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Nepean This Week      Friday, October 27, 2006

Diving into the dating pool can be a fun plunge

DEVON BABIN 
NTW Staff

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In the final installment in the dating series, NTW reporter Devon Babin looks at the different options people have to meet others in a controlled environment

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Meeting others online isn’t for everyone.  Some people are not comfortable with the Internet itself, while others simply prefer meeting people in person to eliminate any of the guess work. For those who fall under the latter category, there are a lot of options out there. Over the past few years a lot of companies have started up with the focus of getting singles together.  

 

“Because there are so many single people, there is a natural demand for services catering to this population,” said Irene Yarkoni, owner of The Single Option.  Her company specializes in what is called “spin dating”.  Along with her coaching on dating skills, Yarkoni brings singles together in unique manor. “I offer a combined package that introduces people to each other in two ways, spin dating and personal introductions. But at the same time I offer coaching along the dating process. Most of the time, people start dating and make simple mistakes that sabotage their efforts. What I do is guide them through each of the initial dating stages,” said Yarkoni.

 

The spin dating portion of the process involves a person, man or woman, meeting eight members of the opposite gender in one evening in a controlled environment. Each person gets to meet the others for eight minutes at a time. At the end of the session, each individual confidentially selects those they would like to meet again. The next day, each person is given the information of which of the people they met the night before would want to meet them. There are a lot of variants on this type of dating, which is sometimes called speed dating.

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This type of service can be helpful because according to Yarkoni, dating isn’t easy. “Dating today is difficult even for those who have been dating for a while,” she said. “Those who were married for a long time and are getting back into the dating scene find it even harder because 10 to 20 years ago, genders were defined more conservatively. I think in today’s dating world, singles need to know how things have changed so they are more ready for the new dating patterns.”

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There has never been a better time for people who are looking to get back into the dating world. For those who need a little coaching and some structure, there are plenty of options, and for those looking to feel it out for themselves, you’re not alone and there are plenty of services available.

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