# Society: Do people go on blind dates in your country?



## Outsider

In American sitcoms, young bachelors often go on "blind dates" with people they've never met before. I think our translators hesitate a little before that expression, because going on blind dates is not a part of our traditions, and I think it's still unusual today.
What about your country? Is it common to go on blind dates there?


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## Fernando

I would say it is quite unusual in Spain. But I am quite out-of-the-market, so I could be wrong.


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## linguist786

Well there used to actually be a TV programme here in the UK called _Blind Date_ and people used to do exactly that!


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## Vanda

For us it's unusual, but I've discovered it's also a recent trend. After MSN and orkut people, most youngs, are into this. There's a problem though, sometimes funny, sometimes tragic. The funny one: considering many people are used to lie about themselves on chats, they have bad surprises when they actually meet in real life.  The tragic side: we have seen some cases in which girls were raped, kidnapped and things like that. Not an alarming amount, but that happens. At least this is what the news have shown. There maybe those cases we don't hear about.


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## übermönch

Never seen that in my village in the odenwald forest... because it's impossible to find someone you haven't already met


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## CatStar

I think a small amount of people in Ireland do go on blind dates....I don´t think it´s that common though.  I personally wouldn´t! Speed dating is really popular here though. Haven´t gone speed dating myself  because I´m not single but by all accounts even if you don´t end up with someone it´s a great laugh!

Cat


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## Outsider

What is speed dating?


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## Gatamariposa

A group of men and women meet up, the women all sit at tables and the men have 3 mins with each woman.  A bell sounds and they all swap over.  As each bell sounds they give each person a mark, at the end of the evening if you have marked eachother you can swap numbers.  It's posted on a board and then you get to pick people.

It's an easy way to meet loads of people quickly!

Sounds scary!!  

Gatita


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## Fernando

I think is a kind of group blind dating, with several singles of both sexes dating each other in a set period of time.


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## Gatamariposa

Loads of people meet on the Net, and then get together, guess that's kinda like Blind dating.  I would do it for a laugh if I was single, but also have a back-up plan ( in case they were a wierdo!)

Gatita


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## CatStar

Speed dating is when an equal number of girls and guys have short dates with each other. What happens is that all the girls sit down at separate tables and you get a short period of time to talk to each guy. Usually it´s about three minutes or so. So you get a quick impression of what the person is like. When the time is up, everyone has to move to the person at the next table, so it goes in rotation. Everyone gets a card to write down certain things about the person they´ve chatted with. For instance if you wanted to meet the person again you tick the box saying that you´d like to get their phone number. Then at the end of night the organisers go through all these cards and if two people had ticked the box saying that they´d like to see that person again then the organisers would pass on the relevant details and contact numbers....ok I hope I´ve explained this well! Gonna search the web for a better explanation!

Cat


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## Gatamariposa

Did I not say that?    Never mind, it's meant to be very amusing and a good chance to meet loads of people at once.

Gatita


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## Outsider

Sounds more like a contest than a date. 
Do many adults engage in speed dating, or is it more a teenage thing?


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## CatStar

ok this one seems good enough link

Never knew it was a Jewish thing! learn something knew everyday eh?!

Cat


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## CatStar

Outsider said:
			
		

> Sounds more like a contest than a date.
> Do many adults engage in speed dating, or is it more a teenage thing?


 
I don´t think it´s for teenagers at all, I´ve only ever heard of adults doing it.  As I said I haven´t gone speed dating but friends of mine have and they´ve really enjoyed it, whether you actually meet a partner there or not.  I think it´s safe enough really because your contact details are only going to be given if you so wish and when you only have to talk to the person for about three minutes it means you don´t get stuck with some awful eejit for a whole night!


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## french4beth

Blind dates definitely happen here in the US - I don't know how popular it is, though - people sometimes have the craziest ideas of who could be compatible!

P.S. My parents met on a blind date and were happily married (up until my father's death); I met my ex-husband on a blind date (so I don't think I'll try it again!).


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## shaloo

I dont think blind dates exist in India because, I don't know of any such cases. But once or twice, I read about such incidents in the papers. Indian younsters are trying hard to westernize themselves and so, I think blind dating might catch up in the future. However, its only a foresight and I donno............


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## panjabigator

I'd assume blind dating and other western customs would be big in Bombay/Mumbai because that city is trying so hard to westernize.


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## nuria_r

It wasn't usual in spain but since the internet fever things are changing, you can find lots of chats and there's an special and succesful e-company to meet people.


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## GenJen54

The tradition of "Blind" dating in the US goes back several decades. I'm not sure when it started.

My mother used to tell me about blind "socials" she would frequent while at university. There, she was a member of a female social group that would have blind "exchanges," usually afternoon coffees, with male social groups. The purpose was to introduce young ladies to as many eligible gentlemen as possible, and each young lady was "paired" with a particular gentleman for each social event. Their meeting may or may not lead to other dates. In best case scenarios, people met, continued dating, fell in love and perhaps married.  In worst case scenarios, the people never spoke to one another again, except when exchanging niceties on campus or in class. 

Several years after college (and a subsequent marriage) my mother met my father on a blind date,which was set up by mutual friends, which is how it most frequently happens. 

My parents tried to set me up on somewhat of a blind date once.  Disaster.

I believe now in the US, these "traditional" types of blind dating are making way for internet dating and similar means of meeting people. I've heard a lot about speed dating, which has not caught on as much in my part of the U.S. 

We do have a company called "It's Just Lunch," which matches young professionals with others who are also seeking dates, but have little time to socialize or meet in "traditional" ways outside of the workplace. A person signs up with the company, who "matches" them with someone with like interests, then sets the couple up on a blind lunch date. The idea is that "everybody has to eat lunch," and so why not do it while meeting somebody new? It takes away some of the pressure that drinks and dinner can sometimes include.



> dont think blind dates exist in India because, I don't know of any such cases. But once or twice, I read about such incidents in the papers. Indian younsters are trying hard to westernize themselves and so, I think blind dating might catch up in the future. However, its only a foresight and I donno............


 
It's the topic of another thread, but I have to wonder if arranged marriages are in some way considered "blind."


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## shaloo

GenJen54 said:
			
		

> *My parents tried to set me up on somewhat of a blind date once. Disaster.*
> 
> *I believe now in the US, these "traditional" types of blind dating are making way for internet dating and similar means of meeting people*.
> ........................................................................................
> It's the topic of another thread, but I have to wonder if arranged marriages are in some way considered "blind."


 
Well, Just after reading those two lines which said your parents tried to set up a blind date for you, I began thinking because in India most parents do it and more often than not, the girl/boy is an unknown person.
And it suprised me when I got to the end of your post that dealt with arranged marriages which always take place in India.

I was about to ask the question if arranged marriages would also be considered as blind dates.

Shaloo


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## Outsider

For the purposes of this thread, I hereby exclude arranged marriages from the notion of "blind date". Let's assume that in a true blind date both parties get to decide on their own whether or not they go to the date.


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## Eugin

I loved the "It´s just lunch" idea in the US for meeting people  !!! If there was one in Argentina, I´d most probably apply for one of those dates.

I don´t really have the facts of how common are blind dates in Argentina, but I know several cases and I myself have had a couple of situations...
I also have a friend who met his current husband on a blind date (set up by her workmates).

And I met one ex-boyfriend of mine (and we were together for 5 years! ) by one of the earliest chats on the Internet (does anyone remember "Freetel"?? ). We met at a party, but we made a little "_trick_" because we had a photo of each other, but it was a blind date anyway, and it turned out to be really good...

Then, years later, I met some other guys on the Internet (by other chat rooms) on blind dates, but nothing serious though (you can find anything on the net, from the love of your life to the man that can make you turn to the other sex!! ) and one night I was having dinner with some friends at a restaurant and one of the waitress offered me a paper with a phone number of another (male) waitress. 
The funny thing of that was that, as I wasn´t with my glasses on, I wasn´t able to see how this boy looked like but I accepted anyway (I had nothing to loose, right?? ), we went on a date and I do can say that it was a "real blind date", because I had the chance of seeing him, but couldn´t, because I was too "blind" to see, jejejeje!!!


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## Pivra

Lots of people in Thailand do, but its only a very recently thing.


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## cherine

Until very few years ago, I think it was just unthinkable, something that we only see in American movies. (It's true I only learned this expression from American movies, and I'm not even sure how to translate it  )
So, currently it's getting a bit more common due mainly to the Internet, smaller opportunities for people to meet other persons (being too busy, working in places with only men around -like the army, the petrolium sector..- being too shy... ) I don't know what else.
The problem is, this being a very new thing in the Egyptian society, it's happening mainly in bigger cities (Cairo, Alexandria...) and it's not always a happy story (some people think it's all about sex, it's very very rare that people get engaged to someone they met over chat).
I don't know how this will grow, or if it's going to get any better/worse, but this is the current state of this subject as much as I know of.


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## Whodunit

The word "blind date" is never translated. We use the word in German and I guess everyone will understand what is meant. They are quite common in German, but you will most likely see it on TV shows only.


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## Eugin

Whodunit said:
			
		

> The word "blind date" is never translated.


 
How come? In Argentina you would never hear someone say: "Tengo una _blind date_", but rather we`ll say: "*Tengo una cita a ciegas*", and I think this use is quite common all though Latin America....


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## Whodunit

Eugin said:
			
		

> How come?


 
Because it's one of those new words like Software, Sport, or Song that are not translated. 



> In Argentina you would never hear someone say: "Tengo una _blind date_", but rather we`ll say: "*Tengo una cita a ciegas*", and I think this use is quite common all though Latin America....


 
We would say "Ich habe ein _Blind Date_".


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## Tresley

Fifteen years ago my friend went on a blind date and he married her! It's been happening in the UK for quite some time now.

The whole story is that my friend was invited to go along with his friend who had a girlfriend. His girlfriend's sister needed a boyfriend, so he asked my friend if he would like to join them. After some convincing, he went along and met the lady of his dreams! She was/is very pretty and intelligent! They were married two years later and now have four children! WOW!


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## panjabigator

AFAIK, Hindi and Panjabi do not have a word that expresses the dating concept even remotely...so literally, a blind date is a /aandhaa tariikh/ which makes absolutely NO SENSE!


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