Neo Jia Yan (Part 1)

Dear Blog,

This entry is dedicated to Neo Jia Yan. I did not expect that I will type an entry dedicated just for her. I dreamt of her yesterday night. It was a very short dream of me and her buying some stuffs from bookshop and had a short conversation with her and then I woke up from my dream. Feeling glad that she appeared in my dreams, I just smiled and memories from the past kept flooding in. For starters, she is my first ever love.

Back in 1999, when Internet Relay Chat or rather IRC was rather popular, I met Jia Yan online in badminton channel. That time I was 18 whereas she was 13. We chatted online almost everyday and I started to fall for her as she was bubbly and cheerful. Soon, I created my own channel in IRC and called it 'crazyworld' and made her the co-owner of the channel and gave her the highest access. I expressed my feelings for her online but she told me that she has no feelings for me. But I told her that I will persevere and determine to win her heart.

In late 1999, Singapore Chinese Girls' School was having a openhouse and I thought that it is my chance to pay her a surprise visit at her school. Luckily for me, I knew some of the girls in Singapore Chinese Girls' School as I went to watch badminton tournament to support my friend. I walked around the school hoping to bump into someone I knew who can eventually lead me to Jia Yan. So I waited outside Sciences Laboratory. She came outside for a while and chatted with me. In the end, she needed to go inside. Although it was a brief five minutes meetup, I was happy with the outcome.

She disappeared from IRC for a while and both of us got on with our lives. I found out that she found herself a boyfriend back then and I was happy for her.

In March 2000, she came back to my channel and confided in me that she was not happy with her current relationship and she did not know what to do about it. I told her to salvage the relationship as I did not want her to be unhappy. But what I did not know is she is slowly falling for me. She would use her ICQ to send SMS to my handphone and I would reply back to her ICQ. Till now, I did not know how did that work but it did not matter at that time.

During May-June 2000, I was involved in Engineering Freshmen Orientation Camp so much till I did not have the time to go online to chat with her. Naturally, she missed me but she understood that I was involved in my school's activities. On the other side, her relationship with that guy was ending and there is no use of salvaging of the relationship anymore.

So when I got back home after the orientation camp, she messaged me this 'Buddy... You know how much I missed you? Welcome back home'. I felt touched when I read the message in ICQ. Then I replied her to come to my channel to chat and catch up on lost time. The feeling was great and I felt extremely happy.

She told me that her relationship with that guy had ended due to some reasons which I forgot. I asked her not to be sad as she is still young and can find another guy easily. She said that it is okie and she felt happy just by talking to me. Naturally, I cannot take any hints as I am pretty dumb with it. I need the person to tell me straightaway what is she trying to say but she refused to tell me the reason so I am pretty fine with it.

She asked me whether I still like her and then I said yes. Since she asked me that question, I better take the chance of asking her again whether our feelings are mutual. She said yes. I was surprised then but nevertheless I am happy back then.

In late July 2000, she agreed to be my girlfriend. I was damn estatic and was jumping for joy. After one year of wooing and chasing after her, I finally succeeded.

We arranged for a meet-up. It was our first arranged meet-up after meeting her in Singapore Chinese Girls' School. We met in Popular at Orchard MRT Station as she needed to get some stuffs from the bookshop (come to think of it.. sound like my dream). Hope that it was just a mere coincidence at all.

After that, we went out and I sent her back home.

Will continue next time. Till then blog.