Blind date: ‘Did we kiss? My mom didn't raise me to be a prude'

The Guardian

4 hours ago

What were you hoping for?
Someone fun to share the sunny evening with.
First impressions?
Immediately relaxed and friendly, so easy to talk to that the waiter had to circle back a few times.
What did you talk about?
All the different places Sunny has lived, and her latest writing about techno chatrooms (I too enjoy techno). We also tried to guess which sibling each of us were (oldest etc). We were both wrong.
Most awkward moment?
When I told her my go-to karaoke song was Nights on Broadway by the Bee Gees, and she asked, 'How does that go?'
Good table manners?
Perfect, especially when we both admitted we didn't know how to do the fancy fork thing.
Best thing about Sunny?
Her openness. In the moment, I felt very comfortable talking about anything.
Would you introduce Sunny to your friends?
Yeah, for sure, they're sick of me.
Describe Sunny in three words
Warm, curious, funny.
What do you think Sammy made of you?
Probably that I was a bit nervous and almost certainly a nerd.
Did you go on somewhere?
We went round the corner to a pub we realised we'd both been on dates in.
And … did you kiss?
Yes.
If you could change one thing about the evening what would it be?
I would have turned up hungrier and made a bigger dent in the desserts.
Marks out of 10?
9.
Would you meet again?
For sure, but possibly just as friends.
Blind date is Saturday's dating column: every week, two
strangers are paired up for dinner and drinks, and then spill the beans
to us, answering a set of questions. This runs, with a photograph we
take of each dater before the date, in Saturday magazine (in the
UK) and online at theguardian.com every Saturday. It's been running since 2009 – you can read all about how we put it together here.What questions will I be asked?We
ask about age, location, occupation, hobbies, interests and the type of
person you are looking to meet. If you do not think these questions
cover everything you would like to know, tell us what's on your mind.
Can I choose who I match with?No,
it's a blind date! But we do ask you a bit about your interests,
preferences, etc – the more you tell us, the better the match is likely
to be.
Can I pick the photograph?No, but don't worry: we'll choose the nicest ones.
What personal details will appear?Your first name, job and age.
How should I answer?Honestly
but respectfully. Be mindful of how it will read to your date, and that
Blind date reaches a large audience, in print and online.
Will I see the other person's answers?No. We may edit yours and theirs for a range of reasons, including length, and we may ask you for more details.
Will you find me The One?We'll try! Marriage! Babies!
Can I do it in my home town?Only if it's in the UK. Many of our applicants live in London, but we would love to hear from people living elsewhere.
How to applyEmail [e-mail]
What were you hoping for?
Pure magic.
First impressions?
He was really sweet, and I think we matched each other's bewilderment at the silliness of the situation.
What did you talk about?
Family, work, death-row meals, our shared appreciation for Ira Glass's voice, his biking obsession that lands him in A&E once a year.
Most awkward moment?
When I did a full spit-take with my beer on the street and he didn't laugh. It was probably too American of me.
Good table manners?
He told me at the end he was only pretending to have good table manners, and he certainly fooled me.
Best thing about Jonah?
He was really easy to talk to.
Would you introduce Jonah to your friends?
Sure I would.
Describe Jonah in three words
Intelligent, respectful, genuine.
What do you think Jonah made of you?
I think we saw the goodness in each other.
Did you go on somewhere?
We went for one more beer down the road.
And … did you kiss?
My mom didn't raise a prude.
If you could change one thing about the evening what would it be?
I'd have ordered another entree.
Marks out of 10?
7.
Would you meet again?
If I ever have any questions about competitive off-road bike racing, I know who to ask.
Jonah and Sunny ate at Casa do Frango, London W1. Fancy a blind date? Email [e-mail]