I was shortly heading back to England. Fidelia was returning to her studies at university near Kuantan.


I racked up a hefty RM12,000 phone bill during the period of August 2005 - April 2006. Gave my mum a cheque each month to cover it. At times it was worth it, but at times we drove each other crazy by calling at all sorts of hours (because of the time difference) and worrying about things that didn't really need to be worried about! These months were torture!


 We decided to get married in May 2006 and we would find a place in nearby Kuantan as Fidelia's university was 30 minutes drive from there.


Here are the home-made wedding invitation cards I designed. Didn't pay a penny for them!






On 2nd May, 2006 we registered our marriage at the Kuching register office, and came back to sign the papers on 4th May




To celebrate our marriage we simply booked a nearby restaurant for a small sum of money. A good-sized group of family and friends attended and it was a very nice evening. There was no huge cake, no lavish setting, no photographers, no expensive clothing code, just us and close family and friends. That's all we spent and it was worth it because we needed the money for the start of our married life, paying rent and bills etc...


We took some great photos at a studio in Kuching for a good price, and here are a few of them:






In traditional Iban attire


The second part of our marriage took place in England. There we were married inside a LDS temple, which event is kind of like going to Mecca and circling the Kaaba for a Muslim. To find out more about Mormon temples, you can follow this link:






Here we are at the London England temple grounds





On the steps of the London England temple


We had a small gathering at my home in Leicester for family and friends and that was it.

My journey to Kuantan is almost complete!



Don't miss the final installment tomorrow!



14 comments:

  1. a great love story. it's so good to see two people being happy with each other. and you two look great together.

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  2. Aww, what a sweet love story. My parents, too, got engaged within a couple of months of meeting each other. We did the same thing, having two "weddings" in a sense: the registration in the UK followed by a dinner reception, and a more lavish ceremony in Penang with family. Unfortunately, we were probably less sensible in terms of budget; we're still repaying the debts incurred from the Penang beach wedding!

    Love the photo of you guys in the Iban attire. Fidelia looks gorgeous in the traditional costume!

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  3. Didn't enjoy being apart for so long. I'm glad we made it this far. :D I love you babe!

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  4. Duncan, your love story is so beautiful! Fedelia is so gorgeous and the two of you make such a perfect match. You and my husband Richard have something in common! I was so shocked to read that you had a thought fly though your head that she was the one you were going to marry. My husband Richard says to this day that he actually heard a voice speak near his ear that said "there goes your wife." He was seated in a car in a parking lot where I worked, and I was walking around doing the morning trash pick up with my plastic bucket. (I was a groundskeeper at an apartment complex at the time) When we met later, I was totally enthralled. Loves stories are the best! I'm so happy for both of you.

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  5. Duncan, your wife is quite lovely. I've enjoyed reading about your romance and wedding and will be back for your next installment. Have a great day. Blessings...Mary

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  6. Yes, this chapter is the most beautiful, Fidelia know, love is the most important thing in life's issues. Congratulations on your find.

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  7. Thanks for the journey and mostly for the awesome pictures. You are one lucky man.

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  8. Wow, love at first sight must be magical! Can't say I know, because never been in love at first sight. What a loss for me! Some of the pictures aren't loading well, but both of you look great, Duncan.

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  9. Like the others Duncan, I have very much enjoyed reading about how you came to go to Malaysia, and then meeting Fidelia. Your wife is certainly very beautiful, and you really do make a lovely couple. I think it's wonderful that you just looked at her and thought "this is the girl I am going to marry!". How romantic. I wish you a long, happy and healthy married life together.

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  10. This is my favorite of the three. I don't see how the next could top it but we'll see.

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  11. All those starry eyed pictures, so sweet. I seem to remember you only being gone on your trip a number of days when I received an email from you telling me "I'm engaged to be married." I was shocked and wondered who this girl could be that I'd never met and if I'd love her. (No worries there, I loved her the moment I met her-so delightful).
    I remember also the first time I saw your Dad across a crowded room that I would marry him. Isn't that funny that you experienced the same?
    And what can I say about those phone calls? They drove us all mad! No one could call us all evening, we couldn't call anyone, and very often you were so stressed before, during and after the calls you made. That was a very difficult time you and Fidelia spent apart, not just for you two but for the whole family.At least you paid the £2500 phone bill you amassed.
    Well that's all in the past and all the trials were worth it because look at you now. Happily married with two adorable daughters and a successful business. Well done you!

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  12. Hello Duncan.
    Thank ifgen for your incredibly sweet comment.
    Imagine what this is fun I'm in Sweden and you go down there in Kuantan and we can talk to each other through a dator.Titta at pictures and see how it looks in varandra.Ni is deliciously sweet as brudpar.Tänk shuffling many different beautiful dresses that your sweet wife.
    What a nice invite you hade.Personligt.
    Yes you are so beautiful ihop.Ni looks so happy and Fidelia look so sweet on you.
    Have a wonderful helg.Kramizzzz on your health and the rest of the family from us here in Sweden

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  13. I stumbled upon your blog by accident and I have to say it's a very touching story. Mine is somewhat similar, but I'm living in Taiwan.

    I wish you and your loved one all the best for the future :)

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  14. Thanks to everyone who read this and left your thoughts here in the comments section! When I look back on the journey, it still amazes me!

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