Blind date: ‘It was hard to know how to react to his enthusiasm for a Vegas wedding’

5 hours ago 6

Emma on Julien

What were you hoping for?
Big love … but I was happy to settle for an evening of exchanging ideas and learning what makes a person tick.

First impressions?
Punctual and a little nervous, or perhaps guarded.

What did you talk about?
His handstand lessons. Bad bosses. My excellent new book. His gym tribe. London cultural-event overwhelm. His novel. The sense of an impending shift in the world order. Weddings.

Most awkward moment?
I wouldn’t say it was awkward, but it was hard to know how to react to Julien’s enthusiasm for a Vegas wedding.

Good table manners?
Eating tagliatelle without slurping is challenging; I likely fell short, Julien did not.

Best thing about Julien?
His wide range of interests.

Q&A

Fancy a blind date?

Show

Blind date is Saturday’s dating column: every week, two strangers are paired up for dinner and drinks, and then spill the beans to us, answering a set of questions. This runs, with a photograph we take of each dater before the date, in Saturday magazine (in the UK) and online at theguardian.com every Saturday. It’s been running since 2009 – you can read all about how we put it together here.

What questions will I be asked?
We ask about age, location, occupation, hobbies, interests and the type of person you are looking to meet. If you do not think these questions cover everything you would like to know, tell us what’s on your mind.

Can I choose who I match with?
No, it’s a blind date! But we do ask you a bit about your interests, preferences, etc – the more you tell us, the better the match is likely to be.

Can I pick the photograph?
No, but don't worry: we'll choose the nicest ones.

What personal details will appear?
Your first name, job and age.

How should I answer?
Honestly but respectfully. Be mindful of how it will read to your date, and that Blind date reaches a large audience, in print and online.

Will I see the other person’s answers?
No. We may edit yours and theirs for a range of reasons, including length, and we may ask you for more details.

Will you find me The One?
We’ll try! Marriage! Babies!

Can I do it in my home town?
Only if it’s in the UK. Many of our applicants live in London, but we would love to hear from people living elsewhere.

How to apply
Email [email protected]

Would you introduce Julien to your friends?
Alas, no.

Describe Julien in three words
Principled, disciplined, honest.

What do you think Julien made of you?
Hard to say, but he wasn’t very curious to learn more.

Did you go on somewhere?
No.

And … did you kiss?
No.

If you could change one thing about the evening what would it be?
More levity and a greater sense of fun and curiosity.

Marks out of 10?
Scoring people is not for me.

Would you meet again?
Our stars are not aligned.

A smiling couple on a first (probably only) date

Julien on Emma

What were you hoping for?
A fun night out with a stranger and a dating experience I hadn’t had before.

First impressions?
I got doctor/lawyer vibes on arrival … and it turned out she works in hospitals!

What did you talk about?
Life in Ireland. Radiography. Books. Trumpism. Vegas weddings. The true reason behind Paul Mescal’s thigh-baring shorts.

Most awkward moment?
Hmm … maybe the start? I think we were both a bit unfamiliar with blind dates so took a minute to relax.

Good table manners?
Very good.

Best thing about Emma?
Emma has some wonderful stories, and knows a lot about a lot of different things, so the conversation was always interesting and went to different places.

Would you introduce Emma to your friends?
I don’t see why not.

Describe Emma in three words
Adventurous, warm, raconteur.

What do you think Emma made of you?
Absolutely no idea.

Did you go on somewhere?
Just a little walk to the Tube together.

And … did you kiss?
No. We had a friendly hug though.

If you could change one thing about the evening what would it be?
I wouldn’t change a thing.

Marks out of 10?
There’s something about giving marks out of 10 that doesn’t sit right with me.

Would you meet again?
We didn’t swap numbers so it’s unlikely. But I’d definitely be friendly and chat if our paths crossed again.

Emma and Julien ate at Piccolino, London W1. Fancy a blind date? Email [email protected]

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