It is well known that Taiwanese put in long hours at the office or school and therefore have little time to socialize and find a partner. To help break the ice and have a little fun, Yahoo! Taiwan has teamed up with Marie Claire and FHM to offer singles that have the desire but not the time to find a mate an opportunity to meet other bachelors and bachelorettes and try to make a love connection. Ironically, the event is held midweek and sign up begins at 5:30pm, a time when most are still toiling away at their computers.
But that didn't stop 600 participants last year from donning a white or pink bracelet — the former for men, the latter for women — emblazoned with a number that can be given to a potential love interest. The format this year is basically the same, whereby those who register will be packed into Luxy and given an opportunity to meet a potential dream lover.
Though bearing the oddly titled National Singles Day, the event isn't a holdover from the martial law era, but an attempt to get up to 800 singles from throughout Taiwan to travel north to find true love. Though Chinese is the language that will be used, expats are welcome to participate.
There are two singles events at the party, each held in different rooms inside Luxy, the participants for all activities chosen at random. The Galleria will host the first, which involves a variety of activities that force couples to work as a team. For example, the couples together have to pick up an egg and carry it from one point to another without dropping it. The catch is that they are not allowed to use their hands. What typically results is the pair has to place the egg between their necks and carry it to the designated spot. Though the organizers haven't revealed this year's activity, they promise it'll be a perfect way to get close to the opposite sex.
The second will be held in the Onyx room and features speed dating. Like most speed-dating events, the format is simple. Singles have three minutes to use their best one-liners to make a good impression. After speaking to their potential partner they mark down whether they are interested or not. Then, they rotate and start the whole process over again until they've run the gamut of speaking to 10 members of the opposite sex. At the end, those who have found a match can use the secret number on their bracelet to contact his or her preferred date.
Though three minutes is barely enough time to ask a person their name, the purpose — like all the activities taking place at the venue — is to make contact with as many members of the opposite sex as possible in the hope that further communication can be done on-line after the party ends.
Registration is a little complicated because there are three steps that must be followed before entry to the party is allowed. First, participants must register on-line at tw.match.yahoo.com/national_singles_day/2006/rule.html and as of press time, 300 people have already thrown their hat into the ring. Next, singles must purchase this month's edition of either Marie Clare or FHM, inside which will be found a bracelet that has a number and will be worn throughout the party.
Print off the on-line registration and together with the bracelet and your identification head down to Luxy at 5:30pm for a date with destiny, perhaps.
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