It's that time again!!

It's time for another blogger/twitter meet and greet! Anyone who chickened out or was too busy to make it to the last one, here is you chance to come have a drink and a chat with some interesting characters and put faces to blogs.

It will be on Saturday 12th September at Sister Bella in Snider Lane (off Drewery Lane) at 4pm. Head over to My Aching Head to read some more about it and check out a map. Last time was lots of fun, very casual and a great opportunity to meet some new people, so do come along!

A big thankyou for Michael for organising it... again...

image by felip1

Don't be a chicken... come have a drink!

pic by Mark Klotz

Melbourne Blogger's Meet, Greet and Drink

Last week Michael from My Aching Head suggested we have a blogger get-together, put faces to the blogs and enjoy a few drinks.

So don't be shy... the venue is The Workshop Bar on the corner of A’Beckett and Elizabeth St on Sunday 31 May at 3pm.

"The idea is that anyone that is blogging in Melbourne, about Melbourne or is in Melbourne is welcome to come and meet like-minded people. That means all of you craft, food, wine, technology, sport or news bloggers are invited."

If you'd like a few more details or just to check out who else will be attending pop over to My Aching Head . Hopefully we will see a few of you on 31 May.

Where have all the people gone?

I know i have been MIA for a while and I've unfairly left Kate to hold down the fort but I should be here more frequently from now on (hopefully).

I have noticed on a number of blogs the topic of MEETING NEW PEOPLE has come up. I started talking to a couple of my friends about it and it seems like everybody wants to meet new people but no one is really to sure how to go about it.

I really miss school where you were forced to socialise with 30 other people your own age for over 6 hours a day. You were forced into making friends, it was impossible not to find someone to hang out with, even if it was only out of convenience.

Since moving to Melbourne and getting settled in I am lucky to meet one new person a week. And if I do meet someone, well as an adult I just don't know how you say to someone "hey do you want to be my friend?" It just sounds too needy. Too desperate. Too lonely! (A bit like this post is starting to sound.)

I don't have a solution but I do have two places where I have been successful with meeting nice normal but interesting people. The first place was the internet cafe/ laundry mat. It is always full of students and backpackers and people are generally hanging around looking for ways to waste time. I met a really nice German guy there. The bonus of meeting travellers is you can go and do cheesy tourist things you normally wouldn't go and do.

Before revealing the other place I have to offer up a disclaimer of attempt at your own risk. So the second place is a bar. I guarantee if you go to a pub alone and sit at the bar someone will talk to you. I met two lovely bar tenders and a couple of friendly fellows. I didn't have much luck talking to any women in bars though?

OK so that's the pitifully small amount of knowledge I have to offer. Hit me with some suggestions of good places to meet people in the comment section because I am getting really tired of watching Law & Order every night of the week.

image from yyellowbird

seeking special (as opposed to dull) people*

"Hi there. My name is Kate, I'm a 23 year old female, looking to make new friends...I like stuff....I'm not a loser......really...."

Hmmm, okay, does that sound too.....desperate??? I can't believe I have stooped to this new low. Searching for friends online. Wow, maybe I AM a loser??

About a year ago, after a huge internal debate, I thought "What the hell? What have I got to lose?" I logged onto the seeking friends section, and I replied to a few ads in the friends only page of gumtree. I even posted one of my own. After some consideration I decided I'M not weird and I'm on here, so these other people might be okay...

And I was right!

My first "date" was with Samantha. I was a little cautious, not quite sure what to expect, waiting on the street watching every 25ish looking girl approaching, wondering "is that her?" or "oh no, not her."

I needn't have worried. Sam was great! Just the kind of girl I'd take home to meet my mother. We had a few drinks at a little bar on Burke Rd in Camberwell, and chatted until the wee hours of the morning. We had a lot in common, lots to talk and laugh about, and neither of us were weird losers! Just happy, easy-going girls, finding it hard to meet people either in a new city (me) or when you are working long, busy days (Sam.)

I caught up with Sam a few times over the next few months, and went on to meet many more girls. One sunny afternoon someone on gumtree organised a barbeque on the Yarra and I nervously went along. I discovered about 30 normal, nice, interesting people all wanting to meet new people and finding it hard in a big city.

How is it that so many of us are feeling the same thing? How is it possible there is so many interesting, funny, normal, lovely people out there, all feeling so lonely?

I'm glad I gave gumtree a try. Although I didn't make any life long friends, I put myself out there and met some great people. It was better to feel like I was giving it ago instead of sitting on my couch whinging about it.

I recommend everyone give it a try! It's a little nerve-wracking, and you have to wade through the weird ads to find the reasonably normal sounding ones, but its a lot of fun....

infact, maybe I need to dust off my profile....

*(title stolen from an ACTUAL ad)