| Three matchmakers try to help, but Mr. Wrong leads her to Mr. Wow
Lisa Ronis is sitting in a coffee shop with her French hound, Stella, leaving a sparkling message: "I've found the man for you. His name is John. He's hilarious, sexy, and I've given him your number. Let's chat!" For most people this would be a social call, but Ronis is hard at work. She is a professional matchmaker, a member of a booming nationwide industry. There are more than 1,000 private matchmakers in the United States today, according to Marketdata Enterprises, a research group in Florida. And there's even a school to train them: The Matchmaking Institute in New York City molds novice meddlers into professional love brokers. "It's all about efficiency," says Rachel Greenwald, a professional matchmaker in Colorado. "If, say, you're a busy executive, a third-party setup saves you the time it takes to slog through all the dating arenas — spending hours at a crowded party only to go home having met no one." Since it's one thing to hear about the wonders of matchmaking from those who sell the service and quite another to experience it yourself, I decided to test the viability of this venerable institution by asking three matchmakers to work their magic on me.
Self-professed nerds find love at dating clubs
The nerds of the world have finally met their match: Each other.Thanks to nerd-themed dating Web sites, museum parties, steamily intellectual lectures, meetups at comic book conventions and, yes, even a matchmaking company called Nerds at Heart, self-identified nerds are finding that smart is the new sexy.Carrie Dahlby, 29, of Chicago sought out Nerds at Heart after becoming disappointed with the more conventional ways of connecting."As a shy teetotaler who attends 10-20 science-fiction fandom conventions per year, I knew I needed a place other than a regular bar or club to meet people," she said.The one person she met online and dated wasn’t a good match, and the results were equally fruitless on a singles phone line.She struck gold at the first Nerds at Heart event she attended, meeting boyfriend Josh Rasey.
Hax: Don't beat around the relationship bush
Carolyn: My very good male friend was retelling some troubling stories to me about his fiancee's behavior toward his family. My friend says she's become increasingly paranoid and resentful toward them for no logical reason (swearing that they "hate" her and refusing contact), and the episodes he was recounting reflected that.This isn't the first red flag I've seen in the years they've been together. I (timidly) asked my friend whether they were considering premarital counseling, adding that it's not a big deal, and that even my husband and I did it.He reacted, uh, pretty defensively and tried to bring my marriage into it. Was I wrong to suggest they get counseling?AnonymousIrrationality and in-laws have a causal connection both long and glorious, but this sounds like more than just one side getting a head start.
Dragun's search for her roots
THIS is a copy of Charmaine Dragun's STM article on researching her Croatian roots. Armed with a map and a few tantalising clues, Channel 10 newsreader CHARMAINE DRAGUN went cruising the islands of Croatia in search of her family history. STM went along for the ride. Fierce lovers often declare "When you know, you just know". And for me, this was love at first sight. My breath caught as we stepped on to the tarmac and gazed out on Croatia for the first time. Accompanied by the other love of my life, photographer Simon Struthers, I headed off into the dusky landscape where mountains buried in clouds melt into the sea, and a blood orange sun lights the sky. It was a sumptuous sight and I heard myself asking: "So, why did my family leave here again?" Well, war, gloomy job prospects and communism provided a few compelling reasons.
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