Addicted to affection

Time for one of my most favorite subjects: dating.  Growing up in Beijing, I can honestly say I never saw any sort of affection between a man and a woman.  I have never seen my parents hug or hold hands. It's not until recent years where affection has become somewhat trendy.  Although you still wouldn't see two people making out in public as you might everday around 4am in NYC, it is very common to see young couples holding hands and staring longingly at each other. 
To my surprise, there is also a verbal affection epidemic.  As I got off the plane, a Chinese man immediately got on his cell phone and announced, "Qin ai de, I've arrived."  The phrase "Qin ai de" literally translates to "the one I kiss and love," which I would consider the equivalent to "sweetheart" or "honey."