I didn't really have expectations going in. I've heard horror stories about it, but luckily nothing seriously embarrassing happened during this one. It's not like I was the woman who had to spend four minutes with her ex, whom she met speed dating. But I digress.
Each date was four minutes long, and every time the hosts rang a bell, the men moved on to the next table or booth. We were also given a card to write down names and memorable stuff about each person. I forgot to write anything down for the first three women I dated, but I remembered one has climbed to the top of Mt. Kilimanjaro. But even when I focused on getting their name and some facts, that cut into the four minutes we had with each other. That just wasn't enough time to talk to someone. Every time I was getting into a conversation, that damn bell started ringing again. And you really have to focus on asking meaningful questions; I left one table not knowing a single thing about that woman. Small talk is dangerous in that situation!
But having said that, it was really enjoyable and a positive experience. Out of 11 four-minute dates, only one was awkward. I got the same question in some form in 10 of those dates (why'd you come to England from California?), and the only person who didn't ask me that question thought I was British (she was from Bulgaria, so she didn't recognize my accent).
But it turns out I made an impression on everybody in the room, including the guys. And that's just because I came from California after quitting my job and moving to a completely new country where I didn't know anyone or where anything is. And I think I've written about this before, but it's funny how Americans love the British accent and want to go to England, but it's the same way with the Brits. They love the American accent and want to visit the States.
Finally, I made two women laugh pretty hard during the intermission by saying one of them reminded me of a British actress on the American version of The Office. She had the same kind of tone and accent as that actress. But since I didn't know the actress' name, I showed the woman a picture of her, and it turns out many other people have pointed that out to her. The actress is Catherine Tate.
3/19 - I got my International Driving Permit in the mail yesterday, which was a shock considering I wasn't expecting it until April. Before I go on a long trip, I'm going to rent a bike for a couple of days just to get used to riding again, and also to orient myself to these roundabouts and driving on the left side of the road.
We took a field trip to the Ageas Bowl in Southampton for a class field trip. It's a large cricket stadium used by the Hampshire Cricket Club. It made me want to go see a cricket match, even though it's a very confusing sport.
20/3 - I found out today a magazine in Dorset printed one of my player features for Poole Town. One of my professors told me about it and complimented me on my writing. While I was pretty stoked to hear that, I wanted to know why no one asked me for permission first. And I felt like I should be compensated. But of course there's no money writing for print, so it's just something I can tell employers.
And as an update on the speed dating thing, it turns out the two girls I was most interested in were friends. So since they both decided they wanted to see me again by ticking yes on the website, they agreed with each other to not see me! What makes this funny is the fact I sent one of them a message saying they were the only person I ticked on the website (because she was the one I was most attracted to). So by the rules of the universe, two women out there now see me as a tool.
*Facepalm.
Today has just been one of those awkward days. First I had to ride the elevator with Kate and talk to her for the first time since she moved out (which was so uncomfortable), but I had to deal with this too.
Oh well. First-world problems. Time for some guacamole!
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