In October 2022, Eric was a basement-dwelling graduate student at the University of British Columbia and Jina was working & living in downtown Vancouver, unaware of his existence. One day, Terrina Chan (an undergraduate at the time and close friend of Jina) heard rumors of Eric's chaotic teaching style and decided that he would be perfect for her then-single friend. Terrina used social media to her advantage and encouraged Jina to follow Eric on Instagram. He responded by starting a month-long Cold War of online surveillance: he analyzed Jina’s profile for clues about her life while Jina wondered whether Eric’s grainy travel photos suggested worldliness or if he was just an android user. Then, one day, while Eric was at a conference in the most desolate place on Earth (Winnipeg, Manitoba), Jina finally said hi in a private message. They kept their initial conversations super light, like when Eric would move into Jina's apartment and how they'd get married. It didn't take long for Jina's diverse use of memes to win Eric over. On their first date, Jina watched Eric nervously eat all the calamari he had ordered for them to share. After that, the couple was inseparable, spending the better part of the year going on dates, learning about each other, and generally neglecting their responsibilities. Then, with Eric’s Canadian visa nearing its expiration, their time together was at risk of being cut short. So, they made the only logical choice for any bureaucratically cornered couple: they got legally married, committing themselves to a lifetime of happiness, adventure, and relentless immigration paperwork and lawyer fees (Hey, Len! Just kidding, he’s not invited). They eloped privately and Eric brought his five or six possessions from his 9-person suburban house-share to Jina's place. And although her 400 square foot shoebox apartment was barely made for one person, they somehow shared her twin-sized bed and began planning for their future. All the while, they dreamed to one day have a normal wedding that was not legally motivated, at which we hope that you, our favourite people, will all be guests. ☻