Today is the day I meet Eva. I never imagined—even a micrometer—that sending a Super Like on Tinder would lead to a match and an actual meeting (well, maybe a millimeter I thought about it), so I'm really surprised and very excited. Of course, I mustn't get my hopes up. She's model-faced and incredibly beautiful, so I keep thinking I'll surely be nervous, how should I plan things, am I supposed to pay for the meal? People like this... I woke up thinking all that.
I had a job, so I didn't want to meet in the morning; I thought it'd be better to finish work in the evening, so first I ate fries at Wendy's in the Galleria. Then I went to a cafe and worked on a Shopify build there. It was creating a fixed page and getting it to reflect.
Having never touched Shopify even once, it was like hell for me. I had to fiddle with the source editor, so I googled a ton and finally got it to reflect.
But the subsequent revision process felt gross. Asking the whole team for opinions and tweaking things like, 'this could be a bit better here,' reflecting everyone's opinions—that was kind of intense. It felt like endless revisions might come. Still, it's a trial and will train me in a good way, so I thought it's okay.
Meeting at the Galleria
After squatting at the cafe working for about three hours, it was already 3pm. In about an hour I'd meet Eva. We had promised to meet at the open plaza station beneath the Galleria, so I went home briefly to drop off my laptop before heading over. I was a little nervous. But since I'll be leaving in a week anyway, I decided to just enjoy it to the fullest.
I headed to the Galleria listening to music. The song in my earphones was the rhythmic music that plays at black-tone fashion shows. Eva would probably like it too, so I matched the vibe. Apparently I arrived 15 minutes early. I'm the type who is always at least ten minutes late when meeting friends, yet today I came 15 minutes early—so I must be really fired up.
I like that her chats are extremely laconic. She only says the bare minimum. She said she'd be about 15 minutes late, so I decided to look at perfumes and clothes in the Galleria. Since I was there, I thought I'd put some on myself—I'd wear a perfume that Eva would receive well.
Yesterday or the day before I went to a perfume shop and sniffed every scent imaginable. In Japan there aren't many perfume shops, and when you try every type, there's this vague atmosphere like you're being a bother. But here, everyone wears perfume as a matter of course, they test every scent and just leave the paper strips there. That's normal. I decided to wear Maison Margiela's Lazy Sunday Morning. I felt it would suit Eva's vibe and that she probably wouldn't dislike it. I'm way more dressed up than the situation deserves.
Then I went to the top-floor restroom to fix my hair. First impressions are very important. People judge you in three seconds on first meeting, and no matter how good you are afterward, that three-second first impression sticks. But it was being cleaned, so I went to the restroom on another floor. I fixed my hair there and made myself look good.
And now! Eva had arrived, so I went outside. My heart raced with nerves. At the same time I was excited. What kind of person would she be? Honestly, people who look like models from Paris Fashion Week often have strong quirks, are too cool, and seem opposite to my smile—like their definition of happiness is a powerful self-expression—and I thought we probably wouldn't match.
That's precisely why I meet them! Only meeting and talking to people who are like you is creepy! You grow by interacting with diverse people, those with different opinions and completely different backgrounds, right? So this was a wonderful opportunity.
She said she was near the bus station, but when I went outside I couldn't spot anyone who looked like Eva. I asked her to send her location. As I walked a bit, I saw someone who looked like Eva and thought, 'Is that her?' She was so beautiful that it made my heart skip. I felt the very thing that defines men, I guess.
I didn't want to embarrass myself if I started a conversation and was wrong, so I took a photo including the background to confirm when her Instagram photo arrived. She was taking a picture of the Galleria and would probably send it in two seconds. Ah. It came.
Sure enough, so I, who was waiting two meters away, went up to her and said, Hi Eva! She smiled and responded. We hugged as a greeting. Seeing her face-on, she was so unbelievably beautiful I got so nervous I didn't know what to say and panicked a little.
My heart pounding, we started walking. She asked, 'Aren't you cold in that outfit?' I said, 'I'm not cold! But I don't have a scarf or gloves, so I need to buy them.' At first it was really awkward.
We passed the Christmas tree and went to the digital museum. I was so nervous I couldn't speak well. She seemed very nervous too. She's from Russia and I studied abroad in Russia, so I felt a strong affinity and thought we'd get along. I was so nervous then I don't remember what we talked about. Well, of course—we suddenly went to a digital museum on the first meetup through Tinder.
Digital Museum
We arrived at the digital museum. Just before that I think I asked if she wasn't lonely not being able to return to her hometown. The conversation got a little lively and then we arrived.
While waiting to buy tickets at the box office, she talked about studying Georgian. On Tinder her interests listed 'environmental protection,' 'politics,' 'languages,' and so on, so I assumed she was someone with deep, strong opinions. Definitely a cool-type personality. She was. But her smile was very lovely.
I asked why she chose Georgia, and what about Armenia or Azerbaijan? She said Armenian is much more difficult than Georgian... She showed me some Armenian language and it was hellishly difficult for me too. It felt like an ancient language, like Indus script. The conversation got lively like that.
To buy tickets: we decided to get two, and when I told the clerk, it was 45 lari per person. What!? Expensive! Seriously. Eva took out her wallet but seemed hesitant. So I said, if you want, I can pay for you! and, calmly, I paid.
Actually I wasn't fine with it (lol). Thinking about it, European guys are amazing—this is normal for them. But thinking ahead, I considered it an investment: becoming friends you can stay close with for years, maybe going to see her fashion shows, or connecting it to some business would be incredible, so I thought it was a good investment.
She apparently studies project management at university, doing it online. Her Instagram name was 'Christian Church' (lol). That alone was pretty amusing. And it wasn't a name but a link to a church (lol). People like that are rare in Japan. She's truly unique and interesting! This is it! The kind of friend I've been looking for! I thought.
After buying tickets we went down to the basement together. There were about four rooms, and the first was a large room for experiencing videos—digitalized artworks from artists like Klimt and Dali made interesting. Staff guided us in when we entered the room.
It was so vast it surprised me. There was a bench in the middle and images played all around. We sat on the central bench. It wasn't a space to move freely; apparently you watch for about 40 minutes then move on.
We were watching something like a prelude before it started, and when it went around once I thought it was over and we should go to the next room, but staff were talking to Eva and it turned out that was a commercial (lol). I was so nervous I blurted out we should go to another room as soon as it finished, which was really embarrassing.
We enjoyed the digital art in that room for about an hour. It was truly fantastical and original—like hands growing out of a belly, then Dali's works appearing, then water flowing that turned into a temple-like civilization... it was an utterly imaginative experience. The visuals were all beautiful.
During that time we were silent. We didn't know what to say, and couldn't find the English adjectives to convey how amazing the unique visuals were, so we just watched in silence.
Occasionally Eva would say things like, 'The previous part was better,' or 'I liked this.' I was so overwhelmed—too incredible and unique to comment on—so I didn't know what to say.
The exhibition ended. I was sweating a lot. I was really worried about how awkward things might get afterward.
We went to the second room. It was an enclosed space with red glowing sparkles hanging down. It was smaller than I expected and felt like we were surrounded by mirrors. Since it was just the two of us, we took photos together; Eva filmed a video of me, and I took pictures of her. It was a lot of fun. After about five minutes of taking photos we went outside.
They guided us to another room lit with blue and green lights that glittered; it was nice. There we started talking about things unrelated to art—like how she studied project management in college, and how online learning must be pretty boring.
Then she talked about her mother and how she doesn't want to go back to her hometown. The conversation broke the ice quickly and got lively. I started to calm down. Apparently her mother also wanted to go abroad but couldn't because she had small children to care for. It sounded like a very complicated family situation.
Finally there was something like a documentary about Georgian culture. There was a khinkali cushion so we leaned on it and watched together. It felt very foreign. She crossed her legs and I thought, 'Oh cool! Awesome!' (lol).
It was a Georgian-language film about Georgian culture, with English explanations like movie subtitles below. Georgian culture is really deep—something like an ancient arena where warriors fight. Georgia is the English name, but in Georgian it's Sakatvelo. That felt like how our country is called 'Japan'—what an artistic, ancient-sounding formal name, I thought.
The film showed footage of past conflicts that made my heart ache a little. Watching repeated images of historical struggle is interesting but at the same time frightening.
When the exhibition ended we returned to where we started. Eva was talking enthusiastically, like 'Georgian culture is so incredibly deep!!' I realized she definitely loves talking.
Then she spoke sensitively about the social position of women. Historically in Georgia women had a weak position. Even in her hometown old-fashioned values still remain. The younger generation is changing, but the older generations still hold onto old ideas.
I'm really happy to be able to have these kinds of conversations. It reminded me how different it is from Japan. Being able to talk about family issues on a first meeting is truly something overseas. Slavic people first share family matters with each other to get close; it's a cultural thing. I was used to it, so I listened normally.
We passed the Christmas tree and took a photo together there.
Endless conversation at Metis
I suggested, 'Let's go to Metis!' It's my favorite restaurant. Though I've only been twice, it's very stylish, so I said let's go. She said, 'Yeah!'
After that it was really fun. We just didn't stop talking. Even on the way to Metis we were constantly chatting. She apparently went to college rather than high school; in her country municipal college and high school are similar. In the first year she studied management, and in the second year project management.
She also studied international travel-related subjects. So after graduating college she could work at a travel agency. Now she's at university studying project management. I thought she was really diligent.
But she said that attending regular high school and studying for three years for university exams is toxic, and she didn't want to waste her life like that, so she went to college. I thought that showed strong will and was admirable. I totally agreed. I realized that in university you rarely use what you learned. Graduation is more like a mark of pride.
Especially in the humanities you really feel that way. Marketing you learn best by doing, not by sitting and studying. Business, management, psychology too. She said it's fastest and most efficient to learn what you want online through apps, and that classroom learning can be a waste of time. Being forced to study things you don't care about just for a degree is unbearable; we agreed. It was a high-quality discussion.
Finally we arrived at Metis. There were no customers inside, only staff, so we chose our seats. We sat on the sofa at the very back. It was a long sofa, so we sat next to each other. When I took off my jacket she said, 'Burberry! Nice!' She also owned an old Burberry trench coat, which made me feel a closeness. I said I really like the Burberry pattern. She wore a Tommy sweater. I thought we'd definitely match in fashion.
We looked at the menu. I decided to have wine. She doesn't like alcohol much, so she ordered water, and we ordered khachapuri. Yesterday I went to a restaurant with David, and we shared that Georgians usually eat about ten khinkali each; I can't eat that much, and since we were talking the atmosphere already filled me up. We agreed we'd order more if the khachapuri wasn't enough.
We really didn't stop talking. We discussed future dreams. I explained that I became a freelancer because I studied science in university, and if I had gotten a job in that field I wouldn't be able to travel the world. So I became a freelance web engineer. She said she wanted to work while traveling too.
I told her I really respect her independence and that I like that. I'm truly attracted to independent women and respect them. Most of the people I fall for are independent and have established their own style.
She'd apparently been living alone since she was 16; her family told her to live as she liked, but if you choose a field you love, you must achieve results and establish yourself. It sounded like my family. Being independent from sixteen and coming alone to Georgia now—'that's amazing!' I said.
We talked so much that I don't even remember everything, but we did talk about visas. Due to current international situations, her travel destinations are very limited. Countries like Turkey, Egypt, Kazakhstan are visa-free, but most of Europe and Japan require visas. She had a friend in Estonia she wanted to visit in May this year but couldn't go.
Going to the US is the most difficult: you need proof of employment and sufficient funds. A friend tried to get a US visa but was repeatedly rejected. One mistake in the paperwork and it's over, and just applying costs a lot.
Hearing that made me think Japan is really privileged. Japanese passports can go to more countries than almost anyone, yet only about 30% of Japanese people have passports. That's really low. Being an island country is part of it, but we should seize this chance more.
Family talk, definitions of beauty, and the way home
She apparently has ancestry from many countries—the ancestors moved across various lands during wars and history and had children there—so she's truly multicultural. I thought that's part of what makes her beautiful. We joked that if I married a Georgian in the future, our children would have even more varied blood—what an amazing thing!
Since she's lived alone since 16, she's used to independence and loves her alone time. When I told her I used to live in a flat but felt lonely so now I'm in a hostel, she said the opposite: at first she loved the hostel vibe with parties every day, but it got tiring, so now she rents a flat and lives alone. Without citizenship it's hard to rent an apartment, she said.
She told me about her family. She's the eldest sister and has a younger brother and sister. Her father left somewhere after she was born. In her country at that time there wasn't much of a child support system and domestic problems were often overlooked. The younger generation is changing but challenges remain.
Come to think of it, our situations were similar. My mother raised me alone too. Her father left early and now she only has her mother. Being able to have such deep conversations at a first meeting is typical of Slavic people; it's really easy to talk and get close.
We also talked about definitions of beauty. In her country the beauty standard is plump lips and tanned, somewhat wheat-colored skin. But in Japan beauty is more demure: a cute smile, charm, big eyes, and clear skin.
We talked about Tinder too. Tinder exists in her country but it's honestly scary to use; you never know what will happen when you meet someone. Georgian Tinder is apparently still better (lol). She'd gone on five dates from Tinder including me, which I thought was impressive.
Her hometown stories were interesting. In small villages there are unique customs—some even say don't brush your teeth, that it goes against traditional ways. I wondered how you live without brushing your teeth. We also talked about fashion and city rent; rent is skyrocketing and apparently much higher than in Japan.
She's studying online at university now but doesn't enjoy it much. She wants to graduate quickly and pursue what she truly wants. I love talks like that. Talking with her felt energizing.
There's a Georgian mountain called Kazbegi, and she'd posted photos she took there on Instagram, so I brought it up. Kazbegi is very beautiful with a church on a mountain ridge, very symbolic. Next time we meet she wants to go to Kazbegi together.
She said she wanted to see my hometown so I showed it on Google Maps (lol). It was the first time I'd done something like that in my life, so it was kind of funny. It's strange that on a first meeting I'd end up showing my house.
Along the way I learned there was a French group meetup today—people learning French gather once a week to talk; this week it's at Metis. I saw the leader, Vincent, and got really shaken. I silently prayed he wouldn't come over while I continued talking with Eva.
We also talked about where we want to live in the future—she wants to live in Georgia, I said I'd like to try living in New York.
Time was getting late so we decided to take a photo together. The staff told us they were closing soon since it was almost midnight. A staff member took our photo and I was really nervous. I guess I'm still young—felt very fresh.
After all that, we walked together toward Eva's direction on the way home. It was quite far but she had no problem walking, and we talked about many things. We talked about favorite perfumes and it turned out we liked the same ones—CHANEL and Maison Margiela's Lazy Sunday Morning. It was amazing. She likes Lana Del Rey and apparently plays Norman Fucking Rockwell on piano. I like Lana Del Rey too, so we got really excited.
She recently went on a date with someone else and watched an Elvis Presley movie together. We talked about going to museums together again and covered every topic under the sun. I really feel I click with Slavic people; we can talk about so many things and connect.
At some point I got tired so we decided to say goodbye. I gave her my business card and we said bye. Talking with her for such an incredibly long time was really fun. It was probably the first time in my life I'd talked nonstop for over eight hours.
