For some context, I was bored and single. Though not desperately single, I just wanted to get in on the action of swiping and needed an ego boost. So I registered for a new Tinder account (I was on it like 2 years ago and then promptly got attached a month later to someone from work)...so barely any time to fully explore the...inner workings of the app intricacies of online dating then. This time I was determined to have my fun.
After all, it is Tinder. Notorious for being a hook up/ONS app but hey, if there are those who have gotten hitched to their Tinder matches, perhaps my Mr Right was also on the app furiously swiping away till he matches me.
Armed with my trusty phone, loads of free time (thanks Covid) and a heaping spoonful of salt, I set forth creating my profile. And boy was it a doozy. The balance between "I'm just here for fun" (read: SLUT) and "I'm looking for a BTO partner" (read: DESPERATE) was way too precarious. I had friends vet through my bio and give comments on my which photos I should use. Too much boob? Overly filtered? Clearly I spent way too much effort for something I didn't have much hope in.
Eventually, I emerged with a decent enough set of photos (I even threw in one of my dog just because) and a bio with some personality. None of that "Here for a good time not a long time" nonsense. But also clear that even I was unsure of what I wanted from Tinder. Friends? Casual dates? Hopefully a pot of gold at the end of that rainbow?
Then began the semi-tedious process of swiping. I say semi-tedious only because the truly tedious part was having conversations that weren't stale. Being the visual creature that I am, I was slightly more discerning with my screening process. I tried swiping those that I found reasonably attractive with a witty enough write up in their bio... Clearly a rookie move. Turns out if they were good looking, pretty often the bios went a little like "<height>, coffee, wine, working out" or just blank. There were some that actually stood out (ie; had more than a paragraph worth of words). But those were few and far between. So I had to lower my standards and swipe literally based on whether or not I found them attractive (or if they had a cute puppy in the pictures).
I had a fairly decent number of matches. But not everyone bothered messaging. And even as a modern, pro-female empowerment all that jazz woman, I wanted the guy to make the first move. Terribly contradicting just let me be. So I only replied those that initiated the conversation. And boy, did I give them shit (if they weren't cute enough or I was just bored). There came a point in time where I'm pretty sure I might've replied things like "How often do you use that line on girls?", "inserts generic reply about having a good day". Though to give credit, some guys actually had pretty interesting opening lines so that was fun.
Conversations. I wasn't super into the whole opening up Tinder to message portion because what if some kaypo on the MRT/bus peeks at my phone! But okay part of the whole Tinder package (although most got ported over to Telegram). AND IT WAS SO TIRING. There's only so much you can talk to strangers about and when neither of you know what you're looking for... Do you really want to tell this stranger you met on the Internet about your childhood, your hopes and dreams, your fears? Plus it gets draining because the same topics are repeated; just that your partner changes. Literally rinse and repeat.
Eventually I met up with a couple of them (some quite a handful of times). Because at my core I think I'm still a very people-centric person and I also wanted to see how they actually carry themselves + check if I'm being catfished.
Voila!
(Late Sept/Oct 2020 - present day)
Tinder boy 1: Mr Bright Car
Tinder boy 2: Le Expat in SG
Tinder boy 3: (Potterhead) Pilot
Tinder boy 4: Flakier than a croissant
Tinder boy 5: The small boy
Tinder boy 6: Sir Works(out) Hard Party Hard
Tinder boy 7: Scrubs
There are more that I'm scheduled to meet but since this list is for those that I've already met... Perhaps I ought to do a short writeup on each character.
But that's all for today's musings. I've realised how much I've missed writing so perhaps this time I'll actually bother to follow through on my Tinder escapades.
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