How we met (or, Our Hong Kong Halloween love story)

BY ONEIKA RAYMOND

Who said it’s impossible to find a serious relationship while travelling?

Who said it’s impossible to find a serious relationship while travelling?  Not I! Shortly after moving to Hong Kong to embark on a new adventure, I met the man (at a Halloween party, no less) who would change my life in a very positive way.  I’m resharing our “how we met” story–and in the hope it’ll renew your faith in finding love in the most faraway and unexpected of places.

Ours began like many great love stories do: he picked me up in a club.

Actually, no, not really. I had actually already met him the weekend before, at an Oktoberfest event held in Hong Kong. A friend told me she had an extra ticket so I obliged.

Did I mention it was also Halloween? The venue was packed when I arrived, with equal amounts of people dressed in lederhosen and typical Halloween costumes. The air stank of beer and body odor. I don’t drink alcohol so the scene was mildly interesting, at best. But then… the atmosphere was gay and the house band, flown in from Germany, played a devilishly rousing set of polka tunes that had me on my feet and shaking my groove thang amongst the mostly danced-challenged crowd. I started to have some fun despite myself.

I was thinking of going home when I spotted them. Three guys dressed as old-school tennis players.

Tall and lean, their average height bordered on giant-dom. They had on unenviably bad wigs, shades, headbands, and embarrassingly too-small kid’s P.E. uniforms doubling as tennis outfits. They were speaking loud, incoherent German. They were giving each other high fives. And practicing tennis swings with imaginary raquets. And also stretching in anticipation of an imaginary tennis match.

I was intrigued. I approached them.

Our meeting was a mess of slurred words (them) and misunderstood accents (me). The three Germans were flanked by two very nice girls, one dressed as a nurse, and the other, Pocahontas. The tennis prodigies were forgotten as Pocahontas and I got to talking and exchanged numbers with the intent of hanging out soon. A new friend.

Days later, Pocahontas and I decided to meet up for a much needed night out. I met her at the door of a nightclub. She wafted in, all long legs and high heels and gorgeousness, and started introducing me to the long line of people behind her. No lie, she rolled with a posse 10-people deep. In the midst of the getting-to-know-yous, a glimmer of recognition: wasn’t that one of the tennis dudes from the other night?

When I asked if we already knew each other, he cast his eyes downward in a way that showed me he was mildly embarrassed at me being privy to his Halloween shenanigans. Crazy. I laughed and he bought me a drink. We danced and I furnished my number when asked. Because why not make a new (cute) acquaintance in Hong Kong? Why not?

The rest, as they say, is history. Five years, 35+ countries, and a wedding later, we laugh at how life is just so funny. In each other we’ve discovered an intense zest for life, and an insatiable love of travel. What luck.

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So, Liebling, herzlichen glückwunsch

Have you ever found love (or extreme lust *wink*) while travelling?  If not, are you open to the idea?

SHARING IS CARING

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