Published online at Rafflesian Times
How did you meet each other?
We were both teaching the same class then, 10S06T, but we were merely acquaintances. We were officially introduced to each other by a couple of our teacher colleagues in RI, when they organised badminton sessions for a group of colleagues and invited us.
Do you believe in destiny? How does your belief relate to your relationship?
Alex: Yes, I believe in that. The past relationships were all lessons to be learnt. No one is perfect but I am improving and will continue to work hard to be Xinyi’s best companion and soulmate.
Xinyi: If I had met Alex during my younger/uni days, I would probably not fall in love with him! So I really do believe in meeting the right person at the right time and that everything will just fall into place nicely, without having to work too hard to get things right 
Who has given you the best relationship advice and what was it?
We guess we knew at the back of our minds that communication is important for a lasting relationship. However, it was during a marriage preparation course which we recently attended that really emphasised to us that communication is the key to sustaining a relationship. We are really glad that every moment we spent together is one filled with joy and laughter. It was when we realized that we could speak our minds freely and share with each other simply anything under the sun that we started our relationship
If you had to pick a song that summed up your relationship, what would it be?
The song has to be ‘Lucky’ by Jason Mraz and Colbie Caillat. We are both lucky that we are in love with our best friends! Every little thing that we do as a couple—from a simple meal at the kopitiam, to nonsensical chats we have, to catching a movie, and walking home from the car park, has always been so enjoyable, as long as we have each other’s company.
How did you meet each other?
We met in Catholic Junior College. We were in JC 1 and happened to be in Badminton CCA and the Students’ Council together. It was our first time in a relationship and we weren’t sure if it would last, so we said, ‘Let’s see how it goes for…ten years?’ It was a purely random number at that time! As it turned out, we dated for a decade, and celebrated our tenth anniversary by tying the knot.
Do you believe in destiny? How does your belief relate to your relationship?
It’s nice to believe that destiny brought us together because we discovered that we clicked very well. But successful relationships require real effort, open communication, trust and give-and-take from both parties to work. It was the same for us.
In your relationship, who’s more romantic and who’s more practical?
During the first few years of our relationship, we both did romantic things like gifting hand-crafted presents or planning special birthday surprises for each other. We’re both rather practical and it didn’t take long for our practical sides to surface.
If you had to pick a song that summed up your relationship, what would it be?
That song would be ‘More Than Words’ by Extreme.
How did you meet each other?
Carlsen: We were in the same orientation group in RJC in 1996. Our OG had regular outings throughout the year. In J2, a group of us stayed in school till night time to study for our A-Levels. During our study breaks, we played basketball or had meals at Ghim Moh hawker centre. We became good friends over those two years and spent hours talking on the phone. I only asked her to be my girlfriend after we graduated from RJC, just before I enlisted into the army. (I was afraid to lose her since our paths were diverging.)
What was the first thing you noticed about each other?
Carlsen: Well, the first thing I noticed was that she was a RGS prefect with her different uniform! More than that, she was a cute, bubbly little girl who would go all red when something funny happened. She was also an obvious leader amongst her peers as her RGS mates all voted her to be our orientation group leader. But I guess, the first impression that she left on me was that she cherished friendships, which was apparent in how she organised outings and made gifts for her friends. (She, on behalf of the girls, made a personalized Valentine’s Day gift for all the guys using a corkboard and our OG photo)
Janice: I thought his name was ‘Gao Sheng’ when we were introducing ourselves, but his name caught my eye when I compiled the name list because it was actually ‘Carlsen’! That left a lasting impression. The male OG leader was not helping me to organise anything so I was very thankful that Carlsen was so willing to help contact the guys. His helpfulness struck me despite not having the need or responsibility to do so.
Do you believe in destiny? How does your belief relate to your relationship?
We believe God has brought us together. Our common belief in Christ is our foundation and anchor for our relationship. Because of God’s love for us, we learn what it means to love each other, being faithful in spite of our faults, weaknesses and ugliness. Knowing that our God has shown us undeserved grace in forgiving us helps us to forgive when we have hurt the other. Even though we are different, we learn to complement each other to work towards our common goals and perspectives for family life, parenting, finances, and relationships with others.
What is the most romantic thing you have ever done as a couple?
Carlsen: I guess it would be the wedding proposal. In 2004, I organized a gathering for our close RJ mates back at the old Mount Sinai campus after RJC had moved to Bishan. The ‘reason’ was to reminisce over our good old days. So, I planned a treasure hunt game where they had to go around in groups to find certain locations using the riddles provided and to find a clue that was hidden there. Of course, I briefed all our friends about the PLAN and they all willingly played along. Only Janice was unaware (though she already guessed the PLAN by the second checkpoint!). After they cleared all the checkpoints, the teams gathered back at the canteen where Janice had to unravel all the clues which spelt out: ‘Dear Janice, would you grow old together with me?’ So, yup, that was probably the most romantic thing we did and it felt all the more wonderful because we had our close friends there with us.
How did you meet each other?
We met during the national examinations briefing at the MOE auditorium. Our respective schools assigned us as the Chief Presiding Examiner and the Presiding Examiner in that year.
What was the first thing you noticed about each other?
Puay Hong: Her seemingly snobbish attitude caught my attention!
Phui Jiun: He wrote beautifully in cursive.
Who has given you the best relationship advice and what was it?
Our sisters gave us the best relationship advice—‘Commit to quality time together on a regular basis’.
If you had to pick a song that summed up your relationship, what would it be?
‘Then’ by Brad Paisley.
Reblogged this on emily's diary and commented:
I’M DYING AT MR TAY’S PROPOSAL GUYZ THESE THINGS EXIST IN SINGAPORE OMG THERE IS HOPE FOR HUMANITYYY. Hahahahahah I’m kidding but it’s so sweet!! <3
@lpj LOL