Richard was born in Leeds, England, and spent his early years enjoying the British life. Lots of cricket, curry and cold rainy weather made up his formative years. At the age of 23 he got on a plane and flew to Japan where he taught English for a year. There he met and befriended a man, who 6 years later he would fly to the US to visit. On his second visit he met Anna.

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Anna was born in Beijing, China, and was the leader of the gang of children in her apartment complex. She later moved to Guangzhou before making an even longer journey to Houston where her family settled. Anna made many friends and excelled at high school and in college. The final thing she wanted was to meet a British boy. She planned a trip to the UK, but before she got on that flight, Richard came into her life.

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In China, there is a saying that two people who are meant to be together are tied together by a red string of fate.

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Anna and Richard met in the right place at the right time, and thus their story began.

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Their first date involved coffee at a hip place called Agora, followed by delicious pizza at Luna, then a trip to Rice Village for frozen yogurt and Chocolate Bar. It was a fun night and one that Richard and Anna never forget. They often look back and talk about how far they came since that first date. There was a spark that night, and over the next two days they had two more great dates.

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It was the feeling that they got from those first few evenings together that gave them the desire to get to know each other better. They traveled all over the world; St Lucia, England, China, Germany, Austria, Mexico, Thailand, Japan and the USA. They grew and got to know each other more and more, until one day they realized that they wanted to be together for always.

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Memories

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Richard has many memories with Anna that he could talk about. For him, the experiences he has shared with her are the best of his life, and he would take those experiences over all the money and luxuries in the world. But if he had to choose one memory that was his favorite, it would be their first trip to Las Vegas together. It was less than six months into their relationship and Richard got to see a side of Anna he had never seen before. Her knowledge of Vegas was first class, and he had the most fun he could remember for a long time. They went to a show, ate great food, walked the strip and partied hard. One morning they got a call from reception regarding a question they had asked earlier, and when Richard picked up the phone the receptionist called him Mr Zheng. They laughed so hard, and still laugh about that one today. They return to Las Vegas often for work and leisure, and every visit is great, but for Richard that first experience is one to never be forgotten.

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Anna's favorite memory of Richard is one that helped her realize that Richard was a real keeper. She traveled to England, and even though it was the Summer, it was cold and wet. She didn't expect the weather to be so bad, and unfortunately she woke in the middle of the night feeling very sick. Anna wanted to go home to the warmth, but Richard did his best that night to look after Anna. He brought her medicine, lots of water and he stayed up all night sat next to her, telling her stories and rubbing her hair. He made her french toast and soup to help make her feel better the next day. Even though Anna got sick, she never forgot the way Richard was able to look after her in that hour of need. She knew then that he was someone that could be relied on. Sometimes it is in adversity that someone proves themselves to be special, and from that day on Anna knew she would never need to worry if she got sick.

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What they mean to each other

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To Richard, Anna is the most incredible person he has ever met. Intelligent, strong willed, funny, beautiful, fun and loving, she is everything he ever dreamed of in a partner. If he had to describe her and his feelings for her in one short sentence, he would say, "Anna is the amazing princess who took me into her arms, loved me and helped me grow."

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To Anna, Richard is always the handsome, articulate, and charming British boy that she met on that faithful day in Houston. He always makes her laugh with his British humor (most of the time...ok...3 out of 10 times...). He always makes her feel like a princess by spoiling her with ice cream, massages, and a lots of love. He is the perfect English gentleman, one hand with a cup of tea and the other with a bowl of curry, he charmed his way into Anna's heart, just like the men in Jane Austen's novel.