Where are the Flowers?
14th February 2006, Tuesday
If I am not wrong it was on this day back in 1941 when the Imperial Japanese Army invaded Singapore during the 2nd World War which still sent the older generations who had experienced the dark era into unsurpass incense..but 65 years into the future, we celebrate the money-sapping business propoganda known as Valentine's Day...
St. Valentine's Day has a strong Catholic influence to it, therefore originated from Rome and widespread in Europe during the Medieval era and it was only crossed the Atlantic ocean to North America when the day involves exchanging of vows of love and adorations on cards and also other gifts, most notably chocolates. It spawned into a day which retailers and corporates targetting vulnearable females to the latest fad which in return resulted in their poor soulmates having to spend money and effort to conjure some innovative yet lavish celebrations, to out-do one another... a big problem shrouding the society as it gets more sophisticated...
I'm not anti-V day and I had been celebrating it for the past 5 years since I met my girl; it's just that it is something that could do without as we had already enough dates on the calendars to be in concern with (anniversaries, birthdays, X'mas just to name a few).
Our celebrations for the last few years always seemed to involve the "movie-dinner" axis.
The movie part is okay as V-day is never a public holiday thus not jacked-up price from the cineplexes but the dinner is always the crux of it all...
It is always mind-boggling to think of a place that would outdo the previous one yet not resulting a crater in your wallet...
You had to make reservation weeks before as well for those "hotspots" such as my bistro/cafe for this year, "My Secret Garden" which received such overwhelming response that only those bothered to dropby to pay a $50 deposit is guaranteed a slot..or in retrospect, it could be a ploy by the cafe to make them look so much in high demands so that you would not actually cancel the reservation at the last minute when you find somewhere else better.
I had some unpleasant experiences during V-day dinner in the past including an order of 4 "chibi (tiny)"-sized soft shell crab for a friggin' $20 at Akira family restaurant in Emerald Hill as well as feeling hungry after the entire dinner line-up in both Rosette & Jack's Place the last couple of year which did not justify the money I had forked out; therefore this year I truly hope to have a sumptous yet filling dinner...
I had stopped giving my lass flowers since last year on her request (YES!!) as a measly 3 stalks (which I usually get for the meaning "I Love You") would already mustered a good $30 on this very day which in the end would be well-withered and returned to mother nature unless you made into dry petals as air refresheners...I surely pity the sucker who order 999 roses now...
In fact I could forsee the demand of such superficial gifts as flower waning over the years as local women had became more practical and would be only interested in something much more lasting ...like let's say diamonds... *GULP*
This is evident that i see no lady carrying no flowers on the train and street on the way to work thus far...
Being perhaps the world worst miser, I had always tried to scrimp in terms of buying gifts...
My first V-day gift to her is a pair of Hello Kitty/Dear Daniel plushies from McDonald's fast food which I got for free anyway as a ex-neighbour of mine worked in one of the outlet...
I couldn't remember the gifts for the next 3 years or so except a bracelet she insisted I get for her which in the end she lost it while working part time in a local cafe franchise as a waitress...
Even the 2 books I bought for her last year was from a $50 voucher for Acmabooks my supervisor gave us each as a reward for our hard work the year before...
I know I am a darn cheapskate, but didn't I already spent a huge sum on the dinner?
Well this year to reward my wife-to-be somethig of more substance to make up for a non-existent X'mas present which she promised would require quite a hefty sum... *cold sweat rolling down my cheeks*
As for the people around me, only couples of certain age bracket would actually celebrate this occasion with the likes of Ferris, Bobby and CS all ready to indulge on their other halves' request and perhaps the latter just need to spend more QUALITY TIME...
As for people like Matthew, he said he is always busy and dinner would be resolved at the hawker centers and Vincent on the past Saturday warned me not to mention the word "V-day" in front of his wife as it would lead to some unwanted repurcussions on his side...Meanwhile Tay-chan would just try to find business opportunity for the occasion, bringing in V-day related toys and novelty items to make a windfall.
My lass told me to uphold this celebration even years into our marriage which means more mind-boggling sessions to find an ideal place to dine in the future...
If I am not wrong it was on this day back in 1941 when the Imperial Japanese Army invaded Singapore during the 2nd World War which still sent the older generations who had experienced the dark era into unsurpass incense..but 65 years into the future, we celebrate the money-sapping business propoganda known as Valentine's Day...
St. Valentine's Day has a strong Catholic influence to it, therefore originated from Rome and widespread in Europe during the Medieval era and it was only crossed the Atlantic ocean to North America when the day involves exchanging of vows of love and adorations on cards and also other gifts, most notably chocolates. It spawned into a day which retailers and corporates targetting vulnearable females to the latest fad which in return resulted in their poor soulmates having to spend money and effort to conjure some innovative yet lavish celebrations, to out-do one another... a big problem shrouding the society as it gets more sophisticated...
I'm not anti-V day and I had been celebrating it for the past 5 years since I met my girl; it's just that it is something that could do without as we had already enough dates on the calendars to be in concern with (anniversaries, birthdays, X'mas just to name a few).
Our celebrations for the last few years always seemed to involve the "movie-dinner" axis.
The movie part is okay as V-day is never a public holiday thus not jacked-up price from the cineplexes but the dinner is always the crux of it all...
It is always mind-boggling to think of a place that would outdo the previous one yet not resulting a crater in your wallet...
You had to make reservation weeks before as well for those "hotspots" such as my bistro/cafe for this year, "My Secret Garden" which received such overwhelming response that only those bothered to dropby to pay a $50 deposit is guaranteed a slot..or in retrospect, it could be a ploy by the cafe to make them look so much in high demands so that you would not actually cancel the reservation at the last minute when you find somewhere else better.
I had some unpleasant experiences during V-day dinner in the past including an order of 4 "chibi (tiny)"-sized soft shell crab for a friggin' $20 at Akira family restaurant in Emerald Hill as well as feeling hungry after the entire dinner line-up in both Rosette & Jack's Place the last couple of year which did not justify the money I had forked out; therefore this year I truly hope to have a sumptous yet filling dinner...
I had stopped giving my lass flowers since last year on her request (YES!!) as a measly 3 stalks (which I usually get for the meaning "I Love You") would already mustered a good $30 on this very day which in the end would be well-withered and returned to mother nature unless you made into dry petals as air refresheners...I surely pity the sucker who order 999 roses now...
In fact I could forsee the demand of such superficial gifts as flower waning over the years as local women had became more practical and would be only interested in something much more lasting ...like let's say diamonds... *GULP*
This is evident that i see no lady carrying no flowers on the train and street on the way to work thus far...
Being perhaps the world worst miser, I had always tried to scrimp in terms of buying gifts...
My first V-day gift to her is a pair of Hello Kitty/Dear Daniel plushies from McDonald's fast food which I got for free anyway as a ex-neighbour of mine worked in one of the outlet...
I couldn't remember the gifts for the next 3 years or so except a bracelet she insisted I get for her which in the end she lost it while working part time in a local cafe franchise as a waitress...
Even the 2 books I bought for her last year was from a $50 voucher for Acmabooks my supervisor gave us each as a reward for our hard work the year before...
I know I am a darn cheapskate, but didn't I already spent a huge sum on the dinner?
Well this year to reward my wife-to-be somethig of more substance to make up for a non-existent X'mas present which she promised would require quite a hefty sum... *cold sweat rolling down my cheeks*
As for the people around me, only couples of certain age bracket would actually celebrate this occasion with the likes of Ferris, Bobby and CS all ready to indulge on their other halves' request and perhaps the latter just need to spend more QUALITY TIME...
As for people like Matthew, he said he is always busy and dinner would be resolved at the hawker centers and Vincent on the past Saturday warned me not to mention the word "V-day" in front of his wife as it would lead to some unwanted repurcussions on his side...Meanwhile Tay-chan would just try to find business opportunity for the occasion, bringing in V-day related toys and novelty items to make a windfall.
My lass told me to uphold this celebration even years into our marriage which means more mind-boggling sessions to find an ideal place to dine in the future...
Japanese word of the day: 空腹 (Hungry) I really wonder does it mean that a couple indulging in romantic V-day dinner need not be fed properly?
posted by Kei at
1:54 PM
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