Woolly Mountain Pass

I went on another date last weekend. I was not about to give up after the last one. That one was so bad that I was determined to go out with a strange man and not have it end in complete failure.

I met Harry through a mutual friend of a friend. Harry is not his real name, but I'm calling him that for obvious reasons. He is a German who works for some kind of financial company.

When we first talked on the phone, I liked how nervous he was. He was not babbling idiot nervous, but just nervous enough to show that he was not an arrogant narcissist. Most men want to sound confident, and I understand that completely, but when they overcompensate, they come across as pompous. Harry seemed humble, which is pretty rare in the Twitter Age, and a little shy.

He suggested we go for a morning run, which surprised me. Everyone wants to look their best on a first date, and no one looks their best while running in the oppressive July humidity of Hong Kong. But when he mentioned Bowen Road, I knew that he knew what he was talking about.

Bowen Road is one of the most popular places for joggers and walkers in Hong Kong. It is tucked away in the mountains, so no one accidentally stumbles onto it. You have to know where it is to get there. It is also a great place to run or walk since the road is away from Hong Kong traffic and shaded by mountain trees. Cars are completely blocked from a long stretch of three or four different paths. There are plenty of dogs off their leashes, but they are pets rather than strays, and even stray dogs are safer than Hong Kong drivers.

When Harry and I first saw each other, we were in our running clothes, which is a lot different from seeing someone for the first time in their Sunday best. Running clothes are more realistic. Except for Harry's. When he took off his jacket and sweatpants, he was wearing a tank top and 1970s style gym shorts. I never know what is fashionable at any given time, but I'm pretty sure this was not.

What surprised me more than what he was wearing was what he was packing under those clothes. The tank top did nothing to stop all that hair poking out from his chest, shoulders and back. When he took off the sweatpants, I thought he was wearing fur leggings.

After a brief conversation about nothing in particular, we set off down the path. I was tempted to really run and see if he could keep up, but I know how competitive some men can be. If I ran faster, he would get upset and pout. If he ran faster, he would become unbearable and gloat. It was also the middle of July. We stuck with light jogging and some walking. He drank plenty of water, but it was hard to tell if he was struggling to keep up or simply hydrating. While running in Hong Kong, you should always drink more water than you want.

Bowen Road has a few spots where decent views of the city peek out between the trees. We stopped a few times and talked about this and that. It was nothing magical, but we did not annoy each other either.

I don't know if there will be a second date. I like to think I'm not a superficial person, but he was really hairy. It bothered me more than it should. I can't tell him to wax since I would never let a man tell me what hair should stay and what should go.

Other than his fur coat, everything seemed ok. We did not get to know each other in any meaningful way, but it was only one date. If there is ever another, maybe we will talk more. We definitely can't go swimming. He would clog the drains.