Falling, in love in fall

It’s always fun to choose when and where to do a speed-dating session from a popular community site for gay men called Ivan City. These gatherings happen frequently in Gangnam or Jongno, with a dozen or more people in one place, and the people who organize these meetings, self-titled “couple managers,” play matchmaker as if they were hosting a well-known (albeit, cheesy) matchmaking show in Korea called Love Studio.

The orange vinyl of the street vendors you see scattered along the streets between 9pm–11pm might seem like an impenetrable fortress for a relationship to happen. But as the drinks start flowing after 11pm, that’s when the lovebirds looking for their other half start flooding the pocha streets with lowered inhibitions.

There’s no place quite like a club to get all up-close and personal. Who can deny the magic that comes with party music and alcohol? A tequila shot here, two shots of Agwa Bombs there and you’ll find your naughty hand grabbing other hands, not to mention find yourself pressed up against a stranger and moving to the rhythm. Of course there’s the chance of the alcohol talking dirty words and empty pick-up lines, so you might want to take caution.

Since the birth of the smartphone, there’s been a major transition in the dating patterns of the LGBT community, and that began with the development of dating applications. It all started with Grindr and Jack’d, apps for gay men, and since then, a slew of dating apps have made it possible for a person to find a partner faster and easier than ever. Many couples are in the making as you read this! The mysterious ability of the dating app has even brought upon the societal phenomena of “dating app withdrawal symptoms.” Public consensus is that it starts with all the basic information of the other person in mind, so relationships tend to end as quickly as they began. I guess you can translate that as “it’s bound to be a disappointment.” Some even say the more encounters you have through these apps, the more you lose trust in them, or actually—people in general.