They met at the local Recreation centre gym. She was finishing up a game with her badminton club, and he was warming up for volleyball with some friends and somehow convinced her to stay and join them. Afterwards, they went out for a bite to eat, and exchanged numbers at the end.

His name: Clement

Her name: Lucie

He is 22. She is 21.

Clement and Lucie met at the local rec room

He is Filipino Canadian.

She is Chinese Canadian.

He is a 4th year Engineering faculty student at Carleton University.

She is a 3rd year Engineering faculty student at Carleton University.

What I love/don't like about her culture:
I love Chinese New Year and other festive holidays. I don‘t like events where they give out “Lysee” (red pocket money)./ Traditional Chinese parents favour boys more than girls-her two younger brothers have more privileges than she does.

What I love/don't like about his culture:
I like how Filipinos are very religious and I respect how devoted they are to Christianity./ I don‘t like the fact that some of his family actually enjoy eating Balut (a soft-boiled egg with a partially developed duck embryo).

On parents:
He says: My parents are good with it, but my grandmother (who lives with us) still frowns upon it.

She says: My parents don‘t really approve, since he‘s not Chinese, but they want me to be happy so they just don‘t say much about it.

On food:
He says: Honeymoon fried rice (especially the sweet and sour side)

She says: Bagoong (shrimp paste made from salty, small fermented shrimps)

Getting personal:
Him: How would you describe yourself?
Open-minded, easy-going, between intro-extrovert, rebel

Her: How would you describe yourself?
Easygoing, introvert, open-minded

Him: How would she describe you?
Stubborn

Her: How would he describe you?
Sweet and quiet

(Second of a six part series on the lives of interracial couples in Canda by Sarah Yu) Comments or experience you wish to share? Send to editor@asianpacificpost.com