Hi again everyone,
Because people have been asking, and also because I just want to share with everyone a little part of who my fiance was, here's a link (at the bottom) to one of the on-line tributes to him. It was done by the motorcycle club he rode with, who are an amazing bunch of people.
Some of the pictures are older ones, from years ago, which I found funny to see, but there are a lot of newer ones as well. Plus you get to see the bike he loved SO much, and at the end is a sample of his artwork...a bike, of course. =)
Chia was so naturally talented in everything he did. He had such an amazing passion for life, and although it's such a cliche, he really did live every day to the fullest. He accomplished more in his short 26 years than most people do in their entire lives.
Everything he did, he did with drive and determination to be the very best he could be, and he inspired more people with his passion and enthusism for life than he could possibly imagine (as even I learned by the over 500 people who turned out for his memorial services!).
It's funny, too, because he said to me once that he didn't think anyone would show up to his funeral when he died. He must have been in shock watching as group after group of people filed into the church for him. It was filled, and some people had to spend the service outside, looking in through the windows. His motorcycle friends all rode their bikes in a long procession, in full gear, to honor him, which he was probably just THRILLED about. =) He was the happiest I have ever seen him whenever he was suiting up for a ride, and he talked about, read about and studied bikes and riding with such energy and committment. His skill level as a rider was textbook perfect, and he was really well known in the biking community for it back home.
Chia was loving, compassionate, and had a great sense of humor. He was full of energy, always put the needs of his friends before his own, and was always there whenever you needed him. He would make every imaginable effort to make it to every dinner or get-together his friends were having, even if it meant a 30 minute drive out of his way when he could only pop in for a quick "hello." He was someone I knew I could depend on, no matter what the situation. Chia made it one of his priorities to make me as happy as possible, and to make my life run as smoothly as possible, regardless of how much I told him I could do things for myself. I told him all the time how much I appreciated him. I really feel so honored to be the one person he chose to share his life with. I'll always be proud of everything we were to each other and the life we shared together. A good friend told me that it's better to spend 3 years with your soulmate and lose him, than never to have met him at all, and it's so true. I'm grateful each and every day for the time we had together.
Chia was the most brilliant person I have ever known. He graduated at the very top of his class in college, and won tons and tons of awards in everything he was involved in, from academics, to athletics, to art. He was so modest about them, though. I didn't even know about most of them until I came across them somewhere in the apartment. Then he would just shrug them off, because to him he did things for the pure joy of it, not to be recognized.
He was a world class dragonboat paddler, who was training to be on the Canadian Olympic team. He coached a team in his "spare" time, too. He also spent weekends teaching other people to ride motorcycles. He was a tireless advocate for wearing full protective gear while riding, which saved him so many times before (he's had 5 previous motorcycle accidents).
In addition to his full-time work, Chia was a University instructor in the faculty he graduated from, because he loved to teach. He spent so much time with his students, inspiring them and encouraging them. He would take them out to eat before exams, and talk with them in the middle of the night on ICQ so they could ask him last minute questions, too. A lot of them came to his service to tell me how much more than just an instructor he was to them.
Chia was a friend to everyone who met him. He was one of those people you have an instant connection with, right away-- someone you instantly thought was a really cool person, and just wanted to know more about and hang out with because you knew he had fun wherever he went. We couldn't walk down any street in Toronto without him knowing someone. And romantic dinners out alone were never really alone...there was always someone in the restaurant he just had to say "Hi" to. =)
Whenever we went to a party, by the end of the night he would have made friends with just about every person there, complete with full contact info in his ever-present Palm Pilot.
😉
I met Chia when we were 13 years old and in highschool together. We used to talk about the very day we met, because we both still remembered it so well. We felt an instant connection to each other, even at that young age. It's something I've never experienced before, and kept us in contact with each other, in one way or another, over all the years we knew each other, until we were ready to be together a few years ago. We are both big believers in fate, and knew we were fated to be together from the beginning. We had (and still have) the most incredible connection with each other. It's so strong that I can feel his presence even now.
Thank you to everyone who wanted to know more. Chia will always be my inspiration, my motivation and my strength. His memory lives on in those who were blessed enough to have known him, and in those who learn about him even now.
Take care,
~~Danielle~~
Memorial page
(not sure what she meant by that....)
