My Intercultural Relationship

Well I've been thinking...

Now that I've been posting for a few months it's time to get to know each other a little more, wouldn't you say? Well you guys already know I'm a Lush fan and Sailor Moon collector. If you've checked out the blurb under my photo you'll also know I'm really into plants, I watch anime, play UFO machines and am addicted to matcha tea. But what you might not know about me is I can't function without coffee (it's gone far past an addiction at this point...it's more like a physical necessity). I have read Harry Potter so many times it's impossible to count. I hate running but love swimming. Because of my mother and grandmother, I can speak some Estonian. Autumn is my favourite time of year...

  I met, fell in love with, and am now seriously dating a Japanese boy.

 

In about a week I will have a guest post published in Gina Bear's blog (I SERIOUSLY recommend you check it out, it's awesome! - http://ginabearsblog.com) where I wrote a bit about what it's like to be in an intercultural relationship with a Japanese man. Turns out this topic is quite popular! Intercultural relationships are growing in number and each couple has a story unique to them. Though many couples share some things in common with each other, we each bring something new to the table with certain experiences that are unique to our relationship.

So here is a quick introduction to my intercultural relationship...

• My boyfriend's name is Tamito.
• I met him over Tinder (I know, right? Trust me I was surprised too...)
• We currently both live in Osaka.
• Before meeting we hung out at the same bar and despite having mutual friends, we never spoke.
• Along with (obviously) Japanese, he is fluent in Mandarin and English.
• We try and speak 50% English, 50% Japanese together but his English is far better than my Japanese so honestly it ends up being 30/70. 
• He shares my addiction to matcha tea and dependence on coffee. 
• We are Walking Dead fans and I'm not sure which of us loves Daryl more (it's me, obviously). 
• We both are closet otaku (nerds).
• Tamito is weirdly good at UFO machines.
• He is obsessed with lemon flavoured sour candies.
• Whenever he goes to McDonald's he will order me a vanilla milkshake. I think he's trying to make me fat. 

That's pretty much it! As you can see we are a pretty average couple. At least, I think so. But I am also aware that the fact that we are intercultural makes us a little unique.

As the world is becoming more and more globalized, with more and more people moving abroad for school and work, intercultural couples are becoming increasingly common. Just like any couple, intercultural relationships face obstacles. Some of these obstacles come from two people learning and growing together and some come from the fact that at the end of the day, different countries are home to different cultures and values. It would be ignorant to suggest that these differences, however minor they can be, don't cause friction from time to time (I touch on this subject in my article for Gina Bear's blog).

Not only will I be sharing my personal experiences being in an intercultural relationship but I'll also share what dating is like in Japan, what exactly can make dating in Japan unique, the best place to take your date, and all that fun stuff! (￣▽￣人)hehe

Being in a relationship can be hard, no matter where you and your partner are from. Sometimes it's nice to know you aren't alone in this. I hope by sharing my stories I can help strengthen the intercultural relationship community.

If you've never been in an intercultural relationship, or have recently found yourself in one and are not sure what to expect, I hope I can help out a bit! Or at least provide some laughs. Tamito and I are pretty big goof balls to be honest.

And if there is any topic you guys would like me to cover, let me know! (＾ω＾)♡