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From: Marianne
Category: Category 1
Date: 6/26/99
Time: 8:35:07 AM
Remote Name: 164.138.128.170
Hi- I am American married to a Frenchman. We are currently living in France (Strasbourg). We are moving back to the States next month after being here one year with the hopes of staying forever. I really thought I was one who could handle living in a foreign country, but there is so much I miss, along with simple familiarities and people who smile. The French are impossible to get to know, they are very negative and unfriendly. They are very polite, but that's as far as it goes. We live in a small village and after one year, we do not know a single neighbor. I found the French system very inefficient and frustrating. I guess as Americans we are spoiled by all the services we get and take for granted. Sorry to be so down, but I am being honest about my experience. Maybe yours will be different.....
From: Ana @ coqui@egl.net
Category: Category 1
Date: 2/13/99
Time: 8:31:59 AM
Remote Name: 153.106.4.11
Hi, my husband and I are doing a bit of research on cross-cultural marriages. I am Puerto Rican, he is Dutch Canadian/American. It has been our experience that cross-cultural marriages are a wonderful thing but provide a diffrent set of challanges. My husband is studying to be a pastor, and as part of pastoral care class we want to prepare other minister for the special challanges of counseling a mixed couple. What were your special concerns as you prepared for marriage? Were language issues important? I am fully bilingual and my husband although he has rudimentary French, is only beggining to learn Spanish. It has changed the way I express my emotions, as not to leave him behind by expressing my frustrations in Spanish. Has any of you started raising children? How did you come decided how you child would be raised? I struggle with the idea that my children might never understand what it mean to be Puerto Rican and only know Canadian/Dutch culture, how ever many Puerto Rican holidays we might celebrate. I would love to hear from some of you, it will help us, help ourselves and other couples. Where do traditional pre-marital counseling fails you? Please let me know. thanks Ana