It's A Date!

Ok, you've found someone online that you really like and they like you too. You'd like to meet face-to-face...now what?

One of the best and worst things about singles meeting via the Internet is the return of old-fashioned first dates - with the added concern of personal safety when meeting a virtual stranger. Picking a place to meet, an activity to share, things to talk about - it can seem a bit overwhelming especially when you really want to make a good impression.

Here are some unique first date ideas that will keep you out of the "dinner and a movie rut" and set your first date apart from the rest:

A Picnic In The Park
Eliminate the pressure of a Saturday night date by enjoying the relaxed atmosphere of a public park on a Sunday afternoon. Pack a basket of "finger foods" like cheese, fruit, crackers and chocolates and a chilled bottle of sparkling cider. For that extra special touch include china plates, crystal glasses and cloth napkins. The two of you can search out the perfect spot beneath a shade tree to enjoy your picnic, do some people watching and get to know each other.

Root For The Home Team
Sporting events are a great place to have a great time and provide a fun and relaxed atmosphere for a first date. No matter what the season, there's always something going on in the world of sports and if the cost of tickets to a professional game isn't in your budget high school, college and minor league games are just as much fun.

Window Shopping
You can stroll for hours in a shopping mall or a city's shopping district stopping here and there for a cup of coffee or an ice cream cone. And if you get tired of just looking in the windows, there's always browsing through the racks at a music store, trying on hats and wasting a few quarters in a video arcade.

Be Tourists For A Day
Most of us live near attractions that people travel miles to see and we've never taken the time to visit them ourselves. Historical monuments, zoos and state parks are just a few of the possibilities and great places to meet. These attractions offer plenty of things to talk about in case of a lull in the conversation and you can even pick up a souvenir of a memorable first date.

Visit A Museum
Art, Natural History, Model Trains, pick a subject and chances are there's a museum dedicated to it. If you and your date have a common interest (or both of you want to see something new), visit a museum together and enjoy the exhibits. Many museums also offer special shows, presentations and lectures that can provide a unique first date experience.

Go Fly A Kite
It's just as much fun as you remember it was when you were a kid and if you pick a good windy place like the beach or lakefront, it can be an adventure for you and your date to share. Whether store-bought, homemade or assembled from a kit, kite flying is a great way to spend an afternoon together.

A Bit Of The Grape
Wine tastings are hosted in almost every geographic area and can be a fun (and decidedly upscale) first date experience. You can find updated calendars of these events for your city (complete with cost information) at LocalWineEvents.com.


Source: free article from ArticlesFactory.com


Author: Carole is the owner of The Virtual Playground For Singles (http://www.vpsingles.com) an interactive online community providing just-for-singles resources since 1996.

Dating a Divorced Guy

Has this happened to you?

SCENARIO NUMBER 1

Linda was visiting friends in Seattle and they fixed her up with Robert for a date. He suggested they have lunch and then he wanted to show her the tourist district. Of course it was one shop after another.

Assuming that if she appeared interested in something, he would buy it for her, Linda kept it low key as they browsed through the beautiful shops. Then something caught her eye and she couldn’t conceal it: a silly toy she knew her grandson would like. She picked it up, laughed, they played with it, and then she put it back.

“Oh, go ahead and get it!” Robert said, and his hand reached automatically for his back pocket, but then he turned away.

Linda went ahead and picked up the toy and they headed for the checkout counter. Suddenly Robert looked confused and fell back behind her, making sure she approached the counter first and alone. In other words, he made it clear he was NOT going to buy this $6 toy for her. You could almost see him fighting with himself!

SCENARIO NUMBER 2

A couple of dates into a new relationship and Ted and Shannon were discussing what they liked.

“Attention,” said Shannon.

“What kind of attention?” Ted asked, warming to the occasion.

“Oh, different things. Sweet looks, lilttle remembrances, time with you," Shannon said. “It varies. But I like attention from you.” (He had mentioned earlier, and she knew from friends that his former wife ignored him, worked all the time, and ultimately had an affair and left him.) Shannon smiled, wanting him to know how much she liked him, and he smiled back.

Then there was a pause.

A crestfallen face (remembering) was followed by a mask (hurting) as Ted delivered this door-slammer: “Sometimes you don’t get what you like.”

What’s going on here? It happens to all of us! DON’T LET IT HAPPEN TO YOU!

Men know what women like and they’re naturally inclined to do it. It’s kind of natural with guys to want to give. But what’s happened is, this guy has done all this before and it didn’t work out. Now when he has the impulse to do something nice, he’s thinking, “I did that before and what I got was divorced. I’m not falling for that one again!” or “If I buy her something, she’ll walk all over me like my ex-wife did.”

Robert was really happy when he was thinking about buying the toy for Linda. It showed all over his face. Then he remembered something, and he stopped himself.

BTW, this isn’t about the “buying,” it’s about giving. Needless to say Linda has $6 to buy the toy; she’d gotten herself to Seattle after all! It’s Linda’s pleasure to receive gifts when they’re given to her. It’s part of the give-and-take of relationships. She might offer to buy coffee and dessert later. It starts the “we” thing going.

Ted is a loving man who had been starved for affection. Remembering the former rebuffs, he retreated in steely resignation – “Well, I didn’t get what I wanted (in the former relationship), so I’m not going to give YOU, what YOU want” – when he and Shannon had already spent many hours together getting along well, and he had been very attentive! Until he thought about it, that is. TURN OFF THE TALKING-HEAD! STOP THE CEREBRAL SABOTEUR! DE-ACTIVATE THE DOUBLE-THINKOVER!

It’s really sad to deny who you are because of your self-talk about previous relationships. You start to reach out for the other person and then up pipes that voice saying you’ll get hurt, or taken advantage of, it won’t work, or it’s all in vain. You tried it before and it didn’t work.

Well this is a new person and a new beginning. This new person may respond differently. In fact I can almost guarantee you they will.

What I’m talking about here is being yourself, separating out the past from the present, and treating each man as an individual who will not necessarily behave or respond the way the last one did. (Of course if you keep picking losers and think it’s a pattern, please get help.)

The Chinese say you never step twice in the same river. It wasn’t giving him back rubs, or being considerate or generous to him that broke up your previous relationship. We throw out a whole set of behaviors because they’re associated with bad outcomes in the past. Yes you DO know how to do things and how to make a relationship work; you just were with the wrong person, or the timing was wrong, or the place was wrong. Did you ever consider that?

One of the fun things about dating is when you find out that Modigliani print in the living room your ex hated, just thrills your new guy, and this applies to qualities, traits and behaviors as well.

We have to separate out what caused what, and who is who in the after-divorce scenario. As I say in my book, “Midlife Dating Manual for Women,” until you can, you aren’t ready to date. You’ll trip all over yourself wanting to do something quite natural, and then slap yourself on the wrist. You aren’t emotionally available.

Marriages end because the people are no longer being nice to each other. But it wasn’t BEING NICE that got you there. It was other things. You were breathing weren’t you when you were with your ex. You still intend to keep doing that, don’t you? Don’t throw the baby out with the bath water!

Of COURSE find out what the guy likes, and then give it with all your heart if you like him. Just because the last guy didn’t like you, want your attention, appreciate you, or respond to your kindness, doesn’t mean this one won’t. It’s about BEING WHO YOU ARE not worrying about WHAT YOU’RE DOING.

It’s only fun when you can be relaxed and be yourself, including lots of nice little gestures and kindnesses to the other person, and being able to enjoy giving, receiving, and sharing.


Source: free article  from ArticlesFactory.com


Author:

©Susan Dunn, MA, Emotional Intelligence Coach, http://www.susandunn.cc . Coaching, Internet courses, teleclasses and ebooks around emotional intelligence for your success, health, and relationships. Susan is the author of “Midlife Dating Manual for Women,” available here: http://www.webstrategies.cc/ebooklibrary.html .

Finding a Date Online 

With the domination of the world of information technology, love is in the air and more on the screen in the form of online dating.


Although there is a growing number of people who get hooked up when online dating, one fact still remains the same, ie most people are having a hard time to find the perfect date online.


Below are some tips during online dating on how to find the perfect match for you:


1. One’s profile really matters.
People who are into online dating should always keep this in mind: The success of getting a date online centers on a remarkable profile. It’s the sole way to give others information about you that they will find attractive and compelling.


2. Photos do speak a thousand words
Alongside a good profile, good photographs can do wonders too. Surveys show that almost 95% of people who are searching for somebody to date look at the pictures first.  After all, physical attraction is the number 1 concern of dating.


3. Fun! Fun! Fun!
Most people hooked up to online dating services is because they want to have fun. In fact, most people want to hang around with people whom they find funny or are fun to be with.


4. Copycats have no place in online dating sites.
For a person to be successful in getting a date online, it’s best to maintain originality and individuality.
After all, online dating sites have millions of members and the numbers are continuously growing. Therefore, the probability of getting a date online is pretty much a given if you search correctly.


So, what’s the bottom line? Success getting a date online is entirely dependent on you, your profile, and the way you project yourself on screen.
 

Source: free article from ArticlesFactory.com

Online Dating: Beauty Is In The Eye Of The Beholder

In this article I will discuss the importance of physical appearance in online dating and how it affects your chances of finding a date online.

Weird things can happen on first dates. You may trip over your feet while walking with your date. You may have a bad hair day. Or you may have woken up on the wrong side of the bed. These things can leave a lasting impression on your dates, it may be good, bad, funny, or irritating. But not in online dating where first impression is in your control.


In online dating, you take control of the first shot to initially impress another person. How? Well, by providing a picture in your profile. Physical appearance is really important and it plays a huge role in online dating. Besides, you do not want to talk to ghosts.

Some people may think it is irrelevant to show their online dates how they look. Perhaps, they are embarrassed of how they look. They fear the initial reaction of rejection upon seeing their picture, and they want daters to see within first and ignore physical features. Others may think that it is not a safe thing to do or scared of being stalked by unlikable individuals. Others may also think it is not really important at all. They think their profile can already impress and attract individuals of their preference. Few seem to have no recent picture at all. Besides, would it not be funny to post your high school picture when you're already past 40?

But, you see, posting a nice picture in any online dating site is a huge leap into getting that dream date. Physical appearance is important. I am not saying that you need to have that Angelina-Jolie lips to have a Brad Pitt-like hot date. My point is that a picture is very important because it shows the other person what you look like. You do not have to be the ideal beautiful girl or handsome guy to get a nice picture or to let other daters contact you. A nice picture is any picture that is taken when you look your best. It is something recent, not deceiving and vulgar. It may look simple to you but may exude a certain kind of elegance for other daters.


Even if you have created the most impressive profile, people will still wonder why you have not posted a picture. They will start to make speculations, bad judgments, or remove you from their list of prospects. And, of course, you do not want such things to happen.
Deceiving online daters may at times post another person's picture. This does not sound good, especially when you find yourself falling in love with the other person you have been communicating with already. Worst, if the feeling is mutual, this is definitely a big problem when you meet up.


Any explanation afterwards will not help you get out of the situation or get back to that mutual attraction. Besides your physical appearance integrity also counts in online dating.


Source: free article from ArticlesFactory.com

Asian girls & Asian women - Why are they popular?

Asian girls and women are enjoying a lot of popularity in this day and age. They are increasingly overcoming their reticence and enjoying an independent life. People are charmed by the looks and culture of Asian ladies. This has led to the popularity of Asian girls and women in the context of dating services.


There are people who wish to sustain a long-term relationship with Asian women as they feel that these ladies are capable of continuing a serious relationship. These women are perceived as truthful and reliable. The reason for this perception could be the fact that Asian women are part of a strong family structure that is seldom to be seen among other overseas men. Men are also lured by the fact that Asian women possess good culinary skills. These girls are different and this is perhaps the fact that makes them even more attractive to men.

Asian women and girls can effortlessly manage both the household chores and their work front. Asian women are intelligent and well-educated and this is also an alluring fact for men. Both Asian men and women can claim to be more or less equal in the sphere of education.

What makes Asian girls and women popular is the fact that they are strongly rooted to their traditional values. Asian women normally do not pursue another relationship after they are married. Moreover, as Asian ladies are mostly brought up in a joint family, they learn to respect their elders as well. This is an integral part of an Asian culture that makes her so attractive to men.

Asian women are quite attractive and this is perhaps a determining fact in their marriage. Men are quite naturally attracted to good-looking women and it is inevitable that men would be attracted to Asian ladies on account of their natural and vibrant beauty.

Meeting an Asian lady is quite easy as you have the option to meet her via the dating services that are enabled on the Internet. You can search for an Asian woman in the comfort and privacy of your home.

When you meet an Asian woman, remember that she is special. It is imperative that she should be treated with respect and with a lot of care and affection. Asian women generally do not look their age and thus, appear younger than they actually are. There are cultural dissimilarities that are imperative if you want to date an Asian girl. Dating and ultimately marrying an Asian lady might be a complex process but once you have managed to meet your match, you are bound to her for life.

When you are planning to date an Asian woman, remember that she is different. Cultural dissimilarities are bound to crop up but then an Asian girl is quite adjusting as well. If you wish to date an Asian girl, you must respect her culture and treat her with love and affection. In order to find an ideal Asian girl, you can check out the free of cost online dating sites where there are provisions for meeting Asian girls.


Source: free articles from ArticlesFactory.com