Blind date: Going with the flow
January blind daters try to be flexible on a swingin’ blind date at Rize Studio in East Village.
Most people look at the beginning of the year as a time to recharge and set some healthier habits. Whether it’s resolving to spend Sundays meal-prepping or vowing to try a new exercise , January is the time that people buckle down in an effort to make up for the sins of the holiday season.
With this in mind, PACIFIC set up Jasmine and Correy, two singles who are looking to up their dating game by stepping outside their comfort zones and (hopefully) into each other’s arms. Jasmine and Correy have just met in an Epic Limo that chauffeurs them to Rize Studio, a newly-opened aerial yoga studio in East Village that promises a class that is sure to sweep these daters off their feet.
Will testing the limits of their yoga prowess while being suspended in hammocks spark romance for our daters? Or will one daters’ weak stomach spell disaster for the date? Only time will tell.
Before we start warm up stretches, let’s get to know them better via their pre-date interviews.
Where are you from and where do you live now?
JASMINE: I’m originally from New Orleans, but have been in San Diego for seven years now.
CORREY: Tulare, Calif. I now live in East Village.
How old are you?
JASMINE: I’m 33 and thriving, bay-by!
CORREY: 30.
What do you do for a living?
JASMINE: (Laughs) I’m what the kids call a “hustla.” My main profession is that of community director at Hera Hub, the first and most amazing international co-working space for female entrepreneurs (shout out to my awesome community). My side-hustles include owning a social media management company with my sister called Magnolia Sisters Media and I have a business creating bougie bows and bowties for pets (branching into kids soon) called Frank Lane Bows.
CORREY: I run a fitness studio in Little Italy.
What’s your Instagram handle?
JASMINE: @Jazmez8 – why 8, you ask? Eight is my favorite number and my birth month.
CORREY: @jones.correy
How long have you been single?
JASMINE: It feels like forever, but since October. I’m a serial monogamist, what can I say?
CORREY: Three months.
Currently, what dating apps can be found on your phone?
JASMINE: None! I have deleted all dating apps. I think dating apps have ruined the art of courting. This isn’t the case for everyone, but I think dating apps have created this constant “grass is greener” mentality and no one wants to actually continue getting to know one another because they can always go online and find someone prettier, smarter, etc. (Laughs) I promise I’m not cynical.
CORREY: Bumble, Hinge.
Where can you be found on the weekends?
JASMINE: You can find me hanging with friends, either entertaining in my home or out at one of San Diego’s finest dive bars or hanging with my amazingly wonderful pup, Franklin. And sometimes I just enjoy snuggling on the couch and watching a movie.
CORREY: Working, or at a music festival.
What are you best at?
JASMINE: People. I am 100% an extrovert and love being around great people. I always try to help if someone is in need or just needs a shoulder to cry on or just wants someone to listen. Also, I’m ridiculously good at claw machines (you know, the game with the claw and the toys).
CORREY: Listening.
What do you suck at?
JASMINE: (Laughs) People! This is definitely my greatest skill and also my downfall. Boundaries are hard to set up when you have a hard time saying no to people.
CORREY: When I find it, I’ll tell you.
What are you looking for in a date, physical or otherwise?
JASMINE: Attraction is definitely key. Physical and emotional attraction are key, but at the end of the day, I want someone to connect with that I can one day come home to, laugh, have fun with, build a life with and so on. My friends would say my type is the exact opposite of me: tall white boys.
CORREY: Obviously, physical attraction, but also someone to talk more than me.
Why do you think you’ll be a good date?
JASMINE: I’m a fun and outgoing person that loves to get to know new people. I am pretty funny, so my goal would be to have him laughing pretty quickly and hopefully that will break some tension and have the date running even smoother. I enjoy engaging with someone and I think that’s apparent. As long as they’re open (and understand my weird humor), then we’ll have a blast.
CORREY: I always do what I can to make people smile.
Rate yourself on a scale from one to 10 for looks.
JASMINE: I would say nine – I have some things I’m working on (just like every other woman out there), but I love what my parents blessed me with.
CORREY: 7.8
Rate yourself on a scale from one to 10 for personality.
JASMINE: 10 for sure – (laughs) I’m also very humble. Just kidding, but I do think I have a great personality that gets along with most people.
CORREY: 20.
What’s your cocktail of choice?
JASMINE: Vodka soda or gin and soda with three limes. The three limes are key - I don’t want scurvy.
CORREY: Tequila soda.
What’s a total deal-breaker on a date?
JASMINE: When someone is rude. I once had a guy shame me for being adventurous in the foods I tried. Needless to say, that date ended very quickly.
CORREY: Loud and obnoxious.
Fill in the blanks: I want my date to be “blank” and “blank.”
JASMINE: “Fun” and “kind.”
CORREY: I want my date to be “funny” and “bubbly.”
Will the night end with a kiss, something more or something less?
JASMINE: Who knows? If I’m attracted to them and we had a great night, then definitely a kiss, but nothing more. I like to get to know someone a bit more before anything further happens.
CORREY: Maybe a kiss, but nothing more. I’m not that easy.
Jasmine and Correy sure seem like a cute pair. Jasmine’s sparkling personality should satisfy Correy’s requirements that his date be “funny” and “bubbly.” Jasmine describes herself as a “hustla” with multiple side-hustles, while Correy boasts that he hasn’t found what he sucks at yet. And neither dater is lacking for confidence. Jasmine prides herself on being funny and outgoing, while Correy gave himself a 20 on the personality scale.
They both agree that attraction is key to a successful date, but even if the chemistry is there, neither predict the night will end with anything more than a friendly kiss. Correy claims he’s not that easy, and Jasmine likes to get to know someone better before going any further.
Strike a Pose
Daters do a lot of stretching (and a little retching)
Correy and Jasmine sip on Corona Premiere beer before being dropped off at Rize Studio.
Rize Studio opened in late November in East Village, just a few steps from Correy’s house. It offers classes in aerial yoga, whole body vibration and sound immersion. The benefits of aerial yoga include increased balance and flexibility, spine lengthening and stress relief. It’s a full-body workout suitable for all experience levels.
Rize Studio is littered in yoga hammocks hung from the rafters in rich turquoise hues. The hammocks look a little delicate at first, but they are actually able to hold thousands of pounds. Jasmine later claims this particular turquoise is her favorite color, so she has a good feeling about the class, despite being initially nervous to try.
Jasmine and Correy are having fun posing for photos in the hammocks. At one point during their photo session, Jasmine accidentally touches Correy’s butt, which she jokes was on purpose. But finally, it’s time to focus on the class.
Owner Samantha and instructor Ashley do an excellent job of putting both daters at ease. They are patient and encouraging, and before we know it, Jasmine and Correy look like aerial yoga pros.
Ashley guides them through poses like Dragon’s Dance, a sequence that opens the spine and shoulders; Mountain, which massages the back; and finally, after the daters are a little more comfortable on their hammocks, Inversion, which finds them tipping backwards onto the fabric to turn upside down and hang from their hips for full spinal decompression.
It’s during Inversion that we find out that Jasmine is, unfortunately, prone to motion sickness. That, coupled with the beer on an empty stomach, leads Jasmine to politely excuse herself from class and hustle to the bathroom. She quickly rejoins the class and manages to stick it out for the remainder of the session like a champ.
(Editor’s note: It’s definitely not recommended to drink before aerial yoga, which is something we all learned that night.)
After class, Jasmine can’t help but poke fun at herself and her weak stomach, which impresses her date. Not everyone would have handled the situation with such grace, but self-deprecating Jasmine doesn’t let it spoil the fun.
They change into dinner clothes and go to dinner at Rare Society, a new steakhouse from Trust Restaurant Group that sits right on the border of Hillcrest and University Heights.
Jasmine and Correy have managed to work up an appetite after aerial yoga, so they’re excited to dig into the menu of steakhouse classics like oysters, bone marrow and shrimp cocktail. After they order, we separate them for mid-date interviews.
How’s it going so far?
JASMINE: Pretty good. It’s fun.
CORREY: Good, it’s going well.
At first glance, would you swipe right or left on your date?
JASMINE: Which way is the right? I would swipe right. He’s cute.
CORREY: Right.
Is this the type of person you’d normally date?
JASMINE: Yes. (Laughs) I like white boys. He’s got the boy-next-door, farmer boy, light eyes, light hair thing. The exact opposite of me. The tattoos are also cute.
CORREY: Yeah, I think so.
How was your experience at Rize Studio?
JASMINE: Awesome. Our instructor was great. (Laughs) She was very patient with me. Really, that’s what I was scared of. It was great, it was really great. I enjoyed it. I always want to go outside of my comfort zone, but also, I didn’t want to look like a dumb-dumb. That was really cool.
CORREY: It was a lot of fun. They were super helpful and it was a lot of fun.
What caught your eye on the menu tonight at Rare Society?
JASMINE: Oh, The Executive, for sure (Editor’s note: The Executive is described as a selection of chef determined cuts and accoutrements of the night). And the truffled creamed spinach. I told him, just so you know, we’re definitely getting creamed spinach, I don’t care what you think. He goes with the flow and lets me do what I want, which is a great sign in a dude.
CORREY: Smoked ribeye. And the bacon was so good.
What’s the most attractive thing your date has done so far?
JASMINE: He’s been very kind and patient. He opened my door. He let me order stuff. (Laughs) He let me touch his butt. He’s a very nice, easy-going guy and we’ve had an easy time talking to each other. He’s laughing at all my dumb jokes.
CORREY: The most attractive thing she’s done? Probably her laugh.
What’s the least attractive thing your date has done so far?
JASMINE: I haven’t noticed anything. He hasn’t been rude, he’s been really cool.
CORREY: (Pauses) I think she threw up. (Laughs) I don’t know if she did, but she went to the bathroom. When she was upside down, inverted, I think she had to go vomit. She went to the restroom for a second.
Rate your date on a scale from one to 10 for looks.
JASMINE: Ooh. I would say he’s a 9.5. (Laughs) If he gives me anything less than that, I’ll kick his ass.
CORREY: 8.3.
And for personality?
JASMINE: 9.8.
CORREY: 12.
What’s your date’s most attractive physical quality?
JASMINE: He has very pretty eyes. He has a great body, too. He’s been in fitness for 14 years. (Laughs) And I’m like, boo, fittin’ dis pizza in my mouth. Or hot dog. No, just kidding. But also, not really.
CORREY: Her eyes.
What’s your date’s least attractive physical quality?
JASMINE: Nothing, really. There’s really nothing. I mean, I’m taller than most men, so that’s usually a thing. But he’s my height.
CORREY: The only thing really is not I’m a huge lipstick fan.
Do you want to kiss your date right now?
JASMINE: Right this minute? No, I probably have stuff in my teeth.
CORREY: I would kiss her.
Does your date want to kiss you?
JASMINE: I mean, probably (laughs). No, I don’t know. I honestly don’t know. I think it’s going really well, but I don’t know either way. He’s been very kind, but it could go either way.
CORREY: I have no idea.
Is this someone you’d take home to mom, just take home or none of the above?
JASMINE: I would take him home to mom, however his tattoos would probably freak my parents out. (Laughs) My parents are very old-school Middle Eastern. But he seems like a really nice dude. That weighs heavily for me. A good, nice guy. Because looks fade, unfortunately.
CORREY: I don’t think I would be afraid to take her home to mom.
How and when will the date end?
JASMINE: With probably a peck on the cheek and then going our separate ways. I think we’ll exchange phone numbers. I mean, I’d give him mine if he wanted it.
CORREY: I have no idea. Hopefully we don’t stuff ourselves too much, because we had a good amount of food, but we’ll see where it goes.
There’s definitely a flirtatious energy between Jasmine and Correy. They both say they’d swipe right on each other, which is a good sign. And easy-going Correy is a nice balance to bubbly Jasmine. She appreciates that he is chivalrous by opening her door and letting her order whatever she wants, plus he laughs at all her “dumb” jokes.
Correy says he hopes they don’t stuff themselves too much at dinner (he might be worried about another throw-up incident). And despite the vomiting incident and the fact that he’s not a big lipstick fan, he still claims he would kiss his date.
If that isn’t romance, we don’t know what is.
Eventually, the PACIFIC crew packs it up and leaves the daters to enjoy their steaks in peace. We touch base with them the next day to see how the rest of their night went.
Steak Your Claim
Date ends with something sweet
Jasmine and Correy spent the night hanging upside down at aerial yoga and then hanging out for a steak dinner. But did their hanging sessions result in a make-out session?
We checked in with them the next day to see how things ended.
How did everything go?
JASMINE: It was a lot of fun. I had a great time. I think we both had a great time.
CORREY: It went really well. I had a really good time. It was a lot of fun.
What did you order at Rare Society?
JASMINE: For appetizers, we got the crab cakes and the bacon, which was phenomenal. And then, for dinner, we shared The Executive and the truffled creamed spinach and the onion rings. And then we got dessert too. We got the butter cake, which was phenomenal. That was the best part of the meal, for sure.
CORREY: We had creamed spinach and bacon. The bacon was incredible. And then we had The Executive, which is three of their smoked steaks all cut up on a board. And then we got onion rings, they were pickled onion rings. They were really good. The drinks were really good, too. And the wine was good, we had a bottle of wine as well.
Where did you go and what did you do for the rest of the evening after Rare Society?
JASMINE: We stayed until it closed and then we got into our own Ubers and went home separately.
CORREY: We both went our separate ways, we stayed a little bit. We closed the place down, we were the last people there. And then we separately Ubered home.
Did you guys exchange numbers?
JASMINE: We did.
CORREY: Yeah, we did.
Was there a kiss or any romantic exchange?
JASMINE: There was a peck on the cheek, or a peck. It was kind of awkward, not awkward in a bad way, but you know, I think I got half lip, half cheek. (Laughs) It was fine.
CORREY: There was a very small kiss, like a peck. Nothing crazy.
What’s the funniest thing that happened during the date?
JASMINE: (Laughs) I mean, I think he and I both told you, but I puked during yoga. Right before we laid in the sling, I took a break. I excused myself very nicely and politely and then went to the bathroom and threw up (laughs). It was fun, but I get motion sickness very easily. It was a combination of that and I hadn’t really eaten all that much out of nerves that day, and then having a beer in the car and then being upside down. It was the upside down and then swinging (laughs). And I got sick, but I did it in the most lady-like fashion I could.
CORREY: (Laughs) Probably when we went upside down at the yoga place and she needed to run to the restroom. She handled it great, though.
What was the best part of the date and why?
JASMINE: The best part of the date was dinner. It was a lot of fun. We got to talk and get to know each other, as opposed to just being there sweating and trying to focus.
CORREY: Probably the entire yoga experience, the aerial yoga experience, because I don’t think either one of us would do it normally. So it was cool that we both got to experience something that we probably wouldn’t do on our own.
Will there be a second date? Why or why not?
JASMINE: Yeah, I think so. It would be cool to get to know him outside of cameras being there, even if it just becomes a friendship.
CORREY: I don’t know yet. We texted to make sure we each got home safe and everything. Don’t know 100%. I really had an amazing time. We had a lot of fun. I have no idea if there was a lot of chemistry there or not.
Do you have any dating tips for your date?
JASMINE: Honestly, he was pretty great. I did lead the conversation a lot, but that’s just because I’m a talker. Obviously, we were both nervous and when I get nervous, I talk. So maybe him being a little bit more open, but he honestly was really open. Once we were done with the activity part, he was more talkative, more open, sharing things, so it was pretty good.
CORREY: I think she has an amazing, funny personality and I think she was a little reserved at first in letting it out. So just not being so shy right away.
Any final thoughts, parting words, shout-outs or anything else to add?
JASMINE: Obviously, thanks to PACIFIC, the matchmaker and the photographer. It was really fun and really cool. Thanks for letting us order really expensive food. It was a really fun time. I would recommend it to others because it’s good to get out of your comfort zone, if you feel comfortable doing that kind of thing.
CORREY: The people at Rize Studio were really awesome, so that was really cool and it was really fun. And like I said, it’s not something that I would normally do myself, so I would consider doing that regularly now. And dinner was incredible as well.
Jasmine and Correy’s date might be the first PACIFIC blind date where someone threw up during their date. We commend both daters for bending over backwards during class and carving out some time to get to know each other better during dinner.
And while a second date isn’t a guarantee, the daters enjoyed their time together and Correy vowed to try aerial yoga again, and maybe even start practicing regularly.
So here’s to 2020, dear readers. May the new year bring new dating opportunities and always remember: just because you get sick during your date doesn’t mean you can’t still get a goodnight kiss.
Editor’s Note: Daters’ answers may have been edited for length and clarity.
Special thanks to and promotional consideration from:
EPIC Limo: 858.270.LIMO (5466), epiclimo.com
Rize Studio: rizestudio.com
Rare Society: 619.501.6404, raresocietysd.com
Matchmaker Colleen Perone: naturalselectionsd.com
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