Have you ever had a situation where you are in a new place and don’t know many people? You want to meet people but it doesn’t seem possible without someone to introduce you to them? How would you like to meet beautiful men and women of all nationalities? I won’t say it’s easy, as you know that “beauty is only skin deep,” but if you use an Internet Dating Website service, it is possible. Examples of this type of service are: KoreanCupid.com or AsiaFriendfinder.com. These sites cater to people in the Seoul-Korea area. You can find a solution to your situation by becoming a member of one of these Internet sites.

To become a member, you will need to create a login name and password. Then you will need to fill out an extensive profile that will be viewed by others. A profile is a standard list of questions that people want to know before they risk communicating with you. These questions range from your age, religion, and what you really want from the site: language exchange, friendship, relationship, dating, or marriage. You will also be allowed to upload your picture. The picture is an absolute necessity to maximize your exposure and get responses. Many people only search the profiles with pictures when they are seeking someone. So, make sure the picture is an attractive one.

To actually communicate (site email/chat) with another person, you will need to pay a fee to the Dating Website service. Once this is done, you will only be able to connect to those that are interested. If there is no interest, you will not get a response or they will block you from contacting them again. This is why the profile and picture are so important. Now comes the tricky part, checking for honesty. Remember the old saying, “You cannot tell a book by its cover.” Once you have made contact and feel comfortable chatting and emailing with someone, you will need to make sure they are being honest about the information on their profiles, including their pictures. The initial way to check is through your chats and emails. The question is, “Are their responses in line with what they have written on their profiles?”

In your final check for truthfulness, you will need to meet them face-to-face at a neutral site, like a coffee shop or bar. Before the face-to-face meeting, you will need to review their profile so that when you talk to them, you can cross check a lot of the information they have written about themselves. Be particularly aware of all facial cues and body language that might prompt you to dig a little deeper on a particular topic. This is only prudent since you don’t want to be friends with someone that never tells you the truth or is a habitual liar. We all know from experience this can cause a lot of problems. If dishonesty doesn't bother you, then you can proceed as you wish. My warning here is that you should not interact with a person unless you feel that person is genuine and completely honest about what they have written and spoken to you about themselves. As they say in this funny business, “Caveat Emptor!” (Latin for, “Let the buyer beware!”) Good luck in your search!

Jim Yandell(Assistant Professor, Graduate School of Education)

James.Yandell@yahoo.com