Tuesday, March 2nd, 2004
at 8:35 p.m.
Last weekend my friends Sarah and Mindy had to work every possible weekend shift (what else is new, workaholics!), so Alyssa and I put on our best going-out clothes and went on the town, just the two of us. We started out in my room, took some shots, and headed east to Kingston, the town over, where there's this great pub/club named McClusky's on the river (Thames). We walked up there, totally on our own on the street, wondering if it was going to be totally empty. . .uhh no. There was an actual queue, for McClusky's! I have to admit we were quite surprised. . .and maybe just a bit indignant. "We come here all the time, we've never had to queue!" But it moved quickly and we were soon inside, where it was packed, but not too overcrowded.
Alyssa and I were there just to dance, really. We had no ambitions to hook up with or meet anyone whatsoever. That means that we had to pull a lot of the lesbian "I'm with her" act that girls sometimes do. Aren't we evil? Heheh. But I say it's better than flat out rejection: it gives the guy an out for why we aren't dancing with him, like "Oh, it's not my fault, they just aren't into guys." Anyway.
Halfway through the night I got really bad heartburn from those damned alcopops drinks so I had to go sit down in this little carpeted area that is outside the doors for the bathrooms, and guys kept coming in and looking at me weird, which I then realized was because I was clutching my chest, lol. Alyssa had to keep sending them on their way but then one started massaging my temple and I was like, "Uh, no it hurts here," but then we both looked down and I added quickly, "But don't worry about it!" It was a comic moment. Luckily I got over it (I should carry tums against those things, it was bad), and we headed back to the dancefloor. At this point we decided to search for a "Ron" because we've named my type after Harry Potter Ron (not the movie one, lol: the book�s description). But I like auburn hair and blue eyes, and tall. Sooo we searched the whole club--we were a bit tipsssy�but there was not a single guy with red hair there, let alone tall. So I just started dancing with other people, and Alyssa talked to the beautiful boy to our left who she had pining for all night but was So Very Gay. In fact she asked him, and he denied it but hello, I'm from S.F., I could tell. She is from the Midwest and she could too, c'mon.
This entry does have a point. . .heehee
I was dancing with various people but then there was one particlar guy I saw who I thought was really cute: tall�but not too tall, dark blonde hair, nice face, nice body. We made eye contact and he came over and asked me if I'd like to dance and I said yes. The rest of the evening we danced, and then had to take the night bus home same direction. Shit was it cold. On the bus we bonded but later I was worried it was only drunken bonding like, �You are amazing!!!� You know how that goes. . . Because looking back on it, I really really liked him, but I didn�t know if it was because I actually did, or if I was just having a connection because of the alcohol. (Of course, since I set out to deliberately NOT meet someone, I did. Of course! So typical.)
So when I saw his name on my caller ID I was a little anxious, but in fact we ended up having a really awesome conversation, and I felt like he really brought out the best in me. That�s always quite good right? Also I was worried I�d act fake, which I can do with guys I don�t feel too comfortable with. I will turn on the charm but my heart won�t be in it, and I�m constantly on the verge of panic that I�ll abruptly run out of interesting/cute/funny things to say and there will be a horrible silence that stretches on forever. This was my neurotic fear, but it didn�t happen, luckily. Quite the opposite, yay! So we made a date to go to The London Eye, which is the world�s largest ferris wheel, and has enclosed rooms rather than seats. I�ve been wanting to go to the London Eye since August so I was really excited. Plus, BONUS: He paid for it. Heehee.
I was fairly nervous again though, because he had said that we could turn the �day date� into a night one, which meant a lot of hours. . .could we talk that much? Later he called to tell me that he couldn�t get tickets til 5:30, meaning 3 1/2 hours of nothingness! What would we do all that time? And what if he didn�t think I was attractive once he saw me in the sober light of day? What if HE turned out to be hidious in the sober light of day??
THE DATE:
I arrived at the station one whole hour early because I had no conception on how long it was going to take, so I just walked around Waterloo looking for things to do, freeeezing cold. Yeah, not a promising start. Plus it gave me time to feel nervous. . .but as soon as I saw him, for some reason I felt less nervous. (And for the record, he was just I remembered as he was in the club/on the bus. No beer�Baileys�goggles for me!) It�s weird. I feel so comfortable around him, yet I also get butterflies. Before it�s either been overwhelmed by butterflies, or not any at all: too friendly. With him it seems like a good balance. Since it was so cold and neither of us were well dressed for the temperature, I suggested we get coffee, which he paid for, hehe. Well we ended up talking for a really long time, about all sorts of things, and we had long-finished our coffee by the time we decided to get up. I found out he�s really well traveled. He�s been to Australia, Japan, The U.S., and next week, while I�m home, he�ll be in Prague.
After that we walked around a bit, just getting to know each other better, and we wound our way to Trafalgar Square, where we climbed the monument there, and had a kid take our picture. Unfortunately we picked someone who had no idea what he was doing, because it was supposed to be of us in front of a cool lion statue on the left, but this is how it turned out. Classic!!!
We then went into The National Gallery across the square and I saw various awesome paintings I know such as The Venus at her Toilette (that means she's looking in the mirror) and others. I learned that like me, he is technically Catholic, but doesn�t go to Mass much. He is trying to be better at his faith, despite questioning beliefs. We went outside, and he took my hand, and we held hands just as it started to snow, it was quite romantic. We walked through it and, surprise, talked some more, and I learned that his favorite bands and my favorite bands are the same: definitely a plus. Also, he�s very un-homophobic and un-racist, and he has two dogs! And 2 cats, too, lol. He shares a house with a bunch of his mates down near Brighton (but he works in the city) so I can imagine that is one crazy household. One of his dogs is named Chloe. . .yeahh. There are a lot of jokes there, some cute but a lot of potentially bad ones too, haha.
We had a little while until we had to queue up for The London Eye, so we decided to check out St. Paul�s, a major landmark that neither of us has seen.
It�s gorgeous and vast, but we couldn�t stand under the dome because there was a service going on sadly. It�s a Christopher Wren, in fact his masterpiece in which he�s interred, and it�s amazing.
I�ll save you some more boring details but when we got to the Eye it was really coming down in snow, and we had been hoping for crystal clear weather, but this was second best! He bought me the guide that Alyssa had told me to wheedle out of him, and I didn�t even have to ask! He�s quite a gentlemen, opening doors for me, and everything that comes with it, except he�s definitely not one of those guys who thinks there are �men�s roles� and �women�s roles� if you know what I mean. He just treated me very, very nicely : )
We stepped into a little oval glass globe with its wooden bench in the middle, and he pointed out all the sites to me. I got so engrossed, and content because he had his arms around my waist from behind me (which I love!) that I forgot to take pictures. But here is the first one from when it was still a light outside:
And this is right when we were about to get off and I realized that I�d forgotten that I had my camera again. So it�s not a very spectacular view down, lol. It�s of Parliament and Big Ben through the snow, and we were moving so it�s quite blurry and hard to distinguish. I actually really like it though.
Afterwards he remarked how fast the day had flown by, and I had to agree. It was already quarter after six, and we had been together for over four hours, but it had felt like nothing, so he invited me to dinner.
We ate at this amazing Indian food place, because he�s nits [sic!!] about it and because I mentioned that I seriously haven�t taken advantage of the amazing Indian food here. Mmmm, chicken korma. . .After that we went to Wetherspoon on Leicester (aka Molester) Square. But since I was there holding hands with a guy, no one tried to grope me (first time�including the time I took my mom there! It�s not like I�m special; this happens to everyone). I tried my first pint of Guiness! I know, can you believe I�ve lived in England this long and I haven�t had it yet?? You could eat that with a fork and a knife, but I liked it. He thought I was lying but I did! The eyes can�t lieee.
We took the same train home because he was staying the night with his mates in Twickenham, which is 2 stops after Richmond on National Rail, and while on the platform, with his arm around my shoulders, I looked up and then he looked down, and I stood up on my tiptoes and I kissed him. First kiss was semi-short and very sweet, and I�m proud of myself that I made the first move! He told me he had wanted to kiss me before, but he had lost his nerve lol. I guess I just made it easier for him but come on, not like I had any chance for rejection lol. Plus, the seal was broken, we�ve already kissed. . .heh.
I am proud to report there was no PDA on the very crowded train back, but there was nice cuddling. He ended up getting off at the same time as me and taking the bus the rest of the way, and so we waited at the same stop. The PDA ban was lifted, I�m afraid to say. Under crystal clear skies of course, now that we were off the Eye. . .lol. At least the moon was out.
It was weird to be kissing on Richmond High Street where I get coffee, go shopping, get grocceries, send mail, used to wait for the bus for work on, run errands�and see tons people from Uni all the time. This time I didn�t see anyone, but who�s to say they didn�t see me? Muahahaha. Ew, I hope not though.
We made a plan to see Along Came Polly this Thursday before both of us leave, but Michelle says it was horrible, so we shall see. I do know that he wants to take me to a rollercoaster park when I am back, YES!!! He�s been skydiving, in Australia, and completely loves rollercoasters like me so SCORE. Yay for meeting a guy with a car, because the nearest one is 2 hours away. It�s funny, Alyssa and I had been talking about how we needed to find one the very night before, and she had mentioned she is desperate to go skydiving. Carl highhhly recommends it. . .
All in all I had an amazing time, and I had nothing to worry about with the time thing. Overall we spent 8 hours together and it never once dragged. Even the silences were not awkward at all. Usually we didn�t run out of things to say though, because we were saying so much that we�d overrun the other�s sentences, lol. So, I am definitely looking forward to the second date. The next thing to be nervous about: Ummm. . .ya know. . .
Of COURSE I meet someone I really like towards the end of the year!!! But I�ll enjoy this while I can.
P.S.
LOL he just texted me. . .said (among other things) that his mates interrogated him thoroughly. �All good press of course.� *grin*
What song is playing on my iTunes right now: What I'm reading: What I'm Wearing: Back to anecdotal journalism again! - Tuesday, May 1st, 2007
Plan? - Monday, Jun. 19, 2006
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(This month redefined my understanding of stress and 'hell') - Monday, April 24th, 2006
Just a few more days! - Monday, February 27th, 2006
Another one to chalk up to College Experiences - Sunday, February 12th, 2006