Valentine's Day - Personal Experience

It was Valentine's Day last Thursday & I can't help remembering the most memorable Valentine that I had with my husband - then boyfriend. It was so hillarious that I never doubted that the story will be told & repeated even after we're old and grey. Since becoming an item some years back, I was complaining for the lack of romantic gesture. Not a single stalk of flower, card or gift. I even remembered telling myself, "well what do you expect from a stingy china-man!" (no offence to the other romantic Chinese men out there). So it came with a great surprise when I receive my first flower bouquet... Except, there were 2 problems... 1. It is a floral arrangement on a small rectangular plastic container of some sort (the type you'd get when visiting a patient with a "Get Well Soon" sign stuck in the middle of the foliage 2. they are Yellow small petal Chrysanthemums (the type the Chinese normally bring along to the grave / temple as offerings when they pray) As you can imagine, I wasn't that pleased... But he had such a clueless look on his face; still grinning proudly as if he'd completed such a commendable task that I didn't know whether to cry in frustration or laugh at the ridiculous situation I was presented. I can never imagine the first real flowers from my boyfriend would be the Chrysanthemum. This is more disasterous that the plastic flowers that my dad bought for my mum. I was torn between telling him off or accepting the flowers that is still in his hands graciously. Finally I took the flowers (with the green sponge holding the flower stems still soaked with water that slightly spill out of the container) half laughing asking what on earth made him chose this flower & this arrangement. His answer was... "It is my first time at the florist. I just ask her I need some flowers & she gave me this". A smile was plastered on my face & in that split seconds, my imaginary hand was slapping at my forehead (my physical hands are soaked wet juggling the floral arrangement so as not to wet the whole floor, remember?) & the only thing that ran across my mind was - "which cave did this guy come from? Didn't he watch any movies / serial / show that gives him even a clue of what flowers to girlfriend should look like? & who's that stupid florist who didn't bother to ask to whom the flowers was for / for what occassion? - remind me NEVER to visit that florist in PD again! Jeez!" Indeed, these were my thoughts in that split second... Though for the life of me I can't imagine how I can think of that much in such a short time, but I did!... Well... at least he tried... After that incident, I have stopped having any fantasies about having 999 stalks of red roses proclaiming undying love or heart shaped chocolates nestled in a bouquet of daisies or a set of Valentine's couple's T-Shirt. Some people tell me, "well at least you can be assured no other women in her right mind would want a guy who send her flowers for the grave - so you're saved from potential mistress problems"... haha... But the practical side of me is telling me - Valentine's Day is just like any other day. As long as he treats me right, there's mutual respect, we're happy & most importantly we love each other despite staying apart most of the week (he works in PD, whilst I'm in KL); Valentine's Day or not, it's no longer important. Though the emotional side of my feminine side is saying "Yeah right... I still like my FLOWERS!" So to all the women with similar clueless partners... Long live our patience & unlimitted understanding. May our men folks finally learn the art of being romantic without being a Casanova! Amen! Happy Valentines!