How to meet guys

I was having coffee with some girl friends the other day when the topic of “How to meet guys” came up. Some of my friends complain that if they just go to work every day, go home, and then at weekends hang out with their friends, they can never meet anyone new.

So here is my attempt on answering this question. And these tips are not just theory, but based on my real experience and observations. Guys, please give me your feedback on whether it works!

1. Join a gym. So many couples have met while working out in the same gym. Better yet, wear something noticeable. But be serious when working out!

2. Go jogging outside

3. Play and join a club sports: badminton, table tennis, martial arts. Whatever.

4. Volunteer: this is the best way to meet a kind-hearted guy.

5. Sit in a coffee shop: by yourself, read a book or use the computer. Enjoy your time alone.

6. Attend a concert: whether it is a classical concert or a rock concert. If it is a rock concert, just dance by yourself to the music. You never know what’s around the corner!

7. Go to conferences and career fairs: there are lots of conferences on different topics (especially in Vietnam). Better yet, volunteer to be the speaker or forum moderator or coordinator of some events!

8. Join forums/clubs and offline events: join an online forum about topics you are interested in and attend offline events to meet members.

9. Invite yourself to networking events or company parties: lots of your friends companies have networking events. Ask to attend their networking events. Even if you don’t meet a future boyfriend, it will be good for your professional life.

10. Ask friends to set you up: even your closest friends might have friends that you have never met. There is nothing wrong with asking your friends to set you up on dates with their guy friends who they think might click with you!

11. Travel alone or with a new group: even when you travel by yourself, there is a very high possibility of meeting a like minded solo guy traveler on the same route. The more adventurous the nature of the travel (mountain climbing, road tripping etc.), the more bonding there is!

12. Take a class: something you want to learn, something interesting. Or maybe even start an MBA (but check the average age and marital status of students before applying).

13. Attend friends’ house parties: and impress guests by bringing a home-cooked dish or dessert.

Things happen when you least expect them to. You never know what’s around the corner!

However, please note that this is only a guide for meeting and maybe attracting guys. This is by no means a guarantee that the meeting will turn into a loving relationship or the end result of marriage! For tips on turning a potential boyfriend into a potential husband, please refer to the various guidebooks out there in the market (contact me if you need recommendations).

Disclaimer: My blog is for entertainment purposes only, please do not take it seriously or personally. Thank you!

The pursuit of happiness

I think someone must have drugged me yesterday. I had a really shitty day (actually my life right now is a big mess) but in the evening I was so hyper and happy, for no reason! Good mood like this do not come very often so I might as well enjoy it.

Maybe it’s the April’s Fool prank that I was able to pull off the other day. I somehow was able to convince most of my friends on Facebook and Yahoo that I just got engaged. I think it was the profile picture of the diamond ring, me mentioning dieting and working out to prepare for the wedding, planning a wedding in VN and the US that even some skeptics were fooled. I had a blast doing this and would have kept it up until the end of April Fools but suddenly felt bad for some heartbroken guys out there… People kept asking me “Who’s the lucky guy???” Well, the lucky guy does not know that he’s lucky, or else there would have been a real engagement, right? I’ve been thinking, maybe I’ll save up some money to one day buy my own diamond ring. I would be able to get the exact ring I wanted and not have to worry about the guy choosing the wrong ring…

These days what kept me happy are random crazy thoughts I have throughout the day. I’m forever a dreamer and a romantic at heart. I am always feeding my wild imagination with silly ideas, theories and inspiration for my novel some day. I usually lie in bed listening to the song “I’ll stand by you” by The Pretenders over and over again. Usually this is what I wanted to say to the guy I love. But this time, the more I listen, the more I feel like it is singing to me, just like what my friends have been doing for me, being there for me and loving me the whole time. I started thinking about my life this past 10 years and jumped to my computer to call Luan.

We met in high school 10 years ago. I was a skinny girl with thick glasses, a braided hair, in a white ao dai. He was an awkward, nerdy guy who had this crush on me and was sneaking peaks at me. “Luan honey, it’s been 10 years since we’ve known each other. Looking back, at that time, could you ever have imagined us like this, right here? Did you ever think our lives would be this way? Isn’t it funny, that I was your inspiration in high school to help you study harder and become a good student, but throughout the years, it was you who have always been pulling me out of the mud, pushing me to go on living when I felt down and wanted to give up? You were always the first person I called when I wanted to cry. You were there for me through every heartbreak” “I know honey, be strong and keep on fighting. Here’s to another 10 years of trying hard and improving ourselves!”


Life is like a sine curve, with its ups and downs. There will be moments of uttermost happiness but also times of incredible pain, misery and disappointments. But once you have hit rock bottom, there is no other way but to rise up again.

Love is like holy wine. It tastes so bitter and so sweet at the same time. You want to save it forever, but good wines are meant to be drank. If it’s only saved up and put to show, its existence is pointless. You know that once you finish the bottle of wine, you won’t have anymore, but you might as well enjoy the taste while drinking it.

Engagements and weddings

In the past few months, I have been to 1 wedding, been invited to another one, heard of 3 engagements and saw my ex-bf get married. Also listened to dozens of my friends talk about their plan to "get engaged".

This is making me really depressed! It made me realized that my peers and I have entered into a different stage of life. Long are the beautiful days when all of us live freely, enjoying our youth, having fun and only have to think about our studies. Marriage is a scary thing. It means you can't live selfishly anymore. You have another person and a family to look after. You are less likely to take risks, to follow your passions and will likely have to go the "safe way". Marriage isn't like shopping. You can't return what you don't like. You're stuck with that person for the rest of your life (or face a painful divorce). What's worse, married people only hang out together. All they talk about is babies, buying a house, sending kids to school etc. If only we could be young and free forever!

I have been semi-proposed by guys multiple times before, but have never thought I could say yes. Just the thought of saying those wedding pledge scares me. If I get married, I need to be damn sure that I really mean it when I say those vows.

"Will you listen to his inmost thoughts, be considerate and tender in your care of him, and stand by him faithfully in sickness and in health, and, preferring him above all others, accept full responsibility for him every necessity for as long as you both shall live? do you vow that you will do everything in your power to make your love for him a growing part of your life? Will you continue to strengthen it from day to day and week to week with your best resources? Will you love him as a person, respect him as an equal, sharing joy as well as sorrow, triumph as well as defeat?"

I sometimes feel like an outcast. Like Carrie in "Sex and the City", being the only single girl and getting invited to all these couples/family events and getting that pity look.

If this goes on, I'm going to start hating weddings! It got me thinking, if I ever get married (or if someone ever wants to marry me :P), I'll probably just get hitch in Las Vegas to get it over and done with. Won't have to waste time and money on the "perfect wedding" that lasts 3 hours. Ha ha...

But you'll see when "my wedding" comes...

P.S. I also think prenuptial agreements should be the default, not the exception.

Disclaimer: My blog is for entertainment purposes only, please do not take it seriously or personally. Thank you!