FIFINONO – a blog about cultural exploration

Today we bring you the love story of Zuleika and Ben!

A French pilot and a Hong Kong flight attendant, Ben and Zuleika first met in Beijing, Ben was mesmerized by Zuleika’s sunny and smiley face. It didn’t take long for them to fall in love and started to finish each other’s sentences. With their job at private jet firms, they traveled around the world together, leaving their love across the sky and on different continents. 

FIFINONO had an interview with these two lovebirds to learn how cultural difference impacts their lives.

What perceptions did you have of their culture? Did they live up to it?

Zuleika: Romantic / Yes…
Ben: Flexible, materialistic. I discovered by myself and more with her some cities, history and some aspect of Chinese culture.

Have you had arguments or misunderstanding due to cultural differences?

Zuleika: Hell yes… over the covid
Ben: Yes we have a lot of misunderstanding between latin and asia side. But now I think I become more zen as Asian and she took the latin spicy side…

Is there anything cultural your partner does that you like/dislike?

Zuleika: Like: Eating healthy / Dislike : the horse expression (the lip bubbles

What are some of the products that you didn’t know your partner uses?

Zuleika: None I hope…
Ben: some skin care like snail mask

ON FOOD:

What food does your partner eat a lot from their culture?

Zuleika: Baguette n crepes
Ben: all kind of asia food (noddles some strange snacks,….)

What food do you love from your partner’s culture?

Zuleika: Cheese and seafood
Ben: Din Tai Fung (Soup dumplings)

What food from your partner’s culture is weird to you?

Zuleika: Frog, snail and rabbit
Ben: chicken feet, durian, pangolin

ON LANGUAGE:

What cute phrases have you learned from your partner’s language?

Zuleika: Cest Party Monkiki !  (Let’s go!)
Ben: wo hen tien (I am sweet), wo an ni (I love you), wo hen da (I am big)

What are the words/phrases your partner always says in their language?

Zuleika: Putain / merde / Casse Les Couille
Ben: Ham gai, dai lay no more

FINAL WORDS:

What is the best part of being in a cross-cultural relationship?

Zuleika: Embrace the differences, everything is interesting
Ben: try to stay myself and maybe less impulsive

FIFINONO Notes:

As Ben said, Zuleika is getting some Latin spice while he is learning to be more “Zen” himself. They balance the French romanticism and Hong Kong’s pragmatism, and of course, not without conflicts throughout the journey.

With long-distance, they often travel hundreds and thousands of miles to see each other, the traveling and cultural differences make every moment together an exploration, and this adventure will never get boring.

FIFINONO Cultural Discussion

Are French people romantic? 

This is a very generic stereotype, but after living in France for a year, FIFI believes there are some reasons for that. FIFI finds that in French society, seduction and sexuality felt more natural and open, both men and women are encouraged to appreciate their bodies, plus the euphonic language, and the beautiful historical and natural scenes… all making a pretty good place to create love and romance.

What do you think? Let us know!

Are you in a cross-cultural relationship? Would you like to share with us your stories, learnings, and tips? Would you like to have your couple sketching on our website?

Please email us at info@fifinono.com, we look forward to hearing from you!