By HERMES JOY TUNAC
In 2012, people who owned an iPhone got first dibs on what would become the most popular online dating app in the market—Tinder. And while the app didn’t attract much attention until it became available for Android users the following year, it eventually proved to be heaven-sent for more than a few couples.
At work, at school, sometimes even in some random bar with a roomful of strangers — such was the norm when it came to meeting “the one” in the “olden days.” Or, you can meet him or her through some enthusiastic officemate, friend or relative who loved playing matchmaker.
Well, Tinder changed that dynamic. From 2012 onwards, the phone became the wingman.
With a few selfies, a dozen of words and a willingness to put it out there, single people finally had the platform to select (and reject) en masse. They could meet anyone from anywhere; assess a potential mate even before they could darken each other’s doorsteps. Blind dates weren’t so blind anymore.
Of course, there are no guarantees. But for these couples, the technology actually led, not just to a successful date, but to happily ever after!
Skipping the awkward parts
Luke Lazatin found out about Tinder by chance. “It was one of the top apps in the iOS App Store then, so I decided to try it out,” Luke tells PeopleAsia. But what enticed him the most about the app was how it made dating nearly risk-free. It, according to him, minimized the chance of rejection.
The app, after all, only shows your successful matches (and never the number of users swiped left at your profile). This is why when Luke and Jenny Ng matched on Tinder, they weren’t entertaining the idea of having found love right away.
“Is love true and fulfilling when the elements of vulnerability are removed?” The 27-year-old physician asks rhetorically.
If Luke found Tinder by chance, Jenny, through her friends’ influence, used the app to meet new people without the need to go out of her house. “It’s easier to know someone’s intention on the app because most users indicate it on their bio, which narrows down your option,” Jenny explains. She also points out that it’s way easier to strike a conversation online. “Sending a DM [direct message] is a lot less awkward than initiating a conversation in person,” the 24-year-old project associate adds.
After three weeks of conversation on the app, Jenny and Luke agreed to meet for dinner at a Spanish restaurant in Shangri-La Plaza.
“What a joy it was to discover that we both couldn’t get enough of spicy food, that our values were aligned, and that we could turn even the condiments into a conversation topic like, ‘did you know mustard was the first chemotherapeutic drug?'” Luke recalls.
Jenny, on the other hand, felt paranoid a few hours before their official date. At that moment, her mind revolved around the thoughts, “He’s brilliant, what could be the catch?’, ‘what if he just wants a new cadaver for his secret lab?” she reminisces with laughter.
But when Jenny finally laid eyes on Luke, all her doubts faded away. “He looked so nerdy prim that I doubt he could kill a cockroach on his own,” she looks back.
They ended the night on a positive note, which resulted in a second date immediately the day after that. Four years and nine months after that fateful day, Jenny and Luke are now two months engaged. The happy couple hopes to get married when it is safer for their family and friends to gather again.
“I feel fortunate to be where I am relationship-wise, and Tinder was a helpful platform, but it isn’t anything more than that — a stepping stone,” Luke reflects.
“Almost five years in the relationship, we realized how different we are as individuals, but we complement each other. “We constantly still annoy each other, but I guess that’s how it goes when your partner becomes your best friend too,” Jenny concludes.
Happily ever, after Tinder
For Sam Chua, Tinder is an excellent venue for torpe [shy] guys to grab the chance and make a move on a girl. The 43-year-old Information Technology consultant first heard about the dating app through Boys Night Out, a Filipino radio talk show of Magic 89.9 hosted by DJ’s Slick Rick, Tony Toni, and Sam YG. Sam, a bachelor back then, got curious and immediately downloaded the app on his smartphone.
On the other hand, Krisha Chua heard of Tinder from an excited colleague. “At that time, I came from a long-term relationship and felt like I needed a breather. I needed to talk to people about topics that didn’t involve my breakup,” Krisha recalls.
They say love moves in mysterious ways, but Tinder sometimes skips the mystery part and works on the perfect timing, instead. Is it a mere coincidence that Sam and Krisha came to Tinder at the right time and aced the right swipe? I’ll leave that to Tinder and its magic.
“We connected the first time we exchanged messages, and it went on for hours,” the 31-year-old lady banker shares. “After a few more conversations, I felt that it was safe to meet-up because Sam agreed to see me even if I told him that I’d only go if we’ll meet in a crowded and well-lit place, with my chaperone,” Krisha adds.
Sam and Krisha first met in real life after Krisha’s Christmas dinner party. “It was my first time to have an ‘eyeball’ with someone I met from a dating app, so I told Sam that I was bringing my friends,” Krisha looks back. From an original two chaperones, Krisha arrived with an army of six!
After almost an hour of not receiving any messages from Sam, Krisha thought her ‘Tinderella’ moment was over. But, as it turns out, Sam was just a safe driver. “He didn’t text on his way from Caloocan to Makati,” she shares. Krisha recalls that meeting to this day as one of the most memorable nights of her life because unknowingly, in that exact moment, she had already met her future husband.
“Before the night ended, Sam exchanged business cards with my friends, and I thought to myself, ‘okay, he’s legit,'” she says. The entire night, according to Krisha, felt like a romantic comedy with a perfect ending. “He drove me home, and before I stepped out of his car, he gave me the sweetest peck on my cheek. And I was smitten!”
Fast forward to 2021, Sam and Krisha are now happily married and about to celebrate their second wedding anniversary on Feb. 18. Both of them recommend Tinder, saying that there’s no harm in trying. “I signed up on Tinder to casually find other people to talk to. Luckily for me, I ended up with the love of my life,” Krisha concludes.
