As he leans awkwardly against a wall, clutching a soft drink bottle, everyone passing by can sense Zhang Junye is nervous, and a little embarrassed.
Wearing thick glasses, 27-year-old Zhang steals glances at the women around him but does not approach anyone and say "hello." Neither do the women come up to him.
"I may pluck up the courage," said Zhang, with an anxious smile. "Or maybe not."
Zhang, along with more than 1,000 other young men and women, gathered for a game-style blind date yesterday afternoon at a stadium in downtown Jing'an District, hoping to find their Mr or Miss Right or just make friends.
The event, entitled "Meet Along Metro Line 2," was organized by the Metro operator together with Jing'an, Pudong and Changning district governments.
Many of the young people attending work at offices along Line 2 and may see fellow blind date candidates on the daily commute.
Traditional Chinese reserve was put aside for a while, at a time many young people worry that they will be left on the shelf in this highly competitive society.
"I do not want to be called a 'leftover woman,'" said one woman at the event.
It has been claimed some young women and their families set their standards for a future husband unrealistically high.
"It's a totally different age now," said a man, surnamed Li, sitting on a bench in the stadium.
Li, in his 50s, came here for his 23-year-old daughter. The blind-date organizers didn't want parents to attend but Li was able to sneak in. "She has her own standards and won't confide in us," said Li, admitting that he did not tell his daughter he was coming.
