On comparative dude studies

My favourite way to stop thinking about stupid boys is to start thinking about other stupid boys, and in doing that, I've come to the conclusion that some people here sure know how to flirt. Having gone on a number of dates through Tinder, I've noticed some serious skills in some of these boys. It's a lot more discrete and sensual than any flirting I've been used to before - European dudes seem to have missed the lesson in subtlety and are more likely to just move in for a grope. This guy I was having lunch with today was talking to me about the beach, and commented on the fact that I wasn't very tanned.
"Oh, I'm pretty tanned here compared to the underside of my forearms," I replied, pulling up the sleeve of my polo to expose the rest of my arm.
"Wow, you're so white! Your skin's so beautiful," he exclaimed, slowly and lightly letting his finger stroke along the length of the underside of my forearm. It was such a small thing to do, but so wholly effective. It elevated him from a 'Aw, he's cute' to a 'Damn boy, you fine' in a matter of seconds. Honestly, the fact that he just a little while before had gone "Kickboxing is a hobby of mine that I do about once a week. It's super effective, here, feel my stomach!", prompting me to poke his abs (which indeed were rock-fucking-solid), did help sway my opinion a little bit as well.

Well-dressed, handsome, smart, bespectacled boys seem to be a whole (rather numerous) breed of their own here. Just another one of those things that make me love this country.

How I picture his precious face while watching the sappy parts.

Pick-up-techniques aside, men here really are kinda different from others I've encountered in other parts of the world, especially in one aspect - softness. When talking to this guy over lunch, we talked about movies we like, and how I don't really like romantic movies with happy endings, because I don't find them realistic. He laughed at that, told me I think like a dude, and then proceeded to tell me to watch The Notebook. "It's really good. I cried when watching it!"

I've heard that so much more from Japanese guys than I ever have from others. Even big burly dudes who come to work have told me about crying to movies or plays, without a trace of shame in their voice. Your average Swedish guy would not admit to that so freely, the same way they wouldn't list fashion or shopping as hobbies, or say that they love karaoke and then start singing songs quietly to you that they think you should know. Hell, I've never had a chick flick recommended to me by a dude before. I really like how there's this whole range of emotions that are just so much more allowed here for men. I like the softness.

I don't like The Notebook though. It's clichéd, has pretty stale gender portrayal, glorifies some pretty questionable behaviour, has crappy fake Southern accents and crappy fakke moustaches, and just is not really doing it for me. But I like that he recommended it to me all the same.