Let’s face it: The South Valley dating scene can be tough. But
that doesn’t mean it’s not worth trying
Romeo, Romeo, where the heck art thou, Romeo? Ever since I moved to the South Valley last year, my romantic life has slowed down significantly. OK, that’s a lie. Truth be told, it has come to a grinding halt.
Aside from the long hours I put in at work, I just couldn’t figure out where to meet 20- and 30-something single people.
The more I chatted with my co-workers, the more I realized I’m not the only one wandering in a romantic wasteland. One day, a source for one of my stories asked me if I had any recommendations for where to meet people that she could pass on to her single brother. That was when I knew this problem was much bigger than a simple case of being a new person in town. So, I set out on a mission to meet single people in the South Valley.
I started way back in February when our newspaper featured the South Valley’s most eligible bachelors. It took me two days, but I gathered enough courage to contact one of the bachelors and confess my flaming crush on him. I was summarily rejected. It was a gentle rejection – really, he handled it very well – but it was still painfully embarrassing and a giant blow to my ego. In fact, it still stings a little. And now that I’ve shared this with the entire South Valley, we will never speak of it ever again.
Next, I succumbed to all the television ads for online dating services. The premium service at Match.com, which runs from $18 to $50, and the services provided by eHarmony.com, which run from $50 up, were way out of my price range. I signed myself up for the free version of Match.com, which allows you to set up a profile and receive e-mails telling you who your “matches” are, but it does not allow you to send e-mail to your matches. You have to pay to get in touch with them.
I filled out all the “about you” questions and waited to see what happened. Before long, my e-mail inbox was cluttered with matches and messages encouraging me to pay the fee to talk to all these guys. Only problem was, most of the guys lived as far away as the North Bay or Salinas.
Also, some of these people weren’t even people. They were using the service to get their spam sent out in the form of matches. The guys who did seem normal, I couldn’t contact, because I can’t afford to pay for the service if I want to be able to pay for my gas to get to work. So, online dating turned out to be another frustrating endeavor.
My third attempt to meet singles stemmed from a co-worker’s suggestion. I grabbed a group of girls and headed to Rosy’s at the Beach in downtown Morgan Hill on a Tuesday night. Rumor had it, the place is packed with people of all ages on Tuesday nights, eating $2 salmon tacos, drinking and schmoozing in the bar area.
Of course, the night we went it was pouring rain, so the turnout wasn’t as great as it usually is. But I did notice a couple of people giving each other “the eye.”
However, seeing as this isn’t an organized singles event, it seems few are brave enough to risk going over to other tables to strike up conversation. But Rosy’s on Tuesday nights has potential. I’m not giving up yet. Even if I don’t find Mr. Right, at least I’m eating fabulous salmon tacos.
For my final attempt to jump-start my sputtering love life, I got drastic. I forcefully dragged my editor with me to Palo Alto, where we attended a speed-dating event. It was truly one of the most bizarre experiences of my life.
After having four-minute dates with 15 different men over the course of 1 1/2 hours, I hadn’t felt a single spark. Nothing. All I felt was thirsty after having talked so much, and my cheeks were sore from all the forced smiling. Maybe someone else’s prince charming was there, but mine was sadly absent.
And so, I’m back at square one. I always hear that love comes when you least expect it and when you aren’t looking for it. Well, I don’t expect it, and I’m not looking for it. Do you hear that, Mr. Right? It’s OK for you to turn up now, because I don’t expect it. Call me!
