Expat Advice: Relationships in Venezuela, Venezuela

What is the name of the city or town that you are reporting on?

Venezuela

What is your current status? Are you single, dating, in a long-term relationship, married or divorced?

Married.

What is it like in your country of residence for someone with your relationship status (married/divorced/dating)? If you're single, how do you meet other people? Do English-speaking people tend to gravitate to certain parts of your city?

Pleasant, well accepted, wonderful. Yes, but we are, by choice, in a village far from the expat communities in the cities.

If you do not have children, do you generally spend your social time with other expat couples? If not, what else do you like to do as a couple?

No. The majority of the expat couples are transient and here temporarily. I am here permanently as I married beautiful woman and her country. Transient expats generally spend entirely too much time complaining about conditions here. They frequently do this while enjoying company furnished accommodations superior to what they have at home. Sometimes this actually reaches the point of distressing my wife and myself. This country is not like my home, but then I do not expect it to be. Yes it does have it's faults, but so does every other country on God's green earth.

But it also has many wonderful pluses in both the people and the geography. I wake up each morning to a breathtaking view of the Carribean and walk down to buy my newspaper at the stand receiving warm sincere greetings from everyone I meet on the way. I dine on fresh vegtables, fruit, meat, fowl and fish without having to have a chemical degree to read the labels. Friends and family say, "My house is your house" and mean it with all sincerity. Why would I want to listen to someone complaining because they can not buy Cheeze Puffs, (What are Cheeze Puffs?), at the local grocery?

We immerse ourselves in the local community and our church, I seldom even speak English anymore away from work.

If you are married or in a relationship with a person of another nationality, how has this experience enriched you as a person. What kind of challenges do you face?

I have learned patience, understanding and to maintain an open mind. Her culture is not my culture. Each of our cultures has it good points and bad points. We try to pick the good points from each and apply them while avoiding the bad. Words do not necessarily translate with the same significance or gravity. While I am fluent in Spanish and my wife in English now... (Well, we are still working on the word "Punctuality"... It is rather alien to her Latin culture!!), we find at times that word's meaning has to be addressed in reference to your cultural background.

What would be the best advice you could give someone with your relationship status that lives in your country of residence? Any other thoughts?

Accept the cultural differences with grace. Remember always that your partners culture had a large part in making them the person you fell in love with. If you do not accept their culture, then you are not truly accepting them.

Always remember abroad that what is different is not necessarily wrong. Remember that no matter how advanced you consider your native culture to be, there is always something to learn from others. Remember that you are a GUEST in your country of residence and conduct yourself accordingly, respecting your HOST nation.

Above all remember that your foreign spouse will quite naturally have strong feelings for their native land. Complaining about their native land quite justifiably tries their love for you.