Raine Chong is currently studying in Glasgow, where she also met her Scottish boyfriend, Stuart. Once, she was so homesick, that her boyfriend cooked Hainanese chicken rice for her, even making the chilli from scratch.
Raine elaborates on their relationship:
"I am a Singaporean living in Glasgow for studies, and here is where I met the love of my life.
"I met my boyfriend at a friend's house warming party. When I walked in the room, I saw this guy with some really awesome looking tattoos, and I thought he was pretty cute. He is Scottish, so he has the very typical rugged Scottish pattern that I really adored. I was checking him out openly, but didn't have the guts to approach him.
"It was when I was talking to one of his friends, he joined in the conversation. I took this chance to talk to him before it was too late. This may sound pretty lame, but I read somewhere in a ladies magazine that every guy is sensitive to a lady's physical touch. So I touched his tattoo on his arm as I asked him where he got it done. That was when I gave him the signal I was interested.
"We had a pretty good time during the party that night, and he waiting for me to leave so he could walk me home. As he was walking me home, that was when he asked for my number, and invited me to his birthday party the very next week.
"He texted me immediately after that, but I was going to Barcelona on holiday for a week, but I would be back just in time for his party. I didn't expect him to stay interested as I had dated so many British/European guys during that year, and I mostly got tired of them after a couple of weeks.
"But the moment I came back from Barcelona a week later, he was the first one who texted me saying if I could come to his party I should. After brief consideration, I just went to the party despite being so tired from the flight from Barcelona!
"I went and had a great time as usual, but this party was different. Instead of trying to get drunk, we talked about the lamest things. Like about us liking old school music like Backstreet Boys and Westlife, and started playing their songs at the party! Although it was so lame until everyone left the room, he said 'Screw the haters! Backstreet Boys rock and we're awesome.'
"Suddenly in the middle of the conversation, he went forward to kiss me. That was when we started seeing each other.
"Dating Stuart was really new to me, because all my serious relationships in the past was with Singaporean guys in Singapore. We had culture differences that lead to arguments that weren't necessary. However he was very patient with me and we managed to get through our differences.
"He is the first guy who treated me with so much respect, allowing me to have my own mind in making decisions in the relationship. Because he is so well-mannered and so respectful to me, I feel the need to respect him even more.
"Sometimes when I pretend to sleep, I would feel him secretly patting my forehead and kissing it, which makes me feel so much more loved. Despite his maturity level as a person, his perception of relationships is very simple.
"Once I asked him, 'Why do you love me?' He told me, 'I loved you. But because I saw how much you love me back, I love you even more because of it.'
"Being in Glasgow for three years, I am always homesick because British food compared to Singapore food, is crap. There was once I was craving for chicken rice but the ones sold in Glasgow are very expensive.
"He actually went to find the recipe for the Hainanese chicken rice and cooked it from scratch for me. He even made the chilli from scratch, and it was VERY authentic!
"Never in my life have I met a guy who would go the extra mile for me. I will be graduating in 5 months, where there is a possibility that I have to return to Singapore.
"Being always so fascinated by the far east, Stuart is dying to follow me to Singapore and start a life together. But because Stuart just started working as a Mechanical Engineer in Glasgow, we both agree that he should get some experience in Glasgow first.
"This means that we would have to do long distance for at least a year! But although we both know it would be painful missing each other through this period, we know our love is strong enough to overcome this obstacle.
"Never in my life have I met anyone who love me like Stuart does, and I am never letting this one go."
better spend time study la...
