Focus

'Lessons in love have given me more choice'

(China Daily)
Updated: 2011-01-20 07:56

First person | Xu Tang

Editor's note: Xu Tang (not his real name), 28, works at a State-run corporation in Beijing. He has been studying pickup tricks since 2009.

After graduating Tsinghua University, I become an extremely stay-at-home kind of guy. That changed two years ago when I found a copy of the Pickup Artist online. It quickly changed my view about relationships with women.

Last August, I joined a boot camp for wannabe pickup artists in Lijiang, Yunan province. It cost about 12,000 yuan ($1,800), which included tuition, flight tickets, food and accommodation for nine days.

After three days of lectures, I was strolling along a street and met a beautiful woman. I used some of the tricks I'd learned on the pickup artists course and struck up a conversation.

We spent the night together and, later, I returned to Beijing.

That experience entirely changed the way I interact with women. Before, I didn't have time to go out to meet a girlfriend because of all the theses I had to write and other work. The boot camp taught me the know-how to communicate with girls, especially ones I like.

Pickup artists need to be well dressed, with a good hairstyle, and have effective icebreakers to strike up conversations, like "Is this seat taken?" or "I've been watching you and I'd regret it if I missed the chance to meet you". The next step is developing common interests.

Now I'm satisfied with my relationships with women because I have more choice to find the one I can spend the rest of my life with.

Most of my friends don't like the idea of pickup artists, but I believe there's nothing wrong. It depends on who uses the skills and how. I have a regular girlfriend and several close female friends.

Although, from my experience, I strongly suggest people consult with relationship counselors so that errors and mistakes can be avoided.

Xu Tang was talking to Hu Yongqi.