Fried Green Bananas

My first official event was a casual dinner party at the original Banana Leaf on Broadway. I chose this event because I knew the restaurant, the area and it fit into my comfort zone. I wanted to start with something where I already had a familiarity.

I arrived a little early and met with our host, who made me feel instantly at ease. She was easy to talk to, even for an introvert like me, and all smiles. She introduced me to each member, as they arrived, which was nice.

One of the first things I noticed was the ratio of woman to men swung in favour of the gentlemen;  Of the twelve members that attended, seven were women and five were men. I guessed that around a third of the members were also within five years of my age.

I'm not an overly chatty person and I tend not to go up to random people in bars or clubs and start conversations, so I was a little worried it would be difficult to engage - Not the case. 

Other members started most conversations. That was really cool. Everyone there was super friendly and interested in having a good time.

The food was served 'family style' and each dish was passed around the table. I liked this approach. It wasn't like we each picked our own dish and waited for it to arrive. We were sharing - not only the food, but our opinions on each dish.

The crab course afforded the most entertainment. I worked at my claw for about five minutes using the crabbing tools provided. My yield was low, so I eventually abandoned them and went with my hands. I was relieved to see that other members had already adopted this method. By the end of the crab round, at least five people in our party were now wearing part of the meal - six if you include me.

I definitely noticed that out of all the tables in the restaurant, ours laughed the most. I thought that said a lot…

By the time we paid our bills, I had had conversations with four different girls, devoured what seemed like a 12 course meal and had chosen my next event.

Third Floor: Adventure and Men's Wear

I was a little unsure what to expect going into my first meeting with Rey, the Membership Director at Vancouver's Events and Adventures office. I had looked at the site online, read some of the reviews, had my first phone call, but I was still slightly nervous about the whole procedure.

My meeting was for 2:00 and I arrived at 1:30. I gave myself loads of extra time, just on the off chance the office was hard to find. I nervously paced outside, watching the Vancouver business crowd bob and weave through the tourists. I checked my Facebook, my Twitter and my email. With ten minutes to go I entered the office tower and immediately stepped into a waiting elevator. Tip for anyone visiting the downtown Vancouver location: the first bank of elevators only go to floors ten and above.

I came back down and found the one heading for the lower floors.

Upon entering the E&A office, the first thing you notice is the colour: Yellow, bright and welcoming. This immediately put me at ease. Somehow in my mind I had envisioned a room with reds and white.

The secretary was super nice and lead me to Rey's office a few steps away.

After initial introductions, we sat down and started talking about sports and common interests. We talked about the Vancouver dating scene, awkward moments and the strain of trying to find someone special. We talked about the benefits of meeting new people and the thrill of throwing yourself into new experiences.

I even learned a new word, limerence: the fleeting desire for reciprocated emotional and physical lust. Limerence is often the foundation for relationships that start at the bar or in a chance encounter. The problem with limerence is it's natural tendency to fade over time.

Healthy relationships form from shared interests and common character traits. These preserve the feelings of desire and keep couples together.

It was an interesting chat.

We also looked at the calendar of events and I saw over fifteen activities that really intrigued me, things I would never do alone. And that was that. A quick membership form and I signed up for my first event: The Banana Leaf Festival.

Looking forward to sharing some satays and laughs.

The elevator down was a no-brainer.