I arrived in Bombay early in the morning. That time I was thinking to stay a while. Back in Kuwait I met a woman named Manjola, So my idea was to say hello to her.. ,I stayed in Bombay one day, and one night with Manjola.. she was really amazed how crazy I was traveling by myself.. She said I am a brave woman. I stayed one night with her.

Anyway, I was in the plane coming to Hyderabad.. I felt so happy.. very happy and was thinking about how good my life could be here. My sister Elena and her family gave me a very warm welcome. I was so happy and a bit sad too. Sad because I knew this happiness would have an ending, it was just a temporary situation. They were nice to me. In Hyderabad I started going again to the Hash House Harriers every Sunday. First I was so bored but soon I was meeting different kinds of nationalities... I was having fun..and started thinking about having a boyfriend. I always had bad luck in my love life. My first boyfriend never treated me nicely. Instead he was taking advantage of me and was unfaithful to me.. Since then I wasn't really interested in another heartache. So I never had experience with a nice guy. In Hyderabad I dated a lot of guys, just hanging out, but my heart didn't say anything.

• My life in Hyderabad India was great and really fun.. August 12, 1994 was the Nash Hash in Madras...I was hanging out with my Hyderabad friends and suddenly I saw a guy far away sitting alone.. When I saw the guy sitting there by himself I felt so unusual and eager to meet him with a bit fear. So I started coming closer and closer. Then finally I saw a vacant chair next to him. He looked so sad, I could see it in his eyes. So I asked him if no one was sitting there and he answered no. I was so happy and felt like I knew this guy since a long time ago...(Our 1st picture ever) He looked at me and gave me a sweet smile and so I smiled back. I asked him where he comes from and he said New York... But he worked in Bangalore as a Physicist. And he was in the Bangalore hash group. So I asked him if he wanted to dance with me and he said yes... We danced, but after one hour my friends wanted to go home because the next day we were going really early in the morning. We had a relay run to Pondichery. So I said goodbye to him but then I asked him what was his name; he said Alan ... And I told him my name is Vie. Then he kissed me in my forehead.. Then that night I couldn't forget that, and I was dreaming that we were happy lovers... I liked him...I knew I did.. August 13 I met my sister at the lunch point, halfway to Pondichery. And I saw Alan there too. I told my sister Elena about the guy I met last night named Alan. She said be careful, maybe he is married. I felt so nervous, I hope not. Then finally he said he was not married. I was so happy to hear those words. In Pondichery I really wanted to know him more. He was nice to me and I felt really happy with his company.. He appreciated my jokes and he understood my crooked English .And he respected me too.. Thats what I felt. In Pondichery I felt out of place because I didn't really share a joke, I was afraid maybe they laughed at my English.. So I split to go walking and wandering around and suddenly my sister Elena said my prince charming was alone by himself in a dark corner.. Oh I was so happy ..Happy and wondering why he was alone.. Until I came to him and talked to him, he said he was sick. I didn't believe that at first, but he had such a hot temperature! We talked and he made me laugh.
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• After the weekend we said goodbye to each other. He gave me his address in Bangalore and I gave him mine in Hyderabad. He said he was going to Syracuse, New York, for a vacation. And I thought I would never see him again. Before he left for the USA I wrote him a letter and he responded. So then I was just thinking maybe its history... we wouldn't have a relationship, just a friendship. But I liked him so much.

I was thinking to leave India and visit my mother in Brisbane, Australia. I was really hoping too to meet Alan once again.. but I guessed it was impossible. Until one day he wrote me a letter saying to wait for him . I did wait.. I processed my visa again in India for another three months. Thanks to God I was approved, with the help of my brother-in-law Eric Mcgaw and his friend. Then I was inspired and a bit worried. Scared excited too. I met a lots of friends in India. India is the best country I've ever been in. November 8 he came to Hyderabad. I thought maybe he forgot, but nope... he came.

• The day he came to Hyderabad there was a full moon hash. I was so excited and a bit nervous. He was so happy too. We talked so much and I asked him a lot of questions. We had fun together, but at that time we were still only friends...nothing had happened yet. I asked him a lot of questions about his family: what his family looked like, etc. He invited me to go to Bangalore, 200 miles away from Hyderabad, we traveled by bus. The night we left Hyderabad I said goodbye to my sister Elena. She wispered to me some very naughty words.. I was laughing at her and she said they were true.. So I keep them in my mind. Until one day somewhere we did it. It was November 30. That day I felt something...I am a woman. I loved him and felt like I couldn't live without him anymore. It was weird, but it was fun to trust again.

December 4, 1994 I met Alan's sister Julie. She surprised us, actually. I felt so uncomfortable the first day I met her, but after that I was fine. She is fun to be with, she has a good sense of humor. And after a week I needed to go home to Hyderabad. I needed to spend one more week with my family in Hyderabad before visiting my mother in Australia. At that time I had no plans to go home to the Philippines. And I wondered if this guy was going to marry me. He never mentioned anything about getting married. He said he liked me and after a week of being together finally he said I love you Vie. They were nice words to hear; a scientist, a very smart guy who graduated from Caltech, loved me? I had doubts, but it was true. My heart melted that time when he said that. It was the very first time in my life that I felt like I was a woman and that someone loved and care for me. My tears were full of happiness and thanks to God up there! But I was not sure if he was going to marry me. He never said anything about marriage so I was preparing myself, in case I needed to forget him in Australia. In case..

• So we went to Hyderabad by train. On the train I was thinking about my life, I was going soon and I had a boyfriend. I needed to go to Australia and so I needed to break up with him soon. It was sad, but I guess that was it. When I arrived at my sister's house my friend Jo and my sister were teasing me. They said Is he going to marry you or just having a happy hour? It hurt because they were happily married while I was still looking for the man of my life. So I went to Alan and told him they were teasing me. And he asked me what kind of teasing and I told him the truth. Then he said "Do me a favor, can you please get my backpack and I will show you something. He acted so normal...

And then I handed his backpack to him and he said "I will give you this one. I was thinking to give this later but since your sister and friend are teasing you, you can have it now." He handed me a small box. I never thought about what was inside since nobody ever gave me gifts. I didn't really know what was in it. Surprise, it was a ring!!!!!! It was a very wonderful ring with three diamonds on it. I was so happy. Was he going to marry me? We hadn't known each other for that long. He said he loved me so much. That made my heart melt. I loved him too; from the very beginning, since we met, I loved him. I just had a feeling that I knew him. On December 13 we were engaged. When I told my family and friends they were surprised too! I still can't believe it.

After we were engaged I felt like I was a different woman. I felt so happy and lucky. I am happy ! It was the very first time in my life that I felt so great, and worthy of someone loving me this much. Wow, it was just like a dream. We have fun together our love grows and grows. For me he is the best man and the most handsome in the whole world! That day when he proposed to marry I made a vow that my life now is for him. This is my husband! This man I will love for the rest of my life and for eternity! I will! And God above is my witness.

January 2, 1994 I left Hyderabad. We went to Madras for my flight to Australia. It was almost 5 years since I last saw my mother. The last time we saw each other was my father's burial. So I was pretty much excited to meet her. I'm  Madras Alan and I were pretty much in love. We hated saying goodbye. But we did say goodbye and we'd meet again for our wedding in June. In the airport I felt like I was going to stay but even if I did like to stay I couldn't. I needed to go out of the country because my visa was going to expire. So I said goodbye to the man I adore. He was so sick when I left. I felt so sad. I felt I was going to lose him, but I had faith that we were going to see each other again in June. So my plane took off, to Singapore...

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oh yahhhhhh