When West marries East

Above: Doug Meehan and Tian Yixue (Esha Meehan) suggest the way to refresh a transnational marriage is to have a genuine interest and appreciation of their partner's culture.Below: The Meehan family's three boys have performed well in academic subjects as well as leisure activities, such as sports and music. Photos Provided to Chine Daily

Mutual respect holds key to successful marriage 

The Meehans are seen as a model transnational couple 

Doug Meehan and Tian Yixue (Esha Meehan) met at Old Dominion University in Virginia, where they spent time as study partners and began learning about each other before they started dating. 

"Although it was not love at first sight, we each had a deep cultural interest that led to getting to know each other better. We spent a considerable amount of time talking about our backgrounds and interests as classmates and became friends before we became a couple," said Doug, 41, a business-strategy data analyst for a global grocery retail chain. 

"I found her to be very pure-hearted, smart, and beautiful. I was inspired by listening to stories about her journey to America." 

They developed a relationship through long discussions of their backgrounds, interests and thoughts of the future, and found commonality in areas such as career development, family values, and the desire to raise children. 

"As our understanding of one another grew, feelings of affection set in. Our friendship blossomed into an intimate relationship," Doug said. 

"In the beginning of our relationship, I drove an hour to her apartment, where she lived alone on a stormy night to ensure that she was OK. She was not expecting my arrival and was touched by my thoughtfulness." 

They were married in 2000 in Norfolk, Virginia. 

"We threw out traditional wedding customs from both cultures and participated in an annual Valentine's Day group wedding ceremony along with 32 other couples," said Tian, 35, who works as a controller for a power-tool company in the United States - a subsidiary of a Chinese-owned international company. 

"Local television stations held broadcasts of the event and country singer Keith Urban performed live for the couples and guests. The ceremony has left lasting memories and is always a fun story to share and hear," said Tian.