How We Met:

Joyce:
Basically, Inor’s parents set us up. The Kuo and the Yang parents have been friends for a good number of years, and I had known Lily (Inor’s sister)—but had yet to meet Inor. Inor’s parents invited my family over for dinner one summer four or so years ago, adding in the fact that their son “who just graduated from UNC” was going to be there.

During the ride to their house, my dad told me to think up some questions to ask this Inor character since I was starting freshman year at UNC in a few weeks. When we finally arrived at their house, I remember walking in, seeing Inor for the first time, and thinking, “Ooh, he’s pretty.” Then his mom sat us two down in the living room and told me to ask him anything I wanted about UNC.

We sat there trying not to look at each other for a little bit. Talk about awkward. I asked him something about the mandatory swim test and how freshmen are required to have a laptop. At this point he perked up and asked the infamous, “Do you want to see my laptop?” line. So he scuttled out of the living room and came back with this 15-pound monster of a laptop and put it on my lap. It was his prize and baby. I remember seeing his IM buddy list up and taking note of his screen name. Several days later, I IMed him from home trying to be casual and asking him about where he got his laptop. We’re both cool like that—it was a match from the start.

Inor:
During the summer after my senior year at UNC, my parents asked me to come home one weekend because they had some friends coming whose daughter would be going to UNC in the fall and had “questions.” I knew they were trying to set me up but I went anyways. 

When Joyce and her family walked through the door my first thought was, “Wow, she’s hot!  But she’s almost 5 years younger than me.” So we had dinner and afterwards talked a little bit about school. I also sold her a laptop.

After Joyce left with her family I didn’t know whether I would ever see or talk to her again. Later that night someone instant messaged me. I didn’t recognize the screen name, but as I typed, “Hi.  Who is this?” I hoped that it was Joyce. It was just wishful thinking though, because there was no way she could know my screen name. As it turns out, she had seen my screen name when I was showing her the computer she was going to buy from me and it was her. We talked for a while that night and every day after that. Now we are engaged to be married. 

**Post Note: After reading each other’s accounts, Inor got on Joyce’s case saying it was the same night when she IMed him, not “several days later.”

How We Got Engaged:

Joyce:
I had an interview in High Point that day (about an hour and a half from my apartment at UNC). During my interview, Inor drove from his office in Greensboro to UNC (about an hour) and, with the help of my roommates, got into my apartment. When I came back, I saw this mess of rose petals on the floor at the door in the foyer. My roommate Caroline and a friend, Godwin, were sitting in the living room. They had been rehearsing what seemed to be a play for a class. I figured the rose petals on the floor were their doing.

As I walked up the stairs to my room, I noticed that the trail of rose petals continued on up the stairs as well. I thought to myself, “Man, what is all this? What did Caroline and Godwin do??” Then I turned into my room (rose petals still trailing in) and saw there were rose petals in the shape of a heart on my bed, with a little box sitting in the middle.

At this point I started walking around my room going, “Inor? Hello? Inooor? Where are you?”  I couldn’t find him so I went over to the box, opened it, and saw a folded piece of paper. It was a note that said something like, “Hi Joyce. I love you very very much and I’m sorry I’m not here but this is something I’d like to do in person. There is something else for you under the roses.”

Sure enough, on my bed was a bouquet of red roses, which I picked up. Another note. This note said (Alert! Cheesy moment!):  “Let’s grow old together.” Then Inor popped out of my closet from behind me and got on one knee and asked The Big Question. Very cute indeed. And I refused to have anything to do with purchasing the engagement ring. He had to figure out my ring size and everything. He’s good. That’s why I’m marrying him.

Inor:
Joyce had an interview in High Point and was going to stop by my office afterwards before she headed back to Chapel Hill. Just before 5:00 I told her that I needed to go for a service appointment for my car. Instead, I drove to Chapel Hill ahead of her with the ring, a dozen roses, and a bunch of rose petals.

I got to her apartment before her and spread the rose petals on the floor leading from the front door up to her room. I put the roses on her bed and hid in her closet and waited. After about 20 minutes of waiting I asked one her roommates to call her to see where she was. When she finally got home, she stayed downstairs for a while talking to her roommate. When she made it upstairs and saw that the rose petals led into her room and that there were roses on her bed, she started looking around her room. She turned towards her closet and I thought she was going to see me, but then she turned around again. I came out of the closet behind her and wrapped my arms around her. Then I got down on my knee and proposed.  And that’s how it happened.