When you live in a massively massive city, it is sometimes difficult to meet new people. So recently I've been testing out the waters of the dating pool! Tokyo is full of single people trying to meet other single people. And of course, one way to try to meet people is to go out to bars.
There is this one place I've been to a few times, an Irish pub called Dubliners, which is very popular with foreigners and English-speaking Japanese people. It is kind of a strange place though... imagine going somewhere that EVERYONE talks to EVERYONE as though they already know each other, where people have no qualms about walking up to you and striking up a conversation. It is like shyness doesn't exist once you enter Dubliners. Really very weird!!
But meeting guys in bars is not always such a good idea.
The first date I went on here was with a Japanese man, but it was quite a bomb. I had gone one night to a little bar in my town with my coworker, and after a few drinks, this Japanese gent next to me struck a conversation. Turned out that he was a general in the Japanese army, and he and his Osaka troops had been posted to Tokyo for 3 months to study English in an intensive course, for 6 hours a day. So his English was quite good and he only lived 5 minutes away at the nearby base.
Little did I realize, I had my beer goggles on, so when he invited me out, I thought 'well, hell, I don't know anyone in Tokyo, so why not?', and I agreed to go out with him sometime. When we DID go out, it was awful, incredibly boring, we had nothing to talk about, nothing in common, and that was pretty much that. Never saw him again.
Then there's the internet. I know what you're thinking - that Internet dating is kind of pathetic and weird and only for losers who can't meet people. But YOU try meeting people in a city of 30 million! In Tokyo it is a really popular thing and surprisingly, the people who are online are often quite handsome, and successful, and just trying to meet someone. Or maybe I am just being naive.
My first blind date was quite decent, we met at a Starbucks and chatted quite nicely for about 2 hours, but he was definitely not my type. He was a little shorter than me, and very thin, and very white being Swedish, and well... you know I am a lot of woman... so I tend to like a strong man! He was nice, but not for me.
My second blind date was with a really nice American guy who was very cool, an English teacher who was also drummer in a band, who had been living here for over 8 years. But sadly, he was one of those types who had his heart broken by his last girlfriend and wasn't quite ready, or willing, to try out someone new. We actually did meet a 2nd time, but then, it just died a natural death. Ah well.
Then I recently met up with an English guy who said he was looking for people to play pool with, so we met, and played pool, and it was nice, and we decided to meet again. So we went out for date #2 on Thursday night after work, and he said he wanted to go for karaoke. I know it might seem strange - two people going to sing karaoke - but in Japan it is pretty normal!
Anyways... I suggest a karaoke place... and we go... and he doesn't like it... he starts to bitch and complain about how shite this place is and gets all pissy about it, which I thought was a big over-reaction. Then after the karaoke, he said, hey let's go for coffee! So I assume we're going to a little cafe or something. But then he takes me to a McDonalds, and then pulls out this 600¥ free-purchase card, and 'buys' two McFlurries with it! HOW CHEAP IS THAT!!! I was quite horrified. There is nothing I hate more than cheapness. And not only was he cheap, he also apparently has a temper. Not a good combination. I don't think I'll be seeing him again.
But I must say, the dating scene is pretty fun! Nobody dates in Trinidad - either you are together, or you are just brushing. There seems to be no real in-between, no casual dates to get to know other people. It is fun to just meet new people just for the sake of it, just go out and lime and see how it is. No strings attached, no harm done. So, for now, looks like the single life is for me.
3 comments:
wow... what a bamsey that Enguh-rish dude was! Good thing you're not seeing him again or you would have slid drastically down in my estimation of Yam chart! Ha! I'm telling you, meet yourself a yummy Japanese guy! Not the kind you meet when you have on beer goggles!
p.s... did I tell you about the Japanese contingent that lives near me? The old dude wakes up at the butt crack of dawn every morning to do ti-chai... don't know how to spell it. It looks so beautiful and I'm seriously thinking of going to fal by him and learn it. It doesn't hurt that his sons are brutally hot right!
I KNOW!!!! J-guys are CUTE! I'm trying to get me one. Go and talk to the dude next door, I'm sure he'd be thrilled to teach you tai-chi! (but I think tai-chi is Chinese, actually?) Just make sure to call him Sensei. Let me know if you want some language lessons!
Interesting article. I am one of those guys who sits in the corner and like to think that I am one of those nice guys. :-) It was interested to see the dating game from a female perspective.
I don't know if you still check this blog. I guess you moved onto the next blog when you went on to Hong Kong.
Anyway, I have been thinking about producing my own blog for a long time, and your blog has really inspired me to make a start. So, I just want to say, thank you!
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