Dylan says he won over his girlfriend by shedding tears as he confessed his feelings to her.
Here is their entry for the Valentine's Day Love Story Contest this year:
"I met my girlfriend almost six years ago when I was registering for class for the first day of school in ITE.
"She was literally standing right in front of me in the queue, not dressed up, with no make up on but yet she was able to catch my attention even before catching a glimpse of how she actually look like.
"Surprisingly, she was in the exact same orientation class as me and I was thrilled to know that.
"Our first conversation started with a shock when I spoke to her in Chinese and she replied, “I am not Chinese, I am Malay”.
"Due to her fair skin tone and complexion, I was totally astonished and shocked that she is a PURE Malay with no mix of blood.
"But, that didn’t stop me to grow even more fond of her, my feelings for her just got stronger as the days, weeks and months passed, we were already very close to each other at that point of time and she even thought that I was going to be her best 'GUY FRIEND'.
"Finally, I managed to gather up the courage to ask her out for a date during Valentine’s Day, It was a great day spent but it didn’t end off every well after I was rejected after confessing.
"Tears were shed on that day, but those tears didn’t go to waste as they managed to touch her heart when she mentioned that no one had ever cried for her.
"I was given an opportunity and a shot at this interracial relationship.
"It begin with a rocky start, there were many obstacles and really difficult and hard times that we went through, especially when it came to family, beliefs and culture.
"Throughout the years of the relationship, I’ve refrained from many things to accommodate her culture and beliefs and it was definitely not an easy task given the fact I have been doing what I do for more than a decade.
"There were times when we had very frequent time-outs and break-ups but somehow or other ended up being together again because of the strong bond we share.
"After four years, coming from a Buddhist family background and as an ex-Christian, I adopted and learn the Islamic belief and started practicing Islam as much as I could and taking up on religious classes and attending Islamic seminars and lessons, Alhamdulilah (All Praises Be To God), our relationship just magically turned around for the better.
"We’ve started to have almost zero fall-outs as religion has taught me many great things and I’ve become even more patient and understanding towards her.
"We would often study, learn and share our knowledge about Islam and I normally end up giving her lessons and lectures.
"She claims her family has grown fond of me and I actually feel it myself.
"Her dad never worries when he knows that she’s out with me and her mum gradually approved of us being close with each other.
"During Hari Raya, her relatives were extremely hospitable to me and I grew fond of their culture as well.
"My mum eventually starts understanding and being more accommodating to my Islamic lifestyle and everything were going smoothly and I believe strongly that it is by the will of God.
"It has been close to six years to date now and it was never an easy ride to take having a interracial relationship.
"But I believe that this can serve as proof that having interracial relationships may not be as bad as what traditional people think.
"My girlfriend and I often share about our future plans together, achieving our careers, dreams, getting married, having a family and waking each other up for morning prayers.
"I’ve never met someone that can make me so complete and I believe that she is the one for me, by God’s will. Amin."
