Date: Saturday March 21, 2015
Participants:
Argentina: Johny | US: Rick, Angie | China: Tata, Haru, Alina, Qiuqiu, Shelia, Judie | Hong Kong: Selly
This topic was originally planned as a debate however we decided to make it a general chat discussion.
Summary of key points:
1. There were many different opinions on this topic, some people felt Romance is most important in the beginning of the relationship, others felt it was more important throughout, while others felt it was more important later in the relationship.
2. The definition of romance, and comparing love to romance, was discussed. Most people agreed that love is at a much deeper level of a relationship, it is a pact that represents trust, communication and respect, while romance is seen as a "method" of showing your love, your feelings.
3. Culture has a large impact on this topic, as many of the people in the group are from countries where it is not so obvious that Romance is seen as a critical part of a relationship, where in some cases, feelings are not shown in such an obvious way as in other countries.
4. There are stereotypes about people from different countries, where in some, people are considered to be very passionate and open about showing their "Romantic feelings" while in others, people tend to be more pragmatic about it.
5. One of the funniest things said in this discussion when Miranda was asked about it, she said "Chocolate makes my teeth hurt". This was in response to the idea that there is an image of romance that includes the giving of flowers, chocolates or other gifts to demonstrate feelings.
6. Summary: While there are general ideas and stereotypes of what Romance means, it is truly a very personalized topic. Some members of the group, whom may not have a lot of experience in this area, talked about what they have seen in examples led by their parents. Ultimately a relationship is a pact, a unique type of life partnership between people, and how they choose to demonstrate their feelings or find ways to enhance their relationship is always a matter of personal choice.
Below is the link to listen to our chat
Is Romance an Important Part of Maintaining a Healthy Relationship - Voice chat Recording File
For people who did not join the live discussion, feel free to contribute the ideas in comment blanks below.