Frida's Story

I attended a barbeque hosted by my brother-in-law's colleague over at Aldinga Beach yesterday. That's where I met Frida. She's a Greek-Aussie, that's an Australian with Greek origins, by the way. She looks forty-ish but is actually 60 years old, married to Blondieª a mother of 2 daughters and with 2 grandchildren. She was fascinating.

I was fortunate to be part of the group to whom she relayed her very cute love story.

Frida grew up in a very traditional Greek Family in Australia, which means they're very conservative and strict. She had 4 other sisters and they werem't allowed to go out with boys. They were oftenly accompanied by their father to wherever they wish to go. The night she saw Blondie was an example of such a situation.

Frida and her sisters, together with their father, went to the cinema. She saw a man with blond hair, which explains the nick name Blondie, and immediately took a liking to him. She was totally smitten, she told us. But the guy didn't notice her at all. Since they were not allowed to chat up any guy, the night passed without any hope of meeting this man. So she went home disappointed but still exhilirated with the feelings she have for this guy,which seem to be growing steadily even if she hardly knew him.

Frida would occasionally see the man around town but failed meet or speak to him for fear of her father. She just spoke of Blondie and her feelings for him to her mom, claiming that she has fallen in love with this man.

Few weeks later, one of her sisters come rushing into the house one day bearing news about who else bought the shop across their house but Blondie, himself. Frida couldn't believe it until she saw him move in and set up the shop, herself. She was deliriously happy.

Soon after the shop opened, she would always make an excuse to buy Fish and Chips from his shop, even if they're having Roast for dinner. She'd claimed that she prefers Fish and Chips instead and of she went to buy them herself. This gave her the opportunity to get to know Blondie better. They graduated from the usual greetings to occasional conversations about each other's interests, one of those were the music that they listen to. He started lending her his albums until she had quite a few in her room that she listens to.

However, here comes the day when Frida's father caught wind of what was going on and went to speak to her about it. Well, it was more like her father telling her that she wasn't allowed to speak to Blondie or go to his shop ever again. She was devasted but she knew she had to obey her father but she requested that she'd return all the Blondie's albums, which were still with her.

And that she did. Frida went to the shop bearing the albums and upon seeing him, she placed them on the counter and said, "I'm just returning your albums. Good-bye." The confused Blondie asked her to wait and tell him what it meant. She couldn't begin to explain but she did her best. He then told her, "You must know that I have feelings for you. And if it's alright with you then I will ask your father for your hand in marriage ." She was 19, he was 21.

And they've been married for 32 years. Amazing, isn't it? Seeing them together yesterday, I can say that they still love each other very much. It was a wonderful sight and very encouraging for a single woman like me.

Yes, folks, this is a true story. Can you imagine meeting your future life partner in the most commonest of places? And even if you are in a hopeless situation, it wouldn't hinder love from happening. Frida and Blondie never went on a date, never had that long-engagement or even have the boyfriend/girlfriend relationship but it worked out anyway.

I really enjoyed hearing this story.



ªNot his real name

The List

Earlier, I had a conversation with my sister involving a list. Sounds interesting? Well, to a prospective suitor [mine], he'll definitely love the idea of knowing what I'm looking for in a partner. Makes his job a whole lot easier, huh? Not.

Yea, this list is aptly called, Wanted: A Lifetime Partner. Just for kicks, a silly idea came to mind that I wanted to write down and it's something like this...

Position Applying For : Lifetime Partner [Husband]

Will be reporting directly to : Me [haha!]

Basic Requirements:

Male, 28-35 years old, Christian, Bachelor's Degree [this means you have to be smart enough to keep up], 5'8" or taller, Healthy and Athletic, Responsible, Resourceful, Creative and Innovative, Excellent Communication Skills [good listening skills, concise and clear speech], Dry, Witty and Sarcastic Humor is acceptable, Excellent Grooming [looks and smells clean], Works with minimal supervision [translation: not a momma's boy], Decisive [means you can make decisions!], Diligent, Results-oriented, Willing to travel when required, Good Driving and Navigation skills is a plus.

Duties & Responsibilities:

• Effectively deliver and facilitate intelligent conversations in support of dates to ensure superior entertainment; specifically and especially during bad days or PMS periods.


• Provide basic support for emotional, physical, intellectual and financial needs, and adhere to developed life agenda/timelines and content flow.


• Advise on continuation of partner's eligibility for suitors.


• Monitor the relationship progress for the duration of the engagement then continues on to marriage, providing coaching and developmental feedback.


• Facilitate transition of partner from singleness to married life, ensuring competency levels are sufficient.


• Maintain updated personal and marital course materials and course masters.


• Prepare all delivery support tools used during engagement and married life.


• Understand relationship facilitation, methodology, approaches, and bedroom delivery strategies.


• Maintain product knowledge for each account by taking and making calls and/or sms, attending and making dates, side by side observations, and healthy monitoring of partner's whereabouts.


• Research information [not alibis] for each accounted incident by attending partner meetings and periodic calibration sessions.
  


• Support and participate in continuous improvement initiatives, as applicable.


• Participate in special projects or other involvement as required by relationship needs.

Interested and Eligible Suitors are advised to just leave a comment.


Interview invitations and status updates will be posted on the comments section of this entry so please check the blog regularly.


Previous Applicants need not apply.

That was hilarious. I had fun doing that. Teeheehee.

One Fine Date

I just had to write about this date I had with a mid-twenty-ish Irish Brit who happens to look like Colin Farrell but to my brother-in-law, it's Herschel Gibbs of South Africa's Cricket Team. No, I'm not kidding. I met him a month ago when he came up to me in Norwood and introduced himself and this date I'm referring to happened a few weeks ago.

He took me to Hindmarsh Stadium to watch a real Soccer match. It was so special since it was my first time to see one. Thinking about it makes me wish I can go see the match this coming Sunday. Oh, well.

I wrote something about the experience here and now I'm writing about the "date" part, I guess. You should see the smirk I have on my face as I write this and the occasional laugh. Anyway, I'm not going to dwell on the guy but on my thoughts about the entire date per se.

Overall Date Rating: 3½ smilies

It's a novel experience for someone like me and I sure had fun, I'll give it that and the company wasn't so bad. But it wasn't well planned and the weather didn't actually cooperate.

Romance Factor: 3 smilies

You have to admit, if you think of romance, you'd think of candle-lit dinners, walks on the beach, or anything along this line, not sport-related activities. It's the thought of sharing something new and different with someone you're just getting to know, which gives it the smilies.

Guy Points: 2½ smilies

He's really interesting, fun to talk to and not bad to look at. The fact that he came up with the idea himself was a good thing. And sports and women don't exactly mix because often times, it's typically something that guys share with their mates so his taking me to it was another good thing. Giving him the halfway mark simply means that he just wasn't able to capture my 100% interest.

Location: 4½ smilies

The place wasn't shabby, I must admit. It didn't have a stifling kind of atmosphere even with the crowd so it created a fun one. I found the place wonderful because of the over-all effect of the experience on me.

We ended it with a bottle of VB back in the city before saying our farewells for the evening. Yea, it was one of the finest dates I've ever been in. It compensated for what the guy lacked in so many respects but he is a good guy. We were both just heading in different directions.

Ack. I wasn't really considering him now, was I? I am glad it didn't work out. Anyway, I do believe that in every failed attempt comes better options.

On Meeting Someone New

Recalling that moment when you first see him, your mind would suddenly produce several questions that somehow you find hard to find any answer to. Not unless you do get to really meet this guy and get a few answered. I'm sure it can be attraction or plain curiosity that will push you to take that second look.

Don't be afraid to do something out of character especially when you're an alien to a place or situation. It's taking that chance, which will give you that opening big enough for you to say if it's something worthwhile. May it be that you approach him and strike up a conversation or he comes up and talks to you, just let it happen. Imagine the possiblities.

It is true that the best way to go about this is by being yourself. There's no harm in letting him see who you truly are. I know it's sometimes difficult because you'll probably be thinking that he wouldn't like you. Perhaps he wouldn't like you that way you want him to but you might get a friend out of this situation. Why would you want him to get to know someone who you're not? Even if he does like that person, it'll be tough keeping up the act, won't it? Well, it's not the end of the world if he doesn't like you. Believe me, if that is the case then there's something about that person that is not worth any extra effort.

It's true that strangers will remain strangers unless each would open up and let the other into their lives. Remember that it's a risk that you're both taking. So, it's wrong to think that you're in a more vulnerable position. This is not a contest after all.

I went on a blind date.

Well, I did! Well, it wasn't totally a blind date where you haven't a clue on how the guy looks like. I had an idea because I saw his photo online. Yea, he's someone I met online. Crazy stuff, huh? Anyway, I just met him for drinks [I had Iced Tea, alright?] so I can get to know him properly.

It's just one of the things I'm venturing into these past few months. I wouldn't really recommend meeting people you've met online especially if it's through one of those personals kind of thing-ies. It's dangerous. But if you do decide to go ahead with the meet-up then just keep in mind the following:

Let somebody know who you're going with and where,

Make the meeting place really public,

It's a good idea to go as a group especially if you're having doubts about the guy's credibility. It's not a crime to take pre-cautionary measures!

Never accept an offer for a ride home or even to get into that guy's car. It's wise to be wary of such things especially in disclosing where you live [you wouldn't want to end up with a stalker, right?], and

Always make the initial meeting a casual one like a lunch, dinner or coffee date. This also applies for all first dates. The main reason for the date is to get to know him and you wouldn't be able to do that inside the cinema now, would you?

I have to admit, I've made mistakes with a couple of my first dates but I've made some wise decisions, too. The great thing about my newly-found dating life is that I'm discovering a whole new side of me, which I didn't realy realize was there. Also, I'm getting into contact with different kinds of people, which is pretty interesting, really. It's actually a good thing.

I also met a few people who became good friends soon after meeting them. So, I'm glad I decided to meet them in person. Otherwise, I would've missed out on creating friendships with these guys. But I've learned to really be cautious of certain types, though, especially the ones who are just particularly keen on how attractive I am to them, which somehow sums up their real interest in seeking my friendship. I basically can tell what exactly they have in mind. Truthfully, I'd tell them to "bugger off, you stupid idiot!" if given the chance.

As a whole, it's quite an interesting experience. It's risky but it's part of its charm, I guess.

Anatomy of a Chat

No, I'm not going to dissect what it is to chat. Teeheehee. But I am going to talk about a chatting incident, though.

Have you ever exprienced being bombarded with anonymous IMs while you're online? Ugh. It's highly annoying! What are these guys thinking whenever they do this?

Interestingly though, I took a chance and decided not to ignore one guy from Newcastle, United Kingdom, named Steve. It was one of those features that they have in Yahoo Personals, wherein you can send an IM to another member if you wanted to. That's what he basically did.

However, he was using a different Yahoo ID when he started to chat me up. Let me tell how it went:

stvn_melody is currently not in your Messenger List.
Add to your Messenger List (Ctrl+Shift+A) Report as Spam (Alt+Shift+R)

stvn_melody has selected the "Personals Connect" IMVironment.

stvn_melody: Hi there ,how about a 10 ton polar bear ! ?. If that doesn't break the ice, nothing will.!!, Anyway I'm steve, 28, from newcastle(uk), liked your pic/s and profile, wanna chat?

Click the "Ignore" button above to stop receiving messages from this person.

stvn_melody: Whaaadddup?!
angelisophia: let me see your profile first then i'll decide
stvn_melody: ok, go onto personals, and search for my user name which is m3ls77
stvn_melody: so? did u find me?
angelisophia: pulled up a profile of a guy from melbourne and not from newcastle[uk]
stvn_melody: well thats coz im not from melbourne, im from newcastle, in the uk, im coming to aust next year, hopefully to find a job and stay there, but hey, nothing ventured nothing gained
angelisophia: sure.. i just wonder why your profile didn't automatically pull up when you IM'd me
stvn_melody: dont, know, maybe its coz im from the uk, so what did u think, wanna talk?
angelisophia: what do i think? i think you're simply trying to con me
stvn_melody: hold on
angelisophia: anyway, aren't we already talking?
stvn_melody: im not trying to con anyone, i wanted to talk thats all
stvn_melody: if u still dont beleive me i'll turn on my web cam, so u can see its me sittin here.......
angelisophia: no worries
angelisophia: talk away
stvn_melody: geeze, or you always this cagey, has someone in the past tried to con u or something?
angelisophia: trying to psycho analyse me now are you?
stvn_melody: yep, sure am, i wanna know all ya bank details, personall adresses, ni number and where you stashed all those diamonds you daringly escaped with from switzerland....lol
stvn_melody: not
stvn_melody: It wasn't me!
angelisophia: okay... that didn't fly you can try again though
stvn_melody: what do you mean by didn't fly me?
angelisophia: the joke
stvn_melody: lol
stvn_melody: so is it safe to talk or are you still a bit......
stvn_melody: Flippy: Growl!
angelisophia: we are already talking or am i just imagining it?
stvn_melody: so tell me, where your from?(origionally) and tell your imagination, to behave, yes we are talking..lol
angelisophia: imagination to steve: quit asking "can we talk now?"
angelisophia: i'm from manila, philippines originally
stvn_melody: and ?
angelisophia: and what?
stvn_melody: now how did i know you were gonna type that, and nothing.....lovely weather dont u think?
stvn_melody: are u gettin those audibles ive sent
angelisophia: depends on what kind of weather you're having..
stvn_melody: rain rain, cold cold and hey, its raining again lol
angelisophia: and you call that lovely weather? *smirks*
stvn_melody: i was onabout yours really, so wanna swop?
angelisophia: whaa--? sorry but i didn't really understand that bit
stvn_melody: Nutty: Sugar High!
stvn_melody: me neither, what i was meanig, was that my weathers is shit, yours is not, so do u wanna swop weathers for a bit(its a joke, just chill will ya)
stvn_melody: It must be really lonely being you.
angelisophia: you think?
angelisophia: let me ask you then
stvn_melody: dont know, tell me?
angelisophia: why did you really decide to chat me up?
stvn_melody: well, your a hot lookin woman...but i dont know how to talk to you, you just seem like your very guarded(no in not tryin to phsco...whatever you out) if you wanna know, then now u do, your a cutie lol
angelisophia: just as i thought
angelisophia: no i'm not conceited
angelisophia: but the only reason guys come up to me is because they see a pretty face
angelisophia: and that's basically it
angelisophia: so what if i'm guarded? i have reason enough. guys cannot really be trusted
angelisophia: guys are guilty until proven innocent --- that's in my book
angelisophia: if they can't take it, sod off
angelisophia: ;)
stvn_melody: so, whats wrong with that, you should be flattered , if a guy likes ya face, he's not gonna ask you to put a bahg on ya head, till he gets to know you? look initial attraction is what gets 90% of people talkin, so sorry your good looking so deal with it.
angelisophia: why should a girl be flattered because she got noticed because of her looks?
stvn_melody: why wouldnt she?
angelisophia: i find it insulting because i'm more than just a pretty face
angelisophia: so the trouble is guys cannot go beyond the physical
stvn_melody: yes, but you just not gettin it or ya......how can u say that, geeze, if a guy likes the look of u , he'll then wanna get to know you, human instincs, cant change whats been goin on from day 1
stvn_melody: May I enquire as to your plans for later?
stvn_melody: Hey sexy
stvn_melody: I love it when you type real slow
angelisophia: getting to know her you mean getting her to bed right?
angelisophia: *smirks*
stvn_melody: why are you askin me, geeze slow down ive only finished debating with ya, lol
angelisophia: try again pal
angelisophia: everything's crashing on your end

***** end of conversation*****

ymsgr: There is no Yahoo! Personals profile for the Yahoo! profile named stvn_melody.

I've got nothing to hide so I thought I'd document this incident. I do believe in what I told that guy. I did find him offensive so he brought out the bitch in me. Well, I am more wary of guys on the web than the ones I meet in person. I have to admit, I've had an experience of meeting a guy online who turned out to be quite dodgy because I cannot be even sure if he even gave me his real name. And unfortunately, I've had my share of dating men who were just after some snogging action. So far, there's not much difference anyway. It's an even score after all.

It's sad that I've only been seeing the bad side of men. Perhaps I just attract the wrong kind. I am changing how I see things. I'm in the process of working out a few kinks, re-arranging some principles and shifting some paradigms. It's a lot of work especially since I'm one stubborn chick but I'm pretty optimistic about everything.

Wow, this blog is therapeutic. I miss my punching bag, though.

First Dates

I'm not really atuned with how dates go nowadays. All I know is that it's a risky business. You really put yourself on the line whenever you decide to go out with someone. You'll never really know how things can turn out in the end, especially if you're going out with him for the very first time.

Yea, I just got back from my date. It's nothing really big, just had coffee, took a walk around the lake and made a quick drive and park kind of thing. It's nothing spectacular or anything at all, just good, clean fun. The night was just filled with conversations, which was good enough for me.

So, is there chemistry then? Uh, I'm not entirely certain but I wouldn't mind seeing him again. He's interesting enough. He's a decade older than I am. He's good looking and has a very athletic build. He thinks I'm pretty so I guess it's safe to say that he found me attractive. And he did express an interest in seeing me again.

However, I can never be sure with men, sometimes they do say something but means something else. And I'm skeptical about his actual interest in seeing me. I'm debating whether he does genuinely like to get to know me more or he just sees me as an opportunity to get laid.
My advice: Ha! Don't hold your breath. It's not gonna happen, pal.

So far, all my first dates with white guys proves my theory about men. As I've expressed before, this surely leaves a sour aftertaste. I even actually told him that the reason I rarely go out with guys is because oftentimes guys simply cannot be trusted. Anyway, I really don't want to come to a hasty conclusion about him just yet. It's just that there are traces of the cynic in me. I'm still going to give him the benefit of the doubt, though, and see whether he's for real.

Several things I've learned are to heed the red flags. If in doubt, stop whatever you're doing and think. And yea, first dates give out indications on what kind of guy he really is and what his motives are. Never romanticize things but always do keep an open mind.

Oh, boy... I'm having a hard time adjusting. Oh, well. I'm going to be optimistic and believe that it'll be better next time.

"Shit or get off the pot!"

What a way to describe getting hitched. I got it from a Chris O'Donnell movie, "The Bachelor." Yea, that's how he proposed to Renee in the movie. Good thing she was in her right mind to refuse his proposal. But of course, they did end up together --- a happy ending.

It is crude for a guy to say such words in this particular setting. It definitely killed all the romance. Women dream of such moments, and will definitely be furious if their partner acts in such a manner. Uh, unless the girl is so smitten and blinded by the mere opportunity of being proposed to. Oh, joy. I can only wish her all the luck in the world that her married life will end in bliss.

But somehow if you really look at the phrase, "Shit or get off the pot", you will agree to what it actually means. If you don't mean to do the deed, don't bother sitting on it then. If you never really meant to marry the girl or even take her seriously, then don't get into any relationship with her in the first place. Some other guy will be decent enough to really "shit on it" so to speak. You can take your bad case of constipation somewhere else, I guess. Or better yet, here's some money for a diatab or go see a doctor. Or something worse, take a cold shower.

New Beginnings

Starting over. New place. New people. New experiences. It's mind-blowing.

I just wrote a little something on my personal blog over at Word Press about an upcoming date with a guy I met last Friday. I really don't know him that well but that's what dates are for, right? It's to get to know someone better. Dear me, I'm a tad bit scared about it. It's like meeting up with a stranger. Anyway, I'm hoping that I'll have fun.

Which reminds me, I still need to write something about the manner on how I met him but that's a totally different story that's worth the wait, I guess.