The Human Zoo experience

I'm a single girl, prime of life and all that. No ticking clock, but also not averse to the idea of romance.

So I joined an on-line dating site.

Firstly - are men so cowed by feminism's advances that they can no longer ask a girl out? Even one who is obviously wanting to meet people. Come on guys, how many getting to know you emails are you actually interested in?

Secondly, why would say you are liberal and open minded, but have a non-negotiable ethnicity criteria?

I could go on and on about the vagaries of profiles and protocol, but I'll save it for another day.

Today I'm going to describe why the name of this blog came to mind.

I arranged to meet a man (I'll call him Data) at the beach, for a beer and a chat. Yes, I had to make the arrangement, both ask for the meeting, and decide on the time and place. Get a backbone lads - its not very attractive to be so submissive straight off!

Anyway, after about 20 minutes of rather awkward conversation-making, some stranger comes over and says 'can I sit and chat for a while?'. Turns out this guy (I'll call him Steve) is from Jo'burg and just wants to meet some Durban people. Fair enough.

Bu then Steve tells us how unfriendly 'these Indians you have here in Durban' are. He tried to talk to one, and would you know, he wasn't interested into talking to this stranger. Oh dear. Steve then ask me why my toes are so small (!!!!!!!!!!!) and why am I wearing glasses -don't I know about contacts? His brother decides to join him at out table. He tells me ' a woman single at 30 - there must be something wrong with you!' He is 33 and single, but as he has a penis (I presume - I didn't check) its apparently ok.

Steve decides to talk to the guy at the next table for a few blessedly calm minutes. When he comes back, it's to tell us that the man is gay 'but its ok because he keeps it to himself'. Something in me just switched. I guess I was wound up by the whole blind date environment. It was mid-afternoon by now, I hadn't eaten lunch and was a few beers down. I asked him if 'all Jo'burgers are such bigoted f***ups'. He was surprised, to say the least. so I told him he had been sitting there 'spewing hatred' all afternoon.

To be totally honest, the poor guy was just an average schmuck, down for a weekend by the sea. I felt pretty sorry for him afterwards. I don't agree with his opinions, but he wasn't exactly spewing hatred either.

Needless to say, I didn't hear from Data again!

At least both Steve and I suffer from the same problem - Foot in Mouth Disease!