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BEING nervous was part of the deal. So was not knowing what to expect. This was a blind date after all.
For 10 girls and guys, being paired up to meet someone new while enjoying fruits, marshmallows and pretzels served with a warm pot of chocolate at chocolate boutique Chocz at KLCC was the perfect way to spend Valentine's Day.
After all, love and romance go hand in hand with such a sinful delight.
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Yum! Shih Ying and Ahmed taking a closer look at the vast variety of Valentine's Day gifts available at Choczwhile waiting for their fondue to be served. | Recognising each other from the caricatures published in StarEducation last week, many greeted each other with handshakes and hello's even before the actual event.
The evening finally kicked off with a round of speed dating, with participants given 10 minutes to talk to one person before moving on to the next.
Once they had had a chance to meet one another, they were paired up with their respective dates for a more private time.
Talking and dipping, dipping and talking, as the evening moved along, the students from universities and colleges had a blast getting acquainted with their dates as well as the other participants.
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Meet our 10 dynamic personalities! | After the event, several decided to chat some more over drinks at a mamak stall and another bunch went clubbing while a few sleepy-heads headed home for the night.
In fact, the whole group got on so well that there are already plans underway for a dinner before those studying overseas take off again.
So what happened at the little rendezvous known as “Table for Two” to make all this possible? Read on to find out what the “couples” have to say.
Serena and Jan Leong
Despite being complete opposites, with barely a thing in common, Choo Jan Leong, 24, and Serena Diane Dass, got along comfortably with each other.
“Being different didn't prove to be an obstacle for us because it meant that we had more to learn about one another.
“For example, I hate to read but it's one of Serena's favourite things to do,” said the Universiti Tenaga Nasional electrical and engineering student, who is from Ipoh.
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Jan Leong was thrilled to receive a crystal sculpture from his blind date, Serena. | Jan Leong gave Serena a little teddy bear with several Ferrero Rocher chocolates while he received a crystal figurine of a man in return.
Simple yet classy, Serena's stunning appearance had earned her compliments throughout the night.
The 24-year-old Universiti Putra Malaysia medical student said she had fun and would try to keep in touch with the rest of the group.
“I was nervous on my way here and while waiting for others to show up because I didn't have any idea whom I would be meeting. But I could recognise some of them from the caricatures,” she said.
And, by the way, the little black dress she was wearing was borrowed from a friend when she finally made up her mind on what to wear for the occasion.
Michelle and Lian Meng
Lee Michelle, 24, said she could actually recognise the nine other candidates when she arrived at Chocz, based on the caricatures.
The Brickfields Asia College certificate of legal practice student was paired up with Tan Lian Meng, 22, for the evening, and the discovery that they shared a love for romantic comedies led the conversation into all sorts of topics.
“It was great to learn that one of her favourite movies is Love Actually, which is one of mine too. We've both seen it so many times,” he said.
The University of Queensland business management student admitted that he did not know what to expect of the evening.
“This is my first blind date, so being a little nervous was normal I guess. Once we started talking, it was a lot easier to connect with each other,” he said.
And, he added, they exchanged contact details at the end of the night with each other as well as with everyone else.
“It was pretty cool how united we were as a group despite only meeting several hours before!”
Lian Meng brought his date a stuffed toy – a bear holding a heart – while he received a cup shaped as a frog that was filled with M&M chocolates.
As for Michelle, the evening turned out to be better than what she had expected.
“The ambience was nice. Casual but still cosy enough for us to talk. After all, how wrong can the evening go when there's chocolate around?” she said.
Her friends, she added, had made her promise to upload photographs taken during the gathering on to her profile on Friendster.
And her summing up of the evening was: “I didn't just go out on a blind date tonight. I met nine new friends!”
Masami and Quan Ming
Picking a gift for his blind date Masami Mustaza was no easy task for Tan Quan Ming, 21.
“I knew that flowers would have been too cheesy for a blind date because flowers are something you give when you're officially a couple.
“So I got Masami a mini-hamper from Famous Amos, which also had a box of chocolates, a teddy bear and a mug stuffed with even more candy,” he said.
The Limkokwing University College of Creative Technology E-commerce student, who will be heading to London next month to further his studies, felt that his gift was appropriate as a memento for the night.
As it turned out, it was a great choice – the cookies are Masami's favourite.
And what did he find most attractive about his date?
“She's got such a great character. She really opened herself up to me and I learnt a lot about her, which isn't a common occurrence when you've only met a few hours ago.
“We definitely bonded over our love for meeting new people,” he said.
Masami, a Multimedia University information technology student echoed his sentiments.
“I found out that Quan Ming likes anime and books, so we got along well. It was very nice of him to get me hamper with my favourite cookies,” said the 23-year-old.
On her choice of outfit for the event, Masami said she did not put too much effort into dressing up.
“I wanted to be presentable yet comfortable, with a look that reflected who I am,” she said.
Joo Lee and Lead Choon
Toh Joo Lee, 21, thought that homemade chocolate chips cookies would be a great gift for her blind date – so she spent all afternoon baking them from scratch.
The SEGi College ACCA student also revealed that she had sought advice from her friends on what to wear for the occasion.
However, she said, it was a challenge for her to break the ice with her blind date, Universiti Malaya information technology and multimedia student Siew Lead Choon, 22.
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It was a first-time encounter with fondue for Lead Choon, who was paired with Joo Lee. | “He was very shy, which made it awkward at times. But he gave me almond chocolates, which I thought was the perfect gift for me,” she said.
For Lead Choon, the evening was a real eye-opener, with this being his first blind date.
And that was not the only first-time experience for him.
“I had never eaten chocolate fondue before, but I really liked it,” he said.
Admitting that he was shy, he said it had taken a lot of courage for him to come forward and join the gathering,
But he certainly had no regrets.
“I had fun and I found Julie to be very kind and polite. She's also very mature for her age,” said the Kuala Lumpur native.
Shih Ying and Ahmed
“There was so much to talk about, I wish I could have taken her out for supper after our blind date so that we could talk some more!” exclaimed Ahmed Alsada.
The International Islamic University Malaysia information technology student from Bahrain was thankful for the opportunity to meet so many new people after only being in Malaysia for a mere 10 weeks.
“I made sure I took down everyone's contacts so that we could continue to keep in touch despite some returning overseas for their studies,” he said.
He was paired with 21-year-old Gun Shih Ying, a University of New South Wales medical student.
“I was so happy to find out that Shih Ying loved cheesecake as much as I do. I live for that stuff!” said the 21-year old.
Unfortunately, he quipped, her recommendation for the best cheesecake is in New South Wales.
Ahmed gave Shih Ying a single red rose, chocolates and a card while she reciprocated with a framed poem that she had penned herself:
“Life's a journey of tales and stories, so here's something to frame those memories. Of happy times and joys and glories, to ease your mind of any worries.”
Asked about it, she explained: “I wanted something that would be memorable, personal and lasting. A gift like chocolates would have been eaten soon after.”
Her favourite part of the evening was the speed dating session as it enabled her to get to know everyone.
“I didn't come with high expectations but I really enjoyed myself,” she said.
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