happy valentine's day

in most years, valentine's day fall on a weekday (ie. a school day or work day). this year is no exception - it's good, you don't have to worry about how to spend the day, or where to go to... just bury in work and soon, it's dinner time.

i've learnt from my past "mistakes" - NEVER attempt to have a quiet pampering dinner alone in town on this day! remember 2 - 3 years ago, i wanted to give myself a dinner treat at some lavish restaurant on valentine's day.... thinking i didn't have to hide at home in a cold corner just because S. is not here with me. so i took a bus down to orchard road after work... BIG mistake. after walking around aimlessly for close to 2 hours, trying my luck from one restaurant to another, i decided to just buy a miserable mini bread loaf from breadtalk, and make my way back home sweet home. that year, i had one of the most miserable valentine's day. seeing couples kissing and snuggling, hugging huge bouquets of flowers, teddy bears etc., just didn't make things better. so i've learnt my lesson. since then, i've always headed straight home right after work, on valentine's day.

this year, i broke the trend - i had a date, a special one. it's carolyn's birthday, and she invited the girls together for a cozy all-girls dinner tonight at a thai restaurant (yhingthai). well, not all of us are single/ unattached, mind you - sherie's a married mum (her hubby's in military re-service this week), carolyn kept receiving calls after calls from all different boy-friends throughout the dinner *wink*, tanny's bf paced up and down the walkway outside our restaurant for almost 2 hours, waiting for her to finish dinner (the restaurant had glass windows, you see), and then there's livia and me. we had lots of fun chit-chatting, sharing pictures, joking, making plans for next gathering, enjoying the food - btw, the food was yummilicious! we had mango salad, olive rice, fried crispy fish, spicy thai string beans, tom yum soup, chicken in thai green curry. it's very fun, girl's night out on valentine's day.... best of all, we avoided the terrible crowd in the hot spots in town :)

came home and mum asked with a cheeky smile, whether i was out celebrating valentine's day. hmmm... i guess i did celebrate this day, and had fun too - just not with a guy. did i receive flowers? nope, but my colleague sitting right next to my desk received a HUGE bouquet of lilies today that made the entire office smell flowery sweet. so i guess all of us got to share some elements of that bouquet somehow.

valentine's day is a day worth celebrating, a day to share love and little loving gestures.... but it sure is NOT the only day to do so. this may sound cliche (and you know it most probably comes from someone who doesn't get to enjoy the luxuries of spending the day with her loved one).... love shouldn't be expressed only on valentine's day, love shouldn't be measured by the amount of money spent, the size of bouquet received, the price on that dinner menu. love is not taking each other for granted; and valentine's day is just an additional reminder to not forget to appreciate your other half.

before i go on penning more and more philosophical doctrines, i better stop here.
wishing one & all, a very happy and enjoyable valentine's day.

happy valentine's day, dar!
also, happy birthday carolyn!