Blind date

Before adding the title, I looked up the word “blind date” in Collins dictionary, which says: “A blind date is an arrangement made for you to spend a romantic evening with someone you have never met before.” I can’t help laughing reading the explanation because ironically, it’s not usually the case. I’d rather use a more accurate Chinese word “相亲”.

Females, from young girls to old ladies, have an unfathomable keenness on matchmaking. Simply speaking, it’s a boy & girl mix & match game. If someone like me is considered too old to be single, he or she will become the target, like a tube of toothpaste being put on the supermarket shelf, waiting to be picked up.

But sadly, women’s shelf life is relatively shorter, especially in China. Thanks to our enthusiastic wanna-be matchmakers, the rules have been minimized. This family has a son; that one a daughter and they live in the same city, that’s it! Even though the matchmaker herself might have met either.

Given this fact, the odds of meeting the right person are very small. It’s embarrassing to see two strangers sitting face to face racking their brains to find out what they have in common. The longest distance in the world is probably that a supposed-to-be couple gazes at each other across the coffee table, feeling like they hail from two planets.

Pray you won’t meet a stalker. Be grateful when you meet someone normal. Never ever expect a “romantic evening”.

An update

When I went to Shanghai in late March, I discovered some brands never seen in Beijing, Muji, Uniqlo, Hooters… Two months later, I was roaming around the streets and was surprised to find these logos hanging on brand new buildings. The city moves so fast, as if someone had pressed the fast-forward button.

A couple of weeks ago I went to Houhai in the evening. Hutongs, Siheyuans, pedicabs and boats seemed to have slowed the tempo of life here. If it weren’t for the rain, the sunset on Yindingqiao must be beautiful. I was thinking if I were a tourist, I would love it.