Patrick from Amsterdam and now Dubai tells about single life in Europe and U.A.E!

Q: Where do you live?
Seems like a simple question but in my case it needs some explaining (don't say I didn't warn you). Officially I live in Dubai, much to my own regret I'm hardly there. My job takes me to lots of different places. At the time of answering these questions I just finished a little project in Brussels (stayed there for 3 months) and am in Amsterdam.

Q: Best Solo Escape?
It depends if you want to be solo for the whole duration of your escape. I would say Portofino or Capri in Italia or Barcelona in Spain.

Q: Biggest accomplishment you achieved on your own?
Getting my own Porsche Racing Team up and running.

Q: From race car driving to polo you always seem to be up to something fun and exciting. Where does your constant energy and joie de vivre come from?
Thanks for the compliment! Yes I do have a lot of energy and love to do things but than again I also enjoy cocooning (with the right company) and not leaving the house for a while (need I say more ….). I have found that I need a challenge, if it's not in my work it will be in sport or in a relation (or a combination of the three). Some friends of mine get very tired just thinking of it but I don't see it that way. Ever since I got divorced in a previous lifetime I have been like this. In sports I did world championship sailing, European championships jet-ski's, motorbike racing, raced Porsches for 14 years, dirt bikes and classic car races. Now I have taken up Polo (this year) and I need to learn a lot, I'm still a Polo virgin and my butt still hurts every time I finish a couple of hours of practice.

I have taken up Polo after I missed the thrill that racing Porsche brought me. I find Polo as exciting and challenging as driving on the edge of Europe's famous tracks.

I tried Golf in between but I was bored with that. I even got kicked off the most prestigious Golf Course in The Netherlands because I was carrying a baseball bat in my bag.

According to the marshal I was only allowed 14 clubs, and when I pointed out that I had 14 clubs (and a Baseball bat) he was not amused. He did however ask me what I needed it for, so needless to say I gave him a demo (hahahaha he walked right into that one). My swing was dramatic (even after many lessons) so after many screwed up swings I would stick the big umbrella in the ground and put a golf ball on top, take the baseball bat and swing. Nearly all of the time I would have a perfect line to the green. Again he was not amused and I was kicked off and blacklisted. You see this is where the ‘Rebel' in me comes out!

Q: We understand you like to cook. Do you have a signature dish that always wins women over?
I have a few dishes that (luckily) impress my female guests. One of them is my famous (among friends) 12 ingredients salad. It's a salad without lettuce but with lots of other things.

And there is a dish that I love to make; Veal with fresh Gorgonzola cheese sauce with Pomme Duchesse, Haricots Vert and Broccoli.

Q: Champagne, oysters, flirting and sex are among your other interests. Any tips for the less fortunate flirters out there?
The tip is very simple but very difficult to achieve. Just be yourself. Do not try to be the Mr. or Ms. Perfect that you think your date is looking for.

Because suppose you succeed that one evening, you may fail on one of the next. So don't put to much energy into something that isn't going to work in the long run.

Be honest to yourself and your date.

One other thing!!! Men are known to go for looks, but boys be very aware that women are even more into looks, just different ones. They will look at your hands and nails. Is there hair coming out of your nose and ears, eyebrows, lips etc. And boy are they relentless in their opinion (can't blame them, I'm the same). So pay attention to yourself and your looks. Dress smart and do not overdress. Pay attention to details match the styles. If you don't know how, get advice!

Q: In your opinion, what's the single worst mistake people make when it comes to dating?
In a word ‘expectations'! The biggest mistake is going on a date thinking or hoping (depending on your feelings) for a certain outcome. That way the chance that you will be yourself is very slim because you will try to work your way to achieve the expectations, thus probably neglecting your date. When I go on a date I too have an expectation but mine is very simple, and I make it very clear from the start. Like I say during the projects I run ‘lets KIS' (Keep It Simple). Oh yes, my expectation …. ‘to have a good time.' That is all. Even though it could be a ‘one off' date or the start of …….. (fill in the blanks), as long as you both have a great time with lots of laughter you will walk away with a good feeling and maybe a promise to meet another time.

Q: Most inspiring book, movie or person?
Yes several! James Dean for me is like a role model. Not that I copied him, I was too young to know about him. In a later phase of my life I learned about him and found the similarities between us. Being that way did (I realize now) made my life more difficult than it needed to be. But than again it did bring me the extra challenges that got me where I am now. So was it good or bad, who's to say!

Most inspiring book: There is one that wins hands down, and that is the Celestine Prophecy. That books tell about the struggle between people, all for energy. It talks about the behavior the people display in order to get energy (positive and or negative) to feed their own needs. I have had my share of these people in my life and now (after reading the book years ago) I recognize the different types and choose to interact of ignore them.

Most inspiring movie: The one where I forget all about the movie and only concentrate on the girl with me.

Q: Do you think attitudes toward singles are different in Europe than in America and, if so, how?
Well not having been stateside (yet) I can give a very objective answer to this question. I have met a lot of people from NYC but than again I don't think NYC is representative of America, I tend to see NYC more of a part of Europe in America than American. However with the chance of pissing a lot of people off, I will try and give an answer.

Europe is a continent with a hundred or so different countries, so needless to say a lot of different views on everything. And I mean everything. If I take a look at Western Europe I notice that maybe up to 40% of the population is single or lives alone (Living Apart Together) with a relationship. So the going out by yourself for a meal or a coffee is quite normal. I find it very easy to get in contact with people whereever I am and I don't mind sitting down with a magazine or a paper and have a glass of wine. So I would say that in the modern cities of Europe its very normal to be single. You are not looked upon as being pathetic or having a problem if you are enjoying a drink by yourself.

As for America, well like I said can't really make a comparison, I hope you can after reading my comments on how it's like on this side of the pond.

Q: Favorite restaurant or bar to go to solo?
Well I can name a couple but they would all be outside the US because that is where my playground is.

In Dubai you need to go to the Plastik Beach Club, Buddha Bar, Bar 44 (champagne bar at 220 meter height), Raffles, Barasti Bar, 360, Club Trilogy, Apres Bar, The Agency and The Rooftop. In Amsterdam it would be the Supper Club, Jimmy Woo, Sing Sing, Nomads, Vine and lots of others. In London Vanilla, Kingly Club, Detroit, Hakkasan. In Brussels it would be Belga Queen and Archiduc. In St. Tropez it's Nicky Beach, Club 55, Papagayo Club and I could go on for a while so I will leave it at this, ok?

Q: Words to live by?
Words???? Words are easy and I don't do easy. It's the actions that count!

I have two mottos that I live by. Actually if you look at them they could be merged seamlessly. They are: You can only regret the things you HAVE done and, the second and probably the most important of the two, Live off the edge of the cliff, because nowhere else is the view so spectacular.

Q: What do you love most about being single?
Jeeezzzz, again a simple question but the answer needs some explaining.

Being single has its pro's and cons (like nearly everything in life). The pro's are you can do what you want to do at the time you want to do it. In Holland (yes I'm Dutch) we have a famous soccer player that is well know for his sayings and one of them was ‘every disadvantage has an advantage' and the one I just mentioned is just one of them.

Yes it's great to do what you want when you want but in lots of cases it's more fun to share things with loved ones. It gives it just that extra bit!

Don't get me wrong, I love the single life. Being able to do my own thing in my own space. When I have a girlfriend we can be together when we want and be in our own separate spaces when we feel like it. Does that make sense??? J

Q: Any other words of advice?
What I find of the utmost importance is to listen to your inner voice. If it is saying it ain't right, well chance are that it isn't. So don't ignore the built in warning system!