Today, the expat chat project is back and I'm talking about dating.
In the past, I mostly dated foreigners, even while living in the States, so I was no stranger to cultural differences in dating when I met Eliseu. Nevertheless, I was still surprised by some of the issues I encountered, including the language barrier, co-habitating, and subtle cultural differences.
Many of my friends have also dated foreigners, and even when they're from countries that speak the same language, there's a language issue, even if small, the most notable case being my best friend's English boyfriend, who I absolutely couldn't understand for the first six months I knew him. She learned faster and even started using bits and pieces of English slang.
It's hard to live with anyone, even if it's a friend, so I think moving into together always will be tricky, regardless of nationality. But when you move in with someone who's never lived without his mom, it's a whole different story.
Finally, when you date someone from another culture, even one that is similar to yours, you'll always be surprised by things that are considered OK and not OK. Who knew burping was grounds for excommunication?
I want to hear from you: what issues have you experienced when dating abroad?
