JUST THE two of us

Three readers share with us that when cupid strikes, it matters not that you’re of a different race, country or cultural background.

- Amanda Mtuli & Fundiswa Nkwanyana

FALLING IN LOVE

We are both dance enthusiasts, and met in 2018 on the dance floor at the Johannesburg Afro-Latin Festival. Siri was based in Cape Town for her internship, and had flown down to Joburg for the festival. We enjoyed dancing together, and I found myself attracted to her beauty and dance moves. After the festival, we went for coffee. After that came a few dinner dates and us getting to know each other more. I loved her adventurous and goofy nature so much that I felt the need to start a relationship with her.

EMBRACING OUR DIFFERENCES

I fell in love with Siri’s personality, and didn’t care that she was from Norway. I didn’t allow our differences to stop me from pursuing her because I knew that we could easily integrate our cultures. Dating someone from a different country made me realise that just like some South African men, we are often raised to not talk about our emotions. And, when she started questioning my communication style, I realised that there was nothing wrong with expressing my vulnerabilities. We are both aware of our cultural differences and discuss them to avoid conflict.

MAKING IT WORK

From the beginning of our relationship, my girlfriend was based in Cape Town while I was in Joburg. We had to travel in order to see each other. Now that she is back in Norway, we alternate our quarterly visits and chat every day because the arrangement works for us. Our relationship is still fairly new, so we take things one step at a time.

FALLING IN LOVE