Valentine’s Date at the UP Fair

My Valentine’s day celebration tonight is quite different from the previous valentine’s.It wasn’t a mushy date in a fancy resto, no movies, no coffee mode tambay, no alcohol or anything else. All that there was are siomai, shawarma, and isaw. It was a whole night of food trip at the UP fair.

I started my day right today, feeling in the mood for Valentine’s. Quite excited for what’s gonna happen tonight. Well, me and my special someone didn’t talked about or had any plans for our valentine’s celebration tonight. I thought it will be again just the same like how we celebrated last year. I was quite expecting that stuff. You know, dinner at a cozy resto, or  a movie, and a little romantic time together. 

I went out around past 6pm to drop by at megamall and get a little something for my special someone. Bago ako lumabas, something came up to my mind na bilangin ang mga girls na may hawak na bulaklak.

Hindi pa ako masyadong nakakalayo sa village ng may mga 8 na kong nabibilang. On my way to mega I continued counting. Umabot na ng hanggang almost 50 something ang nabibilang ko ng magdecide na akong huminto sa pagbibilang dahil panigurado pagdating ko ng mega ay tatamarin na ko sa pagbibilang sa dami ng may hawak na bulaklak. 

And I wasn’t wrong, kasi sa labas pa lang ng mall akala mo e may malapit na garden sa paligid at libreng pitas lang sa dami ng may dala dalang bulaklak.Some are holding a bouquet of assorted flowers, and others are contented with the single stem flower that they have. Siguro ang inisip nila, ok lang na hindi madami ang hawak nila ang importante ay may hawak silang bulaklak at maipakita na may nagmamahal sa kanila. hehe. ala lang, naisip ko lang naman yun.

So, upon entering the mall deretso agad ako sa bilihan ng chocolates. I already know what to get. Napag-isipan ko na yun bago ako pumunta dun. As much as possible kasi, when I go to malls usually dapat alam ko na kung saan at kung ano ang bibilhin ko kasi nakakatamad at nakakaasar maghanap kung anong bibilhin  pag ganung dagsa ang mga tao sa mall lalo na if you don’t have any idea on what to buy and where to buy it at tsaka mo lang hahanapin pag andun ka na. Mahirap makipag-siksikan. Madali lang uminit ulo ko pag ganun.hihi

Back to the story. So, upon getting the chocolates deretso agad ako sa cashier. Medyo mahaba ang pila. Pero ok lang, kaya ko pang itolerate yun kasi hindi naman talga ganun kahaba ang pila. It’s finally my turn when the cashier girl said something that made me laugh. She said, "Sir,hindi naman kaya sumakit ang ipin ng pagbibigyan mo ng mga ito. Ang dami sir eh." I just answered with a laugh sabay dugtong pa niya ng, "Sigurado ako, dentista naman ang kikita bukas bahil sa dami ng sasakit ang ipin." Kaya sabi ko, "Will you just shut the hell up and pack what I bought?!"  Syempre hindi yun ang sinabi ko, tumawa na lang ako uli sa sinabi niya. hehe. 

I’m done with the chocolates, next thing on my list is a bossa nova cd. I looked for the nearest record store to look for that kind of cd. Fave kasi ng aking pinakamamahal ang mga bossa nova songs. This time I had no idea what bossa nova cd should I get, basta bossa nova ok na yun, so I just got the latest cd of Sitti. 

I’m done with the chocs and the cd and now I’m ready for the flowers. Ang daming tao sa bilihan ng bulaklak. Ang hirap nakipagsiksikan. I wanted to look pa sana for another flower shop kaso andito na ko e, mahirap na namang makipagbungguan sa dami ng tao na naglalakad. "Patience!" sabi ko sa sarili ko, kaya ko to. It’s just a matter of picking a nice flower, get it arrange, then I’m done.

Habang nasa pila ako at inaantay ang  turn ko ay bigla na lang ako napangiti. With those people that I saw being with their special someone, with all those people holding a valentine’s gift for their or from their special someone, and with all those people na gaya ko kanina ay pumupila sa flower shop, it just shows that Filipinos are really romantic and we make way to show our feelings to our loved ones specially during Valentine’s.

Makalipas ang ilang minuto, tapos na ko sa pakay ko sa megamall. Now, I’m ready to surprise my special someone on the things that I got. At nagtagumpay naman ako kasi nasurprise nga siya at nagustuhan niya mga binili ko, lalo na yung cd ni Sitti. I was glad I didn’t failed on my plan na isurprise siya. Mission accomplished!

It was  past 8 when Kel, a friend of ours, invited us to attend the UP fair. He suggested that maybe we should go there para naman daw maiba ang valentine’s celebration natin and not the usual dinner or movie date. Kaya we went there along with Gail, Kel’s gf, and our two half single friends Ai and Mil, na soon ay malapit na ring magkaroon ng lovelife. Yiiy!  

Ai and Mil are both batang peyups so they were excited  to attend the fair with us. We had no other choice but to say yes, besides a Valentine’s group date isn’t a bad idea after all, tsaka wala din naman kami plans for tonight. We all had one thing on mind in going to UP, at yun ay ang kumain ng isaw maliban sa pag-attend sa fair. I remember when one time, it was late afternoon when we went to UP from Ortigas just to get a bite of isaw.  Wala lang, trip lang namin, tsaka un lang kasi ang alam naming pinakamalinis na isaw kasi wala siyang after taste at  tsaka "you don’t make sawsaw on a common sawsawan because the manong will give you you’re own plastic cup of suka so you can make sawsaw your isaw there"  ayon sa isang estudyante na minsan ay nakasabay kong tumambay sa isang kapihan.

Pagdating namin sa peyups deretso agad kami sa bilihan ng ticket para makapasok sa venue kung saan may tumutugtog na banda.Sobrang daming tao, at syempre hindi pa rin mawawala sa paningin ang mga may hawak ng bulaklak at mga magkasintahang swit na swit sa isa’t isa. Love is really in the air. hihi.

We had fun on our valentine’s group date at the UP fair. Syempre we get to eat isaw habang andun kami. And the fun thing is that we get to celebrate Valentine’s day not the usual mushy lover’s date. Hindi naman talaga importante kung saan isini-celebrate ang Valentine’s day. What’s important are two lovers being in love with each other na para bang each day with each other’s arms is just like a Valentine’s day. It is the expression of love which is important and not the celebration. Besides Valentine’s day is just another day. Am I right?

Here are some photos at the UP fair.