We live in a world that is very much growing smaller by the day and with more people traveling and relocating it has created a world whereby we see many relationships with people from different cultures. My good friend Tatiana Kukanovais in this type of relationship with her Mexican boyfriend and it is absolutely fascinating to watch the difference between the pair of them. I have known Tatiana and Pico for almost a decade now and they have not been without their issues, much because of the cultures which they come from. If you are in a similar relationship then here is how Tatiana manages it, perhaps it can give you some inspiration.
Patience
The level of patience required in this type of relationship is far more than with any normal relationship because sometimes the answer to a discussion or an argument is that the cultures clash, and that can be difficult to resolve. In fact I can’t tell you the number of times that Tatiana has come over to see me after simply walking out of an argument. Latinos can of course be very fiery where as us Brits are quite reserved, as you can imagine these are two cultures which have a very difficult time synchronizing and it can be challenging.
Learning
Things aren’t all bad however and Tatiana and her partner have learned a huge amount from each other, more than most will have learned. Tatiana for example speaks Spanish and most importantly she has gained a deep understanding of what Mexican culture is, more so than many people who travel or even who live there. The same goes for Tatiana’s boyfriend as well, he has learned so much about the English culture and he has even picked up some of the lingo!
Understanding
I knew Tatiana when she was with her last partner and something which I would never say that she was during those years was an ‘understanding’ but this is certainly what I would say about her now. I think that the two cultures coming together has made her change very much in personality and she has grown this nature which is very understanding to what Paco is struggling with in terms of the two cultures, and he is very much the same with her. From the outside looking in it is very healthy to see these two become so understanding with one another.
Richer
My argument to any who suggested that two cultures couldn’t work in perfect unison would be that I actually believe them to be richer than most couples who I know. They have learned a huge amount about each other and themselves and each other, and they are most definitely richer for it. Of course the additional culture which they have learned about has been incredible and to watch them converse in a weird Spanglish is absolutely amazing.
If you are in a relationship like this then power to you.
