Entries by Karen

I have a new job as a travel agent (really enjoying it, it's going great.) :-)  I was informed this week that should I be able to bring a date to the company Christmas party for free, it's going to be my longtime best gay friend.  (I've gone to quite a few of his office Christmas parties as his "girlfriend".)  I've joked more than once about how there seems to be a disproportionately high number of gay men working in my company (in the industry?), and he figures a company party is a great place for him to meet men.

So, I got up early enough, found a passable outfit to wear, and didn't chicken out (always a looming possibility.)  There's a series of zany fast food commercials playing now with the slogan, "Try New Things".  Well, today I tried a zany new way of meeting someone.

Of all the reasons to be a tourist in New York, I never imagined "to try the dating scene" would be one of them!

I had brunch yesterday with one of my classmates, who is a Torontonian by upbringing but just got back from working a few years in New York. We are both Sex-and-the-City-philes, and eventually our conversation turned to comparing our respective dating experiences.

At a speed dating event I was at, one guy I was chatting with told an anecdote about another speed dating event he attended, where at the very beginning one guy handed all the women a “dating resume” for himself.  It gave his “vital stats” as well as what he was looking for in a partner.  “Interesting,” I commented.  Cut straight to the chase.  My kind of guy.  I asked if this tactic went over well with the women; my conversation partner said no, not at all.  Well, why not?

More than once I've described job recruiting as the "Black Box Process"; you input something into the box, shake it, and an inexplicable result falls out.  You don't really know the process or reasoning behind that output, it just is.  Oftentimes you have incomplete information, so you act as you see fit...  There are some basic rules of behaviour that need to be observed, but so many factors are completely arbitrary.  You win some, you lose some, but in the end, it's not personal.  You know what?  I've decided the same goes for dating.

Or is it?  (Ally McBeal fans may recognize this quote!)

Two weeks ago I attended The Silent Party.  A week ago I did a second round of speed dating.  Both times I made a point to dress more revealingly (short skirt and heels on both occasions, tank top with cleavage as well at speed dating.)  Both times I added provocative elements to the conversations I started with men.  I struck out at speed dating in February, where I was wholesome in dress and demeanor.  Would showing some skin and sexual teasing get me better results?  I was curious to find out!

Steve has always written the lion's share of articles on GAFC, and while he's on break those contributions will be sorely missed.  As one of the blog's regular contributors, I can't promise to be as consistently prolific as Steve has been, but I can promise to be consistent.  For the next while, I will post at least one new article per week (on/by Monday mornings), and hopefully more if I have something worth saying or debating.   )  As always, the comments and discussion that follow the posts are a valuable and the most interactive aspect of GAFC; keep coming back to trade ideas and opinions!

I'd also like to take this opportunity to invite some of our past contributors (LD, Heather, Isaac, Eek, Adam, and several others) to consider writing some articles for the site.  As well, anyone else wishing to contribute is more than welcome to contact me about it; I am most easily reached at karentertainment@yahoo.ca .  The site is strongest when we have a variety of topics and opinions, so I'm hoping to continue to see that around here! 

Tonight I tried a new concept in meeting people - The Silent Party.  The premise behind the Silent Party is that traditional ways of meeting people (e.g. clubs) don't work because it's just too hard to have a conversation.  Either the music is too loud or it's too hard to approach someone new to chat.  The Silent Party seeks to remedy this by creating a no-talking environment; you can only pass notes to other people present, allowing you to "converse" without having to strain and shout.  As well, there's a "musical chairs" set up that has all the men rotate through every table in the room (the women stay seated), so you have the opportunity to "meet" everyone.