Valentine's Day

February 14th.

Sometimes I wonder if this day was created by the greeting card and flower industries, what with how overly commercialized things have become.

Hallmark AGM, 1200 A.D:

"Business down. We need to do something to boost sales."

"I know, why don't we take advantage of man's perpetual neglect of woman, and create a day that will instill so much guilt in him to make him buy her cards, flowers and mountain-goat droppings wrapped in sweet syrup?" (Dear readers: real chocolates had not yet been invented)

Not that I have anything against presents, flowers and chocolates. After all, I've been known to pamper people who mean something to me with these. But my thinking is, if that someone's special enough, why show her/him only on that particular day?

Also, there's got to be something wrong with the system when one starts expecting presents and flowers (which on that day, can cost RM10 per rose. Something I discovered to my utter horror in Form 5)

My favourite picks? Probably not very creative or original:

A dozen roses. Champagne or peach-coloured

Chocolate-dipped strawberries

A nice dinner, with nice wine (Riesling, probably)