David @ Tokyo

Well, not "just engaged", actually engaged since almost a month ago now, on Friday October 20, but didn't want certain readers to find out about my big news through the media.

So, finally for posterity, a little about the big night...

Kana's birthday was the day before on the 19th, so I planned to take her out to Top of Shinagawa for dinner, ostensibly for her birthday. Top of Shinagawa is a bar/restaurant on the 39 floor of Shinagawa Prince Hotel, where we had gone together for some drinks back in March.

That day I had taken the afternoon off work to go to the Kuyakusho to pick up my renewed foreigners registration card (aka "gaijin card"), and got suited up for the evening. With ring in pocket I set out to pick Kana up. It came in a box, as engagement rings do, but this left me with the dilemma of how I would conceal it from her prior to the big moment later in the evening. Along with the ring also came a small purse which I guessed was precisely for this purpose, and put it to use. Still, the nerves were playing up a bit as I walked down the street towards the station, and found myself confirming that, yes indeed the ring truly was safely in my right side pocket, and that I hadn't in a bout of insanity left it back on top of the TV in a rush to get out the door.

I arrived a few minutes early and sat down, checked my pocket once again to convince myself that there would be no need to continue this all evening, and took a series of deep breaths.

Then the time came so I stood up and waited for her. Soon she arrived, and the few remaining nerves vanished completely.

A short while later we arrived at Shinagawa, and made our way across the road to the hotel, and up the elevator to the 39th.

Back in March we had only sat in the bar on the south side looking over Tokyo Bay, but on this occasion with a dinner planned we were seated back in the centre of the floor, on an elevated level where the restaurant and kitchen are located.

We ordered some wine and a course menu. After a few iterations of plates coming and going, the birthday cake that I had arranged for came out prior to our main dessert.

Then, before she blew out the candles, I reminded her to make a wish (which afterwards she joked was "I hope this cake tastes really great!").

Puff!

Out went the candles, and hoping like hell that the ring was indeed still in my pocket, I reached in and pulled it out, and enjoyed the moment as the expression on her face transitioned from happiness to confusion, as I brought the small purse into her view. Then out came the ring, and she understood - I made my proposal, she gave her response.

All in all, quite a night. More photos later, once I get my hands on Kana's digital camera. In the meantime, here's Kana to the right shortly after I slipped the ring on to her finger.

Labels: Kana and I