The proposal

I have to admit that as a good Venezuelan I was pushing a bit to get this day happened some time ago... and I got so desperate that I though it will never happen... so, when it actually happened it was completely surprise!!!.

Since the beginning of February 2008, I was suggesting quite directly that "the ring" was taking long to come, and honestly I was not really asking for a physical ring as it is not a Venezuelan tradition, but for my "Romantic dream" of my guy asking me to be his wife. So, it was by the end of July when we were talking and we decided that it was time to "fix a date" to get married, so we did and although no Romantic scene was involved I was extremely happy to be able to tell to everyone "I'm getting married". By then, I accepted that "the guy on his knee scene" was not going to happen and I took it out of my mind.

Then, on August 10th, when I was coming back from business trip I was happily surprised:

Jon was picking me from the airport and we had planned to go eating at Buca Di Beppo with a coupon that was expiring that day. In the middle of the way to the restaurant Jon said: "Ups, I brought with me the wrong coupon, so let's pass home to take the right one". I was so starving that I refused to it and suggested to go without coupon, but Jon insisted we had to use it. So, I accepted to go but without getting out of the car, because if the doggie saw me it was gonna take a while before we could leave the house again, but again Jon refused to that and he said: "I'm not playing tricks with Linus, if we go home you have to say "hi" to him.

We got home and Jon gave me the door keys while he took the suitcases from the trunk. I opened the door and surprisingly Linus was waiting right there. Was that weird? Yes, it was because when we go out Linus stays in his crate, but I did not suspect anything at all. The doggie was wearing a bow but I though: "oh, he went to the hairdresser" (they do that when dogs get a haircut). About 5 minutes passed before Jon said: "come on, look around".... Oh My Gosh!!!
The entrance to the house was covered with pictures of my guy on his knees asking if we could get married, and yes, the bow was the ring hanging from Linus neck... It was really, really cute and unexpected!

Our life togeteher in Caracas

As an evidence that "if you want, you can", Jon got 1 year "Extended Business Trip" in Caracas.

It was very exciting to get to have a more traditional "girlfriend-boyfriend" relationship, where we got to know each other a lot better by living at the same city, seeing each other every day, going to the cinema, watching TV together, etc...

It was a very nice year because we got to confirm that definitely we wanted to create a live together; and we also got to travel all around Venezuela.

During that time we visited:

Caracas Center y La Colonia Tovar



Hacienda Santa Teresa ; Margarita y Barquisimeto

El Salto Angel; Puerto Ordaz e Isla La Tortuga

Las Salinas de Araya; Las Haciendas Cacaoteras y Las aguas termales de Paria

La Chinita en Maracibo

Your RSVP for our wedding

As you know we have send out a "Save the Date" Evite with the details for the wedding and registry.

http://www.evite.com/app/publicUrl/WKVYYIIIUEJWSICIVDUY/wedding
http://www.evite.com/app/publicUrl/VCCRWJMINCQFXRYEDJSI/margarita

http://www.honeyfund.com/wedding/michelleandjon05232009

In order to fine tune the planning and get all the logistics ready to offer you a great stay in Venezuela, we will appreciate your RSVP by Jan 15th.

A los Venezolanos, no se preocupen por el RSVP tan pronto... a ustedes no tengo que reservarles hotel en Caracas ;oP (para Marzo me pueden avisar por aquello de los ultimos arreglos). Pero si vamos a tener el agrado de que nos acompanen a Margarita, entonces avisen para cuadrar bien los paquetes

The planning for the Honeymoon & The registry

With so many preparations for the wedding, we have not decided yet where and when go for our honeymoon, but most probably it will happen right after Margarita.

As for the places to go we have 6 different options, and instead of a regular registry, we have opened a “Honey fund registry” so you can help us decide where to go.

http://www.honeyfund.com/wedding/michelleandjon05232009

These are our options:

Iran: we have very good Persian friends who have done an excellent job in making us want to go and check out the history, culture, architecture, gastronomy of Iran. Growing up in the US during the 1980's, Jon has always had a fascination with post-revolutionary Iran, a land that was once the historical center of diverse, liberal, and intellectual thought, spawning such enlightened thinkers as Zarathustra and Cyrus, to the progressive ambitions of the Safavid empire, and now its recent and drastic shift towards men like Khomeini and Khamenei. In spite of the radical views espoused by each of this country's post-Pahlavi leaders, in how many other states in the region did citizens hold a candlelight vigil following 9/11?


India: The land which many of Jon's closest friends from childhood to today call home. The world's second most populous and by far most diverse country is the jarring blip from both of our travel maps. The ancestral home of Hinduism and Buddhism that is also home to the world's 2nd largest Muslim population also happens to be the world's largest democracy and houses the world's largest English speaking population. A land whose emigrants to the US comprise 30% of our medical doctors, and whose entrepeneurs were responsible for 19% of our IPO's. A nation that went in a span of 60 years from colonialism to independence to communism to democracy, sharing "special" relationships with both the Soviet Union and US that will be a major player in the "Post-American World."

Indonesia: The world's 4th most populous country which the greatest # of muslims call home is also a secular (yet fragile) democracy. This country is among the world's highest in both volcanic activity and tropical biodiversity, ranging from the paradise of Bali to the chaos of Jakarta... where this great man was once just the new kid named Barry

Australia: A beautiful land of warmth and comfort which has managed to maintain its spiritual aboriginal grandeur in the face of rapid progress. With an open arms immigration policy and spirit of opportunity, is it possible that this great country so closely mimmicks American values that it has even surpassed the US? In fact, might we have imagined such a geopolitical outcome had the US been sheltered by such aquatic borders? We certainly will not be returning on Oceanic 815!

Russia: The 2nd most jarring blip from both of our travel maps that has been and will continue to be (whether we like it or not) a critical player in shaping the world. It is this land which Jon has been most fascinated by ever since taking breaks from being taught how evil they are during elementary school to go through duck and cover nuclear attack drills. The majority of the world may subscribe more to Adam Smith than Lenin, but which one's body is still kept frozen and on display for all to see? As we continue to self-destruct and destroy each other, perhaps it was Bakunin who will prove most prescient after all.

Hawaii: Volcanoes and jungles and beaches! oh my oh my! From its history as a leper colony to yet another place that Barack once called home... now holds the key to the smoke monster and the Dharma Initiative!

clu

What to expect from a Venezuelan wedding?

FUN, A LOT OF FUN!!!!

Venezuelan weddings are hold at night, so the party can extend until the sunrise. So, in a Catholic wedding the mass service to bless the union is celebrated right before the big celebration. In our case the church celebration will start at 8.00 pm and it will last for ~1 hour. After getting God blessing is time to move for the big party.


Once at the party room, music starts and it won’t stop for a minute until the very end. Venezuelans love dancing, so live music with Latin rhythms is offered with no room for a formal dinner, so all night small appetizers and drinks are offered, with a light meal buffet around midnight and “breakfast” around 3.30 am






So, get ready for a non sleep night full of dancing and drinking as you won’t have to drive: we will properly plan for your transportation hotel-church-party room-hotel.
And do not forget the after party… which will take place in “Isla Margarita” and you won’t have to worry for any detail as we will go with an “All included package”

The wedding preparation

I never tough that preparing a wedding was so much work, but it is… it is a second fun jon; and with me at the distance it is both easier and more complicated… easier because I do not have to go visiting the supplier and driving in the crazy Caracas’ traffic (that’s what my mom is being doing). More complicated because my mom try to explain by phone what she’s seeing so I can make a decision. She has been so helpful!!!



Well…. Preparation of going well: I already have the most important aspects cover: church, party room, live music, bride&groom transportation, and my outfit. While my mom and sister visited me we went selecting my dress, shoes, jewelry, etc. It was so much fun!




So many other details are being worked and my goal is to have almost everything set by December, so when I go to Caracas I can check on my mom selections, which I’m sure are perfect!




Groom help?.... well, not that much but I’ve to say that it is my fault as the few things he intervened I decided the complete opposite was better ;oP

Our relationship at the distance

I won’t say it was the easiest thing on earth, but we did a pretty good job in having a long distance relationship, specially after I learned that I could not be anymore a “Venezuelan Cuaima” and I learned how to handle not having daily phone calls, etc… my biggest learning: “If I got mad for any reason (as a good Venezuelan cuaima), I was gonna loose because Jon does not really get mad easily”.

So, any guess on how often we visited each other? An average of every 3 weeks (6 weeks being the longest time we did not meet). The key for success: “Do not say bye without knowing or having a very good idea about when is your next date”

The long distance relationship was lot of fun as we got to meet not only in Caracas and Cincinnati, but in other cities in the middle of my business trips (Atlanta, Miami, Mexico, Brussels, Paris …), and in some international weddings (Costa Rica, Puerto Rico…)

Of course that in the middle of having fun, we were both working on how to get together in the same city to have a traditional boyfriend-girlfriend relationship.

Finally, 3 years later, we got to be together : for 1 year in Caracas and now in Cincinnati!!!

How the story continued?

With no expectations whatsoever for keeping in touch, I was gladly surprise when about 1 week after Chicago I got a SMS from Jon Lu: “Are you in Brussels the coming weekend? – I want to visit you”… You have to be kidding me was my first tough but I gave him the benefit of the doubt: “Yes, I’ll be here and I’ll be really glad if you can come”

That Friday arrived and I was picking him up at the airport, but just in case of the trip being a joke, I made extra plans for partying that night with my friends, so I would not stay lonely at home. Well, surprise surprise: He was at the airport at the planned time!, and at that moment I knew “He was my guy”, even more when he remembered what I was looking for my mom and dad in Chicago and as I could not buy it, he bought it for me: The cutest guy on earth!

So, still not considering him as my official boyfriend, we went to a “Spanish Feria” where all my very good friends were going to be… the knew the story… but I’m honestly don’t remember how I introduced him, I guess he was my friend. We had an awesome afternoon, and it was even better when after leaving he asked me in “Spanish”: eres mi novia?

Jon left and I was very sad as I knew I wanted to have a serious relationship with him but the distance really seemed difficult to handle and in Venezuela we say: “Amor de lejos, amor de pendejo”… but less than a month later I got a second visit :o)… and after that distances seemed very easy to handle (a bit expensive, but love could do it), specially because I was coming back to Caracas and now the distance was between countries and not continents.

I came back to Caracas, and 3 weeks later I had my formal boyfriend being introduced to my parents and Venezuelan friends, who immediately loved him.

How did we meet?

Well.... althoug sometimes I feel like a "Corporate Slave", I must thanks P&G for bringing us together.

I came to Cincinnati on May 2004 for my "NewLinc" training, which is a P&G event for new R&D employees to introduce you to the company and to help you create networks... and we did create one!



I came from Brussels (where I was living at the time) on May 22nd and the fun started in a "get together" reception, where I do not remember meeting Jon but he rememberes meeting me. After the reception, we decided to go to a Bar and Palominos was the selection. There for the 1st time I remember being introduce to a cute Chinesse boy, who was the only US person joining us as he lived in Downtown and was part of the organizing team for NewLinc.


Training days and partys followed, and the one taking us for partys was Mr. Partying Lu... and party after party, the last day was almost approaching... so, Thursday night after couple of drinks and still thinking that the Chinesse guy was cute... we kissed!

The day after I was leaving to Chicago with my friends, and it end up with Jon also going to Chicago to "visit a friend"... He was our official tourist guy, and I can assure that I was very happy with that :o)





So, as the time for leaving approached and over a "girls" table conversation about "boys", I was asked: "How do I fit in your description?"... easy answer for me: "You make a perfect fit... but Brussels - US... I don't know"


Well, I left and "Love was in the air"!!!!