For months now I have been dancing around
the idea of speed dating and contemplating if it’s something that I should try,
A) to satisfy my curiosity as to who goes to these events and B) in the secret
hope of cutting out the B.S and within three minutes of magic meeting someone
who doesn’t make me want to roll my eyes with disappointment.
So one Saturday afternoon while sat on the
phone to my friend having a ‘the feelings mutual’ rant about guys, (mostly my
friend might I add), she came across an offer for a speed dating event for the
following week and asked if I wanted to go? “Why
not” I said and within the hour we were booked.
Fast forward to Tuesday evening; my friend
picked me up and to my surprise as well as my amusement her nerves were all
over the place.
We arrived at the bar where the event was
taking place, exhaled (again mostly my friend) and entered.
Not knowing which direction to head in
naturally we headed straight for the bar, my friend asked a member of staff in
a voice loud enough for her to hear but quite enough for the men in suites standing
next to us not to hear “Excuse me where
do we go for the event tonight?” to which that lady behind the bar more or
less shouted for all to hear “The Speed
Dating event? It’s over there.” Need I say my friend-on-edge was not
impressed with the volume of the bartenders’ voice.
After we registered and were given the run
down of how it all works, we took a seat and observed our fellow speed daters.
30 minutes later were asked to take our
seats at our allocated tables and moments later that 3 minute inquisition
began.
Completely relaxed, in control and ready
to roll my date number one took a seat and we began to talk. Being the chatty
lady that I am I began by introducing myself and shook my dates hand (too formal?
Frig knows, I’d never been to one of these things before, I had no choice but
to wing it).
As the night went on people seemed to
relax a bit more, well at least my friend did and date number four who had a
helping hand from one drink to many.
What you can gage about people in 3
minutes is very interesting which can make 3 minutes feel like 3 seconds if the person is intriguing and
witty. But on the flipside, if the person is a bit on the side of weird it can
feel like 30 minutes.
My first date of the night was friendly
but could’ve made the effort to have a good scrub in the tub before embarking
on a speed dating quest. Note to single male speed daters, ladies like a clean
man that smells intoxicating,
not toxic. Date Number two was sweet, well travelled and camp. Date number
three needed to do some work on his social skills. Date number four had clearly
not gotten over his ex girlfriend who he told me 4 times in 3 minutes might I
add, that they met at a speed dating event. Not too sure if he has the right
moving onwards and upwards tactics.
Dates number five and six were friends who
were the best and probably most normal daters of the entire night. Great sense
of humour, didn’t take themselves too seriously and were just up for a laugh.
Great friend potential but didn’t exactly make my heart or my down south
flutter. Date number seven was a friendly but cheesey as hell! The type of ‘your
father must have been a thieft… because he stole that stars from the sky and
put them into your eyes’ kind of cheese.
Date number eight was VERY nervous, talked
a lot because it seems like he afraid of what might happen if he stopped, who
knows maybe I would’ve asked him a question or two??? And finally date number
nine as we were one man down for the night was calm, a bit shy and sweet. It
was his first time speed dating and he seemed a little nervous, but I also got the
vibe that he had forced himself to do it to shake things up a little and give
speed dating a go with the hope of increasing his social capital.
As the event came to an end and we all
moved on to the other end of the bar and shared our experiences of the night,
it seemed all ladies apart from one who was taking photos of her dates and
uploading them to God knows what social network site, were in the same boat. We
all had a great time, it was fun, a great laugh even and as none of us had gone
there with high hopes which meant that no one was disappointed with the lack of
talent.
For guys and gals that lack confidence in
socialising in small or large groups or with the opposite sex it’s a great way
to get yourself out there and loosen up a little, find your confidence and get
some dating experience under your belt.
But be warned you will meet some random
apples, but if you know have an idea what you are looking for try a categorised
speed dating event, religion, race and professions they are all available and
at least you’ll get to narrow it down a little, but this doesn’t mean that you
will find your good apple. Give it a go but keep your options open, don’t take
it too seriously and you won’t be disappointed.
So the big question is would I do it again?
Hhmmm…..yes, but no time soon as I have bigger fish to fry and other men to try.
Ciao
Love Sara (the one time speed dater). xxx
