Badoo: A social experiment

                                                            Only smiling with our eyes :-) 

 I desperately need friends.I know, a lot of things are against me: COVID, pandemic, language barrier and such. So I was encouraged by several people to register on a "dating app" which could be used as just getting to know people, too. So you see, I'm trying....

I would like to have some friends out of school because most of my colleagues have families and children. With some colleagues I can only talk about school and that's off the table for me again. With some others, it's impossible to meet up during the weekend because they have their own families and obviously, they won't prioritize me. Also, I don't really want to get too attached with them. I love them, don't get me wrong. But I need friend outside, as well. So I could choose to stay "forever alone" or putting myself out.

I registered myself on Badoo, like a teacher, single, pansexual and put on my profile, that I'm not interested in dating but rather getting to know people. So far I've matched with 3 people that can speak English. 

1) A. was the first one that I met up, he speaks really good English but just wants to be my boyfriend so hard..... no thanks. I never understand people why they still sweat something when they are told not to. (Also there were so many years I desperately wanted to have a boyfriend and I was always turned down - please karma don't do this to me again, thank you - so I can't believe I'm doing this, but I really want to just be me in this culture - without a guide for a while.) So although he was kind, I don't really have the interest to meet up with him again. :-( 

2) The fireman. Uh, I must tell you guys, he was hot! I would not have turned him down - but I eventually did. As the first date - after many attempts of telling him that I'm not interested in dates again.... - his idea was to go on (quote) "a scenic drive". Well, he does not speak good English and I've never ever met him personally (plus he's got the same profile picture in 2 different social media websites) - just my gut feeling told me a big NO. Who knows, he might have a wife, too. You never know, it's Thailand, where the wife chooses - in most cases - with whom the husband could have a short affair. (So distinct from our culture!) Well, when I asked him, why we don't meet for a couple of beer in town first and then we go somewhere he wants to, he added that he suddenly was called in for work..... yeah, for sure. I said goodbye and I pretty much think I said goodbye to him for good. Yes, I know, women are so complicated, eh? (I don't want to be left or raped in the outskirts of Saraburi, not just yet, not ever, thanks!)

3) Bus, a girl who is a car mechanic. Oh, she's really sweet and finally after a month we met! :-) The problem? We can't talk! :-((((( Her English is her application on the mobile phone. At least, she told me I'm the first one she met through Badoo. She was kind and we laughed a lot. :-) She's on the picture too (the one next to me - not the little girl). So, at least, I have a good person now in Bangkok - but she pretty much works 7 days a week, so again, not the kind of person whom I could call like, can we have a cup of coffee , like right now? :-) 

Well, well, I still message random people on Couchsurfing and then try to meet up with them, but really the only person I met and is in Saraburi is W. and he's pretty much my only non-school Thai friend (and I can really count on him with everything, so shoutout to W, if you're reading this, I appreciate your being in Saraburi a lot! =) Can't wait to hang out on Tue with you! :-) ). There is also S., the lady I took the Krok-e-Dok waterfall trip with and it was wonderful - but she's moving a lot and her work schedule is pretty flexible so the next time we could meet is probably in 2 weeks. Anyway, I'm grateful for her, too! :-) 

I'm grateful for all my school friends, as well (M, B, H <3 ). At the end, it's not about the quantity but the quality, right? 

PS: after some of my students had found me on this app, too, I think, it was high-time to delete it from my phone. That's it. :-D 

(PS2: I remember when I was in Norway and I signed up for a speed-date event back in those days and I wasn't even called back. :-D Now, I feel the same way. Ugly and lame, but who cares, I'm travelling the world and I'm doing the best, I have got a good job, wonderful-amazing friends, and I also signed up for the local music school! Plus, spending time alone lets me work out a lot a day, too, so I cannot say I'm bored at all, just missing my nice expat-group from Ecuador, and some close connections, I guess. ) :-)