I'm not deep...

Lunch was like usual for me today. I'd go downstairs with my buddies to buy lunch from the cafeteria downstairs, and then we'd go back to the 31st floor where my office is located at and eat together in one of the conference rooms. While eating we would talk about random things, most of them interesting, cause let's face it, actuaries are probably the most interesting people on earth.

Today my buddy (a girl), conveyed tips to us guys on how to date girls.

*Music stops*

Backtrack...

What? How to date girls?

First of all, in Malaysian culture there is no such thing as dating a girl. You can be Malay, Chinese, Indian, Iban, Kadazan, Punjabi, White, Black, Brown, Horsey, Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu or any of them in between and you still wouldn't be going out on a date. Going out on a date isn't in our culture... and the reason being?

There is no reason.

You see, the Malaysian society, despite its various backgrounds, and despite people who can claim that they are from "open societies" like KL and Subang are simply, let's just say - conservative. People may tend to think that what society thinks of them isn't important, but it does bug them to a certain extent even if they deny it. Our culture rears it's ever watchful eyes on its single people. If you go out with another single person from the opposite sex, people assume you are an item.

There are no tryouts. There is no waiting period. There is no "test-drive".

If a guy asks out a girl the guy is basically saying "I like you". And when the girl agrees to go out with the guy it means "I like you too". Before you can even establish a speck of what people would call a relationship, lo and behold you are already in one.

I believe that this culture of non-dating is established from when Malaysians are very very young. Let's face it, when we were in school guys and girls were split up to different sections. Whether the guys would sit in front in class and the girls behind or the girls on the right side of the class and the boys on the left the main solution was simple - keep the boys and girls apart. Minimizing contact between different genders seemed to be one of the main agendas in every school. And what are the results?...

Awkwardness towards the opposite sex.

I think that the combination of our cultural beliefs, social pressure, and our inherent awkwardness is the reason why us Malaysians don't date. If I were to boil those selections down to one major one, I probably would say that the awkwardness part is the main one. What say you?

*Music goes back on*

How to date girls as recommended by my friend:

1) Find restaurants near the girl's house.

2) Pay for all the food and cab rides. (If you are lucky enough to obtain the company of a wonderful (cute, funny, hot) girl, you gotta pay)

3) Make sure she arrives at her home safely. That means making sure she enters her door.

4) Don't make her lose interest by telling her that you don't read books and that you play video games all the time. (she was looking at me when she said that)