How I spent Single Awareness Day

Photo from Speed Dating

For the first time in all my 30 years of existence, I finally did something different this month. With February being that month for that kind of stuff, I figured, why not do something for myself? I did just that, only that it took me forever to blog about it since I was being my usual lazy self.

All of my plans took place two weekends earlier where, first, I went out on a speed dating event. I know. It was something spontaneous and totally not me...which is exactly the point! I was even hesitating to the event on the day itself, but  I just told my overly-critical brain to shut up. So I went there. By myself.

The need for speed

I'm not a stranger to speed dating, though that was the first time I participated in one. I remember it was around 2003 or 2004 when it became quite a buzz and people had no idea what the entire hoopla was about. Eight years after, it's my turn to go through the same nerve racking experience. Believe me, it felt like my intestines were tied in knots. I got there on time, but apparently too early. The activity did not happen until almost 9PM and it felt as if everyone waited with baited breaths.

Being the "taong bahay" person, I felt like an odd duck. As much as I'd like to meet new people, I was terrible at making small talk. Funny thing was I made friends with some of the girls and fended some of our initial nerves amongst each other. It was interesting to know their own reasons in joining, but for the most part, it was all about doing something out of the ordinary.

As most of us already knew, speed dating was just about talking to several guys for a specific set of time (in this case, 6 minutes). It's really great to be the girl in this scenario as it was the guys who had to move around. The girls outnumbered the guys in terms of registration, so some us had to wait for a few rounds until the next "date" at some point.

By the time the entire ordeal was over, I was beat. Who would've thought speed dating was this tiring? All the nonstop talking could really take the toll on your energy level, especially if you have to make the effort to keep the conversations interesting. The event ended past 12mn already and I was feeling zapped and sleepy.

Just a few quick thoughts about the experience:

• The venue was a bit small. By the time the evening was in full swing, it was hard to maneuver around the room. I wish they could have set up the buffet outside to save on space. Personally, I thought it was hard to interact with people when you have to make sure you won't be breaking any plates or whatnot.

• Venue supplier wasn't that snappy when it came to clearing the dinner aftermath. It felt awkward talking to someone with another person's half-eaten dinner right next to you.

• Organizer didn't brief everyone about the entire game. Sure, we all know that we talk to the other person under a time limit, but they didn't orient participants how to go about changing the variety of questions every now and then. It felt more like a chore to talk to one guy after the other who asked me about my work and hobbies. They never even bothered to ask if those who signed up were new to this thing so they could have prepared and oriented the participants. Also, the host had the enthusiasm of a moldy bread.

• On the upside, the crowd was okay. I met really nice people (both guys and girls), though I really can't say if I "clicked" with the guys.

Well, at least I can say that I got one down off the list for this year, though I'm not sure about any repeat performances. Maybe. Or maybe not.

Concordia Children's Center

The next day, I joined a couple of people from Pinoy Exchange to visit Concordia Children's Center in Sampaloc. It was a challenge getting there because the Center was hard to spot amidst the backdrop of motels lining the street (how ironic!).

It was quite an experience to interact with some of the orphaned/abandoned babies. Other kids would have thrown a fit in front of a bunch of strangers, but they were well-behaved and very affectionate. It's kinda hard to imagine what these kids went through, with most of them abandoned by their parents in trash bins, hospitals, and a host of other places. I was shocked to know that one of the kids was just left behind by her mother inside a plastic bag along with the placenta! Yet you wouldn't know the little tyke went through all of it and still had a big smile for all of us.

On that thought, our lawmakers really need to pass the RH Bill immediately. I mean, seriously. These kids need a lot of care, and we don't even know how long they can survive  on donations. The Center badly needs a makeover, and with so many babies being thrown away or abandoned, it won't be long before the orphanage gets cramped with too many children to care for. 

Photo from PEx

Late that afternoon, we were reluctant to leave the kids who'd been reduced to tears. Some of us were tempted to stuff them in our bags and hie off, but we managed to say our thanks to Nurse Neri and the staff for letting us spend a few hours with them.

I might go back to the orphanage one of these days to visit the kids again. I'm already missing some of the toddlers I bonded with, although I hope I can bring a few friends along in the next visit. :)

All in all, I survived Valentine's. Thank God. Now to plan for another anti-Vday activity for next year. :D