Ghost wrote:
With only 9 days or so, you should do most of your legwork before ever getting on the plane. And if I were you, I'd hit this from several different angles. So that means trying to line up women so to speak before you get there.
So here are my ideas:
1. Put some ads on craigslist. This is just a start, and the ad should be in Spanish. If the city you choose isn't listed or has no activity on the site, don't bother. But otherwise, it's free and would only take a few minutes.
2. Practice your basic Spanish until you go. Skip grammar and all that stuff. Give yourself an attainable goal, like learning 3 or 4 new words relevant to dating/socializing and 1 phrase per day. Don't really study it, just learn a little of what's relevant, and this way you'll also be able to practice short dialogues about asking a girl on a date, etc. Adding a "mere" vocabulary of 200 words would help you tremendously, more than you'd think. And your dates would really appreciate it. Even just a little interest and knowledge about her language will differentiate you from the usual gringos. You could also use a language exchange site to meet some girls, and take out two birds with one stone.
3. You have the money, so sign up for dating sites and use the heck out of them. X number of messages per day, and try to skype with them several times before meeting them. If you skype with a girl first, I think it increases the chances she'll actually meet with you.
4. I think posting signs at a university is a good idea, but add in an exchange where you help them with their English in turn for some Spanish lessons. My gut feeling here is that likely wouldn't help you directly, but indirectly. I wouldn't mention in the ad about anything of a romantic nature. But the girls you meet and study with could help you, both when you are there and in the future if you strike up a friendship.
5. I don't think just going to the park would be that helpful. How useful this would be ties back into my number 2 idea though. Learn and practice dialogues about meeting a girl in the park. Learn how to ask how she is, ask for her number, ask her on a date, etc. Then I think hitting parks could work out.
6. What about trying to meet some families when you get there? They could help you, but the downside would be that it would be a process. In the long term, it would be beneficial. In the short term, it probably wouldn't be useful. But this could be a side-project, if your main goal isn't accomplished while you are there. I think that would be much better than going to bars and hoping for the best. I guess the culture is big on drinking, but I doubt using clubs in any country is a good way too meet or otherwise get introduced to women.
I agree with Ghost's 1 through 5.
I particularly like 2, 3 & 4.
Re number 4, there are 2 ways to take this:
(A) Go to language exchange sites in advice and search for cuties, begin conversing online via skype or whatever (USE those tech skills), then visit and continue in-person for a few times.
or
(B) Find a Spanish school. Ideally one that ALSO teaches English. Go every day for an actual daily 3 hour class every morning. Make it a point to insist on going out and lunch with some people afterwards (students, teachers, doesnt matter)and that will give you a built-in social circle. Practice at the table, and girls around you will become curious. Use folks at the school to be a wingman or wingwomen (not one) etc later in the evening too.
Re #6, bars, the high-class bars will have English-speaking men who will befriend you for an evening. Breaking past that to get them to include you in some social event where women are present is a tall order. I would leave this alone. UNLESS you see a cute young "mesera" (waitress), who might make friends with you if you and sat at the bar and practiced Spanish. She would be more likely to introduce you to a friend than the guys, in my very limited experience.
"Well actually, she's not REALLY my daughter. But she does like to call me Daddy... at certain moments..."