Women want men, not misers! I’m more than certain that when God told Adam that after eating the forbidden fruit, his punishment was that he would sweat and tire for the good of his family, He meant it. Just because this happened like a billion years ago doesn’t mean we should ignore it now. That was meant for any man who has ever walked the planet. Some men are funny, when it comes to women trying to do something in a male dominated field, they think she is misplaced and should stick to being a woman. Whatever that means! Then when it comes to paying expenses, we should throw all that out the window and act like the independent and emancipated woman that we are. They are quick to throw their superiority in your face; I just wish they could show this superiority in every aspect of life. And I base this on the rate at which men are asking women for financial favours. Men are expected to look after the woman (or for some, the women) in their life. God was neither drunk nor half asleep when He stated that. And that includes the single fellows out on a date. If he can’t even foot a simple bill, what happens when babies start rolling in? I find it overwhelmingly odd for a guy to ask a girl out on a date and then pass the bill to her at the end of it after paying for his plate alone. Like seriously? Where does he even look when doing this? At the ceiling? The floor? Pretends to pick a call perhaps? He initiated the date so, man up and pay the damn thing. If not for anything, do it for manhood’s sake. It is called being a gentleman. Yes, I know this is a dying breed but I am confident we can do better. I refuse to accept we are raising kids in a world where men can’t even pay for their girl’s meal. God created man first, so when the bill comes, he should be consistent and grab it first. If a guy insists on this splitting the bill thing, when calling up a girl, let her know of this arrangement. Should he find it even remotely strange to mention, perhaps even embarrassing, there’s your answer right there. If you can’t afford to pay for it, don’t suggest it. It is that simple. Better yet, go to the market, buy enough to whip her up a simple stew and invite her over. Just don’t ask her to reimburse you. editorial@newtimes.co.rw Why not? We all work! What I’m about to say is totally beneficial to the women who believe that they can handle an independent life. So if you think that you’d rather live on a silver spoon provided by the man in your life than work yourself to independence and self satisfaction, I beg you to stop reading now and switch to the right immediately! Gone? Good. I can now start. Let’s start from the genesis of this whole idea of guys having to pay the bill while on a date. In the past, few women used to work. Instead, they would stick around at home knitting clothes and cleaning utensils; that means that few of them had money. So if a guy noticed some girl, he would ask her out and since he was the one with the money, he would definitely be expected to foot the bill. However, things have changed. As many women as men have jobs now. Unfortunately, the issue of men having to pay the whole bill on dates has become an unfair tradition. Those days, it was criminal for a woman to ask a guy out. Look around now; it’s no longer a rule. Women ask guys out now! They are no longer shy to check a guy out, like him and then ask him out on a date. If something as important as that has changed, why don’t we start sharing bills? A friend of mine (names withheld without request), shared with me an escapade he had with a young and gorgeous lady, a media relations officer of some company. My friend says that while he and miss gorgeous were on a date at a five star restaurant, she ordered for the most expensive food on the menu. However, when the food arrived, she toyed around it and only ate 10 per cent of it. When he asked her why she wasn’t eating, she said that she had suddenly lost appetite. Wow! When my friend suggested that they split the bill, she was shocked, acting like she’d been hit by a thunderbolt. When I asked him why he had asked her to share the bill, he said that although he doesn’t enjoy gluttons who stuff food in the mouth with both their hands, he enjoys the company of a woman who has an appetite. Generally, he wasn’t willing to spend on someone who just wastes his money. People keep talking about women emancipation, equal rights and independence; however, if women keep expecting men to pay through their noses all the time, this freedom is going down the drain. Here is the verdict for men: If she insists on paying or at least splitting it, then you’ve got an independent woman. If she lets you pay sometimes and other times get her half, then you have someone slightly traditional but still able to take care of herself. If she lets you pay every time without giving it a second thought, then she is not after you but the money. editorial@newtimes.co.rw
