情人节快乐！Happy Valentine's Day! The Loves and s about it... and stories

rich

February 13, 2008, 09:37 PM posted in General Discussion

情人节快乐! (qíngrénjié kuàilè sweetheart-festival happy) I assume there will be a lesson about this today, but wanted to wish everyone a happy Valentine's day, even if you kind of don't really care for it as I am right now... ha ha. Thought I would see what you are all doing for it around the world, if anything. I will just have my Chinese oral class as usual. Any good Chinese-related 情人节 stories out there? My only really weird Valentine's day in general, (other than getting weird responses from Chinese s, friends and teachers alike, from saying 情人节快乐 as freely as we do in th States, which isn't right) took place in China, and is one V day I won't soon forget. In February 2005, after celebrating Chinese New Year in Taiwan, I went to Hong Kong since I never been. An American happened to live in GuangZhou that I was put in touch with the previous summer by her aunt who lived in my hometown, Boise, Idaho (you know, when you tell someone you live in China or study Chinese, and that person you don't know says, "Oh, then you must know Jim/Jane who lives in China! If not, you must get in touch with him/her.") and chatted a bit but not much, yet told her I was going to HK and she said, "Hey we could meet up and I can show you around." So we do, and that in general is just kind of an uncomfortable experience since there was no interest in each other or whatever. So it's some evening in February, as I am clueless what date it is going from both solar and lunar calendars, and she decides to take me to Victoria Peak. So we go to the Island and I realize that it wasn't just any night... lots of people out and about dressed up. When we get to the trolly to go to the top, it hit me.... in line that was backed up out the the street, were nothing but couples, with s holding flowers, balloons and stuffed teddy bears. Ugh... it's Valentine's day! Very uncomfortable at this point, and then to make matters worse, this says to me after waiting in line a while, "You know, this is the first time I spent Valentine's with a guy." as apparently none of her boyfriends lasted to this part of the year. No idea what to resopnd to that, as I couldn't say the same. And then when we did get up to the peak, ALLLLL the restaurants and places were decorated for V day, and restaurants had a minimum limit of 200 HKD per couple. Everyone else, it seems were a couple, so even more uncomfortable was if I should pay for the whole meal or what... Moral of the story: Don't got go out on V-day. But anyhoo... Cpod Staff and CPoddies, 情人节快乐!