From Monday (July 23, 2012) to early hours of Tuesday, Hong Kong battled the Signal 10 typhoon Vicente. It was the fiercest storm the island has seen in 13 years, with gale force wind reaching as high as 162 kilometres an hour, heavy rain pelting down on pedestrians, trees uprooted, large waves pounding Victory Harbor and ferry terminals. Offices closed early that Monday. Port & airport authorities shut down operations until the storm passed.

Hong Kong authorities reported 129 people were injured, and as many as 30 were caused by flying debris.

And amidst all that chaos, I (who was enjoying calm, sun-shiny weather here in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah) was trying to call Dr. Michelle in Hong Kong to hear her love story!

But Michelle is gracious and wonderful. She apologized profusely for missing my calls (oh my gosh, I can’t believe she was apologizing for missing my call while possibly trying to save a life during that typhoon!) and sent me her answers to my questions via email. Here’s Michelle & Phillip’s love story. Get the tissue ready and sit down for this, please. It’s … aaaaah….

Michelle & Phillip both live & work in Hong Kong. They first met when they started medical school in 2003. Michelle recounted, “We became friends because we were in the same study group during our first year. Sometimes, as a group, we’d go out for barbecues, go cycling or birthday parties together.” They didn’t start dating till 2006, after a short trip to Korea.

Today, Michelle is a clinical oncologist trainee & Phillip is a surgeon. And as everyone knows, doctors live very hectic lives. One Thursday night in June last year, an exhausted Michelle came back home late after work. She opened the door and this was what she saw, “He was there in my flat with lots of lit candles…and there in a small corner of the room, were candles arranged to read, “Marry Me”…. (she attached a picture in her email) Later, when I calmed down, I said ‘yes’. Of course. ”

(swoooon)

“What are Phillip’s best qualities? I can write an essay to describe them! Haha. He’s very smart, he’s brilliant….He always makes my dreams come true….”

Phillip replied, “Michelle’s the most lovely & cheerful girl I have ever met. There’s always fun & happiness when she’s around….there’s no match for her kind & caring heart.”

They’ll marry on November 11 – 11/11 – this year because according to Michelle, in Chinese, all the ‘1’s read “love each other forever”. They’ll have a grand banquet in Hong Kong Island’s Shangri-La Hotel’s ballroom.

“We’ve been together for 6 years now…we love travelling very much. I always tell him that I hope to travel the world with him.” Michelle & Phillip, we wish that and a lot more for the both of you. Congratulations! from all of us here at Louis Pang Photography.