Cara on Michael:

What were you hoping for?

I was hoping to find someone who i got on with, who the conversation flowed with and I could joke with. Basically I was just hoping for an interesting or fun night!

So, you guys met at the Eagle, what were the vibes like?

I’ve never been to the Eagle before so it was really nice. We sat outside which meant we could hear one another more easily because it was loud in the pub. The Eagle is so gorgeous so it was a nice setting!

Did the date meet your expectations?

I definitely enjoyed myself, but I don’t think it had that chemistry I was looking for. Nevertheless it was still fun!

What were your first impressions?

He was confident and calm. There was a moment where we saw each other across the street and we couldn’t work out if it was the person we were supposed to be meeting!

What did you guys talk about? Did you have much in common?

We spoke a lot about our degrees, which was interesting but it felt like we were having academic conversations. We found overlaps in our subjects that we study here, but it was definitely verging on being too academic.

Were there any awkward moments?

No not at all! That’s one thing I was grateful for.

How would you describe Michael in three words?

Confident, calm, smart.

What do you think Michael thought of you?

I have no idea! I’m not good at telling what people think of me. I like to think he enjoyed himself. He has asked to meet up again, so he must have enjoyed it!

Would you see Michael again?

I don’t know if i’d see him again in a romantic sense. Our circles are very different so I can’t see us meeting accidentally. I’d see him as a friend but also I’m not sure if I have any reason to meet him as a friend at the moment. But if we do meet again, it would probably be platonic.

What would you rate the date out of ten?

Seven.

If you could change anything about the evening, what would it be?

I felt like he did a lot more of the talking, so I would have preferred that to be slightly different. That’s not anyone’s fault though! But it was kind of the thing which made my mind up as to whether this was going to go anywhere or not.

Do you have any anecdotes that you’d tell your friends?

“In his descriptors he gave his height… he was getting that in right away!”

This was preceding the date, but I thought it was funny the descriptors Michael gave for me to find him: the colours of his clothing and his height! He was getting that in right away!

Michael on Cara:

What were you hoping for?

Not really because it was a blind date so it could have been anyone. I was hoping for a good match! But in general, very low expectations. I was looking forward to an interesting, exciting encounter with someone new.

So, you guys met at the Eagle, what were the vibes like?

The Eagle is a very nice venue because it wasn’t that busy, but it is also well known, although Cara had never been there before! Cara met my expectations, she was talkative and engaging. She said she was nervous but she didn’t seem it, she wasn’t awkward at all. It was nice and wholesome.

What were your first impressions?

She appeared really outgoing and curious.

What did you guys talk about? Did you have much in common?

We had a lot of shared interests. We spoke a lot about subjects – naturally, not forced conversation – and we were both mutually interested in each other’s degrees.

Were there any awkward moments?

The conversation flowed really well actually. There was one moment where it could have gotten awkward but it didn’t. She asked how my parents had met, and my parents have never met, so I had to weigh up if I shared that if it would be oversharing, but there was no reason to lie or obfuscate, so I told her. It could have gotten awkward if it felt like I was oversharing. But it was more of a fun moment than an awkward moment! Apart from that, it felt like there was really good chemistry.

How would you describe Cara in three words?

Open-minded, inquisitive, sweet.

What do you think Cara thought of you?

I hope that I made a good impression. Sometimes I tend to talk too much! Especially if I’m asked about something I’m interested in, I can talk a lot. But she was asking questions so seemed interested. If I made some negative impression, it may have been that I was taking up too much space and talking too much. But I’m not sure that would be the case because it was a mutual conversation with counter-questions. So I hope she was fond of me and that she enjoyed the conversation.

Would you see Cara again?

Yeah I would. I’ve asked for a second date.

What would you rate the date out of ten?

Eight.

If you could change anything about the evening, what would it be?

I would have stayed for a bit longer, but Cara had to go, but I would have enjoyed a longer date. Or even a change of scenery to give a different perspective of the person and offer new conversation.

Do you have any anecdotes that you’d tell your friends?

“I approached somebody thinking it was my date… it wasn’t”

Cara wasn’t the first person I approached outside the Eagle! From the description, I was looking out for green glasses, and I imagined them to be bright green. Turned out, they were only a hint of green so I couldn’t immediately recognise her. There were two other people nearby, one of which was wearing green, and I was nervous and had green in mind, so I went up to her and asked if she was waiting for somebody … she wasn’t. It was the wrong person. I had another try with Cara, and I was right that time!