Coffee and Compatibility.

For the first time in my life, I decided to try something different, courtesy of Nengi: "A coffee-themed blind date show wouldn't hurt, right? After all, you can find love anywhere." Nengi spoke with so much conviction that I gave in to it and decided to explore and maybe meet my soul mate.

I heard about the "Blind Brewed Romance Show" and decided to try it out. My worries began with what my looks should be like. "You can never go wrong in a simple yet classy black dress," Nengi said yet again, and so all things were made easy for me. Nengi took her time to style my hair, and she became my fashion stylist too, choosing a suitable dress for the date—a simple yet black dress on a pair of flats.

One of the rules of the blind dating show was that I get to settle for just one contestant without seeing them first after asking them some coffee-related questions, so my questions should be a perfect opportunity to get to know if I and my potential date will be compatible.

When I got to the show, I was asked to sit behind a wooden demarcation, a boundary between me and the four contestants. "Don't get carried away by their voice; look beyond that; their answer should reach your heart; you get just one shot at this," Tatiana, the beautiful host, reminded me as I took a deep breath.

"Ready?" she asked to be sure we could begin the show. "Yes, ready!" I rubbed my palms together and wore a big grin.

"Shoot!" The camera began to roll, and it was about time to ask my potential suitor to determine if he was my type.

The first question I asked was, "How do you take your coffee, and why do you think it suits your personality? If you were a coffee brew, which would you choose?" The reason I asked this question was to know my potential suitor's preference and help me get to know him habitually. Does he love to use a particular mug to drink his coffee? I have a particular mug for coffee, which makes me so happy, so we could be different in this aspect. I would love to know if he loves his coffee black or prefers to add milk and other spices to it.

Then I proceeded to ask, "How do you handle a coffee spill? Are you one to laugh it off, get frustrated, or both?" I asked this question to get a glimpse at how he handles his bad days, maybe to have an insight into whether he has a little anger issue or deals with life with humour and resilience. I might have spilt his coffee one day, so I need to know how he would handle such a situation.

Then I asked yet again, Are you open to trying other brewing methods and flavours, or are you stuck to just your method of brewing and flavour? I asked this question to know if he is a flexible person who loves varieties or a one-way street, not open to learning or exploring other methods or suggestions.

"How would you describe your ideal coffee-ambiance cafe?" This question helps me to know how peaceful he can be and the kind of atmosphere he can thrive in. And that will allow me to create that kind of ambience to make him happy, and yes, maybe visit beautiful coffee shops around us when we decide to have a simple coffee date.

Then I asked, "What coffee-related ritual can make your day?" You know little things matter in life. I might be thinking I need to do too much to make him happy, but this person might be wowed by my little act of service, so this was just an ideal question to ask. I might want to surprise him with a little coffee ritual that could spark his day.

"Do you enjoy having coffee in the company of friends, or do you love it alone?" I might get to see if he is a social person or just does not want people in his space all the time.

"Share your most treasured coffee memories with me." I want to know more about him, his ability to express himself, the things that mean so much to him, and, of course, how much coffee means to him. The laughter in between will ease everyone, and that's a good one for me.

"What coffee adventure would you take me on on our first date?" Being a fun-loving person, I wouldn't want to settle for a boring partner, so this, of course, is like a window to how adventurous he can be and how creative he can be, and more to that, how much effort he is willing to put in to ensure he spices up our relationship, trying new ways to keep our spark of love alive.

I would base my conclusion on how well he responds to the questions, and whoever response resonates with me will be my soulmate. I hope when he comes out, he has a good look and aura to top it up. Haha