Say ‘Ahhh’ for Jonathan

2000 > Australia

You want pearly whites? See this man.

the close-up!
John drives on the left
A real Aussie always eats Vegemite in the morning
Yes, he even eats Vegemite!

Once I figured out who he was (at first, I though he was the
Devil who I’d partied with the week before), Jonathan turned out to be the
coolest dentist I’ve ever met.

Yes, like an amazingly large percentage of my present friends,
I met him via my website. Also, like so many of my web-met friends, he wasn’t
the most comfortable telling his other friends how we’d met. Kinda funny that
there is still a stigma associated with meeting someone virtually first.

Anyway, there I was with Jonathan, chilling in his hometown of
Wollogong, Australia. He’d invited me down for a night of drinking at the aptly
named "Uni Bar" on the campus of the local university. Also in town
that night was a friend of a friend, this low-English knowledge Italian guy who
did not conform at all to the Italian Stallion, lover-boy stereotype.

The three of us managed to talk to several girls, in declining
appearance, until I found myself talking to a Australian version of the Wicked
Witch of the West, nose wart and all. That capped it for us, and we
scooted home asap.

The next day, dawning bright and clear, had John peering into
my mouth with powerful pneumatic tools, which I was glad he was trained and
experienced in using. Thanks again for the check-up, but our friendship
plateaued when you brought out the drill. It’s hard for me to bond with a man
whose job is to inflict pain.

Still, if you are ever on the East coast of Australia, grab a
piece of white cardboard, a marker, and spell it correctly: Wollogong. Your
smile will be glad you hitched there, as will the seagulls by the best fish
& chips shop in Australia.