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Got a relationship problem? Jason Godfrey, our resident guy expert, is here to help.

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Got a relationship problem? Jason Godfrey, our resident guy expert, is here to help.

I’m getting married next year and I’m planning my wedding. I regret letting our families’ concerns play such a big role in the wedding planning. How do we tell our folks to let us make our own decisions without being disrespectful?

Weddings are always a sticky subject for family members, and keeping everyone happy is like spending hours, days and weeks trying to solve a Rubik’s Cube, which is no fun at all. That said, your wedding is for you. It’s your once (or twice) in a lifetime experience.

But understand that to a certain extent, it is sort of, kind of, for the parents, too. So reaching a level of compromise is always good. Still, you don’t have to accept your mother’s ideas for an all-pink wedding extravaganza! But maybe, you can accommodate her desperate need to invite all six of your second cousins (with a plus-one each).

If a compromise can’t be reached, you can always tell them do it however they like – but they’ll have to pay for it. Fair, right? Then you’ll win either way, in this case.

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Are you trying to hit on me?

I fancy a co-worker who works in another department. He’s single and so am I… but he isn’t asking me out! How do I get him to do it, or get us out of this awful friend zone we’re stuck in?

Laugh at his jokes. No matter how corny, laugh long – and hard – until he falls in love with you. Or runs away. One of these will happen, and you won’t know until you’ve tried.

Now, the best thing to do is probably just to continue enjoying his company. Hang out as much as work affords. Find reasons to touch him, not in a gross way, but in a cool confident lady way, like a gentle hand on his arm to get his attention.

After a long enough time of enjoying each other’s company in the office, it’ll translate to a date.

And if this process takes too long, you could, you know, ignore societal norms and ask him out. #noloss

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SOCIAL DISTANCING? YOU CAN STILL GET A DOSE OF TENDER LOVING CARE.

So you’re in what seems to resemble a lockdown. No unnecessary travelling (read: no escapades), keeping a 1m distance from people in public spaces, and bars and clubs are closed for now. Call it a mood-killer. This could be the end of our way of life, right? 

Wrong! That doesn’t mean your dating life has to come to an end, girls!

Of course, it means you need to be extra careful going about it these days. 

Sure, gone are the days (for now) of swiping right and running off to dinner and movie dates. Luckily, we live in the Internet age that allows us to get by pretty decently. We can still meet face-to-face, we can still chat, laugh and gaze into each others eyes, as long as your camera is good and you’re not pixelated or frozen while talking to the screen.

And yes, if things get hot and heavy, you can get busy – and creative. Virtually. Now, look on the brighter side, at least you won’t risk getting sick.

I think the pandemic gives us reason to go ahead and take things a little slower. That is, getting to know the person on the other end a lot better before we commit. It isn’t such a bad thing when we have more time on our hands to think of what we really want in a partner before going on (unproductive) dates.

Have any questions about men and their romantically obtuse ways? E-mail Jason at magherworld@sph.com.sg, follow him on Twitter (@bigsmilenoteeth) and like his Facebook page at www.facebook.com/bigsmilenoteeth.

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