Mr. China

I met Mr. China on the aforementioned free internet dating site. In person Mr. China looked exactly like Michael Weston in Burn Notice. It was surprising because his pictures didn't show it. That's all I can think about the entire date. This shows that having a very handsome face can be distracting.

I suggested a coffee or beer, but Mr. China picked a restaurant for dinner. I didn't know the restaurant but from the name it seems like a reasonably-priced restaurant so I agreed. I was trying to avoid the expensive dinner repeat of Business Man.

Mr. China grew up in the midwest but fell in love with China. He's been to more places in China than I have, and can speak Mandarine fairly well. He seem like the giving kind, talking about his volunteering and giving at Chinese orphanage. Tall, white, fit, handsome, loves China and its culture, and loves giving. A perfect match for me, you say? I really wanted so. But alas, there was no connection nor chemistry. I suspected three reasons:

1) I am burnt out on first dates. I've had first dates every single night for a few nights straight.

2) I suspected Mr. China's love affair with China isn't so much about China but about his need to escape his reality, and China just happened to be the escaping tool. This reminded me of one of my ex-boyfriends who used camping to escape reality. On the surface it seemed like such a good quality, but dig deeper one sees the skeleton.

3) I don't like Chinese guy for a reason. Mr. China is white on the outside and yellow on the inside. If I were to date a guy yellow on the inside I might as well find a Chinese Chinese to please my family. Maybe that'd give me a chance at some inheritance....

When the check came I kind of panic. Should I have offered to go dutch? Or would it offend him? I sat and did nothing. Mr. China paid for dinner. I console myself: he picked the restaurant, and I ordered something that's relatively cheap...

At the end of the date I believe neither of us felt the need to ever see each other again. He didn't say "let's do this again". So be it. Good bye Mr. China. Good by Michael Weston.

What I learned: how not to stand out as an American in China.

No more communication.