The gamecock. (Columbia, S.C.) 1908-2006, September 14, 2005, Page 12, Image 12
Flirting workshop has help for that dreamed-of moment)
Jennifer Dorazio
KRT CAM PUS
I
PHILADELPHIA — “You
should totally sign up for this,”
my single — but attached —
girlfriend says via e-mail. I look
at the subject line: Flirting
Workshop. I roll my eyes and
type back, “Are you off your
meds? No way.”
Not another event that preys
on lovelorn singletons wasting
away in condos and cubicles,
desperate to get noticed.
Speed dating, singles booze
cruises, mixers, and theme
parties. Match and E-Harmony
and It’s Just Lunch. All, in my
cynical single-girl mind,
money-draining endeavors that
take advantage of singles’
innermost fear: waking up
alone for the rest of our lives.
What happened to fate, to
karma? If I had a dime for all
the times I’ve heard, “It will
happen when you least expect
it... . “ (“What if you’re always
expecting it?” is my pal Laura’s
smirking response.)
I scroll down a bit on my e
mail. What exactly is a flirting
workshop, anyway? I envision
pick-up line cheat sheets, tips
on effective hair flips, and how
to get properly fitted for sparkly
tank tops.
“Tap into your inner bad
girl,” it says. “What signals do
you send off?” (Uh,
desperation?)
“This isn’t a pick-up
seminar,” the flyer says. So
much the better, I think,
because who knows what kind
of freaks, er, singles, show up
for these things. I’m a singles
event virgin who’s heard too
many stories from girlfriends
about Match dates gone bad,
and speed dates with 35-year
old, basement-dwelling mamas
boys.
The host for this workshop,
it says, is the owner of
moxieinthecity.net. It’s $25. Is
it bad that I’m 'wondering if
that includes drinks?
Well, what’s the worst that
can happen, right? Sometimes
karma needs a little nudge.
Bourbon Blue, the casual
chic hangout and restaurant in
Manayunk, is the setting for
this summer flirtfest. I park the
car and wonder if we’ll be
discussing pop culture’s famous
flirters, the good — Joey
Tribbiani’s “How you doin?” —
and the bad — Anthony
Michael Hall’s flashing his
braces on the bus in “Sixteen
Candles.”
Bourbon Blue’s downstairs
bar is set up with tables and
chairs facing the back wall. “It’s
like a classroom,” whispers one
girl on her way down.
There’s a nice cross-section of
flirtees: women in their late
20s, 30s and early 40s, guys in
their 30s and 40s — pretty
evenly split between men and
women, which is good.
Workshop leader Moxie is
really Christan Marashio, a
down-to-earth,
unintimidating 36-year-old
Bostonian who says she’s
hosted and organized singles
events since 2001. Marashio,
standing before her students,
exudes confidence and, well,
moxie.
A guy toward the back whips
out a huge fold-out leather
notepad — the kind you’d
bring to a stockholders
meeting. Clearly some people
are taking this very seriously. I,
meanwhile, have a whole batch
of eyerolls ready to make an
appearance.
Much to my surprise, I didn’t
need them.
Marashio’s advice is heartfelt
and encouraging. “Appreciate
being single,” she says, pacing
the floor as a blender whirs
upstairs. “Own your body,
whatever size you are, you’re
beautiful” — and this is
directed at the guys, too.
We should get rid of the
stigma of “being alone equals
bad,” she explains. “Don’t cross
your arms and look down” if
you’re out socializing with
friends. “Force yourself to make
eye contact.”
Good advice, of course, and
it all plays into what Marashio
considers to be the four “areas”
we singles should focus on to
maximize our chances for a love
connection:
attitude/expectations,
appearance, communication
and body language.
I won’t divulge all of
Marashio’s secrets, but I will say
that by “appearance” she doesn’t
mean sparldy tops and the
trendiest clothes. She says you
can impress even when you’re
not all done up, just by giving
out a positive vibe.
On to the post-lecture,
interactive forum — a free-for
all sharing session and Q&A. 0
A tall blonde, who I learn
later is Audra Niszczale, 34, a
research scientist from
Norristown, Pa., is talking
about gender roles. “They’re
less defined now. Some guys
like it if a woman asks for their
number or asks them out. Some
guys don’t.”
The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
Today
“THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO
TOWERS”: 8 p.m. Russell House
Theater.
CAROLINA PRODUCTIONS'
COFFEEHOUSE — CAUSEWAY: 6
p.m. Russell House patio.
“MYSTERIOUS SKIN”: 7, 9:10 p.m.
Nickelodeon Theatre, 937 Main
St. $5.50 with student ID.
Thursday
MODERN MUSIC STUDIOS BATTLE OF
THE BANOS — MIND YOUR HEAD,
MINX FLUX, XEMIR, THE AUTUMN
OVERCAST: 8 p.m. New Brookland
Tavern, 122 State St. $8 under
21, $6 over 21.
“THE LORD OF THE RINGS: THE TWO
TOWERS”: 8 p.m. Russell House
Theater.
“MYSTERIOUS SKIN”: 7, 9:10 p.m.
Nickelodeon Theatre. $5.50 with
student ID.
BOXING DAY, MEAN WIENER: 8:30
p.m. Art Bar, 1211 Park St. $2.
Over 21 only.
CROSSWORD
ACROSS
1 Down for the
night
5 Over the horizon
9 Diner
14 Zoom
15 Sit for a shot
16 Sleep noisily
17 Work for
18 Don’t
Prpflrh”
19 Watchband
20 Grad
21 Not quite right
23 Latin being
24 Car-payt. fig.
26 Forensics series
on CBS
27 Mr. Coward
28 Emotionally
moved
32 De crease
34 Exiting sleep
36 Writer Ellison
40 Sty denizen
41 Peculiar
43 Sundial three
oiuruy
46 Activates
48 Student’s mil.
training
50 Trinkets
51 Austen novel
54_about time!
56 Gasteyer of SNL
57 Keep in check
58 La Scala’s city
60 Kind of roller or
tide
64 Banks of
baseball
66 Clamping device
67 Sole
68 Influence
69 Middle Eastern
leader
70 Resting on
71 Contract
components
72 Ocean parts
73 Alaskan port
DOWN
1 Length x width
2 Jezebel’s idol
3 Hosiery shade
4 Copenhagen’s
country
5 Obvious
© 2005 Tribune Media Services, Inc. 09/14/05
All rights reserved.
6 Froth
7 Laurence
Harvey film, “A
Dandy in_”
8 Transferred to s
different job
9 Snaky shape
10 Feeler
11 Bulk of the
body
12 Expunge
13 Drive back
22 Knight’s title
25 Magician's
exclamation
28 Fall guys
29 Jerk
30 Venetian villain
31 Orders
33 Beaver State
35 Bobbsey twin
37 Minnelli of
“Cabaret”
38 Like one piper
39 Spy Alger
42 Complainers
45 Element in
pitchblende
Solutions
47 Boise boy
49 Mel Gibson film
51 Put up
52 Country singer
Haggard
53 Small-scale
55 Slippery buildup
59 Large
landmass
61 Division word
62 Grab hold of
63 Promotional
excess
65 UFO crew
Quigmans ♦ By Buddy Hickcrson
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Paper Asylum ♦ By James Hickson/The Gamecock
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HOROSCOPES
ARIES Get friends to help you do
the job so you can get done
sooner, then go out to celebrate
together. Foreign food is favored.
TAURUS You’re not the sort of
person who rushes into things,
especially now when there are so
many ideas to consider. Take your
time, and do it right.
GEMINI Travel is favored, but only
if you go with an interesting
partner. If you don’t have one
already, you’re apt to meet
someone out there.
CANCER It might be difficult to
tell how much you’ve got and
what’s coming in. Finances are a .
bit unstable, but all turns out well.
LEO You need a plan and a partner
who can help you follow through.
Besides increasing certainty, it’ll
make what you’re doing more
fun.
VIRGO More work’s coming in,
and a lot more money. Don’t get
rattled — get organized.
LIBRA You ve been venturing into
previously unexplored areas.
Today, you’re quite likely to make
a new friend out there.
SCORPIO If you’re not finding
what you want for your home at a
price you can afford, expand your
search area. It’s out there.
SAGITTARIUS You’re pretty good
at technical subjects once you
settle down and concentrate. Tn
achieve a dream, go ahead and
that now.
CAPRICORN Cash in your
coupons. Get your old stuff
appraised, as it’s gone up in value.
Well, some of it has, anyway. The
challenge is in figuring out which
pieces have.
AQUARIUS Friends are glad to
offer suggestions, if you’re willing
to listen. Admit where you’re
clueless, and find another way to
approach the problem.
PISCES It’s time to do the
planning, the organizing and the
paperwork. Don’t pitch a fit —
think of it as preparing for a test.