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How I Proposed to a Beautiful Hungarian Woman
by Anthony Trendl,
luckiest man alive, and otherwise editor of hungarianbookstore.com
read
the true romance below
Romance
has been maligned, abused, distorted. There's still some true love to be found
if you look and wait, and carefully learn to love each other. It will pay off.
The story below is about such true love. It is the proposal of an ordinary man
to an extraordinary woman with a solitaire diamond ring over dinner.
The news
Just imagine TV's Ed Sullivan, "We
got some big news. Really, really big news." I
became engaged to Aliz on Sunday, November 23, 2003. I was then, and am now, on
top of the world and in the clouds. Only
the days spent by the angels in Heaven are better than today.
The premise
To get Aliz dressed up and to a restaurant
downtown without suspicion, I led her to follow various red herrings. The most
important was a CD I played on the way down. It was a Rogers and Hammerstein 'best-of'
compilation of their musicals ("Sound of Music" was one featured musical).
She was sure we were seeing a show. It kept her mind wondering just in case I
made some blunder. Her lack of knowledge of Chicago played to my favor, so when
we parked in the Hancock's garage, she figured it was merely for convenience.
The
Very Best of the Ed Sullivan Show: Unforgettable Performances Volume 1 
The Signature Room 
The Rodgers & Hammerstein Collection 
Chicago Then and Now 
The Very Best of Frank Sinatra 
Belgian Chocolate Fondue Dipping Sauce 
The
scene
The Hancock Observation Deck was the site of our first real
date. It made sense to go there. The Signature Room is the restaurant at the 95th
floor of the Hancock. Our view was to the north, as if Lake Shore Drive were beneath
us. The cars and buildings alit against the dark night appeared like still and
shooting stars all aligned. It was foggy and cloudy; the city lights were misty
and ethereal. We had a small window table. Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett could
be heard in the speakers.
Tony
Bennett - All-Time Greatest Hits 
The meal
After saying grace, we shared an appetizer
of roast bobwhite quail, and bread with black olive butter. I had rack of lamb
with pepper and mint puree, and she had duck breast in a huckleberry sauce. We
both had a glass of Pinot Noir (a red wine). For dessert, we shared a raspberry
creme brullée.
Riedel Vinum Burgundy/Pinot Noir Wine Glasses, Set of 4 
Weddings for Dummies 
The
move
After dessert, I got up to swing around and surprise her. I
left the table to use the facilities, but in reality used it to sneak up from
behind. I kissed her softly on the forehead, and asked her on bent knee, presenting
a ring with a solitaire oval diamond. I spoke her full name, calmly, and mentioned
how the last three years have been the most wonderful of my life, and if she would
marry me. She was as speechless as the Honeymooners' Ralph Kramden, but without
the homina homina homina.
The
Honeymooners - Classic 39 Episodes 
Wedding Kit for Dummies 
The reply
She whispered yes with pleasant
tears shining in her eyes.
The finish
The wait staff (Charles, Jaime and
Shannon) was gracious, providing us each with complimentary glass of champagne
with a fresh strawberry. They also brought a plate decorated with "Congratulations"
written in scripted Belgian chocolate. Upon my request, they signed our menus
and wrapped them in a bow, and otherwise doted on us. We were offered best wishes
by all guests and staff alike as we left.
The fumble
We drove home and called her dad. It
is a Hungarian custom to ask the father formally for her hand, and Aliz and I
worked through what I would say, as he knows only Hungarian and I know only English.
At first, because of my strong American accent, he thought I was wishing him a
happy name day (something
like a birthday for a person's name). His name day was the previous week. I repeated
my request after Aliz stopped laughing. He said yes, and so it all became a little
more official.
The Nameday Book: A Book of Saints, Names, Anniversaries and Celebrations 
Colloquial Hungarian (Colloquial Series) 
The
follow-up
We tell my family on Thanksgiving Day when we visit. Next
are various tasks involving INS and such, and so no date is set. We are hoping
to get married in Budapest by a mutual friend, American pastor teaching in central/eastern
Europe based there who is bilingual. It is around three hours from Pécs
where she grew up and her parents and brother still live. Planning this will be
a complex undertaking, and we covet any advice you might for international, multi-lingual
weddings.
The
Rough Guide to Budapest 
The
castle
If everything goes as planned, it will be either at the Ráckeve
Castle, or a place like it. It is near Budapest on an island in the Danube River,
and was built in 1720. This might be impossible, but the dollar buys more in Hungary
than in America. One can hope. :) You can find pictures of it on the web.
So
much depends on the issues of visas, timing and cost.
U.S. Immigration & Citizenship 
Who?
Her name is Aliz, and together we have been
managing the HungarianBookstore.com, a source for directories of Hungarian places
and culture in the USA, and for Hungarian books and DVDs.
Interesting Facts
The Signature Room restaurant
has been the place of many engagements, but also is where celebrities like the
Dalai Lama, Mel Gibson and Kevin Costner eat. It is a lavish, sophisticated place,
so it is no surprise its attraction to the rich and famous, as well as average
guys like me.
see also: Beatles
Paperback Writer - A Re-interpretation: Connecting Madame Bovary and the Beatles
and Sunny Day: The Lyrics to a Sesame Street Song
Other
Things You Might Find Romantic
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