Help, my heart’s all a flutter

By Yeoh Siew Hoon

I’ve never been much of a flirt – although some of my friends might dispute that – but these days, I find that I am becoming quite the incorrigible flirt.

It all started with my first infatuation with Facebook. The early days were heady. I was full of enthusiasm and energy. I wanted to share everything with him, bare my soul even. Everyday, I told him what I felt, what I was thinking about, what I was doing.

I showed him pictures of myself and my closest and dearest friends. In the first stage of any romance, it is important to get that part out of the way – the introductions to family and friends because many a-relationship has been thrown asunder on the rocks of their disapproval.

I poked him sheepishly. I bought cupcakes generously. Sometimes I felt churlish and threw sheep at him. I told him what books I was reading, what music I loved. I took quizzes so I could find out how alike we were. I showed him off to more and more friends.

Then Twitter came along and well, he swept me off my feet. Twitter was less demanding. I could be brief with him. No need for long sonnets, just 140-characters tweets. Every girl loves a man of few words. Twitter was the strong, silent type. Facebook with his Wall, notifications, quizzes, games suddenly seemed tiresome and long-winded.

Who has time these days for convoluted liaisons? Between juggling my life between two telephones, three email addresses and four laptops, all a girl has time for these days are short, sharp busts of chatter.

“Where you?”

“Am here.”

“Where? Can’t see you.”

“Behind you.”

Kiss, kiss.

Well, Twitter turned out to be more of a flash in the pan than Facebook. After a while, I ran out of things to tell him. How personal should I get?

Or should I keep it on a professional footing first? Frankly, after a while, I got bored with my own life, when I realised how boring and repetitive it was.

“Had lunch at Lau Pa Sat.”

“Had kueh tutu for breakfast.”

“Supper at Adam Road – tulang awesome.”

I was also torn between the two. What I wanted to tell Twitter I wanted to share with Facebook too.

Soon, I rekindled my liaison with Facebook who was still there, faithfully waiting. I started telling him what I felt again. I began sharing with him pictures taken with my mobile so he could know where I was anywhere, anytime. We became, well, almost inseparable.

Then Linked In re-appeared on the scene. I had abandoned him sometime ago because I thought he was too static, too boring.

But he had obviously gone for a makeover and had become a more dynamic, sociable self.

Linked In also seemed more straightforward to deal with. He’s better at compartmentalising than Facebook or Twitter and a girl likes a man who knows what he stands for. With Linked In, the walls are clearer – he keeps business and personal separate.

Then just when I thought Linked In was THE one comes along Plaxo. Just today, I got an email from Plaxo, giving me a weekly update of what my “friends” have been up to, reminding me of birthdays of people I didn’t know I cared about and a list of requests from people who want to be my friends.

What’s a girl to do? So many choices, so many social networks, so many friends – finding Mr Right has become even more difficult.

Catch Yeoh Siew Hoon every week at The Transit Cafe.