Turbulence brings couple together on flight to Taipei

It's been advised that one should catch flights and not feelings.

Where some have failed, a pair of passengers on a flight to Taipei were successful in accomplishing both.

A Taiwanese man known by his Facebook moniker, Ya Chao, shared:

"You won't believe it, but it's possible to meet someone (special) on a flight."

He recounts how he'd seen the pink-haired woman even before he boarded the plane, "carrying big and small bags and running about". It's not clear where they were departing from.

Turns out, they were seated at the same row, with her at the window and him at the aisle, an empty seat separating them.

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He wondered how a petite girl like her could stow her bags in the overhead compartment, and true enough, the lady soon turned to him for help.

They got to talking after she offered him some cherries, and "we talked and talked, about movies, hobbies, everything", wrote Ya Chao.

He found out she was from Chongqing, China, spoke very good English, and was an avid traveller who loved adventure.

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Ya Chao also suggested journeying together in Taipei once they landed, as they were headed in the same direction.

Before long, she shifted to the middle seat so that they could continue their conversation more comfortably.

Just as he was explaining why her plan of exploring three geographically disparate areas in Taiwan within a short period of time was a bad idea, turbulence hit.

"It was quiet. I felt something come over me, and turned to look at her. No, more like stare at her.

"A bold thought came to my head.

"And it seemed like she felt something too.

"She suddenly said she was tired, and without another word, she put on her eye mask and leaned back in her chair.

"But as the turbulence continued, we found ourselves holding each other's hand with our sweaty palms.

"I grabbed her hand tightly, reassuring her that everything is alright and we'll be safe."

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Just when he (and us readers) thought the most exciting part of their journey was over, the pair ran into another predicament at the airport.

His lady love realised that she'd absent-mindedly kept her essential travel documents in her checked-in luggage.

But according to Ya Chou, "perhaps it was meant to be", that he ended up having to help her retrieve her luggage from the carousel. He also shared that had he not been fired from his job and forced to return home, their chance meeting would not have happened. 

His story, which was posted on July 5, is said to detail their romance which began two days prior.

The story has caught the imagination of internet users, with more than 3,000 shares on Facebook and 600 comments.

From a more recent post by Ya Chao on July 7, it appears the pair are still together.

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Wrote one commenter: "If you were not handsome and she wasn't beautiful, I believe the conversation wouldn't continue as it did."

But a majority of commenters expressed envy and hope that they too, could find their special someone on a plane one day. 

Guess Cupid can strike in the most unexpected situations, or sometimes, even in a cinema. 

candicecai@asiaone.com