Posted by Lisa on Apr 5, 2010 in
Date diary - Lisa 
CR was recommended to me on the basis that he is a fellow writer, blogger and innercity dweller. As we both live in the inner north we quickly arranged to get together for a mid-morning date at Sugardough.
We chatted easily over coffee, talking about our books, travel and technology, and there was a noticeable lack of first date awkwardness, which was nice.
After a long chat CR noted that we’d talked quite a bit of shop! But it didn’t bother me in the slightest – there’s a fair bit of overlap between my professional and social lives, and I spend a goodly portion of my life talking about writing and publishing. I enjoy talking to other writers, not to mention comparing notes can be cathartic!
How is the best way to end a date? We said, ‘it was nice to meet you’, then I jumped on my bike and CR headed off on foot in the opposite direction.
Posted by Lisa on Apr 4, 2010 in
Date diary - Lisa
TV was recommended to me by a mutual friend who lives interstate. We were introduced on twitter, which proved a very speedy way of doing things – the actual recommendation form filtered through to me after we’d already arranged our date!
We met at the State Library on a sunny afternoon, wandered into QV to get coffee, and sat on the astroturf lawn in the village square area. We talked iphones and media and study; it was a good chat.
On the short walk back to my work we confessed how weird it felt to be doing this date as part of the larger 100 Dates project. I think it was probably stranger for TV than for me; I don’t know how I’d feel going out with someone who I knew was lining up more dates even before we met! But we agreed that if we saw each other again it would probably feel more natural.
Posted by Lisa on Mar 28, 2010 in
Date diary - Lisa
When I first stumbled across 100 Dates I thought – great idea! I loved Sarah’s pragmatic approach to finding someone special, and thought her brave for doing her searching so publicly.
So when I heard 100 Dates was being thrown open to ten others, it took me all of ten seconds to decide to throw my hat into the ring. (Thanks to my marvellous friends for recommending me!) I was still nervous when my profile went up though – what would happen?
Well, what happened was that the people in my life have been supportive and curious about the project, most commonly wanting to know if I’d had my first date yet*. Many said they were thinking about who they could recommend for me, which is kind of the point of an exercise like 100 Dates. Previously many people had known I was single but it wasn’t until my profile was published on 100 Dates that they actively started thinking if they might know someone great to introduce me to; I guess setting someone up can feel awkward unless you know they’re actually looking.
I’m really excited to be going out and meeting the people who were recommended for me! If you know someone amazing, why not recommend them using the form below?
*Not yet!
Read more thoughts on 100 dates at my blog or seek out the #100dates hashtag on twitter.
Posted by Sarah on Mar 22, 2010 in
Date diary - Lisa We’re happy to introduce you to our latest 100 dates contender – Lisa Dempster! We’re on the lookout for 10 dates for Lisa – so please read on and see if you know a single guy (or the right gal!) who’d make a great date for her.
Lisa is a 30 year old Melburnian, who works in publishing and arts events. She’s outgoing, rides her bike everywhere and has a small dog with a big heart. Lisa is seeking someone who appreciates all these things, is up for sharing some adventures, but can also bring a little calm to her life.
Lisa Dempster. Photo by Bronwen Hyde.
If you’d like an idea of just how eclectic this lady is, check out her Twitter profile!
“Author of Neon Pilgrim. Editor of The Melb Veg Food Guide. Publisher at Vignette Press. Editor. Writer. Vegan. Bike rider. Festival director. Henro.”
Lisa was an obvious choice for 100 dates, not least because 10 – count ‘em, 10! of her friends nominated her. That’s a lot of friend love right there, and when you read what they had to say about Lisa, we suspect you’ll develop a little crush on her too!
“Lisa is the person you wish you had the right person to introduce to because you can’t quite believe that she hasn’t been snapped up.”
From Rachel:
What I love most about Lisa is that she is completely without pretension, and although she sometimes doubts herself, she never lets this affect who she is and how she acts. Lisa is bold and outgoing, but with the author’s need for a bit of peace and quiet. She needs to write like she needs to breathe, and her blog, social media work and recent appointment to an exciting (and prestigious) position in the writing world reflect how talented she is. Lisa is a published author and editor with her own publishing press and she is very active on her blog and Twitter. She has the happy combination of being a successful and competent business woman as well as a creative type.
Lisa is a committed vegan for animal, environmental and health reasons, and is very willing to have a friendly, informative and interesting exchange of ideas about it – but she will never preach nor would she dream of launching into a tirade over the dinner table if her date ordered steak.
Lisa is also brave – she completed the arduous Shikoku Pilgramage of 88 Temples in Japan on foot, sleeping rough and by herself – and then she wrote a book about it. I can’t say enough what a gutsy and courageous journey this was (and it would made excellent dinner conversation with a date, don’t you think?).
Lisa is the devoted human companion of the feistiest, most ballsy dog in the world – Kimba the Chihuahua. I have seen Kimba, who weighs about 2 kilos, take on a Great Dane for territory. But she loves her mum and is happiest on her lap.
Lisa is also a passionate bike rider and although she can do all her own repairs (because she’s an indpendent woman!) she would probably totally melt over a guy who could talk bike with her.
She would pick you up at 3am from anywhere (in a cab – she chooses not to have a car) and make you a cup of tea (or a stiff drink if it was required).
From Vanessa:
I’ve known Lisa for about a decade. She’s always been inquisitive with an amazing knack for adventure. She is a talented writer and raconteur.
She is a dependable and trustworthy friend and advisor, who is generous with her experience and support. She’s irreverent, self-effacing and hilariously witty. Best of all, Lisa has a innate sense of fun, which is very contagious.
Lisa’s independent, the sort of woman who doesn’t lose herself in her relationships. Some of the things which make her so interesting, are also the qualities which mean she hasn’t had as much time to find a partner as other people.
Lisa enriches the lives of those around her, with her enthusiasm and drive. Wherever she is, she makes a difference. I believe someone would be very lucky to share experiences with someone with such a lust for life.
Lisa Dempster - Photo by www.melissahobbs.com
So why’s she single?
Her friend Caroline says: “I suspect the reason Lisa’s been single for a while is because she’s been busy doing other things: writing, travel, setting up a business. Lots of great things have just fallen into place for her in the last few months and I think she’s looked up and realised it would be fun to have some company.”
What kind of guy (or gal) would suit Lisa?
Lisa’s 30, so someone 25 to 35+ is probably in the right age range. But as her friend Mal said “Brains are more important than age, seriously.”
From Rachel: “Lisa is a passionate bike rider and although she can do all her own repairs (because she’s an indpendent woman!) she would probably totally melt over a guy who could talk bike with her.”
Find out a little more about Lisa
Read her blog.
Read her book, Neon Pilgrim (you can browse or buy it on the Smashwords ebook website)
Follow her on Twitter: @lisadempster
Follow Lisa’s 100 dates adventures!
Lisa will be blogging her dating adventures for us, so you can follow her updates right here at 100 dates!
Got someone to recommend for a date with Lisa?
EDIT: 13 June 2010 – Sorry, you’re too late to recommend a friend for Lisa – she’s finished her 10 Dates. Please stay tuned to 100 Dates as we’ll soon announce the next contender.
Tags: announcements, contenders
