Do you believe in true love? We do! Valentine’s Day is just around the corner, and we’d like to share a few love stories from couples right here in Beijing. Forget the fairy tales of princesses being rescued from castles, here’s what love in the real world looks like.
We asked couples to share their stories and to give a piece of advice for how to keep relationships alive and thriving year after year. Today, let’s meet Camilla Kongshavn Jovanovic and Dimitrije Jovanovic.
Can you tell us a bit about you and your partner?
Camilla is from Norway/Thailand and Dimitrije is from Serbia. Camilla has been in China for the past 11 years and is a mother and an entrepreneur. Dimitrije has been in Beijing for nine years and is currently a PE teacher and developer at the Tsinghua International School.
How did you meet and who made the first move?
We met in a shared apartment. Camilla moved in with a friend of Dimitrije’s temporarily and Dimitrije was one of her roommates. He made the “first” move.
How did you know he/she was the one?
Dimitrije: She did not judge me for what I had, who I was, or where/how I lived at the time. I lived very simply in an old shared apartment, and that commonly put most women off of the thoughts of any serious relationship, or relationship at all for that matter, as it doesn’t scream wealth and success. After we connected it was just me she saw, nothing else, and that was unique to me, particularly because our backgrounds are so different. We didn’t have much growing up, and she had everything and more. She was very open and honest since day one and held nothing back. I also realized how easy it was to spend time with her, and how little it took to make each other happy and content. She truly just enjoyed my company and presence no matter what we did, which was mutual, and that made me realize she could make any day enjoyable.
Camilla: Combining what he mentioned, plus everything he gave away and did to simply be together with me was beyond anything I had ever experienced. He was willing and ready to give his whole life if he had to. He’s a man of his word, the most loving and dedicated.
What do you love the most about your partner?
For Dimitrije, it’s Camilla’s honest heart. For Camilla, it’s how much Dimitrije cares about his family.
Is there something that you can’t stand about your partner? How do you handle it?
There’s nothing that we can’t stand about each other. There are certain things of course we both need to work on to further strengthen our relationship, but we solve them through talk and by compromising.
What’s the most valuable piece of relationship advice all couples should know?
Trust each other unconditionally, speak up if something feels wrong, compromise – you’ve got to give a lot of yourself to reach a certain level of harmony, let go of the small stuff, support each other, show interest and love towards each other on a regular basis, speak to each other with respect and goodwill, and provide your partner with space if you see space is needed. Quality time is important – somehow get that into the hectic schedule.
Images: Camilla Kongshavn Jovanovic
