The holidays are here and it seems that everyone has someone special to deck the halls with but you. Maybe it’s time to try a new date-finding alternative. But e-dating? Matchmaking? What’s that all about?

Radio stations are playing “All I Want For Christmas Is You” on repeat. Friends are agonizing over what gifts to buy their significant others. Your boss is asking whether you’ll be bringing a “plus one” to the company party.

Oh, the sorrows of being single in December. 

You’ve tried the traditional date-finding methods — standing around at clubs filled with fake-ID-toting 19-year-olds, flirting with the cutie at work (usually a bad idea), and perhaps, on particularly desperate occasions, letting Mom set you up with that nice boy/girl from church. 

That’s enough, you declare. Aren’t there other ways? 

During this season of couples’ greeting cards and holiday-themed romantic comedies, KoreAm takes a look at some off-the-beaten-dating-path alternatives for the unattached. Not because you need someone, but because, hey, wouldn’t it be nice to fuse a little love (or like) connection just in time for the New Year’s countdown?

 

 

High Speed Connection

Online Dating

 

These days, it seems like everyone knows a couple with a “We met online” story. This not-so-new date-finding method thrives for a number of reasons. It allows you to check out rows of eligible bachelors or bachelorettes without changing out of your pajamas. You can also get to know a person before deciding whether face-to-face time is the next step. And hey, you’re already glued to your computer for work and for socializing (oh, we know how often you check your MySpace and Facebook account), so why not use it to upgrade your love life, too?

If you’re interested in clicking your way to romance, you’re not alone. More than 40 million Americans use online dating services, about 40 percent of the nation’s single-people pool. And the numbers spike during the holiday season. 

There are a dizzying number of online dating services out there, starting with megasites such as Match.com and eHarmony. Ben Sun, co-founder and CEO of Community Connect Inc., which operates the newly re-launched online community AsianAve.com (formerly AsianAvenue.com), says that while Internet dating was once seen as an oddity, it’s become rather commonplace. The re-vamped site, which boasts nearly 70,000 members, features a dating portal that allows you to create a free profile and browse singles in your area.  

“When I would first hear stories of couples meeting on the Internet, it was considered really odd,” Sun says. “Now it’s not only acceptable, but even expected. You always hear questions like, ‘Are you dating anyone? Have you tried using the Internet?’”

If you’re specifically seeking a Korean mate, you might want to peruse KoreanFriendFinder.com, KoreanCupid.com or KoreanRomance.com, though the majority of the male members on such sites seem to be non-Asian. Kdate.com, which has yet to launch formally, has a simple tagline: “Make your Umma happy.”