Speed dating... or drinking from a fire hose.. (same thing)

 So the Washington DC area has the largest number of young fun and most important single people out there according to the internet.. DC Haven. With all those people, as indicated before it can be tough to to that dance known as the weekend bar approach, breaking into that group that wants nothing to do with anybody, or the group of dudes so content to chat with each other all night. An alternative to this is speed dating. With multiple companies in the area (Thingstododc.com, Prosinthecity, and Fastlife.com) there are a host of options. I'll tell you what to expect, some Do's and dont's and ways to remember what you did and who you talked to in the second part of this post. This clip does get some things right....

 My speed dating event was for people between 22 and 35 year old in a hotel lounge in DC. You could easily tell the daters by the name tags and most of the ladies came with a friend, there were a few dudes sitting solo, and a few guys talking to each other. The vibe in the air was like being at a high school dance where everyone is talking, but really scoping out the room. There was a large mix of folks from guys who looked really nervous, to ladies just out to have a fun time.

After you check in, you're given a sheet a paper, a pencil, and a name tag. Since there was some time to kill I met my female friend, a first timer, and we proceeded to grab a drink while we waited for the signal to start. As me made our way over to the dating once the signal was given. There was a room of numbered tables and then men were seated on one side, and a lady was seated on the other.

 So this group seemed pretty good. A mix of both ladies you would like to talk to for more then 4 minutes.. and those when 4 minutes is 3:59 too long. After about maybe 12 rotation it was time to call the evening a close, though with a few new friends we went to a nearby bar and chatted about the evening events. In one case my friend continued chatting with a new fella, and I let them be to continue chattin'

 Overall it was a fun way to meet people you otherwise wouldn't come across. Check out Tips and tricks below to get the most out of this experience. I give it 3.5 out of 5 monuments.. so now I've got a rating system? News to me.

                                                Pointer and Tips
                                                                 
                                                                 Pre-game

The Event
 So first, find an event you like. Some are based or age, race, religion, and some are open to all. Find one that sounds fun and sign up for it! If you want to have a partner in crime, tell them it'll make a good story. Some events have an open bar afterwards, so it's worth the price just for the drinks. Speaking of price, then general range is about $25 to $30 dollars a ticket.

About YOU!
Dress in something you feel most comfortable with, because you're going to be putting on a show and chatting with a lot of people. Play some upbeat music at home, chat with pedestrians on the way to the event. That energy level should be pretty high since you're going to work to make sure you stand out.


                                                   The Big Game

Show up early or on time.
 If you can get there early, you'll have more then just 4 minutes to chat with your date before being asked to move on to the next one. Chat up your fellow daters (male and female). You could make a new friend or get a head start on someone that catches your eye. Don't inbide too much, one drink to mellow out will do.

Gameplan
Where are you from?  What do you do?  Let's not sound like 85% of the daters. You've got 4 minutes to make an impression so think of just a few questions that can start a great dialogue, and more importantly something that's make them remember you. If you love running, find out their favorite exercise and work your running into. Flirt a little, say "If you try to get away, more then likely I'll be able to catch you." um.... no.
Play nice!
You're finally there.. across from you is a lady or guy who just crawled out of the sewer and only answers in Yes or no answers. Now you don't know who came in a group and will chat about how rude you were. Just smile, and chat with them. Maybe try out your packaged questions, or go for the dreaded Where from, What do questions.

                                                         After-Action report
  

Thanks for coming, the event is now over...

You've done it! Finished your last date, and you're ready to get outta there. Not yet! Track down that one or if you have time two people you really liked. Go get there dating number again, chat with them about the event, etc. With so many people it will be a blur, so definitely make your mark and be remembered.

Input the info
When you get home, input the info for the matches. The next day you may forget them, lose the sheet, or whatever. If you just want to go out and have fun with people, that's great! I mean it's just talking to people and having some fun.