Friday, February 10, 2006

Valentine's Day's Woes

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My first real experience with Valentine’s Day was a long long time ago. I did get a little something for her but she got me something that was substantially much more expensive that what I got her. Oh my zod…… Over the years I probably crawled to spending on her to about half of what she spent on me. It was a good thing that she never never really expected expensive things from me, otherwise I’d have the chance of a snowman in hell with her, or maybe even less. Had she expected that, we’d part after only a short while since I was simply broke all the time, maklumlah, baru start kerja. So more of things like dining together and inexpensive rubbish.

I forgot about it once when I was with her. A big no no. Took me a month to get her back. She would not talk to me and in the days of no hand phones, it was not easy.

“You ni, I tak pernah kisah what you gave me for Valentine’s Day but you boleh lupa? Murah, mahal, cantik, tak cantik, I tak kisah, yang penting dari you…… How could you lupa?”

I was growing old. I was maybe 25 then, I think that was the only time she got mad at me. Well, almost the only time. Wait, wait, there was one other time when I was late meeting her at The Mall. Tell me, which girl would not go ballistic when she had to wait for 2 hours for her date to show up? Try tailing a beau who is tengah merajuk and would not look at, talk to or acknowledge you. Look at the window display, move on to the next shop. Look at the window display, move on to the next shop. Look at the window display, move on to the next shop. Enter every fourth shop. Even the sales assistant noticed that the silent treatment is being dished out. I got her back in front of the Camel shop on the 3rd floor I think. When courting, you ought to carry an “A+” grade in pujuk memujuk…. A yo yi, I have not been to The Mall in ages. Is it still there?

Now, young guys could be very selfish and insensitive to their partners’ feelings and for a long while I fall right in the center of this category. Tell me ladies, would you be angry if that happened to you or did I just discovered one of the few things that could make her angry? Is it right to expect expensive Valentine’s Day gifts? I guess it is OK but if that put a strain on your partners’ finances, you might not be partners for long.

It doesn’t matter that its origins are deep pagan beliefs. Kalau dah cinta, lautan api sanggup direnang, apakan lagi duit sikit kan? Well, if you want to celebrate it, go aheadlah, there are worse things that I have done in my life and celebrating Valentine’s Day is certainly not the worse. Trust me. I remember writing a few years ago that if it takes a jewish festival for fir trees to profess your love to someone, go ahead and use it.

But seriously, I’m no expert at gifts for my better half. Or to be better halves (better half tak jadi). Ask Lina, she’s got 15 years experience with that.

For starters, dinner would be good. Candlelight. Moonlight. Call TNB and ask them to do that thing with the power supply again and you’ll be assured of either one. Someone said, jewellery will guarantee you of a victory.

Start with someone who will look after the kids. What, you think Valentine’s Day is only for single people aaaaa…..? Hey, the married ones would be more in the know and more romantic tau? But whether it will be carried out is a different matter entirely.

Oh oh, I sense another hair pulling day coming up.

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