Cross-Cultural Couples: Kim and Michele

By: Emma Kwee

True love surpasses all boundaries they say…love songs talk about climbing the highest mountains, swimming the deepest oceans, crossing deserts without water and overcoming many other hardships. Obstacles that conjure up a very romantic, if slightly less realistic picture of love.

But there are couples that have to overcome many obstacles to stay together. Cross-cultural couples often don’t only have to deal with geographical distances but also with cultural differences. They meet many challenges along the way, parents or families that disapprove of the relationship, bureaucratic rules and visa regulations, and of course religious and cultural perspectives that may lead to misunderstandings. Being in a cross-cultural relationship requires a will to understand your significant other and his or her cultural context, dedication and conviction from either partner and most of all, a lot of patience…

This new series celebrates love that overcomes these boundaries and obstacles. Over the past few months we have interviewed cross-cultural couples from Asia that have settled all over the world. We asked them how they met, how their relationship developed and what challenges they had to overcome along the way. This week, we start with Kim and Michele, a couple that currently resides in Pontianak West Kalimantan. Kim is from Indonesia, born in Aceh and Michele is from Vancouver Canada.