Speed Dating per i Single di Roma che si sentono soli 

Speeddating è il gioco che sta conquistando gli scapoli incalliti di Roma

 

America's answer to the inefficiencies of the human courting ritual, has all the advantages for rushed singles. No tedious guessing whether someone is interested, no risk of painful rejection, and not more than three minutes wasted on Mr or Ms Wrong. The concept is simple. An equal number of single men and women meet in a bar or cafe. Couples talk for three minutes, then a signal sounds and the men change places. The process continues until everyone has met. At the end of each "date" the partecipants indicate on a form whether they would like to see the other person again. The forms are then collected and matches (mutual "yes" ratings) are sent each other's e-mail address within 48 hours, to take it from there as they please. For Rome's first official speed dating experience about 40 people show up at the trendy BarBar in Prati, all turquoise cushions, brushed steel details and water features. It's a mixed crowd, with ages ranging from 24 to 40; The average is about 32. Everyone is fashinably dressed, and no one seems shy, desperate or incapable of getting a date in a normal situation. So what are they doing here? Roberto, a young officer of the guardia di finanza, says he is here for a bit of fun. "I'm in no hurry to find the woman of my life".

ROMA E' UNA CITTA' ANCORA PIU' ROMANTICA DA QUANDO C'E' SPEED DATING

 

One of the players, Armando, disagrees. He thinks speed dating is completely incompatible with the Italian character. "Italian men like the hunt. No man would ever want to tell his friends he met his girlfriend on a speed date". Gambardella concedes that there is a taboo around the subject for men. "But", he says, "they came all the same". Wanted in Rome's Silvia A., an Italian American who is also playing, sees a different cultural problem. "I don't think Italians really like this sort of structure and organisation". It is true that it's sometimes difficult to get the men to move on after three minutes, and telephone numbers are being exchanged although in theory this is against the rules. By the end of the evening Macciocchi is exhausted and A. is hoarse from having to shout over the music. "All the faces are already becoming a blur", Macciocchi says. "I can only remember the guys by the notes I took". A. agrees: "I'd only recognize the ones I really liked. What makes a guy stand out is if he asks interesting questins. Most of them were just chit-chatting away without having prepared any questions".
A. and Macciocchi both think the best thing about speed dating is that you get to meet people you wouldn't usually talk to. "I'm a lawyer", explains macciocchi. "I only ever meet other lawyers, and they're usually just rushing past in court". But there is a down-side to this, as A. points out. "At least when you get approached in a bar, you know the guy is genuinely interested. A couple of times tonight I had the feeling that they weren't really listening, and were just waiting to move on the next girl". That evening in Rome, every player had at least two matches. However, a match does not guarantee a follow-up. In the cold light of day players seemed to revert to the traditional cat-and-mouse game of dating by waiting to see who would send the first e-mail. For a calendar of events and to register see www.speeddate.it, or contact Giuseppe Gambardella on tel. 349/7625764. Events cost between 20 and 25 euro. Barbar is in Via Crescenzio 18, corner Via Ovidio.

Wanted in Rome, 19 febbraio 2003 "Love in the fast lane".