Date Night China: 011 Brunch & Day Party

Rachel Weiss theBeijinger 2020-08-18

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This article comes from Date Night China (WeChat ID: datenightchina), your guide to dating in China, from love to lust, first dates to worst dates, hilarious stories and top tips to avoid (or steer into) disaster. Single in the city? Listen to their podcast here: anchor.fm/datenightchina.

Looking for a summer day party where you can enjoy great music at some of Beijing's best locations? 011 Brunch and Day Parties checks all the boxes.

In the following interview, Boitha, the founder of 011 Day Parties, shares all about why she started these monthly shindigs and how they are a great opportunity to meet new people.

Meet Boitha

My name is Boithabiso but everybody calls me Boitha. I’m from South Africa (Frankfort) and I have been living in Beijing for almost 5 years now. For work, I am a Marketing and Communications Specialist for an international school.

How has your dating experience in China been? What have you learned from dating here?

It has been a whirlwind! I lived in Johannesburg for quite some time before moving here and I thought dating there was a challenge - but Beijing was a different ball game. However, it was a ton of fun, minus the BS.

What my early days of dating here taught me was to be up front about my expectations and non-negotiables, that way you avoid disappointment at a later stage. Another thing I learned was to ask the tough questions from the get go to avoid awkward situations.

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Ideal first date in Beijing?
I am a fan of food and music, so I would say dinner at a place like Zha Zha Bistro or Lost Heaven, then head to a concert at Blue Note or Yugong Yishan (editor's note: sadly, now closed).

An alternative is to go on a bike tour of Beijing with Dom from Belectric. Quite fun.

Craziest date experience you’ve had in China?
There was one date with this man who conveniently forgot to tell me that he was married, and decided to break the news to me as I was walking into his apartment and being met by a three metre photo of him and his wife. At first I thought he was joking, but as I walked into the living room, I saw more images of them and just burst out laughing in disbelief. Might I add, they had a dog, and it did not take a liking to me, obviously!

Why did you start doing 011 Brunch and Day Parties?
011 is the dialling code for Johannesburg, and after I moved to Beijing I missed the lively cosmopolitan day partying scene of the city. As a result I decided to bring a bit of it to Beijing through these monthly 011 Day events. This was in 2017 and they have been going on since then.

What kind of 011 Day Parties have you thrown?

The themes have been around music mainly. We have DJs who specialize in house, Afrobeats, and alternative and old-school R&B, hip-hop and Gqom.

My favorite was the one where I collaborated with a fellow South African, Nathan, who organizes chisanyamas (South African version of a BBQ). It was packed and the atmosphere was electric. It reminded me of home, just with an even more diverse crown made up of Beijing expats and locals.

How has the response been from the Beijing community?

It has been amazing. Of course, I would like for more people to attend, but the ones who have been coming from the first few events have been consistent with their support and it has been so humbling to observe. The team from The Bookworm who used to host us were absolutely incredible. They were happy to have us when it was just 30 people attending until it grew to hundreds. Red Rose as well. It has been mutually beneficial for all parties, really.

Can you meet people and/or find people to date at these 011 Day Parties?

[Laughs] Of course! So many people from different countries attend the party, so it also gives one an opportunity to rub shoulders with people they would not necessarily meet on regular days. Also, people at 011 are always so relaxed and are happy to start conversations with strangers, so who knows? The love of your life could be a day party away.

Have you ever dated someone you met at one of these events?

I have not dated anyone from the party, but I have invited several dates to it. Tinder was once my preferred channel for looking for attendees. [Laughs]

Would these parties be great to take a date to?

Absolutely. They start off quite chilled which can be an opportunity to get to know your date. The pace picks up in the afternoon after a few drinks and you can start to let loose, and in the evening they get super fun. Everyone is dancing and singing along to some songs. Sounds like the perfect date to me!

And if it’s one of those awkward dates, you can just start talking to other people there.

Any advice you’d give to China daters?

Have fun with it. Don’t take it too seriously. Chances are the person you are talking to will be leaving in 6 months or a year’s time, so try to just have as much fun as you can with each other without being d*cks.

Find Out More About 011 Day Parties