Single Naija People Never Fear! There Is Hope!

Dear Readers,

I found this URL (www.datenigeriangirls.com) somewhere on blogsville and I was amused by the idea of a Nigerian dating coach. I went to the website to see what gems of information this wannabe was giving. It is one of those "give us your e-mail address and we will get back to you" sites. So, if you were about to head over there to get dating advice then don't bother. Keep reading.

The website got me thinking about Nigerian dating and the ways in which the western world has influenced the whole process of finding a partner. So, I looked to see if there was an online dating site for Nigerians. There is one but the whole site has so few members it is pointless.

Instead I found a website called AfricanLove.com.

You can go there and search on the home page, without signing up, and you will be given a page of about 10 results. If you want to see past the first page, or see any of the profiles in detail, you will have to sign up for a free account.

So, because I currently have some free time at work, I signed up for an account to see who was on there. Alpa Chino if you're reading this, I would never try to replace you! (at least not at this time...ahem). Readers if you don't see me on here for a few days; start searching the Hudson river.


So, all you single Nigerian ladies complaining about Nigerian men not being available, here is a site for you! There are tons and tons of them just "waiting to show you love" and be the "honey for your tea". All you have to do is sign up. Of course we don't know how many of these men are actually single, but to be forewarned is to be forearmed. Also, if you are in a relationship and you sign up on the website (for kicks) and see someone you recognize...well, its better to know the truth isn't it?

After you sign up you can narrow your search down by state in the U.S or just search generally by country. Since the website is named AfricanLove, you will find other nationalities there, but once you sign up for an account you can search solely for Nigerians if you like.

I know I shouldn't laugh at people looking for love, but that website just tickles my funny bone. Some of the descriptions from profiles are just hilarious. See these ones straight from their profiles:

"Try Me Out For A Day You Decide From There" (apparently there is a money back guarantee on this guy)

"Love Is A Crime" (but he is looking for it anyway)

"Cool Freinds and Nice Freinds" (that is how he typed "freinds")

"Be the honey for my tea" (seen multiple times on multiple profiles)

"Believe in yourself" (the motivational date)

"Help Haiti" (Okayy....?)
 

Check it out. You may find someone...or get a good laugh. There are also non-Africans on the site, in case any of you are into other races.

This isn't meant to poke fun at people who use online dating sites--before those people start getting offended. People meet on Match.com and Chemistry.com all the time. So why not try out AfricanLove.com?

I'm off to delete my profile there.

P.S: I think we're getting another snow day tomorrow! Ahh le sigh.

The More Things Change...

On Saturday, in one of our rare moments of "bonding", my mother and I were watching 16 and Pregnant on MTV. My mom got genuinely upset that after years of struggling to give our generation the right to work and have careers, this girl was wasting her opportunities. She basically said that things have changed so much that we should be grateful.


I disagree. I do not believe things are that different from her time. We still have to pick between a career and a home. No matter what society tells us, it is impossible to do both. There is a theory of female advancement dynamics. Barriers are neither created nor destroyed they are simply transferred from one part of society to another. For example; yes we are now allowed to divorce our husbands, but once we divorce the chances of finding his replacement drop significantly because we are divorced.

If you are realistic and honestly think about it, you will agree with me that things may have changed but some basic facts have not. i.e. we can't have both.

Take me for example and imagine this scenario.



Me: I want to become a doctor. I want to go to medical school.
Society: We are so proud of you! Become a doctor! We even have scholarships because you are a woman planning to go into medicine.
Me: Hurray!

2 years later

Society: err...EDJ, you're in medical school now, right?
Me: Yes.
Society: Well, we know that you are focused on your studies and we applaud you for being so successful but when are you going to get married?
Me: Well I have 2 more years of school left, maybe after that?
Society: But EDJ, you don't want to be too old when you get married and have kids do you?
Me: Err...
Society: Exactly! So, find a husband. Just think you can be a successful married doctor.
Me: Okay I guess.
Society: Don't forget you are going to have to make time for your husband! You can't forget him just because you are going to be in medical school.
Me: But, how do I do that? What if he doesn't understand the amount of time this will take?
Society: He will. He is a modern man, isn't he?
Me: I guess.

2 years later at graduation from medical school.

Society: EDJ, Congratulations on your graduation and upcoming residency!
Me: Thank you! I couldn't have done it without your support.
Society: We agree! So what's next?
Me: Well my residency. If I want to advance in this field I may need to put in 80 hour work weeks at the hospital. I will barely see my husband.
Society: Aren't you forgetting something?
Me: What?
Society: Well, you are now a successful married doctor. Don't you want to be a successful married doctor with kids?
Me: But, its my residency! When will I have time to take care of myself properly if I'm working all the time?
Society: Don't worry you can handle it. You're a woman afterall. You can do it.
Me: Well, I guess...
Society: We notice things are a bit strained between yourself and your husband. Have you not been spending time with him?
Me: Well my final years were a strain on the relationship.
Society: Well you have to fix that! Don't forget about the babies, and don't let yourself down in your residency after you've invested all this time and money on your education.
Me: Okay then.

5 years later


Society: EDJ, whats going on? You aren't spending as much time in the hospital advancing in the medical field.
Me: Well thats because I have kids now and I have to spend time with them. All that maternity leave cut into my residency time.
Society: Well we can't have that! You have to be a successful married doctor with kids!
Me: But its hard to juggle that!
Society: Isn't this what you wanted? To have everything? To be able to go to school and work?
Me: Yes, but...
Society: No buts! You have to stand up for women everywhere! Be successful!
Me: I guess...

5 years later

Society: EDJ, your kids are acting out. Why is that?
Me: Well I've been focusing on my career so I haven't been able to spend much time with them.
Society: Do you want your kids to be a disgrace?
Me: No, but...
Society: And what about your husband? Why is he never home?
Me: I think he is having an affair with some female who has more time for him.
Society: Oh dear. Take this self help book. [hands me a book]
Me: You were the one that told me he was a modern understanding man.
Society: Well it appears we were wrong. Have you been gaining weight?
Me: a little...
Society: My goodness! We can't have that! Here are some dieting tips [hands me another book], and don't forget you have to be a successful married doctor with kids. Its what we expect of you!
Me: [sigh]

The End.

Wanna Learn About Me?

As some of you know, I've been updating the blog recently.

I decided it was time to update the "About the Author" interview--its 2010 after all and I've had some time to settle into this "blogging thing". Take a look at it. 

About the Author

Shutter Island

Oh My God!

You have to watch this movie!

I was expecting some of the things that happened, and I'm still not sure exactly what the hell happened or who was telling the truth!!!

Go see it!

That is all.

P.S: This poster says the release date is October, obviously this movie was just released yesterday. The dates kept switching, but its finally out! Go see it.

Suburbia

As y'all know I live in New York, but where...?

My parents are exceedingly proud of where we live and if you ever have the pleasure of visiting our house you will receive a verbal explanation of the many reasons why it is an awesome place to live. Examples of statements I have heard from my parents to guests:

1) We live 20 minutes away from the Clintons! (said in such a tone as to imply that they regularly come over for tea with cucumber sandwiches). We are 20 minutes away from them, but I truly don't care.
2) Do you know Martha Stewart lives near here? (This is true, but since when is having an ex-con in your neighborhood an achievement?)
3) The houses here are so expensive! (Congrats to us...)
4) We only have designer stores at our mall (A bit of a mis-statement. There are 2 main malls. One is "normal" with Sears, Macy's, Forever 21, etc. The other one is full of high end labels like Barneys, Louis Vuitton, BCBG, etc and I only go there if I want to feel bad about myself.)

Where I live, there is an interesting social phenomenon that occurs between whites and minorities in the area. The best place to observe this is at the train station and at the movie theater/mall. First, a little background for those of you who aren't familiar with New York City and its surrounding areas.

Despite the fact that majority of the Fortune 500 have offices in Manhattan, the executives at these companies do not actually live in the city. They may own or rent expensive apartments there, but most people will tell you that raising a family in the city is a terrible idea. So, these white collar types have homes in the suburbs so that their little babies can grow up safe and sound amongst their Crate and Barrel furniture and closets filled with Neiman Marcus outfits. Because of this, on any given weekday on the New York suburban rail systems (i.e. Long Island Railroad and Metro North Railroad) you are very likely to discover people making over 6 figures a year sitting next to that teenager who just skipped school to spend the day in the city.

On the other hand, Suburbia offers multiple employment opportunities for your non-white collar person. From gardens that need tending, to stores that need attending, to children that need nannies.

Hence the phenomenon in my suburb as observed at the train station.

In the mornings during rush hour on suburban trains and buses heading to Manhattan, you will discover white collar America. With their suits, PDA phones, laptops, black overcoats, etc--and they will be mostly white. At the same train station at the same time that the white collar crew is leaving for work, blue-collar America is arriving on suburban trains coming from the city--and they will be mostly black and latino.


In the evenings the reverse happens. On the trains coming from the city we find white collar America tiredly napping after a hard day wheeling and dealing on Wall Street and making tens of thousands of dollars. On the trains going to the city we find blue collar America tiredly napping after cleaning up after shoppers and making tens of dollars. Occasionally on the evening trains heading to the city, you will find the "Suburbian" young person heading to Manhattan for a night of partying before returning to the safety of their home around 5am.

Another place where this "difference" can be observed in glaring detail is at the mall/movie theater. When you want to go see a movie, your ticket will be handed to you by a black/latino person, your drink and popcorn will be dispensed by a black/latino person and your ticket will be checked by...you guessed it, a black/latino person. However when you enter the theater to watch your movie, you will be surrounded by white people.

Strange, no?

I suppose this happens in other parts of the country, maybe somewhere like L.A. where there is a bustling city within reach of some expensive suburbs. I have always found it interesting.

Grocery Store Adventures

Now that the V-day fever has abated (till next year) I would like to share my adventures at Walmart. Indulge me.  

Readers, if you are one of those people who decides to do one year's worth of shopping in one day, I advise you to avoid the self checkout machines so that people like myself don't place curses on you and your future generations. On Monday, I decided to "quickly" stop by my local Walmart to buy some tupperware--because in my house we always seem to have lots of covers but no actual containers--then I picked up 2 other things. The store was crowded, for some reason, and since the "normal" checkout lanes were crowded I decided to do self checkout because I had so few items.

However, one of the self checkout machines wasn't working that day. When I got to the machines it was to discover that two girls (I can't call them women because they looked about 16) had taken over one of the machines and had a shopping cart full of crap. Not only did they have a lot of items (I'm talking 20+ items), they then insisted on putting the items into bags that weren't placed on the machine. Any one who has used self-checkout at the store knows that whenever you scan something, the stupid machine insists on asking you to "Place the item in a bag" until you either put it back on the machine or press "I don't want to bag this item".

I was on the line for the next available machine, but unfortunately for me Monday at Walmart must have been Store Daftness Day. There were only two other people ahead of me each with less than 5 items. So, even though I glared daggers at the two shopaholics on the other machine when I arrived, I at least thought I would be out of there soon. 20 minutes later I was ready to stab someone with the eyebrow pencil I had picked up. Even though I had been only 2 people away from the self checkout machine when I arrived on the line, two things happened. First, one of the people in front of me was a technology newbie, either that or the simple on screen instructions were too complicated for her, so she wasted more time than was necessary buying her items. Then when the other person in front of me got to the machine the machine ran out of cash. This meant that a store manager had to be hunted down to bring cash and we all had to wait. (By the way at this point the shopaholics were STILL scanning their items)

You may be wondering why I didn't just leave the self-checkout line and go to the normal checkout well, like I mentioned, the store was crowded. It would have done me no good. There weren't a lot of other lanes open and the open lanes had long lines.

Anyway, I finally got to the machine and paid for my items. Then I went outside to hail a cab. While I was waiting on the curb, there was a woman being given a ticket and complaining very very loudly. She had left her car in the No Parking zone in front of the store with her hazard lights flashing. Apparently she had had the same idea I had (to "run into" Walmart and "quickly" pick up something) but since the store was crowded, by the time she arrived back at her car it was just in time to see the traffic cop calmly writing her a ticket.


I laughed at her because she should have known better (I'm mean--I know). I would have felt bad for her if she wasn't trying to yell her way out of the ticket. Anyone who lives here will tell you, once they put that "pen to paper" the only thing you can do is go to traffic court to argue about it (if you want). Either way, you'll be getting a ticket.

The lesson here, 10 items or less at self checkout and DO NOT plan to "quickly run into" any store.

Its Flowers You Idiot!

At work, on Tuesday morning, I was pleasantly surprised by the arrival of these. I was sitting at my desk, working hard, when one of the women in my office came to me with a huge box that had just been delivered. At first I didn't even see that the box was from ProFlowers I just told her that I hadn't ordered anything and I looked away. She told me to look again and when I saw my name on the box I was truly confused because I knew I hadn't ordered anything. Then I actually asked her what was in the box (see my life?). She said, "its flowers you idiot!".

I love the pastel colors!
















The arrow in the upper right corner points to the card that came with the flowers. I put the card in my desk file and it just happened to be in this shot.

I had to black out the names on the files on my desk because confidentiality is important at my job. If you need insider trading information, send me a message. I gatchu!

Everyone in my office kept/keeps gushing over the flowers. Are they not awesome? Apparently they were supposed to be delivered on Monday but the holiday interrupted the delivery schedule.

So, who sent them? Alpa Chino of course. Isn't he awesomely awesome? Now I wonder what I'm getting next year? (hint hint).

V-Day

Valentine's Day is here! I hope everyone has a great one.

If you're in a relationship, congratulations!

If you're single, congratulations!

No sarcasm intended with any of the above statements. I am being serious. Please accept this bouquet as my e-gift to all of you. We can be each other's valentine. Thanks to all my readers especially those who comment on the blog.







Happy
St.
Valentine's 
Day!










P.S: February 15th always feels very anti-climactic, don't you think? Ahh well!

Snowpocalypse 2010

Some pictures I took during the storm. If you aren't on the East Coast, sucks for you cos we got the day off! At least those of us with considerate employers did. Technically I was supposed to "work from home" today, but there wasn't too much to do! Besides a day out of the office is a day off work to me. It was great having a break mid-week. Guess it's back to work tomorrow!

Left lawn of the house shot from an upstairs window.

Snow on the branches beside my window.

Front lawn and the road that goes past the house.


















Back porch of the house shot from an upstairs window.

Another shot of the front lawn. There are a lot of trees in my neighborhood in case you haven't guessed.

My dad's car parked in front of the garage.

Another shot of the left lawn.
I think that tree on the right is an actual fir tree.

Hope everyone kept warm during the snow! Hopefully its the last big winter storm for this season. I'm really ready for warmer weather!

Pulling A "Jenny Sanford" a.k.a. Things Men Have Told Me--Redux

Today as I was getting ready for work, I accidentally stepped on the tv remote control and turned on my television. The last cable channel I watched came on, CNN, and I figured, why not leave it on and hear the news?

I caught a brief interview with Jenny Sanford; soon to be ex-wife of the South Carolina governor, Mark Sanford. I couldn't help but think that if this woman wrote her own "Things Men Have Told Me", article...the world would join forces to deliver a mighty slap to her soon to be ex-husband. As many of you know he was cheating on his wife with some lady in Argentina, and in December Mrs. Sanford finally filed for divorce. She also wrote a book. When the scandal first broke last July, she stated that she was willing to work on their marriage if he came to her with the right attitude. Apparently he didn't. Some things that stood out for me in the interview:

1. Before they were married: he invited her to spend New Year's weekend with him at his home in South Carolina. Then he couldn't even be bothered to pick her up at the airport. He left her a car at the airport, a stick shift which she didn't know how to drive, and let her find her way to his home through thick fog.
2. Wedding plans: Mark Sanford refused to include a vow to be faithful in their wedding vows and also sent her a phony pre-nup as a joke just to see if she would sign it. Hilarious, right?
3. Four weeks into their marriage, their first Thanksgiving together, and they spent it at his South Carolina home. When they were there, he told Jenny that she would be sharing a room with his sister because he'd always shared a room with his brothers and he didn't see why that needed to change now that he was married.
4. During their marriage: By the time he got to Congress, his wife had to remind his scheduler of her birthday otherwise she knew her husband would forget. One year for her birthday present he gave her a picture of half of a bicycle, then the next year he gave her the other half of the picture for her birthday, and then he delivered a $25 used bike for her a few months later. What a great romantic gesture!
5. When she was pregnant, she registered for Lamaze classes and asked her husband to join her. He showed up for one class, and then being the loving husband that he was, he said: "I've spent many long nights helping cows give birth and I know what to do when a baby gets stuck". Isn't he just the best?
6. He left Jenny Sanford with their 2 week old baby so that he could climb Mount Rainier with his friends. Amazing!
7. During one of her birthdays, probably after the bike incident didn't go down too well, he asked a friend (because he couldn't be bothered) to buy his wife a diamond necklace. Then he had one of his staff hide the present somewhere at home and kept faxing clues over to his family to lead them to the location of the necklace. Romantic, right? Then when the present was revealed and he realized how expensive it was, he took it back from her and returned it to the jeweler.
8. When he gave his press conference where he confessed his infidelity, he also said that he was "trying to fall back in love" with his wife even though the woman in Argentina was his "soul mate". After this, he still had the balls to call Jenny Sanford and ask "How'd I do?"

As I learned of all this I couldn't understand how on earth an intelligent woman could let all these things happen--including his infidelity--and STILL want to work things out. Was it a religion thing? Did she hope that he would change one day?

If you've heard her interviews, she keeps saying that is just how her husband is. For instance, that first example, even when Mark's own sister calls him a "pig" for making Jenny drive to their family home alone, Jenny says that she felt as if she had just passed a test by not complaining. Instead of being angry, she felt happy?

Why would any self respecting female stay in a relationship like this? I ask because I fear for myself and other women. We all like to believe that we are "strong", "educated", "independent", etc but truly what would we be willing to put up with for a man we think is "Mr. Right"?

Those of you who remember my "Things Men Have Told Me" post, may remember Mr. Valentine's Day. When that happened, many of my friends told me to break up with him. Not because he didn't get me anything, but because of the rationale behind him not even recognizing the day. I was angry, but I still made excuses for him. Though, in the back of my mind I understood their point. I did say, "That is how he is, he's not into celebrating days like that." Just like Jenny Sanford said about the bike incident, "I came to know this was just part of who he was." Granted, Mr. Valentine's Day's "transgression" is nowhere near cheating on a wife, but little signs ARE important. Little things people say and do, give you hints about the kind of person they are.

Is that how it starts? Little things? Making excuses? Defending someone even when you know they are being ridiculous? Is that how an intelligent woman becomes Jenny Sanford 15 years from now? I have sworn to the great "goddess of feminism" that I will NEVER let something like this happen to me. I know women who avoid having to face this part of themselves by avoiding relationships altogether. I'm not going to do that. I will date, go long term, be involved, but if I EVER catch myself pulling a "Jenny Sanford" I will pull back. I'm not saying I will break up with the person (unless it is a serious thing like cheating) but I will be alert for any slip-ups. I'm not going to be that woman standing by her husband's side during the "tearful" press conference. Hell no, I'll be at the divorce attorney!

You Expect Me To Watch Nollywood When Bollywood Exists?

One fine evening a few years ago, my college roommate and I were bored and decided to research movies to watch. I can not explain the series of events that led us to Bollywood but we stumbled upon a movie called Parineeta and the rest is history. So, trailers of my favorite Bollywood movies.

Parineeta (2005): Based on a 1914 Bengali novel, this was the first Bollywood movie we discovered. I have been secretly in love with the main actor, Saif Ali Khan, ever since. You probably have no idea who he is and you have been missing out! Now your life is complete. The video below is when Lalita (played by Vidya Balan) and Shekhar (played by Saif Ali Khan) "consumate" their love. Its not just "sex" there's a lengthy explanation behind this scene, but you'd have to watch the prior 90 minutes to understand and this isn't even the end of the movie. Basically while Lalita's cousin is getting married, Lalita and Shekhar are having their own "private wedding".




Dhoom:2 (2006). I have crushes on the main stars in this movie (male and female). Its one of the few Bollywood action movies I've seen, but its damn good. Its like Mission Impossible Hindustani style! Starring: Aishwarya Rai, Hrithik Roshan, Abhishek Bachchan, Uday Chopra, and Bipasha Basu. This is simply the trailer for the movie.


Salaam Namaste (2005): it is entirely possible that I like Saif Ali Khan TOO much, because here he is another movie. This time with Preity Zinta. This one is a romantic comedy that tells the story of a contemporary Indian couple living in Melbourne, Australia. Basically, they decide to move in together to test their relationship and the plan is to avoid "hooking up" while living together. This video starts when this plan is thrown aside and they decide to enjoy themselves to the fullest! Lol. Even though they have all this "fun", this isn't the end of the movie by far.


Aside from Salaam Namaste, Preity and Said have been in another movie that I love: Kal Ho Na Ho. 

Kal Ho Naa Ho (2003): Starring Saif Ali Khan, Preity Zinta, and another guy I can't get enough of, Shahrukh Khan. I consider Sharukh the "George Clooney" of Bollywood. When this movie was made he was 38 years old, but can you tell? The movie revolves around a sort of love triangle between 3 characters: Aman (Sharukh), Naina (Preity) and Rohit (Saif). In this video, Aman (Sharukh) sings the title song of the movie which means "Tomorrow May Not Be." Aman has a terminal heart condition so he has worked hard to push Naina towards Rohit. Even though Aman loves Naina, he knows he doesn't have long to live and he doesn't want her to suffer after he dies. He sings this song while imagining what it would be like if he had Rohit's life and was healthy enough to be with Naina.


Did I mention tha Saif Ali Khan is HOT? Not sure I did.

Devdas (2002): I LOVE THIS MOVIE, probably even more so because there is no real happy ending. Starring Shahrukh Khan and Aishwarya Rai. In the movie, Devdas (Sharukh) and Paro (Aishwarya) are childhood friends who havent seen each other for 10 years because Devdas went abroad to study. He returns home and they discover that they love each other. However, Paro is of a lower caste than Devdas and Devdas' mother is a snob. In this video Paro's mother is singing, in front of Devdas' mother, a song about the famed romance between the god Krishna and a young woman, Radha. Meanwhile, Devdas and Paro are by the river where they may (or may not) consummate their love. Paro's mother sings because she thinks Devdas' mother has invited her over to discuss a wedding between their two children. I'm not gonna tell the rest of the story, because there is a lot more to it. I love how the Radha--Krishna song provides a great backdrop for the Devdas--Paro romance.



In Bollywood movies--kissing on the lips between actors is NOT the norm. In fact whenever a movie is released with even one lip lock there is a lot of buzz. That's why in a lot of these videos you see actors kiss everywhere but their partner's lips. Despite this "no kissing" theme, their love scenes are still super hot! I'm a fan of the "everywhere but the lips" kiss, its sexy. Another thing you should know, Bollywood movies run an average of 2 hours. In fact all of the movies on this page are at least 2.5 hours long. Thing is, you don't notice the time passing! You have to be a fan (or frequent viewer) of Bollywood movies to appreciate that every movie is a musical (from drama to action) and some times the lines are corny. But, I am a hardcore romantic (deep down inside) and I love their story lines.

There are a lot more Bollywood movies that I love, but this is enough for now. If you need copies of these movies I would be happy to send them to you complete with subtitles. I love them so much I want to share! If you are tired of the Nollywood madness and need a real escape, then try Bollywood. I've given Nollywood so many chances, but to no avail!

V-Day Isn't Just "A Day". Thats What I Say!

Thank you so much to everyone who had something to say about: Things Men Have Told Me and Things Women Have Told Me whether it was on Facebook, Twitter, or the blog itself, thanks for your input!


So what's the big deal about V-day? I understand that the holiday has been commercialized beyond belief and 90% of the people (made up statistic) who celebrate this day don't even know why they are doing it. Let me help some of you out.

I'm a catholic and as some of you know we have these people we call saints.

St. Valentine is one of these saints, and he was executed for helping christians get married in a time when it was dangerous to be christian. So, the church agreed that the day he was martyred (generally February 14th) would be a feast day, and because of his devotion to preserving love it would be a day to celebrate this ideal. Then, one fine day the marketing departments at places like Hallmark Cards and De Beers Jewelers got a hold of this information and now we have the capitalism induced fever that is February 14th.

 


The true reason for the season. This is the skull of St. Valentine as it lies, adorned with flowers, in Santa Maria Church in Cosmedin, Rome. this reliquary is brought out every February 14th. His feast day.


You may not be catholic, but I would hope you can appreciate the fact that somebody out there was willing to die to preserve love. So, when I hear people bashing V-day, I wonder...are they bashing the capitalist idea of V-day? Or are they bashing the actual idea of celebrating love?


If you are bashing Capitalism V-day then more power to you! Do your part! Avoid the fancy stores and expensive gifts and invest in something inexpensive (or free) but meaningful. But, if you are bashing V-day as a whole--then WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU?

You with the jaded, cynical, "why the hell should I care", views of V-day. I ask you, why shouldn't you care? Does it take anything away from you to acknowledge this day and its importance to the society you live in? Is there a bet you lost that insists you maintain your cool disconnected state while the rest of us enjoy the day?

I've heard so many reasons why people hate on Valentine's day. Some people are simple in their dislike--they are lonely, mad at the world, and miffed that they are single. Their cure is simple and we don't have to worry about them because once they find someone they'll be singing a different tune. My concern lies with the other people. The ones who aren't lonely, mad at the world, or miffed that they are single (or not). What is the rational behind V-day hateration? I'm curious!

My point here, and the reason why I didn't pick some flowery pink and red graphic for this post, is that some people are all wrapped up in the nonsense that surrounds this day and they "hate what they do not understand" (I really hate using cliches, hence the quotation marks). February 14th is not just "a day" and we should all be aware that there is a legitimate reason to recognize and celebrate it.