Thursday 12 February 2015

Ma Vie Amoureuse: The Valentine's Day Edition

This is my weekend off when I'd normally visit Vienna from Friday to Monday, however I arrived here last night because all the valentine's day celebrating couples had basically caused Ryanair and all the other airlines to massively increase their fares. I had no choice but to use up one of my precious annual leave days to make sure I could get the cheaper ticket for yesterday, and because I was leaving earlier than normal, I had to make sure I finished all the things I needed to do at work. On top of this I've been quite ill, so I decided to skip my weekly language review post this week. Ironic isn't it, that I caught the flu over the weekend, just after having put up the post about being in a better state health-wise. Apparently this is what happens when you start working in paediatrics; my colleagues keep telling me that I just need time to strengthen my immune system. On the plus side, I think I've discovered the troika that is the ultimate cure for flus: rest, fruits and fluids in massive quantities, and anti-inflammatories. I recovered very quickly and I'm happy to know that I'm slowly developing immunity to every virus or bacteria known to man.


Ok, on to today's topic. It's the big V this weekend (valentine's day to those who have been living under a big fat rock), so I thought I'd share the story of the one and only time I "participated" in this feast of love and lovers. Hang on a minute Clara, I hear you say, only once? But Clara you are 30, how is this possible? Well I am here to divulge all. See I was that geeky girl that had zero interest in boys all through secondary school; I can remember even getting a letter from a neighbour boy and being very embarrassed about it. I was 16 at that point and hadn't even noticed that said boy was on the same planet as me and attended the same church! I remember reading it quietly in my dormitory, then laughing at his poetic use of language, I believe one of the lines was about feeling obliged to reveal his emotions "just as women had to reveal their pregnancy after 9 months." In the end I think I shared the letter with one or two friends then destroyed it. To my eternal shame, I then went back home and either fled or completely ignored the poor boy each time I saw him. 

Later, newly arrived in England, I went to school for the first time and met Dave who told me he lived near me, volunteered to help me settle in and would walk almost home everyday. It was only in our second year of A levels that I found out he lived nowhere near me, and that he'd actually had a crush on me. Me I just thought all English kids were kind and well-brought up lol! Apart from Nick, my very close friend with whom I went swimming and who I had a brief crush on, this was the extent of my amorous life until I turned 22 and went to live in Stockholm for the year. I arrived in August, met  Finnish H in September and started my first ever relationship almost immediately. Now there is a stereotype about Scandanavian men being cold emotionally, but I think the poor boy met his match in me. I remember the first time he told me that he loved me, and the horrible silence that followed, before I managed to gather myself and reply very primly "thank you." I am not the demonstrative of people, so as you can imagine, we were never on the same page in that aspect of things.

Anyway February soon rolled by, and I recall walking back from Uni after classes and seeing all these dressed up men, rushing around with varying sizes of bouquets. I clearly remember wondering who had died? Imagine my surprise when I got home to find H waiting for me by my door (having not called me to ask about coming over), holding a single rose. My people I looked at the boy strangely and asked him why he was there? Anyway long story short, he reminded me that it was valentine's day and we needed to do something yada yada yada.... I sha felt so bad about the whole thing that I rushed out the next day and bought him an inappropriately expensive perfume, in order to assuage my guilt. After that, I made sure I always sent a short "happy valentine's day" message to whoever I was dating, but that is it. I honestly never want to experience that feeling of guilt and embarrassment again.

Oya over to you blog-fam. What are your most memorable valentine's day stories? Please share. Thank you/Oshey/Merci/Grazie/Danke Schön!

12 comments:

  1. Not a valentine girl, so got no memories.
    interesting story you have here.

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    1. Thanks Lara! I thought I wasn't a valentine girl too, until I was forced...lol!

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  2. Ah ah Clara u lived a colorful kaleidescope teenge life!! hahaha!
    Your scale is high na...who will have a more interessante story. Du...du bist sehr lustig auch!
    When we started dating ich habe zu G gesagt dass ich keine Blume will. So bitte keine Blume zu mir schicken oder geben weil ich das nicht mag. Er war ein bisschen sauer aber jetzt ist das OK weil he knows me better now. Wir haben uns zwei Wochen bevor Valentine getroffen. Lol so das hier ist unsere dritte Valentins Tag! Aber ich habe keine Idee was ich kann ihn schicken. Vielleicht wir könnten zu mein lieblingsrestaurant gehen...#shineszahne# hehe

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    1. Ärmlich G, er will gerade du die Blumen geben aber du bist zu Nigerian...lol! Ich mag nicht die Blumen auch, sondern bevorzuge ich den Pflanzen. Ich mag sehr gern "Orchids!". Keine tod Dingen für mich, danke. Sowieso, was hast du endlich zu G gegeben?

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  3. Awww poor things! But aunty Clara choi.
    I've never received any gift as I always manage to be single every Feb but I'm hoping something will happen this year though

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    1. Me too o, apart from that year and since I've been with my oga at the top. Still for some reason I never get (not really bothered to be honest) to celebrate it. I always forget when we're not together lol!

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  4. Clara, I love the way you express yourself, you made me smile when you said "For those of you living under a big fat rock."

    I love your story, thank you so much for sharing!

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    1. Thanks Linda, that is a big compliment coming from you! I'm glad I brought a smile to your face :)

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  5. Clara, I love the way you express yourself, you made me smile when you said "For those of you living under a big fat rock."

    I love your story, thank you so much for sharing!

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  6. I'm curious to know if dating someone that you super duper care about makes a difference on how you (personally) see and celebrate Valentine's Day! :)

    (P.S. I can relate to saying "thank you" in reply to a (premature) declaration of love!)

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    1. Hey Jummy,
      No I don't think it makes much of a difference to me, I just am not a very "mushy" person. I mean I'm not really into Xmas/Birthday presents and celebrations either, but in recent years have been forcing myself to do more at least for my siblings who care more about this stuff. Luckily or unluckily, T is exactly like me, so we have celebrated none any of our 3 valentine's day, although I moaned about it a bit this year cos we were together and I saw many women holding their presents when we went out (even though I didn't care before!)

      And re: "I love you" "thank you," I've always thought we were similar...confirmed lol!

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  7. I refuse to bore you about valentine's day. I will leave you a nice voice message on whatsapp about it. Lol. But I've always dreamed of valentine's day, the way some kids dreamt about their wedding day. To date I have NOT received that valetine's day. I either am in a relationship with a guy who thinks a candy bar and small teddy bear will do OR I'm with a guy who will do what I want but we have to postpone it to another day because of work schedules. Or the most common one: I ended sending myself flowers, taking myself to the movies/dinner/date etc.

    Just once I want a guy who is with me ON THE day so we could celebrate together! I wanna give my gifts, he gives his gifts. Everyone's happy. I am determined to have a bf by the time 2015 is out and get him good and ready for valentine's day. Preferably a German guy ;)

    I think I went on and bored you anyway 10 paragraphs later... lol

    Gruß und Kuss,

    La Deutsche Diva — The Denglisch Blog

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