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Anti-Aging Skin Care For Masculine Men Series - A Gentleman's Guide For Your First Date

If you are going to go out on a first date, it is likely you are a little nervous and anxious. You should take a deep breath and start creating a plan on how you are going to act on your date, what attitude should you adopt or how to choose the perfect location.

The necessity of a good game plan

Choosing a good place to eat has a great influence on the overall result of the first date. It’s not just about the color of the table cloths. It’s also important to know what food they serve there, how is the service and what’s that neighborhood like. During the decision making, it’s good to have a few options available, in case one of them becomes inaccessible and you could also consider asking her about what she feels like doing. Maybe she has something in particular in mind, so if you want to make her like you, you should consider her preferences too. Although most women like to be surprised by their male counterparts and don’t like getting involved in the choosing and deciding. 

When you review your options, you must focus on activities and things you’ll both enjoy. Go over the fun date ideas section in local newspapers or check the local theaters, cinemas or other cultural happenings in your town. Remember, it’s very important that she’s entertained and you both have a good time, otherwise you will be responsible with changing her mood or saving the evening. Exhibitions, galleries, museums or other interactive locations can be a good start for your first date.

lover. Don't go sailing if you can't swim. And avoid high risk activities like zip-lining across the 

Since conversation is such a huge part of the date, stay away from a movie or concert, unless that's only 50% of the date. You want the chance to talk to her and you won't be able to talk through the movie or scream over heart pounding music!

Choosing the Perfect Restaurant: It's Not About the Money, It's About the Experience

This is risky and you have to be very careful when you make a selection. The mistake men often do is choosing a super-fancy restaurant, thinking only about means to impress their partner. But over-expensive and luxurious places can often backfire and your partner not only won’t feel great and enjoy the luxury, but it will most certainly make her feel uncomfortable and scary. Golden plates and hundreds of dollars for a bottle of wine are not ways to have a nice, refreshing evening on a first date. Your date will feel uncomfortable and uneasy all night long. Choosing the restaurant is about the experience, not about the bill.

On the other hand, choosing a cheaper place won’t help you much, either. She will get the impression you didn’t care enough to regard all the details or she will think you don’t care too much about her feelings. Pick a place with personality, not a chain restaurant that has nothing special about it. Surely the town you live in has a trendy, cozy place where you can eat well and have a nice experience also. The best option you got is to pick a place you already know, in order to avoid nasty surprises when the bill comes. If, however, you go for something new, check out the reviews of the place or make sure you get some idea about the menu, the prices and the atmosphere. Don’t try out new cuisine on your first visit there, if you don’t want your date to go to waste because of your weak stomach.

Stay away from noisy restaurants or sport bars, where you won’t be able to engage in any conversation. Check the Internet reviews for the place you’re planning to go to. Many people have the same problem and they usually report it during their reviews, letting others know what places should be avoided on a first date.

While you wait for a table, it would be best to break the ice with a nice drink down at the bar. Another option would be to have first the dinner in a quiet place and then go to a trendy nightspot where there’s dancing and noise. Whatever you decide for, let her know so she can dress accordingly. She needs to feel comfortable and to look good at the same time. Everybody knows that ladies are very particular about their outfit and nothing upsets them more than dressing inappropriately.

Well, actually, there is - and that brings us to how you prep yourself for the date.

First impression

Nothing can be more embarrassing for the female partner than to realize you two are dressed for different occasions. Women can easily tell if the guy put serious thought in his appearance or not. A good outfit means cleaned, washed, ironed, wrinkle-free clothes, matched with a good tie and dark colored socks. Check yourself in the mirror and watch carefully for tags, holes or anything else. If you wear something new, check the clothes for tags or other flaws. It is important to have a neat appearance so that you can both feel comfortable with each other.

Now before you dress up, it is of course necessary to put those clothes on a clean and groomed body. Bodily odors are the last thing you can do to impress your partner. Take a shower, wash the hair or at least change the underwear if you’re in a hurry. If you’re going directly to the date from work, wipe out your sweaty arms and other nasty smelling parts with baby wipes you can find in the restaurant. Also, don’t exaggerate with the perfume either, considering that you’re going to eat in a short while. Nails, ears, shoes and other extremities need to be cleaned and thoroughly checked for impurities.

Masculine Mens Anti-Aging Face Skin Care Products

Finally, pay attention to your face - well in advance of your first date. You should already be on a masculine men's anti-aging face care schedule, but this is especially true on the day of your date.Finally, pay close attention to your face, as this is where your date is going to look. You should closely follow an intense men’s anti-aging face care treatment if you want to dazzle your partner and everyone else, for that matter. What you’re interested in is a clean, fresh and radiant face, with no signs of premature aging or other impurities. She has to feel invited to touch it and to find out what it feels like, if it looks this good. Moreover, if a goodnight kiss is in the cards, you are maximizing your chances even more.

Your goal is for your face to look clean, fresh, vibriant, and inviting. You want to tempt her to wonder what your skin feels like if she presses her cheek to yours. And if you are hoping for a goodnight kiss, a stubbly tired-looking face is bound to be a road block.

Male Face Skin Care Products For Men

To best way to preserve your skin’s natural balance and to retain as much collagen as it can is to start an intensive maintenance program. Start by cleaning your face with a high-quality men’s cleanser that rubs all the dead cells and dirt but leaves intact the moisture and elasticity. The products found in drugstores or cheap department stores won’t do your face any good, because either they contain a lot of chemicals that strip your face’s moisture, either they use no efficient formula to prevent signs of premature aging. Cheap products are always harmful and it’s best to be avoided.

The best way for your skin to retain collagen and elasticity (key factors in retaining a youthful appearance) is to put your face on the proper maintenance schedule. The first step is to wash your mug with a quality masculine anti-aging face care cleaner that's powerful enough to get rid of the junk on your face, but mild enough so that your skin isn't stripped of moisture. Drug store cleansers and body-washes are either packed with some harmful additives or lack anti-aging active ingredients, and don't do much for your face, even if they're cheap. And, the truth be told, this is probably why.

The second step is all about maintenance, protection and wrinkle reduction with the help of quality men’s anti-aging face care products that help reduce the fine lines and wrinkles caused by natural elements and environmental factors. To protect your face from premature aging and other damaging elements you must keep it moisturized at all times, especially during exposure to temperature fluctuations or after shaving routine.

Finally, we can talk about protectors and especially quality men’s anti-aging face care protectors, that seal in moisture and fights against premature aging just like the other ones. Your face will look nice and fresh, but most of all will feel better and healthier. The collagen and elasticity of your skin will be properly maintained, while the damaging free radicals and grime will be removed from your pores. A quality protector doesn’t contain chemicals, but only natural ingredients such as essential oils and nutrients that help keep in moisture.

Once your face is looking good, it's back to preparing for the first date.

Getting Back to the Date Night- What Would a Gentleman Do?

You can see the first date exactly like a job interview, because the same criteria goes for both situations. You need to look confident about yourself if you want to convince your partner you are really a catch; you need to be optimistic and in a good mood, if you want to see her happy and enjoying your company. That’s why you need to rest or preserve your energy before the actual date so take a nap or drink some coffee before showing up.

You can offer to pick her up, and walk together to the restaurant. If she would rather get there on her own, respect her wishes. On the date, make sure to arrive first and on time, bringing some casual gift like flowers or an elegant box of chocolates. Don’t smoke before you get to the restaurant, because if she’s a non-smoker, you’ll be disadvantaged from the start.

A heartfelt compliment is a nice way to break the ice. Tell her that she looks beautiful, but keep the comments appropriate. You barely know each other! Don't talk about her legs or, ahem, specific parts of her body. She knows you're going to check her out, but do it discreetly. Don't leer or look creepy. You'd think men would know by now, but a guy I know nearly got slapped on a first date. And after he told me what he said, he deserved it!

When you get to the restaurant, either use valet parking, or remember where you parked - write it down, or ask her to help you remember. Don't think about "winging it" later, because if you are going in circles in the parking lot, you'll look clueless. Finally, open the door and pull out the chair for her - you're being sweet, not anti-feminist!

At the restaurant

You can suggest some of the courses on the menu, but don’t order for her if she’s in the ladies room. She would love to see you informed and in control of himself, but she will hate your trying to control her too.

No roaming eyes. Don't check-out the waitress or the ladies at the bar. Pay attention to your date at all times and don't answer your cell phone - keep it on silent instead. You can always check your emails and messages when your date uses the ladies room. If you pull out your mobile device at the table, not only do you risk sending the message that she's boring you, it's also inconsiderate.

A challenging situation might be to start a casual conversation and to find nice topics to talk about. If you know you’ll have a hard time with this, do some research at home about the latest movies or art exhibitions and hope that she will pick it up from there.

What if she asks about your last relationship? Don't panic! It's ok to talk about your ex-girlfriend, even if it ended badly - but your date doesn't need to know. Don't be spiteful, don't linger, and don't get emotional. Acknowledge the relationship, respect the lessons learned and move on to another topic.

If it comes to emotional subjects, it’s better to leave them aside and talk in a casual and relaxing manner. Don’t go sharing details about your miserable childhood, your depressive parents or your disastrous past relationships. She doesn’t want to hear such depressive stuff on the first night, when you’re barely getting to know each other. Save those topics for later, after a few dates, when you build up a deeper trust level and you feel comfortable talking with her about such unpleasant situations.

Don’t freak out if you experience at some point some awkward pauses in the conversation. Things move up slowly in the beginning because each of you looks for his words carefully and this might not render fructuous dialogs. When referring to your work and professional experience, don’t lie, but try to look passionate about what you do and interested in advancing even more and accruing more knowledge and experience. Try to make subtle allusions to what money you make, but subtle I say. Don’t go over the arrogant side, she wants to see confidence, not perkiness.

During the conversation, give her the chance to talk about herself and her plans too. The questions you ask must not be answered with yes and no, so think about asking things that require more elaborate answers. Ask about her hobbies, her future plans or her musical preferences. Don’t talk too much about yourself, she might not be such a good listener and you don’t want to bore her with superfluous details. Try to complete the gaps she leaves and everything will run just smoothly.

Oh, and don’t drink yourself into oblivion. Take small sips, especially if you’re planning to drive her home.

Body Language- Essential on a First Date

Does she interact with you? Lean closer? Look into your eyes often? Laugh? Maybe she comes up with excuses to touch you - those are all great signs! She's letting you know that she's having a great time and that she's interested. If you find her staring off into the distance or fiddling with the utensils, that's bad news. And the deal breaker here is - if she's dead silent and fidgets in her seat.

Most women will go to the ladies room to freshen up at some point during the evening. However, if she leaves the table multiple times, especially if she told you that she spotted a friend in the room, goes off to visit and then takes her time, that's a pretty major sign that she's not into you.

A date is a meeting of the minds - and hearts. You shouldn't have to do all the work to keep it going and - keep her entertained. If she's not holding up her end of the date, your attention and wallet are better spent elsewhere.

If something happens unexpectedly during the date - like a spilled glass of wine or an over-cooked steak, laugh it off and don't make a fuss. If you're rude to the wait staff, or come across as irritable or petty, she's likely to end the evening quickly, in fact, she may not even sit through dessert! Likewise, if someone cuts you off while you're behind the wheel, let it go. Road rage is a major deal breaker and you will come across aggressive and wacko.

Don’t forget to pay the bill even if things were not going too good, be a gentleman all the way and honor your obligations. Don’t exaggerate on alcohol, cigarettes or coffee, because they leave a strong taste that won’t go away so easily. Use some mints or gum if you’re looking forward to a goodnight kiss.

Saying Your Goodbyes

If you enjoyed her company, don’t hesitate to tell her what you feel and how much you would like to repeat the experience. Thank her for everything and exchange phone numbers. You can call her the next day or the day after tomorrow, as long as you don’t seem too pushy and don’t leave too many messages on her machine.

Most women appreciate the thoughtfulness of a call a day or two later. She's not going to think that the first date automatically gave her girlfriend status over you. But you've got to be very clear about why you're calling. It's important not to send mixed signals, or leave things open to interpretation. Tell her that you had a great time and that you want to see her again. If she accepts, be sure to pace your contact with her until you see her again - she agreed to a second date to get to know you even better, but she didn't give you permission to call her every day until you meet again, so don't ruin a good thing while you have it.

But how about that first kiss? If you want to know more about the first kiss strategies and tips, check out my next article on Kiss or Hug- The Best Way to Go. Usually, you don’t have to expect a kiss at the end of a night that went reasonably well. As long as she’s in her comfort zone, it’s ok to make this step. Don’t make promises or other commitments, stick to the point and give close attention to her body language- you’ll find out everything you need this way. You must act as a gentleman all the way, watch your manners and consider her feelings and preferences too.

Dear David, A Series of Letters to A Longtime Friend May 2008

Hersonissos

Crete

May 2008

 

 Dear David,

 Yes I know, you didn’t get anything about the video clip of the fireworks, well I was getting a bit ahead of myself and of course Easter being so late, we hadn’t actually had it when I sent your letter! This month as I managed to get a few photographs I’ve put a link on the page so that you can watch them, even if it is a month late. Taking pictures of fireworks is always difficult as just when you think you have the best and stop filming, the next bit is even more spectacular!

 Over the last month there have been a couple of trips to ‘the City’ (as we call it) to help someone else spend their money, which is always the best way of going shopping. Ostensibly the trips were to buy furniture, but naturally we had to go for a coffee or two and so there was a chance to take a few new pictures, particularly around Lion Square.

 Now I like Heraklion, it is a compact city and has many fine buildings in various states of repair and restoration, and it is still possible to walk around the virtually intact city walls, passing over the various gates and, of course, visiting the grave of Nikos Kazantzakis on the way round. Most visitors go there just to visit the Archaeological Museum, missing out the interesting Museum of Crete on the coast road, and the fine churches of St. Minas and St Titos, and a good chance to sit and people watch from a street cafe!

 Platia Eleftheria, or Freedom Square, always seems to be a focal point for tourists, possible because it is near the museum, and there are number of large cafes down one side, personally I avoid them because unless you manage to get in the front row you can’t see anyone passing by, so I head for the network of small pedestrian streets between the museum and Lion Square where there a large number of cafes in varying styles and also some very nice ‘boutique’ shops, along with a couple of ‘naff’ souvenir shops. Even better around this area you will not get ‘komakied’ into a place against your will and the prices are often a slightly better, for instance on a recent visit a frappe, a Greek coffee and a beer served with a bowl of mixed nuts, some crisps and some very nice chocky cookies came out at €6 and that included the essential glass of iced water with the coffees. And what can be more fun than sitting on the street watching the people passing by and wondering where they are all going! While you are around this area a wander around the shops can be quite intriguing as there are still a number of ‘specialist’ shops, for example there are shops that only sell ladies tights and men’s socks, or how about a shop that only sells rope, string, and chains? There are also a couple of good haberdashers where you can buy zips by the centimetre and every conceivable type of button you could ever want.

 If you choose a cafe behind St. Minas church on the edge of the square, you can often get to watch an impromptu 5-a-side football match, and if you are going to have a look at St. Titos church then in one corner of the ‘front yard’ you will find ‘Pagopeiion’ which serves some excellent ‘Mediterranean’ salads and other dishes, they also have regular jazz sessions here late at night. A wander around the small back streets yields some interesting erections, and I am always surprised by the lack of noise considering that one is in the middle of a vibrant living city not yet ruined by over-pedestrianisation!

 A walk around Lion Square is essential and note the plate glass paving slabs, a result of discoveries made during the recent renovations. Thankfully they have taken away the awful wrought iron railings around the fountain, of course, in the UK they would be putting these in to stop anyone falling into it!

 From the square down to the Port is 25th August Street where you will find all the shipping line offices and travel agents, ideal for booking your day trip to Santorini or ferries and flights to lots of other destinations. There is also a fine example of Greek pedestrianisation schemes, as 25th August Street is closed to traffic along its length, but halfway down there is a street which crosses it which carries traffic, often resulting in traffic/pedestrian jams, this is also a favourite street for union demonstrations when they are on strike (or about to be, as they plan these things in advance here).

 Now it is May, tourists are beginning to arrive ‘in bulk’, and at last everywhere seems to be open so as I promised I will try to explain the difference between kafenions, ouzeries, meze houses, and restaurants although the lines can be a bit blurred at times.

 As the names suggest kafenions and ouzeries are where you get served coffee and ouzo, they are often only small places with fluorescent lighting and formica tables where you will find older Greeks, usually men, reading the paper and playing cards or backgammon, or just righting the wrongs of the world. Usually the best Greek coffee is served in these places as they make it properly using a real ‘Briki’, a small brass ‘saucepan’ with a tin plate lining, over a low heat, and do not let it actually boil which is a complete no-no, so that it comes out with a nice froth on the top. Around here they say the thicker the froth the more luck you will have! Many of the modern cafes do not use the ‘Camping Gaz’ stove, but the milk boiler/frother on the espresso machine, which is fine as long they don’t ‘overcook’ it, which they usually do! One of the best places around here for Greek coffee is a shop called ‘Art of Tea’ in Koutouloufari, where they have one of the proper ‘hot sand’ hotplates that brews the coffee gently and slowly. As it happens they also have a wide range of herbal teas and culinary herbs for sale as well as those tall brass pepper mills and other brass items for sale.

 In most of these places you will also often get a small plate of nibbles ranging from a few bits of tomato or cucumber through to pieces of feta cheese and olives, these will be refilled regularly if you stay a while, you can also get some ‘interesting’ wines and raki in these places!

 A meze house is where you get mezes! This is the traditional Greek eating out method where you order a number of small plates and share them between you. I mentioned one of these ‘Ta Filarakia’ in the March letter. The surroundings are quite often intimate, in as much that on busy nights someone on the next table will have their plate on the corner of yours, due to lack of space on their own table (a good sign that they have over-ordered), the tables will be wood or formica, and if there are tables cloths there will be a paper or plastic one over the top so you don’t muck it up. The napkins will be paper (and please do not call them serviettes, those are what ladies use once a month). The menu will usually be a pad where you mark of the number of each dish you want and it’s often in Greek only! The wine will come in anodised aluminium jugs, rather like those water jugs we used to get in the ‘dinner room’ at school, or an earthenware jug, and it may be slightly cloudy. You will also find things like cuttlefish cooked in its own ink and ‘volvi’ on the menu, and the raki should be free at the end and served with whatever fruit is in season.

 Meze houses are one of the cheapest places to eat, but sorry to say that many tourists find them a little daunting even though there will usually be someone to help them with the menu, and so miss out on a great deal of Greek food! Experiment is the word that needs to be used.

 A restaurant or estiatorio is up market, until I get there when it becomes a meze house with linen table cloths. No only joking really, but perhaps not. Restaurants have a proper menu, usually printed (although by law the prices must be changeable so they are usually written in by hand on a shiny bit so they can be changed, or in pencil), and are just that little bit smarter.  One problem you can get with places like this is too much food, as you begin by ordering a variety of mezes as starters but then when you order the meat it comes out plated with side salad, rice, potatoes and so on when all you wanted was 4 lamb chops to share between you! If you know that they serve up the meat as a ‘main course’ then order just a Greek salad as a starter. One slightly annoying thing that can happen here also is the appearance of a basket of bread which you haven’t asked for but which you get charged extra for, this is a bit like a ‘hidden’ cover charge. I don’t know for certain but I have been told that ‘cover charges’ are actually illegal here.

 With the season getting under way, we have the usual number of visitors who are coming to look for houses or businesses to buy. I always find this quite amusing as most of them seem to have done little research and many have never run a business before, I am thinking that maybe I should add some more articles to my blog with some helpful suggestions. What do you think?

 The new Easyjet flights (well not new really as they used to be GB Airways) are proving popular with independent travellers, although some visitors have complained that they are paying a fortune in excess baggage charges, but on the other hand they are arriving with only a ‘purse’ as hand luggage when they could have had a bag weighing 5+ kg on board with them, I gently try to explain this but I am sure that many of them completely miss the point! And of course Aegean Airlines are now running daily scheduled flights from Heathrow Airport to Athens with connecting flights to Crete, which at least saves collecting your bags at Athens as they can be checked straight through!

 As baggage allowances are gradually being reduced on all airlines it is worth considering a rethink on what you actually pack in the suitcase too! For instance I have seen visitors unpack around 3 litres of liquid (which equates to around 3kg weight) from their suitcases, made up of shampoos, conditioners, shower gels, skin creams, sun tan oils, etc. I sometimes think that we don’t have such things here and that we all walk around smelling awful! I don’t really think their hair is going to fall out, or their skin suddenly age by ten years in a week just because they haven’t brought their favourite shampoo or moisturiser! Too much sun while they are here will do that for them.

 What would they have done when soap was pink ‘Lifebuoy’ carbolic or ‘Wrights’ coal tar? But of course when that was all we had then we didn’t have allergies, and even better we were really clean and bacteria free!

 I didn’t see the article you mention about prices throughout Europe and Greece being the most expensive, I did hear about it though. As with all price comparisons you have to compare like for like and quite often this is impossible especially with food products. With an average per capita income of €800 per month in Greece it can’t be that expensive or we wouldn’t be able to afford to eat! I don’t know whether it would have a positive or negative effect if I was to do a price survey on basic items and put it on the website but I will stick my neck out and do a restaurant survey for you and put the results on the website, this only seems reasonable as most visitors end up eating out even if they do start off ‘self catering’!

 That’s your lot for this month.......Except for a link to some pictures http://www.villaralfa.com/easter.html

Yours as ever,

About the Author

Born in England (in spite of the name!), in the last half of the last century when Sussex was Miss Marple country and you could leave yours door unlocked for days, the author is unashamedly gay and everyone seems to know in spite of the fact that he never 'came out'He moved to Crete in February 2004 and opened Villa Ralfa as Crete's first gay accommodation and lodgings in June 2004. You can find his web site at www.villaralfa.com