Hi-tech gadgets and localisation are this modern matchmaker's keys to success
AT FIRST GLANCE, a fairly nondescript office in a back street of Central seems an unlikely place to find Hong Kong's very own Mr Cupid. And despite the location being just a stone's throw from Lan Kwai Fong's pick-up joints and a new 'love motel' on Wellington Street, the appearance of our Valentine's Day hero does little to alter that perception.
Roderick Kar, director of internet and mobile dating service Loverlover.com, arrives late and out of breath, suggesting he may just have been out patching love lives together. Alas, the illusion is immediately shattered - his tardiness stems from the lack of parking spaces in Central's crowded streets.
But perhaps we should not have been surprised. Cupid is known the world over for his frilly nappies and tiny wings, but it was some relief to find that our modern-day matchmaker looks very much an everyday Joe.
The tools of the trade have changed, too. Cupid's modern-day incarnation has it easy - magic arrows have been despatched to the waste basket in favour of computers, mobile phones and, of course, the internet. Throw 90,000 lonely online surfers into the mix, sit back and watch the fun. It is clear from the beginning Mr Kar's approach to the love business focuses more on technology than romance.
A self-confessed gadget-junkie, he pulls a laptop, Blackberry, Microsoft smart phone, third generation (3G) mobile phone, Nintendo DS games console, MP3 player, Bluetooth GPS device, Xda II PDA, and a Lumix digital camera from his rucksack within minutes of the start of the interview.
'That's all for today,' he says with a wry smile.