A swipe to the right, a super-like, a winking emoji: these are the sonnets and perfumed love letters of a techno-literate generation. There is no environment with a higher pressure to perform, where snap decisions can trigger a romance of dubious origins but eternal swooning.
After hours of furious swiping, our thumbs were afflicted with suspected repetitive strain injuries and our souls were irreparably damaged. As we plunged into the deep end of La Paz’s Tinder pool, we were introduced to a dizzying spectrum of characters, from the overly self-deprecating to the nauseatingly self-confident. Here is a snapshot of the pinnacle of said spectrum, a pseudo-guide so that you might find love and/or lodging in the Bolivian dating capital.
The Life Coach
Name/Age: Esperanza, 30 |
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Bio: 365 new opportunities |
Anthem: ‘I Want To Break Free’, Queen |
The Lost Gringa
Name/Age: Hannah, 19 |
Bio: Travelling in South America Looking for a tour guide, maybe something more ;) |
Anthem: ‘Wake Me Up’, Avicii |
The Emoji Overloader
Name/Age: Luz, 20 |
Bio: ?+?=? ????? |
Anthem: ‘Despacito’, Luis Fonsi |
The CV Candidate
Name/Age: Regina, 24 |
Bio: Intern at Deloitte English, Français, Español, Italiano Sports, art, music, gym Grammar nerd |
Anthem: ‘White Noise’ |
The Passive Aggressor
Name/Age: Odita, 27 |
Bio: Whatever you wrote in your description, I disagree. I’m better than you, and you know it. If we meet and you don’t look like you look in your pictures, you are buying the drinks until you do. |
Anthem: ‘Run The World (Girls)’, Beyoncé |
The Sympathy Vote
Name/Age: Erik, 28 |
Bio: I’m looking for someone real so we can support each other. I’m not very good at sex – only had two intimate relationships in my life. Need a nice girl to show me the ropes. I promise I’ll make you smile <3 |
Anthem: ‘La Llorona’, Chavela Vargas |
The Businessman
Name/Age: Davíd, 26 |
Bio: Harvard Business School Currently running my own startup. Looking for a classy girl to take to business dinners |
Anthem: ‘Power’, Kanye West |
The Gym Bro
Name/Age: Carlos, 23 |
Bio: Hey girl ;) I’m into lifting heavy ass weights and eating as much protein as I can get my hands on. Love going out with the lads but not too late – gotta be pumping iron by 6am. This masterpiece takes a lot of maintenance. 6’2 |
Anthem: ‘Sweat’, Snoop Dogg |
The Explorer
Name/Age: Ed, 22 |
Bio: Adventurer and eco-enthusiast. I hate routine. ‘Sometimes you find yourself in the middle of nowhere, and sometimes, in the middle of nowhere, you find yourself.’ |
Anthem: Link to videos of his ukelele band |
The Wide Boy
Name/Age: Diego, 25 |
Bio: |
Anthem: Anything featuring Pitbull |
