Global shades of love

Love is in the air and people from all across the globe, who are in the City, have their own views on Valentine’s Day. While for some, it’s an excuse to be with their partner, for others, it’s just another day. Expatriates in the City talk about their plans for the day.

Brett Younge from Canada and wife Reshma believe that the day is a nice reminder of love. Most often, people are too caught up in their daily schedules and Valentine’s Day comes as a welcome break, they vouch. “It would usually comprise of a nice dinner, a walk together and gifting flowers. We’ve done casual and formal dinners. The day is just about having a lovely time and fun,” he says.

Brett adds that last year, they went out for street food, which they enjoyed having. “We walked hand-in-hand and had dosa, pani puri, momo etc. Since the day falls on weekend this year, I’m hoping it’ll be special too,” he says.

Others like Beate and Hartwig Renninger, a couple from Germany, observe that back home, the day doesn’t have as much planning as it seems to have in the City. “I’ve never heard of ‘Chocolate Day’ and ‘Rose Day’. Here they seem to be a build
up to the grand day, and I’ve never seen this elsewhere,” says Beate.

Beate did her schooling in the USA, and remembers that one would make cards and write letters to their best friends on this day. “But nothing like that is encouraged back home in Germany. Valentine’s Day is a day for expressing love with some nice dinner and flowers and it’s a good excuse to celebrate,” she says. Beate and her family will be visiting the northern part of the country this weekend, and she laughingly adds that this is her ‘Valentine’s gift’.

Some people have unique traditions attached to the day. Mayuka from Japan says that in her country, women make chocolates for their husbands or partners. “They even make them for their male colleagues, male friends and for children,” she elaborates.

Mayuka, who’s been living in the City with husband Eric for two-and-a-half years, says that on one Valentine’s Day, in the City, she had made chocolates with an Indian twist for her husband. “I used some masala to make masala chocolates for Eric. Since
we were in the country, I had to add an Indian flavour to the same. And I hope to make something special for him this year too,” adds Mayuka.

Others like Ema Trinidad, who’s from the Philippines, says that the day is not just about celebrating love between couples.

“It’s about loving oneself and anyone who’s special to one. Also, I’m spending my Valentine’s Day with my children as the day is about expressing love to the ones who are close to you,” she adds.

There are also others who have never thought of the day as a necessity. “I
don’t believe in the day and I have never felt the need to practice it. I will be working on the day as usual,” says Juel Worter, a singer in the City from the USA.

Juel says she’s never given a deep thought about the day.

   “The only Valentine’s Day connection I have is that I will be performing on that day, and there will be a number of romantic numbers on the set list for the day,” she wraps up.