Quote:
In constantinople, the first coffee houses called qahveh khaneh (schools of wisdom) because they were meeting places for arts and literature
Istanbul was Constantinople; now it's Istanbul, not Constantinople. Been a long time gone, Constantinople. Why did Constantinople get the works? That's nobody's business but the Turks'.
So if you've a date in Constantinople, she'll be waiting in Istanbul.
*ahem*
Now that I have that out of the way, johnsmithpua, I really feel for you, mate. Mystery makes it sound like you're supposed to tell these stories that glam up your life and you're just sitting there, depressed, thinking, "I've never even seen a bear that wasn't in a zoo, let alone been chased by one."
Neither Mystery Method (which glosses over congruency) and The Game (which reminds us, "It's not lying; it's flirting") give this topic a fair shake, IMO. Fealinlucky is right, though. Yes, you have to pick something interesting to talk about, but it doesn't have to be something that everybody automatically thinks is wildly exciting.
The other night, I had a great conversation with a girl about colour. It was just about what colours compliment each other, the colour wheel; and drifted in and out of men's fashion. It's not as exciting as rock climbing or getting chased by a bear, but she seemed really fired up that this man talking to her thought to bring up the colour wheel in casual conversation. She asked me if I was an artist. ("I'm not, but I have this great idea for a modern art installation...")
Some PUAs claim that it doesn't matter what you talk about, but rather how you talk about it. I don't think that's necessarily true. I don't think, for example, that Dungeons and Dragons makes a great ice breaker, no matter how enthusiastic I might be about it. Your passion for the subject matter, though, will make a big difference. You have to pick a topic that has enough mileage to hook her, but you're also trying to put on display your emotions about the topic.