Matchmaker, Matchmaker, Find Me a Match Online

Either the entire universe is trying to tell me something, or it's just gone crazy.

I received this in my inbox the other day:

Dear Friends,

I'm pleased to announce the launch of a matchmaking site for people of Indian origin in the U.S. as well as in India. The site is called NYdidi.com; the didi is me and, well, you know what NY is. NYdidi speaks to the Indian population by combining tradition with the modern, allowing the old India to meet the new reality.

If you know someone who is single, will you forward this email to them? The site is still in the BETA testing stage. We would like to extend a one year membership as a thank you to friends who join as founding members. We need their feedback.

So just head to www.NYdidi.com, take a personality test, sign-up, have fun and let me know what you think through our "Contact Us" page. I think you'll appreciate the warm, secure and fun site I've created.*

*Welcome to NYdidi! *
*I wish you a life filled with love and laughter*,

Register <http://nydidi.com/user/register> at NYdidi.com

I haven't even gotten to my online dating fiascos!!! Stop, NYDidi! You're moving way too fast for me. How can I address such an Indian-specific site with such a cooky name when my readers don't even know about my even more bizarre experiences yet?

Let me preface this by saying that I fully intend to "beta-test" NYDidi.com, although I've just about had it with beta-testing (doing some of my own and work-related and it was not easy). I think Didi has good intentions and some interesting ideas (like a small "party" held last week to get people started with the process), and obviously she wants to update the traditional Indian matchmaking process. But there are a few things I wondered about.

First, using your own name in an matchmaking service doesn't seem so wise. Especially when your name in Hindi means "sister." I'm not sure how appealing logging into "NYSister" to find a date/soulmate will be.

Second, I question the description of this site as a "matchmaking" service. Only bored and nosy relatives will create profiles for their respective, apparently dying-of-loneliness loved ones. Not to mention that those of us who were either born here or spent their childhoods/vast majority of their lives here are not so open to this kind of matchmaking. "Online dating" would attract a greater population.

Third, what does "allowing the old India to meet the new reality" mean? I'm not so sure how this speaks to someone like me. I'm neither old India, nor do I need it to meet a new reality, since my reality is the only one I know and I don't consider it to be new. Immature interpretation? Sure. But I'm sure it will make sense to some of you as well.

Will beta-test and return with more insight. In the meantime, I'll also detail some harrowing and not-so-harrowing experiences from Match.com. Stay tuned.