30 Days to a Better Man, Day 9: take a woman on a date

The title's a bit deceptive. As the rules on The Art of Manliness state, today's the day you should ask a woman out. You still have 72 hours or so to plan a kick-ass date.

As with several of these challenges, you have options depending on your situation. If you're a single guy, this is your chance to pull yourself out of the rut: you know, get out there and actually start dating (or maybe just wrench yourself free of the friend zone). If you're in a committed relationship, this is a welcome opportunity to put some spark back into it. I tell you what: living in a tiny studio apartment with your significant other is a real romance-killer. I don't care what you say. You could be living with Joan of Arc and after six months you'd start to get ticked off at the way she talks to invisible people. I, for one, relish the notion of getting out of this sardine can and into the real world with Miss H, there to rediscover why we fell in love in the first place.

Mission accomplished. I asked her out, and I now have some reservations to make. We resolved some time ago to make more frequent trips to Itaewon, Seoul's foreigner district. It's laden with loads of Western food markets and international cuisine options, from Bulgarian to Paraguayan to South African. I reckon I'll take her to Chef Meili's, an Austrian place within spitting distance of the subway station. Owned and operated by a genuine, classically-trained Austrian chef (whose surname is Meilinger), the joint is renowned for its delectable dishes, particularly its meats and desserts. Meat and dessert are two things Miss H and I scarcely eat anymore, thanks to cultural, dietary and budget constraints. It'll be nice to let our hair down a bit. I reckon we'll have ourselves a nice feed at Meili's and then slide a couple doors down to Gecko's and knock back a few frou-frou shooters. We'll talk and chat and sparkle like the old days, and then slide home for a movie and some hot cocoa. I'll report back to you after the actual date has taken place.

Does that sound like fun, ladies?