Gori Girl

intercultural relationship stories and advice

Any Chicagoites Interested in Some Press?

I know we have some ladies (and perhaps gentlemen) here who call the Windy City home. Well, if any of you are interested, I’ve recently been contacted by a Chicago Tribune’s Red Eye reporter, Alexia, about an article she’s preparing to write on “meeting the parents.” Alexia would like to include an intercultural couple in the article, and was wondering if anyone here would be interested in being interviewed:

I’m a reporter with the Chicago Tribune’s RedEye newspaper, a daily aimed at readers in their 20s and 30s. I stumbled across your blog while doing research for a story I’m writing. I’m wondering if you might be able to help with the story, given your blog’s focus on intercultural relationship issues.

The story is about that stage of dating when you must meet your significant other’s parents. It can be one of the more stressful encounters for anyone, as you worry that they won’t like you, or you won’t like them, or that you’ll fail miserably at small talk. And it seems that dating someone from a very different culture can add yet another layer of stress. I saw some of the postings on your blog from people who said their boyfriend’s Indian parents were less than welcoming.

While my story isn’t specifically about intercultural relationships, I would like to include an example from an intercultural relationship, as I think it’s a somewhat unique experience yet something lots of people can relate to. Do you happen to know of anyone in Chicago who has had a particularly noteworthy meet-the-parents experience? Or is there any way to put a note up on your blog to see if anyone is interested in being in the story? It would be great to find someone who’s had an experience that represents some of the challenges and conflicts (sometimes funny, sometimes serious) that come up when meeting the parents, and how those issues were ultimately resolved. As I said, the focus of the story isn’t intercultural relationships, but I think it would be an important component. The story as a whole will tell the stories of several people’s meet-the-parents experiences, plus give some tips for a smooth encounter, such as: conversation topics to avoid; good ice breakers; how to deal with particularly touchy situations (very different political viewpoints, for example); how important it is for you to get along with your significant other’s parents in order for the relationship to succeed, etc.

Thanks so much for any help. I’d ideally like to talk to someone in Chicago who would be willing to have his/her name in the paper.

If anyone is interested, shoot me an email (gorigirl.admin@gmail.com), and I’ll pass along your contact information to Alexia. I do suggest you check with your significant other, and perhaps his/her parents first, though, just to make sure they’re comfortable with it. (I only caution this because I’ve run off half cocked before, sharing all sorts of news with others, only to get the stink eye from Aditya later for telling things he considered private. We all have different comfort levels regarding sharing family stuff.)

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