FIVE years ago, a young Dan Welygan left his hometown in Minnesota, the United States, for Beijing, not knowing he would soon meet his future wife, begin a Chinese pop band, or spend the better part of the next six years in the country of his destination.

Meanwhile, Marsha Kim left her family in Seoul, South Korea, to experience the world. Kim had saved up enough money, and a month before leaving, broke the news to her mother that she was off to venture abroad.

After coming to China, the two found much more than just adventure.

Kim and Welygan met while studying Mandarin in Beijing, and before long the two had fallen in love. After traveling throughout China, enduring a year of separation as Welygan finished his degree in Minnesota, and living in Shenzhen for three years, the couple finally wed last year.

Welygan works for PassageMaker, a company which assists international companies working with Chinese businesses. As a research director and team manager at the company, Welygan has become a skilled worker in cross-cultural interaction; an ability certainly apt considering his personal life.

A relationship bridging cultures and three languages (Korean, English, and of course, Mandarin) has not always been easy, they say, but even their parents are making an effort.

Welygan's parents traveled far to meet Kim's and conversed (through Kim's translation) over a traditional Korean meal; soon Kim's parents will visit the United States where Welygan hopes another such cultural exchange will take place.

Editor: Wing