25 Jan

Find the Love of Your Life with Online Dating

Relationships can be difficult, and if you have suddenly found yourself single again, it does not mean the end of the world.  Gay and lesbians sometimes find it tougher to get back out into the dating world, but if you go online you just might be surprised at how many compatible people you can find.  Parship specialises in gay and lesbian dating and has the tools you need to form a lasting relationship. 

Sign up and find out how easy it is to create a profile.  Before you fill out your profile, you will be asked to fill out a scientific questionnaire that will identify your personality and character traits.  Once you enter the criteria based on your idea of a perfect partner you can complete your profile. The compatibility matching utilises 30 personality characteristics that will recommend partners who will compliment and fulfil your wants and needs.  Parship values your privacy, and each profile is checked making sure that they are a real person who is looking for a lasting relationship. Once you go live, you can search through approved profiles contacting other members who you click with.

Get back out there and start dating.  Fill out the gay Parship scientific questionnaire and you will be amazed at how many potential partners will be smiling at you online and sending you private messages.  You will be matched with other gay or lesbians who share the same interests, personality traits and hobbies that you do.

Posted in Dating Tips, Online Dating by Simon | Add a Comment

22 Jan

Long Distance Love Online

It was not all that long ago that courting someone from the next town was considered a little out of the ordinary.  Before international travel and mass communications, people did not travel far from where they were born.

What a difference fifty years can make.  With modern technology it is possible to meet and fall in love with someone over the internet.  And increasingly, that someone could live on the opposite side of the world.

If you have fallen for a person who happens to live overseas and you plan to visit them, here is some dating advice to remember.  Of course, it is an exciting time, but do not allow your eagerness to find love cloud your judgement.  Above all, you must remain safe.

Firstly, do not arrange to stay at the home of your online companion.  Stay in a hotel.  If this is beyond your means financially, then do not go.  On your first visit never stay at the other person’s home and do not get into any private vehicles with them.  When you first arrive at the airport, take a taxi to your hotel.

You can reveal the location of your hotel to the other person only once you have established their intentions are good and their motivations trustworthy.  Keep a friend or family member informed of your whereabouts at all times with regular texts and emails.  Let them know the details of when, where and who you are meeting.

This may all seem a little over the top, but if the other person is truly genuine they will show understanding and will not make you feel awkward.  When you are confident with your new partner, you can gradually drop your guard and begin to relax and enjoy yourselves, but it is sensible to follow these precautions at the beginning, just to be on the safe side.

Posted in Dating Tips, Online Dating by Simon | Add a Comment

16 Jan

Dating People For Whom English is a Second Language

Irish dating sites reflect the diversity of modern Ireland.  While you will find your typical boy/girl next door posting their profiles on these sites, there are also thousands of profiles posted by people who have moved to Ireland from abroad and who are interested in meeting people.  In many cases, these individuals will have learned English as their second – or perhaps even third – language.  While all of the normal dating rules still apply, there are a few additional things to consider when dating someone who is not a native English speaker.

The most important thing when arranging a date with someone who is not a native English speaker is to make sure that the time and place is confirmed in writing, either by text or email.  If it is done verbally over the phone, the chances of a mix up are greatly increased. 

Ideally, you should listen as much as possible at the start of your date.  When you hear your date speak, you will quickly get a feel for how fluent they are in English, and can then adapt your own word choices accordingly.  In many cases, individuals for whom English is a second language will have a limited vocabulary.  It is a good idea to use a mirroring technique and do your best to adapt the words that you use to the level of English that your date is speaking. 

Another important thing to do is look at your date when you are speaking to them; their facial expressions can give you a good idea whether or not that they understand what you are saying.  If they don’t seem to be following you, slow down.  English speakers tend to speak too quickly.

Most of all, remember not to make any cultural assumptions.  Somebody from Malaysia may have grown up with English as their first language, while somebody from Germany may be really struggling to understand even a basic conversation.

Posted in Dating Tips, Online Dating by Simon | Add a Comment

12 Jan

Follow Your Instinct with New Dates

In all our relationships, we employ instinct and common sense to decide if we trust someone or not.  When you encounter a person online, all you know about them is that which they choose to reveal.  The very nature of online communication encourages the confessional part of our personalities and perhaps sometimes we say too much and forget ourselves.  Love usually takes time to develop and it can take a while for relationships to build and trust to form, so be wary of online companions displaying the following behaviours.

If at an early stage in your relationship, someone declares their love for you, be very cautious.

Beware of someone requesting money.  Never agree to send money to someone you have met online.  Scams are very rare, but they do happen.  Do not allow yourself to be a victim.

If someone is evasive and avoids questions about themselves, ask yourself ‘Why?’  Especially if they are demanding a lot of information from you, consider what their motives might be.  Ask them questions so you can form some kind of picture of who they really are, keeping a lookout for inconsistencies in information.  If you have real concerns then report them to the customer care department of the online dating agency.

If there is a real spark between you and a genuine connection, this will drive your choice to meet up with each other.  However, if communication remains restricted to emails, texts and occasional online chats, then perhaps your online relationship is destined to stall and it is better to move on to other matches with greater potential.

By following this dating advice, you will ensure that your online dating experience is a positive one.  Why do you think so many people now go online to meet their partners?  Because it works – just remember to trust your instincts.

Posted in Dating Tips, Online Dating by Simon | Add a Comment

6 Jan

First DateTips

One of the benefits of online dating is discovering details about a potential partner by studying their online profile.  Encountering someone in a bar in the conventional manner would not tell you about their background, their hobbies, if they are vegetarian or prefer men with big laughs.  With agencies such as Parship, dating success is far more likely because you get to know someone online first.

If you have successfully made contact with someone through online dating, and you think you may be compatible, the next logical step is to meet.  This may be nerve-racking, so here are some tips to help things along.

Location is everything

For first meetings always rendezvous in a public place.  This is a sensible safety precaution and you should decline any invitations to meet with people who refuse this suggestion.  A short meeting in a cafe for a coffee or snack can work well.  Then, if you are getting on well, it is straightforward to extend the date by moving on somewhere else.  Equally, if things are going poorly, it is easier to finish your coffee and make your excuses quickly.

Behave Naturally

Of course, you want to create a good impression, but any act you put on you have to be able to sustain.  Be yourself and act naturally.  Keep conversation upbeat, positive and honest.  Avoid discussing previous partners.

Look Right

Be sensible and dress accordingly.  If you are going to the opera, dress up.  Going bowling?  Dress down.  Clean teeth, hair and fingernails are minimum personal hygiene requirements.

Posted in Dating Tips, Online Dating by Simon | Add a Comment

29 Dec

Online Dating: The Numbers Say it All

The statistics when it comes to online dating are staggering, and the numbers speak for themselves: by some estimates, one in five relationships in the US is the result of people meeting each other online.  Many of these relationships have been brought about as the result of people using online dating sites, and this phenomenon is not restricted to the United States.  Throughout the UK and the rest of Europe, tens of thousands of people a month are signing up with online dating sites and looking for potential partners.

One of the more reputable online dating sites, Parship Ireland, claims to have brought tens of thousands of couples from all around the world together.  They claim that their compatibility matching method results in such a high success rate that almost 40 per cent of their Premium Members have met a long-term partner on their dating site.  And it is not just the dating sites which are quoting mind-boggling numbers; a recent study by Oxford University found that one-third of all adults who use the internet have visited an online dating site.

There are now dozens of UK and Irish dating sites, and the membership of these sites is growing at unprecedented rates.  The choice is staggering and deciding which one to join can be quite challenging.  The first thing an individual needs to decide is whether they are looking to meet people for a bit of flirting and fun, or whether they are looking for a serious, long-term relationship.  They should also decide if they might be interested in the additional services offered by sites like Parship such as dating advice, a phone number on which a relationship adviser can be reached, and a continually updated dating blog.  Other factors that will affect the choice of an online dating site are things such as the age, education, profession, and sexual orientation of the individual.

Posted in Dating Tips, Online Dating by Simon | Add a Comment

23 Dec

Dating Tips: Dinner Dates

A dinner date offers plenty of possibilities for a great first date, but an equal number of potential pitfalls.  Here are some tips to ensure that your first dinner date won’t be your last.

Don’t take too long looking over the menu; this sends the signal that you are indecisive.  Choose something that you know you will like.  Don’t worry about it appearing boring – at least you won’t be embarrassed by not being able to eat your meal.

Choose something neat.  Spaghetti can be a disaster, as can pizza.  Make sure that your meal will not take a great deal of work to eat so that you can focus on the conversation and not on the food.

Think twice before ordering meat.  If you are unsure whether or not your date is a meat eater, or has any dietary restrictions due to religion, go for a vegetarian option.  It is usually healthier and will send a quiet signal that you are sensitive and caring.

Both men and women should offer to pay.  If money is tight the other person will accept, or offer to pay half.  If they are particularly flush, they will insist on paying. 

If the dinner date has been a success and you think you’ve hit it off, offer to go for drinks afterwards.

Posted in Dating Tips by Simon | Add a Comment

17 Dec

Successful Relationships are Formed Online

The number of single people using online dating sites, such as Match.com, has grown rapidly over the last ten years.  As more and more people claim to have met the love of their life online, others looking for love are tempted to take the same path, especially as there is no longer the stigma attached to online dating there perhaps once was.  Some recent research has found that the relationships formed as a result of meeting through internet dating sites are just as successful – and can be expected to last just as long – as partnerships that were initiated under more conventional circumstances.

For today’s professionals, who are often short of time due to their hectic work schedules, online dating is an ideal way to meet potential long-term partners.  From the comfort and relative security of their computers or smart phones, single people are able peruse possible love-matches, making dating easy and stress-free, as well as being able to take advantage of the other services online dating sites offer such as dating advice columns and dating blogs.  Many people feel that they would rather learn what they can about a potential date by communicating online with the other person before they meet face to face.  In this way unsuitable candidates can be discounted without time being wasted in brick and mortar venues, or feelings being hurt.

The compatibility tests that most top quality online dating sites use to help them match members with one another are getting more and more accurate at predicting which people will get on well together; this means that there has never been a better time to meet “the one” through an online dating site.

Posted in Dating Tips, Online Dating by Simon | Add a Comment

12 Dec

Who Pays?

So, you have met someone on the Gay Parship site and are taking their first leap into the gay dating pool, but it can be confusing. Without the traditional male and female roles to fall back on, determining details such as who choose the restaurant, who pays, or who makes the first move can be hard to navigate. The most important advice first-time dating lesbians or gay men can follow is to do what comes naturally. If one’s natural inclinations still seem a little unclear, following these simple suggestions may take some of the uneasiness out of the first gay or lesbian date.

•    Who pays? Even in heterosexual situations, the rule is that whoever asks for the date should be prepared to pay for the date. However, the person who was asked on the date should not come empty handed. In many situations, gay or lesbian singles prefer to go Dutch on the first date, regardless of who asked whom. If a person refuses to let the other pay for anything, it is polite not to force the issue. 
•    Opening doors and pulling out chairs.  This is where things may get murky. If you feel the urge to be chivalrous, then do so and pay attention to how the other person reacts. If the other person seems uncomfortable or put off by this, then follow their lead. 
•    Be authentic. Doing what comes naturally and reading the other person’s reactions is a good way to tell whether two people are compatible. If you finds that your natural responses to things such as paying for the date and basic etiquette are off-putting to the other person, then maybe this is not a good match.

Posted in Dating Tips by Simon | Add a Comment

9 Dec

Writing a Perfect Profile

When it comes to writing an online dating profile, almost every dating advice blog says the same thing; write an honest profile, and just be yourself.  If you are not a particularly good writer, this may seem like a daunting prospect.  Here is a formula that you can use to create an original profile that really expresses who you are.

The profile should be three paragraphs, and each paragraph should have three to five sentences.  The first paragraph should start with a quotation that you particularly like; the quote can be from a song or a poem, or can be something someone said.  Spend the rest of the paragraph explaining why the quotation is important to you, and how it has influenced your life. 

The second paragraph should start with your fondest childhood memory, and the following few sentences should explain what you learned from it and what it has brought to your adult life.  Remember that this should be a positive memory, and should be something that has impacted the course of your life, your goals, and who you have grown up to be. 

The last paragraph should discuss a film you have recently seen, a book you have just finished reading, or a song that you have heard for the first time that particularly moves you.  You should then explain why you liked it and how that reflects on who you are. 

The above is a simple formula, and can certainly be tailored to fit your own writing style and personality.  The important thing is to make certain that you end up with a profile that is original, personal, and introduces the reader to who you really are.

Posted in Dating Tips, Online Dating by Simon | Add a Comment