Love lost in translation

Getting into an intercultural relationship in Beijing is as easy as letting an indiscriminate eye wander during happy hour at Xiu, locating a language exchange partner on online classifieds, or logging onto the many dating websites that cater to English-speakers looking for Chinese love.

But getting into a fulfilling - not frustrating - intercultural relationship with a Chinese "other half" requires a little more thought and effort than goes into clicking a mouse. Although the contemporary Chinese conception of romance has changed radically from a generation ago, the norms of male-female relations here are still rooted in traditional gender roles.

The Chinese view of relationships is very different, and in unexpected ways, to the pragmatic egalitarian approach that Westerners are used. A brave lover in Beijing must be prepared to accept a paradigm shift to enjoy the cross-cultural dating experience.