Margaret!!!

Margaret and I see each other for the first time in a year..she is wearing my German gift!  it says ONLY FOR YOU

 Margaret is a very very dear friend of mine.  She and i have known each other since i first went to Ma'anshan in May 2011.
She is an English teacher and a Mandarin teacher.
it was Margaret who taught me Chinese..It was Margaret who translated for me for 5 months of painting lessons.
Margaret also took me to many wedding photo places.  She has supported Julian and I since the first days we met.  She has been my friend and support system while i was in China.
It was Margarets phone # i kept in my purse for emergencies..
it was Margaret that i called EVERY time i needed a translator.

I love Margaret so very much...she and i had breakfast the morning i left Ma'anshan..
I miss you Margaret!!

The end of a MAGICAL day in Ma'anshan

a picture with our favourite chef!..he made sure we ate the finest fish.  It was soooo yummy!

Our engagement dinner at Crowne Plaza hotel in Ma'anshan.  This is the place where Julian first took me for dinner in the first week that we met in October 2011.

 this is the view from Crowne Plaza..You can see the little island in the distance.  there is a foot bridge leading to the island..This is where Julian proposed earlier in the day:)

 I am showing off my ring:)

 Julian feeling quite pleased with himself!..

Julian Proposes!

so Alex left and Julian asked...so cool..and nonchalantly...do you want to go into the park?..hehe..of course, i wondered if he was going to propose..but he was so relaxed..hmmmm???

so..

Julian and I met in Ma'anshan, China in October 2011.  He was there working at a paper mill..he had 3 weeks left in China..and I was there for a year teaching English. In the next 5 months we spent ever day together possible.  Julian came back to China to see me 3 times and he and i spent Christmas together in Canada.  In March 2012 while on  a walk in Yu Shan Hu (park) (across from the Crowne Plaza Hotel, the same hotel where Julian was staying when we met)..we told each other that we would someday marry, we would find a way to put our two lives together so we could be together.  This is what we new for sure..that we were completely in love!..and we had both found the partner we had been waiting for.  We want to be together for the rest of our lives......!!..and Julian took me to a little shop ..and bought me a little ring..a commitment from him, until the day he actually proposes!

So can you imagine how it felt?? So surreal and magical.. for us to back in Ma'anshan together FOR ONLY 4 DAYS!!....staying at the same hotel, walking through the same park..sitting on the same bench where we professed our love to each other 14 months earlier..

and Julian without warning..got down on his knee in front of me and a group of curious Chinese..and he proposed!..It was just beautiful..and so thoughtful ..and so full of love and tears...and he had a lovely ring..that he bought so carefully, on his own..:):)

Although i suspected he might propose in that spot on that day..The tears flowed and the feelings between us were incredible.  Julian tried to propose 3 times..with me interrupting him..and then he would start again..It was so lovely..such a special moment.

NO ONE ELSE IN THE WORLD EXISTED AT THAT MOMENT!

we had 4 lovely days in Ma'anshan before Julian left on a train back to work in southern China and i got on a plane back to Germany.

Alex!

So after a very busy 6 hours being treated like super models at our photo shoot...hehe..Julian and I arrive back at the "Best love"   wedding photography shop in the same van carrying all the other brides and grooms and our makeup artists, hair stylists and photographer\!  and there we found Alex, one of my students, waiting to see us.

So we took him back to our hotel.  and visited with him for a while...We were pressed for time..we had things we wanted to do together and alone.. and we had not been expecting him....but we were thrilled and honoured to see his happy smiling face:)
I am sure he had never been in a 5 star hotel room before...especially with his foreign teacher:)

 Alex is a very special young man.  His English is awesome, his enthusiasm and zest for life you can't miss..and he and i have become good friends in the past 1.5 years.  he is 15 years old

Behind the Scenes - our Chinese Wedding photo shoot!

This is My wonderful, faithful student and friend Jessie..All of my students wanted to come today..to our photo shoot..imagine THAT!!..Jessie was carefully chosen to come with us..as our translator

Is my future husband a good sport OR what!!!..now they are putting makeup on him..and he doesnt care..he just goes along with the fun and adventure of our amazing day

 none of these people..speak English!!

It is pouring rain outside for our photoshoot!! and we loved it!! perfect pictures!!

at the end of a long day...our photo shoot took 6 hours..but there were many other brides and grooms there for much longer on that same day...none of these girls speak a word of English..by now Jessie has gone home...

Chinese wedding photo shoot - Ma'anshan China