Category Archives: Relationships
Where is the love? Tips for finding romantic connections – Daily Sabah
With less than a month left for Valentine’s Day, singles in Istanbul are looking for the love of their life with speed dating and match-making events organized by the city’s expat community
While January might feel like the loneliest month of the year for expats, what with the holidays having passed and the cold weather bogging us down, remember that February, the month in which love is celebrated, is just around the corner. Thus, if you are single and ready to mingle, there are a number of activities and avenues to try and take a shot at being hit by cupid’s arrow.
On Friday, Jan. 25, Yabangee will be teaming up with First Sight to host a very special “Find Your Valentines Single Night,” which will take place in English. Yabangee is a volunteer-driven website and community geared toward the English-speaking expat community and First Sight is a speed dating organization. Together, they have created two different networking activities on the same night for people hoping to make a romantic connection to have the opportunity to meet and mingle with other English speakers.
The event kicks off at 8 p.m. with “Quick Match Rounds,” which are similar to speed dating, will four-minute rounds of one-on-one conversation with different people. From 10 p.m. onward, there will be a “Networking Party,” which will have specially designed games played to help people engage as singles and enjoy themselves into the night.
This special matchmaking evening will be taking place at an undisclosed location, which will only be revealed to those who make the guest list. That’s because the professionals at First Sight and Yabangee will be carefully curating the list of attendees to emphasize the compatibility of all guests. Entry for both the Quick Match Rounds and the Networking Party is TL 100, while entrance to the Networking Party alone will be TL 30. However, those wanting to make the list must be between the ages of 25 and 35 and need to fill out a short form on firstsightdate.net to find out the event’s secret location.
Turkey meet speed-dating with First Sight
First Sight singlehandedly introduced the speed dating concept to Turkey. Brought to Turkey by Yasemen Aydın in 2016, First Sight hosts regular Speed Dating events in Istanbul and occasionally other cities in Turkey and has teamed up with Yabangee before to host English-language speed dating events. One of the most exciting part about First Sight’s events is that the following day, the organizers send emails to the participants to reveal their potential matches, in other words they reveal “who liked who” on the night of the speed dating event. First Sight holds speed dating events for Turkish speakers over the age of 26 regularly.
InterNations has something for everyone
InterNations is a worldwide member-based professional expat networking organization that has an active community in Istanbul. In addition to hosting “Expat only” events, such as the one coming up next week, they also have dozens of theme-based social activity groups that meet up regularly offering a wide selection of ways to become involved with likeminded individuals.
On Tues Jan. 22, InterNations will be holding their next “Exclusive Expat Only Event” at Sunset Bar & Grill in Ulus. The event starts at 7 p.m. with a welcome drink and lounge music, and there will be approximately 200 attendees from nearly 70 countries. What is great about these events is that if you are an expat with a foreign I.D., you can attend without signing up by simply paying an entry fee at the door of TL 60. The cost to attend is discounted for members based on their type of membership. Not only will this allow you to experience an InterNations gathering to decide whether you want to become a member, but you also get to do so in one of the most elegant and stylish venues in Istanbul equipped with spectacular views of the Bosporus Bridge and the Asian shoreline.
In total, InterNations has five membership communities in Turkey: namely in Istanbul, Ankara, Izmir, Bodrum and Antalya. While some are more active than others, each have events of interest coming up. However, the Istanbul InterNations community is understandably by far the most active. There are over two dozen different social activity groups for people in every stage of their life, whether its meeting after work, going skiing, playing tennis, walking or running or even playgroups for kids, there are multiple events held nearly every day all over Istanbul in connection to InterNations.
There is also an InterNations Istanbul Singles Group that will be organizing an event for Thursday, Jan. 24 and will be a free Argentinean Tango workshop and participants are welcome to come on their own as partners will be rotated throughout the class.
Finding love from the comfort of your phone
Let’s face it, these days there are a wide number of apps geared specifically to making romantic connections. But with so many apps to choose from it’s hard to know where to best spend your time hunting for love. Last year, the popular relationship Q&A website Kızlar Soruyor, held a poll to find out which apps were the favorite among their users. In the survey, which had 11,325 participants, Instamessage was by far the most favored app. This application, which allows Instagram contacts to chat, was voted on by 40 percent of the women and 35 percent of the males who participated. This should come as no surprise as it was recently released by Ajans Press with 37 million users, Turkey comes in fifth in the world for having the most Instagram accounts of which there are nearly 1 billion in total. Interestingly enough, the social networking and dating app Badoo beat out Tinder, known for its trademark swiping, coming in at second place and in third, respectively.
Meanwhile, keep your eyes peeled for the new release of Facebook’s Dating Service, which will allow users to create a separate dating profile for a unique algorithm to create matches within a 100 kilometer radius. The service has been tested in Colombia and will soon be rolled out in Canada and Thailand as a start, but surely at some point will end up in Turkey as well.
The Challenges of Dating after 40 – News Anyway
Getting back into dating after years of remaining single or coming out of a marriage can be challenging. Many dating sites are full of younger people looking for love from their age mates. Sometimes there aren’t even people with the experience as yours. Still, you want to find love. Where do you start? Find out the different challenges you are likely to face while looking for love after 40 years and how to overcome them.
Pressure to Look Young
If you are going to use dating sites, stay authentic. Many people over 40 feel pressured to appear younger than they are. We can’t really blame them. Everyone wants to look good—and societies made us believe that youth is the standard for good looks.
Despite that, strive to be as authentic as possible. It doesn’t hurt if you are physically fit and take care of yourself. However, don’t go overboard to be something that you are not. A lot of women insist on professional photography services for their pictures. They will pay for great hair services and clad in their best clothes. There’s nothing wrong with all that as you don’t appear fake and shallow.
The Problem of Few Responses
You post your best pictures and publish a profile describing all your likes and dislikes. Then, you wait for someone to notice you and say hi; but it never happens. Sometimes it does happen but not from people you hoped for. For people over 40, that’s dating for you.
The good thing, there is a way around it. Don’t sit and wait for men talk to you. The old-fashioned norms of men approaching women are long gone. They particularly have no place when you are forty and in a serious search for love.
The quickest way to find love when you are 40 or older is to be proactive in your search for love. Create traffic by making the first move. When it comes to real-life dating, continue being bold and open about yourself. Be approachable, maintain etiquette and always prefer honesty over hiding your true self.
Few Single Men of your Age
The main reason women over 40 struggle to get dates on dating sites is that many men in their 40s don’t limit themselves to their age group. A single 45-year-old man will comfortably approach a 30-year-old woman. But women over 40 will often shy to do the same.
An even bigger problem for these women is the fact that more men in their 40s are dating compared to women. The same applies to older age groups. For a 50-year-old woman to find love in this day and age, she must not limit herself to her age group.
The alternative is to find a dating site for mature women. OurTime.com mainly mature singles in their 50s and 60s. There more sites like this but Our Time is the best rated among them. Read a full review of the platform on thetop10sites.com—ourtime.com.
Lots of Responsibilities
When you are 22, you could date a different person every few months until you find the one. There is no pressure to settle in life. Your responsibilities are few-probably just the job of looking after yourself.
When you are 55, things are different. If you’ve been married before, you probably have kids. Maybe they are all grown up and have kids of their own too. You have a mortgage you’ve not cleared and work on more than one job. Your free time is limited and getting dating time is a stretch to you.
All these challenges make dating after 40 difficulty. Still, if you are serious about dating, you must find a way to bring a balance between your date and your personal responsibilities. You can’t just neglect your kids because you have a new man in your life. At the same time, you shouldn’t pay all your attention to the kids if you want to keep him.
Dealing with your Ex-Partners
Talk to enough singles in their 40s and 50s and you will hear some quite weird stories about ex-spouses. From outright jealousy to unexplainable malice—some people go through a lot to date and not face drama from their exes.
If you have a jealous ex who often tries to sabotage your relationships, you must find a way to date peacefully. Whether that means setting strict borders or breaking your ties with the ex, something must happen. It’s hard for someone to love you when you still have a complicated relationship with your ex.
If you choose to remain friends with your ex, have strict boundaries. Raise the children you share together. But don’t allow them to interfere with your current dating life. That means you set visiting dates for your kids. Don’t take them to your dates if it’s a problem and generally don’t give them more attention than they deserve.
Pressure to Settle Down
People looking for dates in their 40s or 50s are often not after short-term relationships. They are usually looking for serious, meaningful relationships. If you are after the same, you may feel pressured to say yes to the first person that shows interest in you.
You don’t want to reject a lot of people because you probably want to start a family. While you may want to settle down, don’t rush. If the first person you meet doesn’t strike you as a match, say no to them. Be patient while looking for love.
Use the tips already outline earlier on to attract the right people. Share your authentic photos and be honest about the type of person you are. Include details about the kind of man or woman you want. When you go to dates, keep the same spirit. Being original and honest will go a long way in helping you find the right person.
To Conclude
Whether just came out of a marriage or have never been into one, there are certain challenges singles over 40 tend to face. Responsibilities, not finding singles in your age group and more can make it look you will live alone forever. Get over your fears and join a dating site for people over 40. Be approachable and communicate effectively. It won’t take long to find the right person.
Brian Noonan Show 1/20/19: CES recap, modern dating tips, and Hodie Snitch live in-studio – WGN Radio – Chicago
http://serve.castfire.com/audio/3587770/3587770_2019-01-20-203810.64kmono.mp3
Brian gets a recap from Cody on the latest in consumer electronics and AI at CES 2019. Plus: modern dating tips from Smart Dating Academy founder Bela Gandhi, live music from Hodie Snitch, and more!
To kick off the show, Brian gives an update on the partial government shutdown, which somehow becomes a conversation about Cody Gough, his producer, traveling with a machete whenever he flies anywhere new (he doesn’t). It’s a hilarious off-the-cuff way to kick off a full show!
Brain discusses his experience staying at Terrible’s Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, and then Cody gives an update on his experience at CES 2019, the Consumer Electronics Show, last week. He discusses facial recognition technology, products powered by artificial intelligence, and self-driving and autonomous vehicles, coolers, and luggage (!).
Chicago dating expert Bela Gandhi, founder of Smart Dating Academy, calls in to discuss how much pre-date cyber stalking is healthy. She tells Brian about the dos and don’ts of creating online dating profiles, why you should Google your name at least once a month, and other tips for dating in today’s online/connected world.
Then, Brian turns his attention to the new Gillette ad about toxic masculinity. He explains that although he agrees with the sentiment of the advertisement, he also thinks people need to realize that the spot is corporate pandering that is intended strictly to make money.
Roger Badesch joins Brian in the studio to talk about snow and building snowmen. Brian claims he doesn’t know how to make a snowman, and hilarity ensues. Cody brings up the “fire and ice” bonfires he used to watch at First Night in Rockford, and Brian has a field day with it. Brian then discusses the story of a University of Houston professor writing a letter to his students urging them to bathe regularly and wear deodorant in class.
To wrap up the show, the Hodie Snitch band joins Brian in-studio with some live music to promote their upcoming performance at the Cash for Kids: Johnny Cash Festival at the Irish American Heritage Center on Saturday, January 26.
Wondering Who Nikki Bella's Dating Now? The 'Total Bellas' Star Looking For Love With A 'Dancing With The Stars' Pro – Romper
It’s been almost a year since John Cena and Nikki Bella called off their engagement and six-year romance, with the confirmation in July 2018. In the time since, a few back-and-forth conversations have happened between both Nikki and John on camera, though so far, it hasn’t been enough for the pair to reconcile. And while John’s dating life, or lack thereof, may be a little more secretive, Nikki returned to the dating pool with connections to men like The Bachelorette’s Peter Kraus (what the what?). But who is Nikki Bella dating now, actually? Inquiring minds are *desperately* curious.
Though there have been rumors swirling over that whole Peter Kraus situation — to be shown on an upcoming episode of Total Bellas — multiple sources claimed like Nikki may be involved with her Season 25 Dancing with the Stars pro partner, Artem Chigvintsev. It’s actually not a total shocker because the duo had some serious chemistry. The part where it gets, uh, ironic is John also became close with Artem during Nikki’s season, telling E! News in November 2017, “As far as dancing, I think he’s probably gonna teach me my first dance. So hopefully I’ll be able to take those tips from him there.” He still could, I guess, but it might get weird considering the relationship switch-a-roo.
ABC/Eric McCandless
Though the romance may have been confined to a close friendship during Nikki’s relationship with John, those feelings may have been at the surface, waiting to come up for air. Last summer, Nikki attended tapings of Dancing With the Stars: Juniors. That doesn’t mean they were dating then, it’s just an interesting aside. Then, during the Dancing With the Stars: Live tour, the two were spotted together at a California farmer’s market over the holidays.
With Nikki and John’s breakup only three weeks before their May wedding date, People confirmed a reconciliation in June, and a formal, second breakup in July. But there was apparently another get-together and parting of ways off camera after the first second try. Whew! That’s a lot to unpack. Relationships are complicated but when it plays out on TV and in the news, probably more so.
“I had a beautiful and loving 6-year relationship with a wonderful man,” Nikki said. “I have the utmost respect for John, but I know this is what’s best for me.” Though in a scene from Total Bellas, she also admitted to feeling confused, still feeling “in love with John,” which makes dating anyone else a little hard. Maybe it’s just me — and my Gram’s undying love of all things Cena — but can’t these star-crossed lovers just get back together again already?
Nikki told People Now John’s very aware of everyone she’s dating — including Artem, explaining it’s because she respects him. “I told him like, ‘Hey! I’m going on a date with this guy, just want you to know.'” She goes on to say that John isn’t a “jealous” guy, and she doesn’t want him to be caught off guard (in regards to paparazzi). John’s response to his life after Nikki is a little more understated. “I’m keeping busy, man. I’m keeping busy,” he told Entertainment Tonight. “That’s information I’m gonna keep with me.”
ABC/Eric McCandless
The short answer to whether Nikki is dating is yes, but it’s never that simple. With such a complex history with John — almost vowing their lives together — it’s hard to say if this romance with Artem will go the distance, or if Nikki just needs to have a little fun. Regardless, the WWE star and her twin sister, Brie, know what they want and have no shame going after it. Wishing both Nikki and John the best, whether they ultimately end up together, or not.
