5 ways to score in Shanghai
I’ve been single -- on and off -- for a while in Shanghai. This city is full of places to meet singles, both expat and inpat, but I'd never been to any. I just hate being so obviously “on parade,” sized up for mating by the women and evaluated as competition by the men. But, in the interest of science, I subjected myself to five popular organized singles events.
My target was to meet as diverse a range of singles as I could.
Here are my results.
Date Night by Tiffany
Price: RMB 300
Amount of dignity lost: My first singles’ event, so I felt like a fish out of water. Discovering that my fly was undone didn’t help.
Male to female ratio: 50-50, alternating boy-girl around the table.
Eye candy factor: Most of the women were just stunning, frankly. Guys were also dressed to the nines.
Cocktails, Champagne and introductions in the lounge, with no shortage of ogling done by both sexes. This was a red-tie event so the three men not wearing one looked embarrassingly under-dressed. Evening gowns all round for the women, naturally.
After cocktails, the four-course dinner was very well done, and both conversation and wine flowed. A nervous start for me, but I had a great night. This is one for those who prefer a more informal structure and lots of conversation.
Monthly event, Hamilton House, +86 139 1840 1785, www.datenight.asia
OK Deal Club
Price: RMB 100
Amount of dignity lost: For the men? None. But I can’t help but feel sorry for the overflow of women.
Male to female ratio: Outrageous. Four women for every man.
Eye candy factor: Varied. Some made more effort than others.
“This is highly exceptional,” said Josie Chen, founder of OK Deal Club. “We’ve never had this kind of women-to-men ratio.” But hey -- I liked these odds.
Conversation was interesting, but necessarily short, given the event format. One very rude fellow, during his eight-minute rotation at a table with three lovely women, took a phone call for several minutes.
Here’s a tip for you guys: This is an event with an advantageous ratio, but it's simply common courtesy to show some respect for the ladies.
Monthly event, location varies, but usually a high-end hotel space, www.okdealclub.com
Marriage Market
Price: Free
Amount of dignity lost: Me: none. Candidates: 135 percent of initial dignity level.
Male to female ratio: Hard to say, probably 50-50.
Eye candy factor: Zero. There were almost no photos attached to any of the descriptive profiles.
This is what the Internet would look like if it wasn’t on computers. Aisle after aisle of singles' profiles, pegged up in a long grid. Each includes the phone number of the candidate’s mother, who will screen you before approving a date with her child.
“It’s hard for us girls here,” said Carol Xu, “because most of the guys are being listed without permission and don’t want to meet anyone anyway.”
Not the best location to get to know other singles, but excellent to get to know singles’ mothers.
Every Sunday, around 10 a.m.-4 p.m., People’s Square (人民广场公园)
Drunken Dragon
Price: RMB 100
Amount of dignity lost: 12 percent when I declined a shot on the bus. Probably would’ve been more if I had accepted.
Male to female ratio: Varied, but usually around 50-50.
Eye candy factor: Quite a few attractive folks at this one -- and the shots ensure that everyone gets more attractive throughout the evening.
This is a uniquely multi-venue event. After the meet-and-greet at O’Malley's pub, participants get a free shot, pile onto a bus (or two, on busy nights), and head to a second location, then a third and fourth.
More free shots on the bus, and another shot on arrival at each location. Are you sensing a theme here?
Lots of great music at the pubs and on the bus, safe travel between locations and did I mention free shots? Not conducive for deep or meaningful conversation, but that’s not why you get on this particular bus, is it now?
Every Thursday from 9:30 p.m., Starts at O’Malley's Irish Pub, 42 Taojiang Lu, near Hengshan Lu 桃江路42号, 近衡山路, www.pubcrawlshanghai.com
Enjoy, Music & Wine
Price: Free entry; three glasses of wine for RMB 100 and three tapas plates for RMB 120
Amount of dignity lost: None.
Male to female ratio: 95 percent male, 80 percent gay.
Eye candy factor: What can I say? Gay men really work out.
Enjoy, Music & Wine is a very informal, social atmosphere for the LGBT crowd to wind down from their big weekends.
“We’ve been going for about two years, now -- it’s a great place to relax and talk about their weekend adventures,” said event-organiser Laurent Simonet.
Quite a popular event, too, with up to 100 attendees each week. And with free entry and the tapas and wine offers, it’s understandable why couples and straights crash the event.
Every Sunday, 6-10 p.m., Maison Pourcel bar (Level 6), 25 Shaanxi Nan Lu, near Changle Lu 陕西南路25号6楼, 近长乐路, enjoy@arobase-communication.com
