"I am a degree holder and a qualified accountant.

I know my husband through my parents' matchmaking twenty years ago.

My husband's parents were my parents' chick supplier (my parents reared chickens for sale). My husband helped in the family business.

Actually, the matchmaking was for my third sister. One evening, my husband's family came to our home with two
sons.

They were trying to matchmake their two sons with my elder and third sister. But, that evening, my third sister was not at home and I was doing my homework (still at "A" level).

The second son (my husband now) liked me on first sight. But, I did not like him then as I was still young and I did not believe in matchmaking.

But, after my parents got me to go out with him a couple of times, I found that he was a good guy and a caring person. Most importantly, his parents liked me too.

He taught me to do business while I helped to manage the family's business accounts. Whenever I had free time, I would stay at his shop to learn and gain some working experience.

He is 10 years older but no worries for me. We did not get married quickly; he let me finish my university degree. He would fetch me after my lessons.

We are happily married and have two daughters. Parents from both sides are also happy for themselves and for
us.

I thank my parents for finding a good husband for me and I also thank my husband for being a good partner, husband and good father. Most importantly, I am proud to tell my matchmaking story to all my friends and colleagues.

Thanks to the matchmaking tradition and the one who invented it."

Linda Poh is in her 40s. She is an accountant. She is married to 40-something James Poh, a business man.

Below is a selection of other entries received for the contest.

Labours of love

"In 1971, a female working colleague named Christina Yew started a conversation with me.

"Do you like to meet my girl friend (named Bee Hua who is now my wife), who is young and single?"

Without hesitation, I replied with a firm "yes".

A couple of days later, Christina gave me the address to meet Bee Hua in the evening.

She cautioned me to do three simple tasks before going to Bee Hua's house.

1. I am to prepare a red packet to give to Bee Hua.
2. Buy some fresh fruits for her. "Bee Hua likes fruits," said Christina, smiling.
3. Remember to greet Bee Hua's mother cheerfully.

The three tasks were done with much sweat.

Bee Hua accepted my first invitation for an evening movie on that very weekend. The title of the movie was "The Little Adventurer" starring Allan Tang. The show was screened at the (then) Capitol Theatre.

Love bloomed from day 1 of the meeting.

More love dates followed. Bee Hua's mother was a very conservative Peranakan lady - no late nights and Bee Hua must be home by 11 in the evening.

It was Bee Hua's mother who prompted us to get married after a five-year courtship.

Counting the year that I first knew Bee Hua, it has been 37 years of friendship and 32 years of marriage, with a 30-year old son, and a 21-year old daughter.

There is a lot of give-and-take, sharing and understanding each other's feelings to make a happy marriage.

Sure, some little arguments here and there are bound to surface. Tolerance and respect for each other are the
two key components to unite us till death do us part."

~ Tan Seng Huat

The one for me

"In 1987, after my divorce, life was lonely and hanging around in the bar just to look for a life partner was not easy
and time-consuming.

I was an officer in the SAF (Singapore Armed Forces) and did not have many opportunities to socialise, but whenever I could, I would be involved in different social activities in the community centres, hobby clubs and membership clubs. I also went on outings with friends and colleagues in the hope of socialising and finding a suitable partner, but to no avail.

Although I was above average in looks and of good disposition, finding a match was not easy without a lot of luck.

One day, I eventually looked in the yellow pages and found a matchmaking agency.

The agency managed to pair me up with working ladies - according to what I had specified - on a number of occasions, each time paying $25.

After about eight matches over a period of seven months, I finally found my love in my ninth match - as far as I can remember. That was almost 20 years ago, sometime in October 1988.

My found love was a staff nurse working in a public hospital. She was average looking, plain and simple, very
gentle, soft spoken and submissive.

When we first met at the matchmaking agency office, I had the intuition that she was the one meant for me. We continued from friendship to relationship and finally to marriage - in a span of just less than a year.

In the following years, we were blessed with two very pretty daughters, born in consecutive years.

They are now grown up. Even though they are pretty, I still feel that going through a matchmaker is a way forward
for them - speaking from my good experience - for better choices and to minimise marrying a wrong person."

~ John Lim Huaw Yuen

A chance sighting

"I would like to tell everyone proudly how I know my wife and how eventually we got married.

It all started when I went to a pub one fine day with my best friend.

I still can recall that, during that day, I was very down and sad because I had just broken up with my girlfriend, who had ditched me for another guy.

I was feeling so lousy that I didn't really enjoy the retro music, my all-time favourite.

Out of nowhere, a girl suddenly appeared in front of me, smiling and dancing past me.

I was like a helpless soul lifted up from the coffin. I went forward trying to find that girl, but the place was so crowded that I couldn't find her anywhere. I left the pub very disappointed and feeling down again.

I didn't give up hope and, almost everyday, I went just hoping to meet her again. All my attempts failed. Just as I had given up hope, I attended my best friend's birthday at a chalet.

I was very surprised to see her AGAIN.

I went over to my best friend and asked her if she knew the girl. My best friend then introduced me to her.

From that day, I got to know her. We had a long night because we exchanged our likes and dislikes.

She also mentioned to me that, that day in the pub, she did notice me and wanted to approach me to make
friends, but I looked very unfriendly.

From then on, I started to believe in love at first sight.

Two years later, we were married happily. We now have two kids."

~ jeff