Just finished up an informal survey of male members on their top nightmare dates, the kind of girls that sent them peeping at their watches for the first chance to take flight! Surprise! It’s NOT JUST the looks (well not for most males but for some really super superifical folks, yeah looks are everything.)

Top 5 Types of Nightmare dates (For the Guys & the Consultants):

1) The Complain Queen. She is the Queen of the Nightmare Queens. Complaining everything from the food to the service at the restaurant as well as bitching about her bad dates or her Dating Consultant, and the driver that cut her path…. It is as though the whole world is purposely against her, there is always something she can pick on. Geunine attempts to diverse her of her complaints typically do not work as she is caught up in her worldview that everyone or everything is aginst her. Sending off a whiney and negative vibe, her dates usually ended up with the guys silently counting down to the end of dinner, usually with a massive headache from all that negative energy.

2) The Nitpicker. Have you come across people who CANNOT appreciate or remember the good things but will always remember the bad or any hint of it? One guy revealed how a lady in her late 30s, smsed him after a blind date supposedly to thank him but the impression he got is she was nitpicking on the color of the napkins, temperature of the drink, done-ness of the food, and her “thank you for dinner intention” was eventually lost in translation. We have also came across members who nitpicked on the weight whether it is 56kg or 57kg, and whether the person’s name end with a “n” or “m” and overlooked the most important thing of all – Your Date and the communication with him/her.

3) The Cheapo. Guys generally do not like it if the girls purposely chose an expensive restaurant to “con” their dates into paying for them, because they are too cheap to pay it for the meals themselves. This also translates into members who would purposely condemn their dates to us, demanding for extra matches, while keeping in close contact with the dates they supposedly condemned as “Total mismatch! Absolutely Horrendous!”.

4) The High and Mighty. The super achievers who are caught in a dichtomy. They can achieve everything they want  to in their career and work but when it comes to romance, they resent the reality that they are facing – Got Money, Got Career, Got house/Car/Dog But No Man and now they have to come to us for help! Hence the complexes and as one guy puts it, “They think too highly of themselves and set themselves to fall by behaving in such a high and mighty manner! Demanded for so many things but have they taken a good look at themselves?” Apart from the usual demands on education level, income level, some have even specific requirements on height as well as looks when they themselves look their age.

5) The Needy. The girl who needs 20 smses or calls to confirm a  date or location, and needs assurance every tiny step of the way, with an almost compulsive need to confirm and reconfirm the number of toes on his left foot or the number of moles he has on his back. Might have a second date if the guy did not catch on immediately, but her flood of sms and/or calls after the first date will usually end it.

Here you have it! The Top 5 Nightmare Dates for Guys (and us!). Watch this space for more dating trivia such as The Top 5 Nightmare Dates for Girls!

A friend facebooked me a few weeks asking me to look into the topic of Fidelity. It is a topic worth exploring (especially in the light of the recent Neo saga and his ‘tender grass’), but I fear this topic will require more than a blog or two. It’s like a whole ten year series! I grappled with this topic – how much should I cover in depth and breadth? Faintz….

Ok my valiant attempt to explore this topic in different stages….Let’s start by asking this question: “Who is more likely to cheat – Man or Woman?” and what kind of man or woman are more likely than others to cheat? And is there any tips to spot these people before you jump into a relationship with them?

Read some interesting stuff in my research on this and wanted to bring up some findings. Recently, two economists, Bruce Elmslie, chair of the Department of Economics at University of New Hampshire’s Whittemore School of Business and Economics, and Edinaldo Tebaldi, a professor at Bryant University, researched the economic costs of cheating for men and women. It is unusual in that it looks at infidelity from a cost-benefit analysis, rather than a sociological or psychological point of view.

The answer to the first question:

Tada! No surprises here!

Men Who Are More Likely to Cheat on Their Wife

Married men are 7 percent more likely than married women to commit adultery. And, when a man has an affair, he doesn’t seem to consider the consequences of his actions.

Infidelity for women peaks at 45, the study found. For men, it peaks at age 55.

1.Men who are more likely to commit adultery:

•Live in cities (where there is greater opportunity to escape discovery)

•Do not have a college degree

•Do not belong to any particular socioeconomic group

2.What men do not take into account when having an affair:

•The economic status of the new woman, or her ability to bear children

•Their wife’s educational level

•Religion

“As with spousal education, men don’t weigh the costs — spousal quality or eternal damnation — when deciding whether or not to have an affair,” Elmslie said.

1. Women who are more likely to commit adultery:

• Live in cities (where there is greater opportunity to escape discovery)
• Do not have a college education 
• Regularly skip church (non religious)  
• Are upper class

1. What women do take into account when having an affair:

• Their husband’s educational achievement
• If their new partner can father a child and provide financial stability 
• Religion

These, of course, are statistical findings. And, sometimes the percentages are small.

What’s important about the study, however, is that “Men seem to respond to opportunity and not to our measures of cost.”

In other words, to keep a husband faithful, it’s important to eliminate opportunities for him to stray. Keeping your husband on a tight lease? Any tips to share?

Any comments?

Had a fulfilling and busy day yesterday at Suntec Convention Centre for the Dating Fiesta, It’s A Date! Organised by the Social Development Network, it attracted more than a thousand singles to drop by to grab some cute teddy bears, attend workshops and talks, make new friends and meet local celebrities singles such as Nat Ho and Paige Chua!

We had a great time at The Dating Loft’s booth, generating a significant amount of interest from the singles who dropped by to say hi and to find out more about our Vday’s Promotions. Tiffany did a great job of talking to them (and getting hitted on by some old men in the process =P).

Meanwhile, I gave a presentation on “Snag the Girl & Guy of Your Dream!” – being the Right One to Attract the Right One. It was such an adrenaline rush sharing with the audience my experiences from interacting with thousands of singles in this 3 1/2 year journey running The Dating Loft. Joining me on stage was Miss Earth Singapore, Ivy and Woman of Excellence South East Asia 2010 and Inqueenz Founder, Ms Genecia Luo. I felt like a dwarf standing in between them!

Managed to plead for 3 cuddly teddy tears: S for Sociable, D (Desirable) and N (Nice)! Arh! What a great way to end a full day!

After leaving Gary and his fiancee in the good hands of Ricciotti’s manager, we rushed down to Singapore Flyer. It seems that half of Singapore’s population have turned up in the area either at River Hongbao or the flyer.

Walking around in my heels for half a day is no joke. Luckily we had the use of the VIP lounge while waiting for Royston (the next guy to propose) and his family to arrive. Sipping champagne and snacking on some nuts in a comfy and cosy lounge was a great way to relax for a few minutes before the crowd arrived.

I soon received a call from Royston who had arrived with his family early. Ha! I think he was too excited. I brought them to the lounge and they started to yum-seng with the champagne wishing him success in his proposal later. Nellie the writer arrives and did a pre-interview with Royston.

The photographers and writer went up the capsule with Royston and family to prepare while I stayed behind to wait for Royston’s gal to arrive with her family. Prior to this, I had ‘barkar’ with her elder sister, Debbie to get the whole family there for a “free” company’s ride on the flyer.

I even teased the gal (Hwee Tin) why her boyfriend was not around while we were waiting to board the capsule. She said with a hint of disappointment in her voice that he had to go new year visiting at his aunt’s place.

Imagine her great surprise when they board the capsule and saw Royston’s mum and aunt there! She was still wondering what was going on when Royston suddenly popped up with a beautiful bunch of flowers and a ring. “Who says I’m not here?” He exclaimed and burst into into the song “月亮代表我的心”!

She shrieked in surprise and one hand was on her mouth while the other finger was pointing at Royston, “Why are you here? I thought you went new year visiting?”

 
 
The whole gang with The Tiger Roar!

Royston finally dropped to his knee and proposed. Hwee Tin was so surprised and touched that she teared and couldn’t answer him properly. Sealing their union with a kiss, the rest of us cheered and toasted the newly engaged couple with wine and beer. The view from the top couldn’t be any better.

Spent a greater part of yesterday (Valentine’s Day cum Lunar New Year) helping couples get engaged and get on the road to holy matrimony.
It was fun, fulfilling but tiring running around under the unforgiving sun yesterday (but hey it could have rained right?). And I have always believed that bringing happiness to others will beget more happiness for myself and my loved ones. So yeah! This year will be a year full of love (hearts for St Val), warmth (it’s sunny), romance (it’s Valentine’s day after all), luck and prosperity (HUAT Arh!).

First we were at Sunset Bay cafe at East coast Park. The carpark was filled to the brim! Hoards of tourists and locals alike were camping and hanging around. We printed t-shirts with the words “Will You?” and got the staff as well as the helpers to wear them and walk around.
“Excuse me! Could you help us get ride of the chocolate fudge underneath the chair?” a Caucasian lady called out to me as I sauntered around in my “Will You?” t-shirt. I was being mistaken for the wait staff who were wearing the same t-shirt.
What to do? I politely listened to what she was saying and assured her that I would get someone to attend to the mess under the chair. And while waiting for the couple to arrive, I was thinking about the harmful UV light that my skin is absorbing as I melt under the glaring sun….

Finally the couple arrives, and we try to walk around them nonchalantly so as to “show off’ our t-shirts and hope that she will start to wonder what “Will You?” After ordering their food and drinks, Gary excuse himself to go to the restroom and that’s when the action begins!

Beth was waiting for him with a “Marry Me” t-shirt outside the toilet and he changed into it while grabbing the bouquet of white lilies that we had prepared for him. Meanwhile, us helpers with the “Will You?” t-shirt walked up to the gal and congratulated her. I beamed while shaking her hand enthusiastically. “Congratulations!” while she smiled awkwardly and looked puzzled.

The mystery is solved when Gary emerges from the toilet wearing his screaming red “Marry me?” t-shirt, walked over to his gal, kneeled down with his ring and flowers and proposed!

She was so surprised that she teared! Our planning was so successful that she did not suspect a thing at all. Ah….I do love a happy ending. Lots of happy photos later, we sent them off  to a romantic Italian dinner at Ricciotti at Riverwalk.

Thank you Bro, Sohan as well as sweet who have so very kindly helped out on this public holiday.