Valentine is when people go pink all over; everyone except the average driver on the Delhi roads. He always sees red. Younger of the species are most affected and in the illusion to attain love, people go buying just about anything and still argue that money can?t buy happiness, love, etc.
So, what is it exactly that is happening around this festival of ?lurve?? Well without getting into too much history, it commemorates the Saint Valentine and celebrates the feeling of fondness. People renew their vows, remind each other of the love between and many even use his day to kick start things!
But mush aside, most like me use this day to do some damage control ? for important occasions forgotten and those I will be inevitably be forgetting in the coming year! I mean it isn?t exactly a ?festival? with half the emotions of Diwali or Ganesh Chaturthi; rather materialistic this one what with all the pink cards and the dinner packages. So my point is why argue it and why not instead play along!
Wooing with wine, all?s fine; wooing with beer, oh dear! That is what years of marriage can do to someone. As for me, every Valentine?s I renew my vows to stay single and love myself and pamper myself with the best thing to have happened to grape juice.
What kind of a place you choose is an important decision. Butter chicken-cuisine is best avoided. You don?t want to have the food linger on longer than the kiss. Try to stick to continental type repasts, the kind where you can eat with cutlery and don?t end up wiping your hands on her dress. Choose ambient fine-dining over plush hotels. You have to show that money is no objective; and to make sure you can deliver such statements get yourself a personal loan ? they give them out all the time on phone nowadays!
Next order champagne; you could buy the most expensive red wine but unless you are courting a wine critic, the whole point would be lost. Champagne is the blonde bombshell of the wine world ? when they are smart and sassy they are great; but even when you don?t understand them you are still pretty happy getting some. Red wines and white wines are excellent but don?t rate high on the score factor with most ?laideez? so save yourself the French course to order some Ch?teau mumbo-jumbo, just ask for some ?shampoo? (slang for champagne).
Another thing that works for Valentine?s is ros?. Nothing makes a woman?s cheeks flush like a glass of blush. Choose one that is a hint sweet and fizzy and you have a silent but deadly weapon at hand. Portugal has quite a few versions and one I have seen of late is called Pink Elephant but a Mateus ros? is still a great number.
But the moral remains: money can?t buy you love. It can buy you a good time and great company and a little more money can get you high enough to not know the difference.
The writer is a sommelier