July 19, 2010 at 4:56 AM Tweet More to Europe than meeting men By Aubrey WhelanCollegian Staff Writer Right after "Did you see Paris?" (yes) and "Were all your classes in French?" (of course), the question I get asked most often about my semester abroad in France is, "So, did you date any European guys?" To hear everyone stateside tell it, every man in Europe is a.) rich b.) charming and c.) a cover model for Harlequin romance novels. By our estimations, the entire continent is populated solely with hot, romantic, sensitive-but-still-totally-manly men ready to sweep us onto Vespas and whisper sweet nothings in sexy accents. So it was with great amusement but absolutely no surprise that I picked up an advance copy of "The Single Girl's Guide to Meeting European Men" a few weeks ago. Yes, dear readers, this is an actual, published book (out in October!) and frankly, I'm mainly surprised no one came up with the idea before. To be fair, author Katherine Chloé Cahoon does have some street cred when it comes to l'homme européen: A 2008 graduate of Vanderbilt University, she spent four summers in Europe while in college. The "about the author" blurb at the back of the book informs readers that Cahoon is currently working with Hollywood producers on a screenplay of "The Single Girl's Guide" and describes the movie as "'Sex and the City' meets 'Love Actually' in the hotspots of Europe." Someone call Hugh Grant. Have we got a movie for you. In the book, Cahoon offers 40 tips on how to snag that hotly accented boytoy(s), ranging from the intuitive (#18: Be Upbeat) to the downright cringeworthy (#25: Male Hikers Cannot Resist the Hair Flip). There is also a country-by-country guide on how to meet men from Finland to France and a breakdown of the 10 different types of European men -- everything from the Airbrushed (unrealistically attractive) to the Collegiate Rock Stars ("the scholarly with a slightly edgy look"). And despite a tendency towards broad categorizing and unnecessary acronyms in her book (example: Cahoon calls her system to avoid creepers "GRGG" -- Getting Rescued by a Gorgeous Guy) Cahoon is funny, articulate and down-to-earth on the phone. She says her boy-crazy friends inspired her to write the guide. "Every time I would return to school, they would ask me how to meet the men," she said, laughing. "They didn't seem to care about what I studied." Sing it, sister. Here's the thing: There is nothing wrong with going to Europe and hoping for a little overseas romance. I went on my fair share of dates last semester, and frankly, a lot of Cahoon's tips are legit: Don't go out in large groups if you're hoping to attract a guy at the club. Learn at least a few words of your mark's native language (or at least be prepared to make charming jokes about your terrible French). Don't give up on the dating game if someone blows you off (after all, there are jerks everywhere). But if you're relying on a guide to pick up guys, chances are you're doing it wrong. Europe isn't some enigma of romance and seduction; it's just a continent where people live and work and happen to be staggeringly attractive. At its heart, "The Single Girl's Guide" is a cute, funny diversion, and it's sure to make the Sex and the City set squeal -- if Carrie Bradshaw spent a semester abroad, it would be her name on that cover. But there's something a little forced about it. We're girls: We all have our strategies for flirting and dating and getting that cute guy at the bar to come dance with us, and we don't need a guide to tell us how to do it. And meeting guys in Europe shouldn't be the be-all and end-all of a trip abroad. It should come naturally, and when you're studiously flipping your hair on the ski lift and researching dinner etiquette, you're only going to come across as stilted and rehearsed. And I can tell you right now, ladies, there is not a single guy on any continent who likes that. And another thing: It's EUROPE. There's art and music and architecture and history and gorgeous scenery everywhere. When everything you do is designed to attract a man, you're going to miss out on the real beauty of the continent. Don't go to Europe to fall in love. Go to Europe for the museums in Paris and the churches in Rome and the canals in Amsterdam. And if a strapping Collegiate Rock Star approaches you and says he'd like to take you out in that dashing accent of his, that's just the icing on the cake.
