SEATTLE, WASHINGTON AND DUBAI CALLING
Well, long distance dating is not a good thing in my match.com experience, so when I had an email from Seattle, Washington I first dismissed it although the profile was definitely very appealing and the gentleman’s photo very attractive. He was very persistent, however, and won me over because he offered to come to New York to see me after a week’s worth of email and telephoning back and forth.
He had a very interesting profile--is an extraordinarily well educated, professor of business, with a PH.D. degree. He had been professor in Australia for 9 years, Paris for 2 years, New Zealand for a while too. Brazil was also one of the countries in which he had taught. A very accomplished tennis player and devoted bridge player. Divorced with 5 well educated children. The emails and telephone calls flew back and forth for 6 weeks. Many plans regarding the future were tentatively (and maybe unwisely) made in anticipation of a wonderful and romantic meeting. Hopes and dreams were exchanged, and it is safe to say that when we met in Manhattan the anticipation was at a fever pitch.!!
We had a lovely time exploring New York together, watching the Wimbledon tennis finals together since the weather was beastly hot and humid. We went on a World Yacht cruise around Manhattan, completely with top notch dining and romantic dancing cheek to cheek. We saw our favorite movies together “La Vie en Rose” with Edith Piaff and “Gloomy Sunday” and because he is very scientifically oriented he wanted to see the Planetarium at the American Museum National Museum along with the Imax theater. We spent a great deal of time at the Steinway Showroom on 57th Street, looking at new grand pianos for him all the while he was entertaining me with his expert piano playing. He plays a medley of entertaining popular tunes, jazz and romantic ballads. Naturally I was enchanted and charmed. What woman does not enjoy being serenaded by an expert pianist!
We made elaborate plans to meet up in Greece and later on in Dubai where he is going to start a teaching assignment for about a year.
However, we may just have to settle for a solid and rewarding friendship and some exciting travel experiences together as it appears that the chemistry isn’t quite what we hoped it to be. We also have different ideas of where we eventually want to settle down. We definitely want to see each other in Dubai some time during the Fall when he has more vacation and time to spend with me.
It is generally speaking not such a good idea to long distance date as one easily enters into a state of fantasyland, generated by fervent hopes and dreams of the one and only. We all carry that dream, and telephone calls cannot always determine if the all important compatibility factor is met. It is always much better to meet up as soon as possible to get an idea of whether the connection is there. But we are in daily touch, and it feels good to be connected.
Meanwhile, I am preparing myself for a long and wonderful trip to my native Denmark followed by a week in Greece to visit my late husband’s relatives on the romantic island of Aegina. Here the Aegean magic is going to take over, and Greek food, long hours of exploring the joys of a Grecian holiday, rest and joining up with my daughter and her friends is awaiting and making the the summer perfect.
