Lazy today. Raisu Omu (Rice Omelette) tonight.
My co-worker Erol lent me this DVD. I'll be watching it sometime this week. Ok, my food is getting cold.
A few words on Valentines Day. Happy Valentines Day all. I hope it is as happy as each and everyone of your Wednesdays. I was never too hot on the idea of a holiday dedicated to love and romance. In fact, February the 14th used to be known as "The feast of St. Valentine" but apparently became associated with romantic love some time in the Middle Ages. At least, that's what I read. What you should be asking is, what is Lupercalia? The holiday for warding off bad spirits. To me, Valentines is a lot like church. Much like how some people need church to stay grounded, regardless of the loopholes, people must need a dedicated day to feel particularly romantic despite openly acknowledging that it's just a big commercial event. Not to mention how many sad singles I usually see on this day. I used to go buy roses from the farmers market and give them out to single women at school. It was personally gratifying but the ways their faces would light up was precious. Where was I? Church. Right. Just like I feel one can remain spiritual without eating blessed stale wafers and drinking germ infested community wine, one can and should be romantic throughout the year without having all the focus set on one day. And why this day? You've already got anniversaries, birthdays, and the such. Was everyone so busy that they had to set aside one day just for romantic love? Is there no romance in the lives of busy couples? Maybe I'm just living in a sheltered world where there really isn't time for romance in relationships. If I'm wrong though, wouldn't you trade the singular romantic extravaganza that is Valentines Day for many romantic moments and memories throughout the year? And besides, romance is a plate best served with surprise. Speaking of plates, if we can bring back the feast part of the holiday, call me converted. I guess that's what a Valentines Day dinner might be. But feast to me is a big table of people and giant turkey legs. And gravy. Lots and lots of gravy.
One last thing! One of my favorite side stories about Valentines Day is about how it's celebrated in Japan. On this day, only the women send gifts such as chocolates. The men are not expected to recipricate at all. However, one month later on March the 14th on what is known as White Day, it is then the man's turn to return the favor's received on Valentines Day. Valentines Day was imported by a Japanese confectionery company in 1958. White Day was believe to be started by a marshmallow company in the 60s. Valentines Day is the more popular day. Why Mayhaps? Mayhaps it is Western Culture's influence. Mayhaps women have romance on the mind more than men. Mayhaps, mayhaps. Final word: if you're gonna be romantic, don't just do it one day of the year. Surprise your special person all the time. It's fun and it's much more romantic.
2 comments:
Here in Korea, it's actually the other way around: they call it Omu Rice (오무 라이스 - O Mu Ra Eye Suh).
They have the whole Valentine's Day and White Day thing here as well.
There's nothing wrong with Valentine's day, so long as it's in addition to all of the other stuff you said. You can have different levels of "surprises" and other gestures throughout the year and do something special on Valentine's day as well. It's really only a problem when people go all out on this one day thinking that that can somehow compensate for not doing much on the other 364 days.
Understanding that it's just a big commercial enterprise and that there's nothing intrinsically special about the 14th of Feb., we'll often wait until the weekend to go out and celebrate when getting reservations at restaurants isn't crazy.
It might be Omu Raisu. =P
Yeah, I guess my main gripe is those who use the day to compensate for the other 364. I do think that there is (in my observations) an overwhelming pressure and fixation associated with it which is not good. Maybe that happens more so to those who are in a rush to compensate since it's their one big chance of the year (well maybe besides the Anniversaries and Birthdays, and maybe Christmas if they last). I'm not against doing something special on V-day. I'm just against the idea that one day is dedicated to romantic love instead of all of the days. Special celebrations can happen on the previously stated special days. Valentines Day certainly doesn't compare with those and sadly, it does for many.
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