Louie
Year: Fourth
Major: Archaeology
U.Va. Involvement: Brown College, Washington Society
Hometown: Chantilly
What's your favorite pick-up line? I normally don’t use them, but my favorite is, “Damn girl, are you my appendix? Because I don’t understand how you work, but this feeling in my stomach makes me want to take you out.”
Describe yourself in one sentence: Part time joker, full time man.
Gabriela
Year: Fourth
Major: Spanish
U.Va. Involvement: Peer Mentoring Program for Latino/Hispanic students
Hometown: Porto Velho, Brazil
What's your favorite pick-up line? I don't have a library card, but do you mind if I check you out?
Describe a typical weekend: Going out to dance on Fridays or Saturdays, hanging out with friends, eating good food and studying.
Louie and Gabriela met at 7 p.m. Saturday and went to Lemongrass on the Corner.
Louie: I was interested in Love Connection because it’s hard to meet people and I’d forgotten how to put myself out there. I thought this would a good opportunity to get to know someone.
Gabriela: I thought [Love Connection] would be a fun experience before I graduate.
Louie: I’ve never been on a blind date before. I didn’t know if I was going to be able to relate to the other person and it made me nervous.
Gabriela: I was really happy when I found out I had been picked. I wasn’t expecting to find a husband or anything, but I wanted to meet someone [new] and at least find a friend.
Louie: I showed up a little bit early, sat on the stairs and waited. I eyed everyone that was walking past, wondering if they were her.
Gabriela: I saw someone sitting on the stairs and since it was only me and him there, I [figured] he was my date [and] introduced myself.
Louie: When I saw her, she looked really sweet and I felt a little less nervous.
Gabriela: I thought he looked nice — I really liked his glasses and tie.
Louie: It was mostly her choice figuring out where to eat. I let her decide where she felt comfortable going.
Gabriela: We went to Lemongrass because it’s my favorite. It [turns] out he also really likes the food.
Louie: During dinner, we talked about everything, as we were trying to get to know each other. We’re both applying to grad school, so we talked about the process and our families and the things we like. We covered the bases.
Gabriela: We talked about our majors and how we’re applying to the same grad schools. We also talked a bit about where we’ve traveled and the experience of meeting someone on a blind date. We both were afraid it was going to be awkward.
Louie: The conversation felt natural. There were a couple moments of silence, but I don’t mind those or feel pressured to fill them.
Gabriela: I’m kind of a shy person, but he asked me a lot of questions, so it was good talking to him. I felt less shy by the end.
Louie: After dinner, I offered to walk her back to the IRC, but she said she felt comfortable walking back [alone] so we parted ways at Brown.
Gabriela: I walked him back to Brown and then we said goodbye. I don’t know if it’s a Latino thing or something, but I was expecting him to give me a hug.
Louie: If we crossed paths again, I could see myself hanging out with her. I would rate the date a 5. It was good conversation and a fun time. I realized it’s not that hard to get out there and talk to someone you don’t know. If I get in this situation again, I would feel more comfortable.
Gabriela: I would rate the date a solid 7. I didn’t ask for his number at the end of the date or anything, but I really liked talking to him and I think we could be good friends. I really liked that he was so smart and I was attracted to his intelligence.
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