Dating in London: Part 3: How To Cause a Stir

Hello Ladies out there and even gents. If you are coming to a new city and you don't know a soul, at least like me when I came to London, don't fear the internet is here!If you want to meet people and you don't have a clue about how to do it. Go to craigslist or even gumtree.com ( very popular in Europe) and just place an ad in the personals.I am sure you already know that, but the key is to place an advert about you that causes a stir and gets attention. There are at least a gazillion people advertising on craigslist everyday worldwide of adverts everyday the key to internet advertising is you write something that wakes people up.

So, here's what I did before arriving to the UK in late September 2008. I had a feeling that the bloke I was going to visit had cold feet. So, rather than feeling sorry for myself or getting blue, I decided I was still going to visit him in London anyway. He was my Plan A. My Plan B was to meet as many London people men and women alike as fast as possible. So, I put an ad on http://www.craigslist.com under the personals. I put in the headlines: HURRICANE SABRINA IS COMING TO LONDON. Then, I placed an interesting photo of me. Something where I looked chic and interesting rather than sexy. I also highlighted all my positive qualities. Let your enthusiasm shine and joie de vivre shine forth. Put a very clean-cut girl next door kind of photo. You want to look interesting and attractive and not slutty in the least. So girls don't put a photo of you in a bikini or wearing a bustier unless you want to attract weirdos and people with foot fetishes.

You'll attract who you are. So, if you want to attract intellectual types: write about a few of your favorite books that you like. That you especially like Dickens for his longwindeness and his treatise on Victorian society. Or, write about how the Bach's Bradenburg Concerto No 5 Allegretto Mondato moves your soul.Or, if you want to attract maybe a duke that you just adore hunting and Speak 7 languages. Or, that you that you fancy the 17th century Venetian painter Canaletto because he was collected by the Queen and anything that the Queen loves you just can't live without.Anyway, you get the picture. Make your Advert interesting and highlight what's interesting about you, and what's interesting about your interests.The more outrageously confident you seem, the better.Unless, you are going after quiet shy retiring types.

It turned out, my instincts were right on, because the guy that I came to visit not only had cold feet, but told me straight away shortly after arriving from Heathrow airport that I was not "the one". Literally, I WAS DUMPED UPON ARRIVAL! Damn!I was supposed to stay with him for 2 out of the 3 weeks, instead I end up just staying with him for just under a week. The humiliation of being dumped was just unbearable. I was mortified. But, rather than go back to the USA with my tail between my legs I decided to make the best of my time in London and then I decided to live here. I stayed with the tosser for just little under 1 week and moved out.

Putting this really bold advert, like HURRICANE SABRINA COMING TO LONDON was the best thing I could ever do, because by the time I arrived to London I had my box full of willing suitors willing to wine and dine me, or just some take me out for coffee. which was absolutely fine by me. Still, it was a great ego boost, because I had been rejected by the man I loved. Also, I had survived 2 decades of dating and never had been dumped before so this was especially painful. PLEASE SOMEONE GET THE VIOLINS! And honestly, all this male attention and admiration was just what the doctor ordered. One night just within the week I arrived in London, I had 3 dates with three different men.One took me out to dinner at Carluccios in Canary Wharf. He was a good looking Italian financial adviser. The next one, a really handsome classy middle aged Record Producer took me out to see Timothy of Athens at Shakespeare's Globe in the Southwark ( pronounced Suth-huk, and said really fast). (We actually didn't' have to stand up as a groundling as he bought real tickets). And, the last one a Producer for BBC Latin America took me out for cocktails in Primrose Hill. Nothing really transpired from any of these dates, none of them ended up being my soul mate or the man of my dreams. I didn't end up having much in common with the financial adviser plus he was ten years younger than me. But I am still friends with the producer from the BBC.

After my first initial week, I continued to place the same advert. But if truth be told, it ended up being a job to sort through all the mass emails. I really felt like a rock star receiving fan mail everyday. Finally I just gave it up. I had started meeting people on my own quite naturally on the tube and walking down the street. Yes, I eventually got over that man(that's what I call him)and I forgave him and moved on. I thanked him for being my manivator and motivating my predictable routine loving ass to come to London. He was just the catalyst to get me here. He was my human revolution. So,wherever you are I thank your obnoxious ass for dragging me here all the way from California.Even if the circumstances were less than perfect I have made my life in London for 1 year now and it's been the best thing I have ever done.

So, if you want to meet people in a new city, make a bold add, do it with style, be unique and be yourself and just see what happens.Of course, if you are a woman use plan common sense and spiritual discretion. Meet in public places until you get to know them and don't give out your phone number if you don't feel comfortable.

Let me know how it goes!
Cheers and Best of Luck !
love,
Sabrina

Some Favorite Dating Websites:
http://askejean.com
http://www.colletteslovebytes.com

Christmas Ideas That Are Good for You and the Planet

I often head down to the park and enjoy my Spanish omelet and my thermos of Earl Grey. This travel mug helps me save hundreds of paper cups from ruining the environment. Starbucks gives me .25 p off and I don't have to waste cups. Those paper cups, especially the Styrofoam cups have a lot of chlorofluorocarbons in them. This is very bad for the environment.Please try to use a thermos whenever you can. In the winter, it's great, because your teas, hot cocoa and coffee will stay warm much longer. Not, only that, you can put shots of Vodka and Baileys, and then take it to the movie theater and to the museums and this will keep you warm in London. The temperature has now dropped to 1 Celsius, it's chilly but lovely in Londinium.

Bodum Travel Mug
$9.95

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This set of five unisex ankle socks is made from recycled fabric. Each set comes in a random assortment of colors. These socks will keep your tootsies warm.

MUJI RECYCABLE SOCKS $16.00

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LOVE,
SABRINA -

Shakespeare's Contribution to the English Language

While William Shakespeare died 388 years ago this week, the English playwright and poet lives on not only through his writings, but through the words and sayings attributed to him that still color the English language today.

So whether you are "fashionable" or "sanctimonious," thank Shakespeare, who likely coined the terms. Many of the Bard's verbal gems have been compiled in books like Michael Macrone'sBrush Up Your Shakespeare,and Coined by Shakespeare by Jeffrey McQuain and Stanley Malless.

Here's an example of the phrase, the world's my oyster and the origin taken
from The Merry Wives Of Windsor Act 2, scene 2, 2–5:

Falstaff:
I will not lend thee a penny.

Pistol:
Why then the world's mine oyster,
Which I with sword will open.

Falstaff:
Not a penny.


If you boast that "The world's my oyster" nowadays, you're claiming that the world's riches are yours to leisurely pluck from the shell. The braggart ensign Pistol, however, utters the phrase as a sort of threat—of the aggressively bombastic kind he's known for. Sir John Falstaff, a braggart almost the equal of Pistol, refuses to lend him a penny; Pistol promises to use his sword, if not on Falstaff, then on other helpless victims, to pry open their purses. Pistol's thievish intentions have largely been forgotten, and "The world's my oyster" has become merely a conceited proclamation of opportunity.



Interesting Shakespeare Sites:
Short History of the English Language

Shakespeare Lexicon and Dictionary
Words Coined by Shakespeare are now Common Currency

Do you really think you know Shakespeare?
Take this Quiz and find out!

My Claim Code for Technorati: HAMTD9V6E9CX

Green in London

You don't have to be a tree hugger or grow our your arm pit hair to go green,
Everyone is going green now! Now, there's a great store in London,called UNPACKAGED that believes that most packaging is unnecessary so they are doing something about it. Unpackaged in London is the better way for you to buy organic wholefoods and environmentally friendly products for your home. If you bring your own CONTAINERS the price is cheaper, but if you forget they also offer reusable containers that you can bring back next time.

The shop sells everything in bulk and has banned almost all packaging, encouraging shoppers to bring their own containers and rewarding them with a discount for doing so.Unpackaged is an organic grocery that rewards you for bringing your own containers for refills. Save money and the environment!



The Problem with Packaging

Whilst some packaging is necessary in our modern industrialised food chain, unnecessary packaging is a waste:

Cost: Unnecessary packaging increases the price of the goods you buy. It means you are charged twice; first when you buy over packaged goods and then through your council tax to dispose of your rubbish.

Waste: Unnecessary packaging is a waste of resources at every level: to produce, store and transport, remove and to dispose of.

Pollution: The two main methods of disposing of this packaging – landfill and incineration – are major pollutants for humans and the environment and release greenhouse gases.

What about recycling?
While some packaging is recycled, most ends up in landfill sites and some packaging is just difficult and often impossible to recycle. According to government figures, landfill sites for London’s non-hazardous rubbish are likely to be full by the end of next year and other landfill sites in the South East will run out of capacity by early 2013. In 2008, Islington Council achieved a recycling rate of only 30% showing that more radical solutions are needed over and above recycling. Recycling is certainly part of the solution, but it will only work if we use less packaging in the first place and adopt more reusable ways of doing things- it is this ethos of reuse that Unpackaged is based on.

Remember:
Reduce by only buying what you need
Reuse by bringing your containers for a refill
Recycle what you can’t reuse

And… if you can’t reuse or recycle it then don’t buy it!

http://www.beunpackaged.com/
Unpackaged is located in Islington:
42 Amwell Street
London
EC1R 1XT

Now offering 10% on all purchases over £20. Don’t miss out!!

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love,
Sabrina in Londinium