Posted on: Sunday, March 6, 2005

LOVE STORIES • Faye Varias and Daniel Lee
Hurdles strengthen couple's commitment to relationship

Daniel Lee and Faye Varias got together after he worked up the courage to ask out the boss's daughter. Dylan Dawson photo

By Tanya Bricking Leach
Advertiser Staff Writer

The first challenge Danny Lee faced when he decided to act on his crush on a co-worker at a Guam resort was working up the courage to ask out the boss's daughter.

He and Faye Varias met nearly eight years ago at the Pacific Islands Club, a waterpark resort where they would talk between interacting with guests and where her dad is a hotel executive.

"I was very reluctant to ask the boss's daughter out," Lee remembers.

But Varias wasn't about to say no. The crush was mutual.

Once they passed that first hurdle, the second wasn't far behind: long-distance dating.

Varias, who was born in Manila and grew up on Guam, decided to move to Hawai'i to pursue an English degree at the University of Hawai'i-Manoa. Lee, who was born in Fiji and lived since his teen years on Guam, wanted to stay at the University of Guam to earn his degree in international tourism. So for a year and a half, they relied on phone calls, letters, e-mails and infrequent visits to keep their relationship together.

The third hurdle almost did them in. Long into the relationship, they broke up to see what life was like apart.

And that's what brought them back together.

"We wanted to find out if we were really meant for each other," Lee said. "It took a lot of trust and faith in each other. We knew each other's weak spots."

Varias knew Lee could be passive-aggressive and might clam up in the middle of a discussion. He knew she was more aggressive and vocal. But they worked out their differences.

"I was pretty sure he was The One," Varias said. Little things, like the way he consistently supported her decisions, convinced her she was right.

And he fell in love with her sense of humor, the dedication she put into her work and her chicken-and-papaya soup.

Both say they love the other's smile, but they're not the type to talk about how lovey-dovey they are.

"We're not one of those mushy-mushy couples that you see," Varias said. "We're up for anything. We mesh well together."

In December 2002, when Varias came home from work tired and went to bed, Lee slipped an engagement ring on her finger under a pillow while she was sleeping. She woke up and knew that was the beginning of their life together.

They've already made it over a few hurdles.

Now for the next one — marriage.

The date is set for Saturday, with a nuptial Mass at Our Lady of Peace Catholic church in downtown Honolulu and a reception that evening at the Hale Koa Hotel. About half of their 140 guests will be flying in from Guam, Manila, Fiji and Australia to help them celebrate.

"The ultimate test of a real man is someone who can put up with me," the bride said. "And Danny passed."

Tanya Bricking Leach writes about relationships. If you'd like her to tell your love story, write to tleach@honoluluadvertiser.com, call 525-8026 or mail your photo and details to Love Stories, Tanya Bricking Leach, The Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802.