V-Day Disappointments (It’s Not A Happy Season)

Valentines Day happened during Monday of this week. By the time you would be able to read this, Valentines Day would have become a figment of the past. And how I wish to get there sooner.

The truth is, Valentines Day is not light on people who are not in relationships. In fact, it puts a strain on the weak of heart to try to find a date, any date, during that day. But of course, we already know about that… especially if you are like me, who has been single since birth.

I’ve spent twenty-four date-less Valentines in the past, and it seems like it is not getting any easier to cope with. The truth is, when I think about Valentines Day, I think about it as its romanticized self. I think about Valentines and I am automatically brought to a place filled with red cartolina hearts, little images of that imaginary little angel we call cupid, and little pieces of annoying red glitter. These days, Valentines seems to be as generic as the little black dress.

This is exactly why a lot of couples strive to give each other something extraordinary, something “unique”, every time this red-letter day comes along. And therein lays the problem. Valentines Day has been repeated each and every year, thus couples have started to run out of ideas. They have run out of things to surprise their significant others with. They have run out of reasons to pretend to be surprised. They have run out of things to look forward to, and basically, they have run out of gift options. And even though you could always check the internet for new gift ideas, the thing is, if you did not come up with it, is it really your gift?

Is it really a gift, if you are giving it because you feel like you are required by society to do so? My point is familiarity defeats inspiration. Because Valentines Day seems to creep up on our consciousness sooner than we think (each and every year) it has become too familiar. Memories of Valentines-past are still sort of fresh and familiar; and this makes it difficult to actually feel inspired about the day.

So how does this involve me, or any other singleton out there? Simple. We, just like the couples who are running out of V-day ideas, are running out of ways to keep ourselves occupied during this holiday. Trust me, I’ve tried joining the family for V-Day dinner; I felt like a loser. I’ve tried group dating; we all felt like losers. I tried pretending to date a friend for the sake of having a date during V-Day; I felt like a loser and a user. And I’ve agreed to go out with a broke friend who wanted to go out on V-day; I felt like a loser, and felt like I was used.

So the question is, why do we try to imagine ourselves having the time of our lives during Valentines? Why do we set ourselves up for disappointment by expecting an extra-special holiday? Why do we insist that February 14 should be, must be, one of the most special days of the year? Why? I do not know for sure. Maybe we are all just a little too idealistic. But the truth remains that Valentines Day has the ability to make one really, really sad. And even if you are on a date with your loved one; it seems like your expectations are hardly met. Again, Valentines Day has the ability to disappoint us, no matter what we do, no matter who are, and no matter if we are attached or single.

Even the day after Valentines, Single Awareness Day, disappoints me. Do we really need a day to make us aware that we are single? I thought that was what Valentines Day was about! It seems like everything surrounding V-Day is a total pain in the behind. Yes, this may sound like the Confessions of a Bitter Single; but I truly find that for everybody, V-day is a disappointment. How come?

Again, I can not answer that for sure. But I think the reason why we all set ourselves up for disappointment during Feb 14 is because we do not truly understand that Valentines is all about love; all forms, types, levels, and ways of it. It is about being in love, showing love, and feeling love. Valentines Day may be romantic, or it may be friendly. It may be an opportunity to show your love for your child, or parent, or that long lost friend. Valentines Day is all about love in all its wonderful splendour, the type that makes you feel warm and fuzzy inside; and not the one described in all those Hallmark cards. And until you realize that, dear partyphile, your Valentines will be disappointing little messes.

Catch Confessions of a Partyphile (the radio show) every Wednesday evenings from 6 to 9 on 105.9 Mix FM or www.mixfm1059.com. Follow the columnist on twitter.com/zhaun or add facebook.com/confessionsofapartyphile on Facebook. For comments, suggestions, and more confessions from this partyphile, log on to http://party.i.ph

Drink of the Week: Rainy Night

Since we are celebrating National Umbrella Day, I'm giving out a recipe for the Rainy Night. This cocktail recipe is fast and simple, and tastes great too! here is how you make it:

In a shaker, combine:

* Two shots of vodka

* half a shot of dry vermouth

* one shot of lemon juice.

Shake until all the ingredients are combined and strain over your preferred glass.

December 10 is National Umbrella Day

Today is National Umbrella Day! So gather all your friends, put out a garden umbrella, and drink cocktails under the stars. Oh, and don't forget those little cocktail umbrellas.

Davao's Ultimate Partyphile,

Zhaun Ortega

V-Day Gift Suggestions

Valentines Day is just around that heart-shaped corner and everyone is starting to plan about what they’ll do during the day of Hallmark cards and over-priced dinners. It sees like everyone who has ever been in a relationship has received everything in the Valentine’s Day aisle at your friendly neighbourhood department store. This obviously puts some amount of pressure on love birds who prefer to give out unique gifts that would surprise their partner. We all know how heart warming a surprise can be; and this is exactly why everyone seems to be in search of the “best V-Day gift”. Unfortunately, if you are going for the whole element of surprise, you must be really REALLY creative. Trust me, you can’t find anything “surprising” at the mall. And because I know most of you partyphiles are too drunk to think of really creative gift ideas for the season, here are some of my suggestions.

1.) If you know your girl/boyfriends friends, and know their significant others, why not give them a bundled gift like a weekend get-away to some exciting location? For example, you can ask all your girlfriend’s girl friends’ boyfriends to pitch in, and then book a flight for the girls. This will definitely yield shrieks of joy from all the girls, and might just get you lucky on Va-Day. Just remember to book a flight after V-Day so you could wine and dine her on the fourteenth.

2.) Plan a whole day affair with your significant other. Start out by taking them to breakfast at some resort so you could enjoy the sunrise together. Then, enjoy the resort amenities and squeeze in a relaxing massage. Take her back to the city and see a movie together then have dinner at some swanky place. End the night with romance and up the sexy ante in your boudoir with strategically placed flower petals and candles. No matter how materialistic your significant other is, s/he will definitely enjoy the fact that you gave him/her all your time for one day.

3.) Bring on the mush. Write your significant other a poem or a song and put it in a scrapbook with all your favorite photos together. If you aren’t exactly a literary genius, ask all of your significant other’s friends and family to list down the reasons why they love him/her. Then, put it in a scrapbook and attach your own personal message at the end. This should read something like “if all of these people love you because of all these reasons, how can I not?” or something to that effect.

4.) If you are the no-frills type, and your significant other does not really enjoy mush; then you might want to get something practical. Couples shirts are the most common choice, but if you want something a little more unique, you can get couples clocks, couples pillow cases, or maybe even couples underwear. These items may be personalized in several shops in the metro.

5.) Support your partner’s addiction. One of the sweetest thoughts is to know that you significant other knows exactly what you like, and the things and activities you appreciate. Give him/her something s/he can use for her favorite sport or hobby.

Catch Confessions of a Partyphile on the radio every Wednesday evenings, from 6 to 9 on 105.9 mix fm. Follow the columnist at twitter.com/zhaun. For comments, suggestions, and more confessions from this partyphile, log on to http://party.i.ph

Top 5 Ways to Be Lucky in the Party Scene for the Year of the Rabbit

• Because Red is the color of prosperity, order drinks in the color: Red Horse, Red Margarita, Red Ales, Bloody Mary, Singapore Sling, Cosmopolitan, Strawberry Daiquiri—they are all sure to give you luck for the Chinese New Year! More importantly, they are sure to get you drunk.
• For the New Year, think of the phrase “out with the old and in with the new”. Buy some new threads, and give your party closet an overhaul. This will hopefully give you a lot of positive attention in the party scene; and we all know it’s always good to stand out.
• We all know that fruits can give us prosperity and good luck in the Chinese New Year. If you want to get really lucky, make some drunken water melons and apples by scoring holes in the fruits and then pouring vodka inside the hole. Let the alcohol set, slice the fruit and enjoy getting drunk on fruit!
• Share the Good Vibes. If you give out good vibes at the start of the year, it is bound to breed on itself and return to you ten fold.
• Rabbits are known to be meek and mild; so try to be non-confrontational in the party scene. More importantly, try to be as naughty as the rabbit. It would surprise you to know how much better people would treat you after a little flirting in the party scene. Ssssh. But don’t tell anyone I told you!

Drink of the Week: Jack Rabbit

Since we are celebrating the start of the year of the rabbit, I have decided to give out a cocktail named the Jack Rabbit! Here is how you make it:

In a shaker filled half-way with ice, pour:

* Two shots of brandy

* half an ounce of lemon juice

*half an ounce of orange juice

* half an ounce of maple syrup

Shake in a shaker and pour over a martini glass

February 2 is the Start of the Chinese New Year

Welcome to the year of the rabbit, partyphiles! Celebrate the Chinese New Year with a bang by partying with us tonight at Starr for Partyphile Meets The Party Animal! See you at 9 pm!