Party for English-speaking singles, Chinese and expats
By Yao Minji |
April 5, 2012, Thursday
|
Print Edition
Print Edition
SHANGHAI Singles Group sounds like a speed-dating club, in which young men and women spend five minutes talking to each other, then move on to another prospect, and another - finally deciding who, if anyone, is worth a second date. The goal is not casual dating or having fun, but marriage.
However, this is definitely different. Members, both Chinese and expatriate, are English-speaking, including a number of Chinese who have studied and lived overseas and find they have a lot in common with some overseas Chinese and Westerners.
The goal is having fun - there's no push to match up, and if romantic interest blossoms, well, that's a by-product of getting to know people.
The group has been around for a year, but only online in various forums and spin-off events.
It's coming to the real world next Saturday with an "ice-breaker" party, in which participants are assigned to groups that play different games on ice, such as ice tower building, ice cube relay and ice cube sliding. The theme is "ice melting."
"It is not a dating club, that's for sure," Zhong Kai, the group's founder and organizer, tells Shanghai Daily.
"It would be nice if members find matches through events with the group, but I don't like the idea of dating clubs. They're often too speedy. You ought to meet, get to know each other and make friends first, even better if that happens during fun events."
The group is a community dedicated to creating fun and meaningful events to enrich the networking among English-speaking singles in Shanghai. By saying English speaking singles, Zhong refers to both expatriates and Chinese who have had extensive Western influence, like himself.
"Many young Chinese in Shanghai have huge Western influences, just like me, they're more communicative and straightforward. Personally, I find myself more similar to my Western friends than my Chinese acquaintances with not much Western influence," he adds.
"So I want to create an opportunity for all these English-speaking people, whether Chinese or expatriates, to get together and have a good time.
A telecommunication professional, 30-year-old Zhong is a native Shanghainese working mainly with foreign clients. He speaks fluent English, loves Woody Allen, fancies jazz and has a more open and straightforward attitude than many Chinese who are very reserved.
"Everyone talks about cultural difference, and one of the most primary is that Chinese are not as fond of networking activities as Westerners. Young Chinese just don't find many opportunities to meet people outside of their normal circle of friends and colleagues," he explains.
The point is proved by the number of followers Shanghai Singles Group has at different websites. For the past year, Zhong has managed the group online at weibo, douban and Shanghai Stuff.
He has around 30 followers on weibo and 50 on douban, two of the most popular Chinese sites, mainly with Chinese users. He has got more than 300 members on Shanghai Stuff, a site in English with more foreign users.
"We have about 30 to 40 percent expatriates and the rest are Western-influenced Chinese, most of them working in English-speaking environments such as foreign enterprises. It is really quite a nice mix of cross-cultural participants, and many have been asking me to organize some real-life events rather than just online get-togethers," Zhong says.
So the ice-breaker party is coming up. He wants to start with small groups and expand gradually.
Around 30 people have registered so far, and he hasn't even advertised. That's around the number he wants.
As with many parties and social activities in Shanghai, the number of women far exceeds that of men, and Zhong and his co-volunteers are trying to find men.
"We have a lot of guy members online, but somehow, guys just don't come out as often as girls. But we will figure something to get them out more often. And I think they will as long as the activities are fun," he concludes.
For information on the group, please check http://shanghaisinglesgroup.weebly.com/ or contact shanghaisingle@gmail.com
However, this is definitely different. Members, both Chinese and expatriate, are English-speaking, including a number of Chinese who have studied and lived overseas and find they have a lot in common with some overseas Chinese and Westerners.
The goal is having fun - there's no push to match up, and if romantic interest blossoms, well, that's a by-product of getting to know people.
The group has been around for a year, but only online in various forums and spin-off events.
It's coming to the real world next Saturday with an "ice-breaker" party, in which participants are assigned to groups that play different games on ice, such as ice tower building, ice cube relay and ice cube sliding. The theme is "ice melting."
"It is not a dating club, that's for sure," Zhong Kai, the group's founder and organizer, tells Shanghai Daily.
"It would be nice if members find matches through events with the group, but I don't like the idea of dating clubs. They're often too speedy. You ought to meet, get to know each other and make friends first, even better if that happens during fun events."
The group is a community dedicated to creating fun and meaningful events to enrich the networking among English-speaking singles in Shanghai. By saying English speaking singles, Zhong refers to both expatriates and Chinese who have had extensive Western influence, like himself.
"Many young Chinese in Shanghai have huge Western influences, just like me, they're more communicative and straightforward. Personally, I find myself more similar to my Western friends than my Chinese acquaintances with not much Western influence," he adds.
"So I want to create an opportunity for all these English-speaking people, whether Chinese or expatriates, to get together and have a good time.
A telecommunication professional, 30-year-old Zhong is a native Shanghainese working mainly with foreign clients. He speaks fluent English, loves Woody Allen, fancies jazz and has a more open and straightforward attitude than many Chinese who are very reserved.
"Everyone talks about cultural difference, and one of the most primary is that Chinese are not as fond of networking activities as Westerners. Young Chinese just don't find many opportunities to meet people outside of their normal circle of friends and colleagues," he explains.
The point is proved by the number of followers Shanghai Singles Group has at different websites. For the past year, Zhong has managed the group online at weibo, douban and Shanghai Stuff.
He has around 30 followers on weibo and 50 on douban, two of the most popular Chinese sites, mainly with Chinese users. He has got more than 300 members on Shanghai Stuff, a site in English with more foreign users.
"We have about 30 to 40 percent expatriates and the rest are Western-influenced Chinese, most of them working in English-speaking environments such as foreign enterprises. It is really quite a nice mix of cross-cultural participants, and many have been asking me to organize some real-life events rather than just online get-togethers," Zhong says.
So the ice-breaker party is coming up. He wants to start with small groups and expand gradually.
Around 30 people have registered so far, and he hasn't even advertised. That's around the number he wants.
As with many parties and social activities in Shanghai, the number of women far exceeds that of men, and Zhong and his co-volunteers are trying to find men.
"We have a lot of guy members online, but somehow, guys just don't come out as often as girls. But we will figure something to get them out more often. And I think they will as long as the activities are fun," he concludes.
For information on the group, please check http://shanghaisinglesgroup.weebly.com/ or contact shanghaisingle@gmail.com
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