The Yes that changed the world
Suddenly, I'm responsible for one of the bleakest day in history of single women: I got engaged
The art of proposing
Let's face it, proposing on the 1st of April was always going to be something risky.
I managed to keep the secret about my intentions for so long that I started to think that I was pulling an April fool's day joke on myself.
I had the location in mind for quite a few months. I didn't have a day decided yet, since Lindsey didn't really buy the ticket until the last minute, leaving me sweating to find the right moment.
I only knew that at least for the first few days we would be just too happy to see each other to complain or argue, so I opted for the soonest available day.
She arrived on Friday, I proposed on Sunday. First of April. I like to keep things simple, this way it will be easy to remember it, in the future.
While on my side more than few people knew about my plan (mainly my flat mate, the DeArdos, my work colleagues, my football team, everyone in Italy and Anna, who helped me with the ring and I want to thank again here), in South Africa only my secret spy, Jill, Lindsey's sister, knew about it.
I needed someone who could let me know the ring size and which kind of rings Lindsey liked, and she did a great job.
When so many months I contacted her, I was secretly hoping that she would actually spill the secret to Lindsey. At least I would have known in advance that she was still coming to see me after realizing what was going on.
Well, Jill didn't, she kept the secret. Obviously I didn't know it, so I was still over confident about it.
You see, proposing is a difficult act that you have to pull together.
It's like deciding to destroy the coliseum in Rome, with some C4 (plastic explosive), and film it: you have only one chance to do it properly.
Miss it, and all the work done for buying and positioning the explosive - and getting the authorizations from the Mayor of Rome- would be wasted (yes, it is an unlikely scenario, but I think that gives you the idea of the effort required).
It's something you do once, and you hope you'll never do it again.
You don't just buy a ring, which is by the way a daunting task for someone like me who has never ever bought an expensive piece of jewelry for anyone else.
You don't just choose a location and a date. You still have to say something right to the right girl, and wait.
Basically you do all the work and you just hope that someone else will see in you something that is worth quite a lot, since the rest of your life may depend on it.
So, when I asked the question, with my back broken after the football much (I cracked my damn tailbone! For a week I couldn't even move), Lindsey said Yes without hesitation.
She took the ring on the wrong hand (but after a quick phone call things were sorted), and then she stayed emotionally shocked for the rest of the day (or the week...).
I was so confident (because of the fact that I didn't know she didn't know) that everything I wanted to say come out just right.
How could she say no the Olafmeister?
As soon as she said yes, in that late sunny afternoon in Richmond Park , by the East Sheen gates (we had our first proper date there, it was a picnic, and after checking my old pictures I found the same tree - that's called effort!), I could hear the scream of millions (and millions) of single girls that just realized that living wasn't worth anymore now that the Olafmeister wasn't available anymore. How could I blame them?
I'm sure that if some statistician will look at the world population numbers in the next years, they will see an increase in the suicidal rate between women aged 18 to 64 on that 1st of April 2007.
Sorry ladies. the meister in not on the market anymore.
2 weeks with Lindsey
After the difficult part, the rest of the week was quite smooth, even for my standards, but everything was over way too soon. The only constant pain was my cracked coccyx, which didn't improve for almost 10 days and that kept me either in bed or around doctors.
Try to sit on the toilet with that kind of pain.
Yes, they were tears in Lindsey's eyes at the airport (she went through quite an ordeal to comply with the strict new rules for allowed baggage, rules different from her home country), but this time she knew that I would finally join her in South Africa, the 16th of July.
By the way it may be a shock for some of you, but yes, I'm leaving London at the end of June and start a new life in (South) Africa.
You know, life is funny sometimes. I remember just few years ago how proud I was of being a European and how I didn't care much about South America, Africa and Asia.
Moving there seemed such a remote and crazy idea. And now I have a ticket to Johannesburg, a wedding to prepare and a visa to get! And a football world cup to attend, which always helps.
I took Lindsey on my Olaf's tour of London, tour that has been used in many other occasions, basically every time I had friends staying at my place.
We went to the usual tourist spots, and Lindsey tried very hard to pretend she didn't live in this place for 4 years...
Probably to thank me for the great tour, she took me on a shopping spree in Oxford Street and in Camden Town, but hey, at least I finally saw Primrose Hill, a place so famous up north that I've never seen before.
Probably the only decent hill in town, it lets you see a great view of London. I need to add it to my tour.
We attended some parties too. We went to Gemma's 30th (where I met again many of the people that took part in the Tough Guy race 3 months ago ) at some very nice restaurant, and to Lindsey's uncle John + Pam barbecue somewhere in the countryside outside Woking. Probably my first family-ish outing.
In both the occasions food was great and so the company. I had time to relax my sore back (I've been walking like a duck - or worse - for days) and to enjoy our first parties as an engaged couple.
It sounds so serious that is almost funny, but I kind of like the feeling. Even watching the Sound of Music felt special, since it was one of those "first things you do when you get engaged". You never know, maybe I'll get bored of it soon, but it a welcomed change in my life. My ego is happy, since it found someone who actually wants to spend the rest of her life with me.
Oh yeah baby, I feel special, just like Jim's at the band camp. And I'm not retarded.
I actually wish I could have spent more time with Lindsey, by taking her out more or generally tried to be with her. But unfortunately in the same days my flat mate of 6 years (Rob, here you can read about him ) was leaving, and I wanted to spend some time with him since I would probably not see him for a long time, if not ever.
So I had to juggle very hard between keeping Lindsey entertained and happy and spending some last nights with Xbox and Jack Daniels (and films) with the guy who shared my small apartment with me for so many years.
Every time I had to change my plans to accommodate either Lindsey or Rob, I hoped they could understand my tricky situation.
At the end a romantic evening and meal with Lindsey became one of those You me and Dupree moments where I was just praying that nothing terrible would happen. Fortunately it almost didn't.
Lindsey understood me (see? There is a reason why I love her so much), and spent time with me and Rob on our last day, trying to lift up the morale.
Few hours later I was left almost without anyone though.
Rob gone, Lindsey was gone too, and only Sian, Lindsey's best friend, was forced to spend an hour or so in the car, on our way back from Gatwick, talking with me. Poor girl.
But hey, my life has changed now. I have some things to prepare. And I have to learn how to be a decent fiancée.
Some questions are still buggins me: am I still allowed to get drunk on a regular basis? What about the tales of blood and glory on football pitches? And what about my secret DVD stash?
We'll see.
I love you Lindsey, and thanks again for saying yes.
You got yourself a great deal: the ring and the meister. It will be worth it.
Posted by Olaf Olgiati the 14 April 2007
I only knew that at least for the first few days we would be just too happy to see each other to complain or argue, so I opted for the soonest available day.
While on my side more than few people knew about my plan (mainly my flat mate, the DeArdos, my work colleagues, my football team, everyone in Italy and Anna, who helped me with the ring and I want to thank again here), in South Africa only my secret spy, Jill, Lindsey's sister, knew about it. 
When so many months I contacted her, I was secretly hoping that she would actually spill the secret to Lindsey. At least I would have known in advance that she was still coming to see me after realizing what was going on.
You don't just buy a ring, which is by the way a daunting task for someone like me who has never ever bought an expensive piece of jewelry for anyone else. 
So, when I asked the question, with my back broken after the football much (I cracked my damn tailbone! For a week I couldn't even move), Lindsey said Yes without hesitation. 
As soon as she said yes, in that late sunny afternoon in Richmond Park , by the East Sheen gates (we had our first proper date there, it was a picnic, and after checking my old pictures I found the same tree - that's called effort!), I could hear the scream of millions (and millions) of single girls that just realized that living wasn't worth anymore now that the Olafmeister wasn't available anymore. How could I blame them?
After the difficult part, the rest of the week was quite smooth, even for my standards, but everything was over way too soon. The only constant pain was my cracked coccyx, which didn't improve for almost 10 days and that kept me either in bed or around doctors. 
Yes, they were tears in Lindsey's eyes at the airport (she went through quite an ordeal to comply with the strict new rules for allowed baggage, rules different from her home country), but this time she knew that I would finally join her in South Africa, the 16th of July. 
I took Lindsey on my Olaf's tour of London, tour that has been used in many other occasions, basically every time I had friends staying at my place. 
We attended some parties too. We went to Gemma's 30th (where I met again many of the people that took part in the Tough Guy race 3 months ago ) at some very nice restaurant, and to Lindsey's uncle John + Pam barbecue somewhere in the countryside outside Woking. Probably my first family-ish outing. 
It sounds so serious that is almost funny, but I kind of like the feeling. Even watching the Sound of Music felt special, since it was one of those "first things you do when you get engaged". You never know, maybe I'll get bored of it soon, but it a welcomed change in my life. My ego is happy, since it found someone who actually wants to spend the rest of her life with me. 
So I had to juggle very hard between keeping Lindsey entertained and happy and spending some last nights with Xbox and Jack Daniels (and films) with the guy who shared my small apartment with me for so many years. 
Every time I had to change my plans to accommodate either Lindsey or Rob, I hoped they could understand my tricky situation.
Rob gone, Lindsey was gone too, and only Sian, Lindsey's best friend, was forced to spend an hour or so in the car, on our way back from Gatwick, talking with me. Poor girl.