My Crikey Valentine’s

Food for the Soul
By Calex

For us singletons, Valentine’s Day will either be boring, dreadful or a celebration amongst our single friends. Back in college, I remember being with friends who will give chocolates/roses and have lunch together or even have a karaoke night to commemorate the day. However, this year will be special as I will celebrate it in London with a pre-Valentine’s dinner in a good friend’s flat.
      
Moreover, as Crikey* welcomes me to her flat, which I find surprising since she is very quiet, private and protective, I decided to introduce her to my favorite cuisine of Filipino food composed of: rice, inihaw na liempo, nilasing na hipon, fruit salad and of course, San Miguel Beer imported from the Philippines (available from an Oriental store in Central London). And yes, I will teach her to eat with her hands, or kamayan style so that our dinner will be enjoyable and interesting.
      
Crikey was the same girl I met in a gay club back in NYE (New Year’s Eve) party to welcome 2009. Introduced to me by another good friend, a Dutch girl now taking her Master’s in Brunel. Crikey was the first girl I have ever fell so hard for, hard enough to make my ‘coming-out’ a bit easier for self-acceptance.
       
British, 5’4”, light blonde, jaw-length hair who loves to wear dresses, a femme in short. Being an observer, once I laid my eyes on her, I knew this girl is smart and interesting, coupled with hotness factor that I always look for. Actually, I never thought that I will be able to meet someone from Nottingham (East Midlands), and educated in Oxford. Of course, we will all have varying tastes, but it’s always good to be in search of someone who is astig!

Nottingham is a city within the county of Nottinghamshire (located in East Midlands, 2 hours away from London) holds a special place in my heart. Having lived and studied here for my master’s, it is a small town with 300,000 people. Coming from Manila, the place is incomparable, but the friendly people, the transport accessibility, the student life is bar none.

Moreover, the place taught me to grow up and prioritize my studies and my life. After all, that was what I came for—the experience to be independent and mature, something that the comforts of home will never offer. 

As always, I keep praying for a good night, and I am keeping an open mind of what’s to happen. Praying hard it wouldn’t be cancelled as I am starting to make my preparations in buying the ingredients I need. Moreover, I am thinking of giving red roses (this being her favorite color and if ever this snowy weather allows vendors to sell such) or invite her to watch Valentine’s Day in one of my cheesy moments to enjoy a good film (having last seen Yaya and Angelina with a friend in Greenhills).
      
Now, I am proud to say that even if I have previously lived in the UK for 17 months, you can never take away the Filipino in me, even if I am 75% Chinese. The traits of being hospitable, generous and caring are some characteristics that will be culturally inherent to us Filipinos. Definitely, this will be a different Valentine’s Day from the 25 years of my existence. How February 11, 2010 turns out shall not disappoint me. No love lost, perhaps more trust and confidence gained, or even a night of romantic bliss.
      
No matter how organized we are, in life:

There are no classes in life for beginners;
right away you are always asked to deal with what is most difficult.

RAINER MARIA RILKE 

Nevertheless, I am keeping my fingers crossed and we shall party the night away on the 13th at Shoreditch, East London. Whether, I end up with her or someone else, this is the night I shall not forget for a long time. Happy Valentine’s, everyone! 

Crikey* is a codename I used for this girl since this is her favorite expression. Simply, it means, surprise!

Calex now lives in London since arriving towards the end of 2009. She is still looking to embark on her writing/PR career, while juggling temporary work to keep her afloat. You can reach her at jombag_13@hotmail.com.

SELECTED BIBLIOGRAPHY
Brainyquote, 2010. Rainer Maria Rilke. http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/r/rainer_maria_rilke.html