HOW THEY MET
Jon: My friends from Malaysia were in Singapore and they were asking why I was single. Then they showed me Amanda's Instagram profile and I said, "Ok, not bad". I told them I wasn't interested but after I got home that night, I followed her and—as much as I don't want to admit this—I slid into her DMs. I said two words: "Adidas FTW". We were both representing the brand. I didn't expect her to reply but she did. I met up with her when I was in KL, and we started texting.
Amanda: Then he saw me lip syncing to Britney Spears on my Instagram Stories—I was going on this Britney craze, doing it in my room, in the car, you name it. And he asked if I wanted tickets to Britney in Singapore. I was like, "Don't play my heart like this! Do. Not. I will get a heart attack!"
Jon: The truth is I didn't have the tickets yet at that point in time. But since she said yes, I had to quickly ask my management and everything. And I got us four tickets. She brought Hanie.
Amanda: Who is married.
Jon: And I brought my stylist, who is gay.
Amanda: It was a very strategic move.
Jon: Yeah, and she fell in love with me after that.
Amanda: More like, I went with zero expectations. I just really wanted to watch Britney. We took it slow but we got along ridiculously well. And it wasn't just us two. We went with friends and all four of us clicked like a jigsaw puzzle. Romance aside, we were like friends and could do crazy stuff together.
Jon: I just thought, "Thank goodness that she didn't friend zone me!" Guys, always keep your eyes on the prize. Don't fall into the friend zone. It's impossible to come out from there.
THE MOMENT THEY KNEW HE/SHE WAS THE ONE
Amanda: There was no eureka moment. I just can't see myself spending the rest of my life with anyone else. The more time I spend with him, I just want to spend even more time with him.
Jon: I think every guy who's married would agree with me. You don't see it in the moment but you try to foresee your future. For me, I imagined myself at 65 years old, sitting on a rocking chair, and I ask myself—who do I want sitting next to me and who I can still poke fun at?
Amanda: Yeah, I can imagine that too.
Jon: I don't think I saw myself with anyone else like that so congratulations!
Amanda: Congratulations to you!
Both: (laughs)
HOW THEY MADE THEIR RELATIONSHIP WORK
Jon: LDR isn't so bad. We discovered a really efficient way to close the distance. Driving is the fastest. I could go to work in the afternoon (in Singapore) and still meet her for dinner (in Malaysia). It's only three hours and twenty-five minutes from my doorstep to hers. But also, technology—Google Hangouts, Skype, or WhatsApp call—helps.
Amanda: I think we both thought that we wouldn't date anyone in the same industry. But when it happened, we realise it's not that bad. It's actually even better.
Jon: We understand each other's problems. For example, not many people would understand us trying to get the right photo with the right lighting. They'll think we're being difficult but it's more than just a photo—it's work. Even things like why taking three hours to read a script or spending an hour sitting on the chair, being in my own headspace. There will be hard times but we always see it in a big picture.
Amanda: You also have to give each other their own personal space. He's an artist and he values that. When he zones out, I try to respect that. Also, one has to be the bigger diva than the other, and I'm definitely the bigger diva—and he respects that. Thank you, Jon.
Jon: Yeah, I'm your personal driver in Singapore. I don't do it for other people, just specially for you. But in Malaysia, I have to take a Grab (laughs).