Posts made by Matt_Aranha

I really do like cola bottles... maybe the giant ones, mmmm 😍

What one thing could I do which would have a butterfly effect leading to a harmonious, peaceful, safe and prosperous world for all?

I've been enjoying this interpretation of the Moonlight Sonata recently. Sacrilegious or spectacular?

I might plump for Lola Rennt (Run, Lola, Run), Powder, and By The Sword.

I think it can depend a lot on cultural expectations. It occurred to me a couple of months ago that my brother will be 30 this year and has never lived anywhere except with one of our parents. I was gobsmacked, I literally cannot think of anybody else I know who has gotten to his age and doesn't have the experience of living in their own place. Lots of my friends were living away from home - many even in another city - when they went to University aged 18/19, and many settled in their own home with a partner and child/children by their mid-twenties. Another one of my brothers is back home living with my Dad, he is 34 but has had his own places in previous years.

I think I was 19 when I first got my own place, but that was part-time; I had a flat-share with one of my friends in the town where I lived at weekends, and stayed home at my mum's/went to college during the week. First moved out fully probably at age 21, and yes a lot of people here would consider that late.

I hope you'll be okay, and that you can stay close. When somebody who has been around us for all our lives steps away, it's a Big Thing 😔

Ask. If they reject you horribly, they aren't somebody you want in your life anyway. If they don't want to go out with you but are more positive/adult about it, you've both learned and grown. If you don't ask, you'll deny yourself growth as well as wish you had.

@Arusha Tortoises, because with age comes wisdom and they'd have learned that being peaceful chilled-out communal souls who help one another is the way to survive and thrive, and most dolphins because similarly they're smart enough to have worked that out - plus they can be damned playful.

Be grateful she appreciates and wants you as a friend, recognise she owes you nothing more, and don't be the kind of entitled douche who uses terms like "friendzone" then also looks for ways to sidestep it.

@PBSandwich Yeah, don't ever go telling somebody you're into that you like to flirt with lots of people. I get it, it's a defensive act and we all do things to protect ourselves, but it undermines and makes them question the signals that they're otherwise picking up from you. Almost everyone prefers that people be straight with them though. She would probably even really appreciate if you came clean with her and told her outright that you like her and why you didn't - being able to show vulnerability is an admirable trait and if she cares about you at all (on any level) she will at very least likely respect your honesty and bravery.

Whatever happens, I'm glad I was able to help offer some insight. Good luck to you both.

I suspect she was neither lying nor sees you only as a friend, but rather that she sees you as a potential.

You asked how she sees you. That's typically something people mostly do when they are interested in somebody themselves. But you don't strike me as very clear - even here you haven't mentioned once throughout your whole post how you feel or what you want, so I am presuming that you want more than friendship (if I'm wrong, my bad).

Her answer is a perfectly natural response. It tells you that she is open to more whilst at the same time protects her from looking too keen and embarrassing herself in case you aren't actually interested. You've then told her you only see her as a friend 🤦‍♂️ so she is perhaps as confused as you are?

There is a chance that she is messaging more and asking about meeting because she now feels that the elephant in the room is out of the way, that you now have defined your dynamic as friendship-only and so she feels safe and comfortable letting her guard down with you.

But I think - from her response to your question - that she is probably at least curious if not more about if there could be something between you. If she has realised that you asked because you are interested in her too, that will have given her the green light to make more of an effort to communicate/hang out and see what chemistry you have together 🤞

Reciprocate. Ask her questions back. Meet, go with the flow. Don't overthink, don't have expectations or make assumptions, and see what happens. It's genuinely the best way to handle these things, and one way or another you'll discover what you are supposed to be to one another.

@Shivers If they do that to you often, they are not your friend. I'd get rid.

Did you join this site when you were eight, or are you still lying? 😂

Either way, it's a no from me.

Tea. Hot with milk, for my friends over the water.

@Raye Ooooooh have you watched Dexter? That's possibly as good as they get.

GIF as in "Giff mee all your lovin', all your uggs and kisses too", because the gee stands for graphics.

@Nouha He sounds like a bit of a douche if I'm honest. There is no blanket "normal" which covers all relationships, only what is normal for the people directly involved. Good on you for not allowing yourself to be pressured.

@Raye I used to watch them both, I ended up finding CSI repetitive and predictable though. NCIS has more variety. I was less keen on the LA spin-off (it was a good show but felt far more "Hollywood" and less like NCIS), only watched the first season of New Orleans and that was decent.

NCIS. And since posts have to contain at least 8 characters to be approved, I'm gonna say it again. NCIS.