Dr. Love takes you on a journey of alternative romance across the city of Glasgow with first date suggestions that should or should not be taken seriously.
If you do happen to get the real(!) phone number of some girl at the QMU, you’ve only one shot to impress them. Don’t spend twenty pounds on a dinner+movie that won’t get you anywhere except closer to your overdraft limit, but find a surprising and memorable place to take your date to. In the words of the once famous romantic classic Marshall Mathers III: “Do not miss your chance […] because opportunity comes once in a lifetime, yo!”
THE MITCHELL LIBRARY
The Mitchell Library constantly hosts events such as the National Poetry Day Celebration with Hamish Whyte, Irish Family History Workshops and ‘This is Who We Are’ – Scots in Canada. Admittedly, these can be hit-or-miss dates depending on the depth and width (or girth?) of your date’s sense of humour and interest in their family history. What cannot go wrong, however, is sitting down behind the Mitchell Library public piano and playing some Liszt for your heartthrob.
BREAKFAST AT YOUR PLACE
If your kitchen at the student halls isn’t too much of a mess and you can manage to kick your roommate out for a 3 hour long morning run, why not go shopping at the nearest Tesco Express (or better yet, an organic food store) and bake some scones together for breakfast? You’ll find an easy recipe on the Internet, or in one of the ten student cook books that you got as a farewell present from your mum. Call your date over for 9am (or 10am if it’s a Sunday!) and try not to get too wasted the previous night. This could turn out to be the start of something beautiful.
PROPER DANCING
Do you think you can dance? Chances are you don’t know yet, because you have never tried to jive outside your secondary school’s compulsory dance lessons. Give it another go with your possible future life partner. You can either take one of the many independent dance classes in the city or attend lessons on campus. And the best thing about it is you’ll learn right from the start if your love could step on your toes during your wedding waltz or glides like a graceful swan.
QUIZ NIGHT OUT
A Pub Quiz is a good choice for a date if you want to make sure you’re not wasting your time on a total numpty. Equally, if you like to show your intellectual dominance over your significant other, the seemingly very trivial quiz can lend a helping hand. But be warned – you cannot prepare for these quizzes and could end up looking like an idiot yourself by shouting out the names of all the Eastenders or the Celtic U-19 team (and nobody cares about your knowledge of Proust). Luckily you’re in a pub and a couple of pints will alleviate your unease.
NECROPOLIS
Yes, Necropolis is the cemetery very close to Strathclyde University in the city centre. If you plan to take your date there, don’t tell him or her in advance because, frankly, it would sound weird and they’ll think you’re a twisted Twilight-fan. Instead, propose a late evening walk around the city and subtly guide your date up the hill towards Glasgow Cathedral. The beautifully lit Necropolis will lure you closer in the dark and you’ll be holding each others hands for comfort sooner than you can say: “Boo!”
