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Well, That Was A Nice Evening...
Feb. 15th, 2006 11:17 am...despite what others say about Valentines day.
Emma and I went to The Hole In The Wall restaurant, which provided us with a little taste of the highbrow for our evening's dining (Oysters, goats cheese, jus, a little caviar etc.), after exchanging what can only be called gifts for the romantic. I got an appointment for a professional manicure (she wanted to do something about my slightly raw hands from solvent handling in the labs). She got a large pot of moisturiser (to make up for the time I had to borrow hers), in addition to the standard but very pretty bunch of roses. Apparently Elizabeth fell about laughing when she heard about it, and Bex approved greatly. I confess to not having discussed my ideas with anyone save my Dad, who got a hammer for his first Valentines gift from Mum. Go figure - she's practical.
MPs have finally taken the plunge and moved to ban smoking in all public places within eighteen months. While I am friends with a good deal of smokers, and never mind them doing so round me, I really can't bring myself to complain at the decision. It will be nice to walk out of a pub of an evening and not feel the immediate need to wash my clothes - it isn't one or two people smoking round me that bothers me, it's twenty or thirty.
I have to ask this question on the overcommercialisation of Valentines day, as Peter kicked off the debate. Just because it most certainly is overcommercialised, does that mean that we shouldn't observe it? Or does it mean that, like with any other overcommercialised holiday, those who truly wish to celebrate what it classically stands for should do so anyway and to hell with those who only celebrate it on that day?
Christmas is overcommercialised, but that doesn't stop devout Christians (and even not particularly devout Christians) celebrating the birth of Christ, giving gifts and enjoying the family togetherness that you get around that time. A good family will do this all year round and especially then, surely? In the same way, a couple who love each other will surely be romantic in their own way to each other all year round and re-affirm themselves on Valentines day? Rather than not celebrating it because those who don't care so much also do as well?
"I'm a devout football fan, but I won't go and watch my favourite team play, because everyone else does and some of them don't care as much."
Eh?
I'd almost say that I was contradicting my larp argument, but my main thrust of that is not with the fact that I think I care more than other people - I know that's not true. I don't get why people would not want to celebrate something because others celebrate it badly. Show them how it's done, surely?
Emma and I went to The Hole In The Wall restaurant, which provided us with a little taste of the highbrow for our evening's dining (Oysters, goats cheese, jus, a little caviar etc.), after exchanging what can only be called gifts for the romantic. I got an appointment for a professional manicure (she wanted to do something about my slightly raw hands from solvent handling in the labs). She got a large pot of moisturiser (to make up for the time I had to borrow hers), in addition to the standard but very pretty bunch of roses. Apparently Elizabeth fell about laughing when she heard about it, and Bex approved greatly. I confess to not having discussed my ideas with anyone save my Dad, who got a hammer for his first Valentines gift from Mum. Go figure - she's practical.
MPs have finally taken the plunge and moved to ban smoking in all public places within eighteen months. While I am friends with a good deal of smokers, and never mind them doing so round me, I really can't bring myself to complain at the decision. It will be nice to walk out of a pub of an evening and not feel the immediate need to wash my clothes - it isn't one or two people smoking round me that bothers me, it's twenty or thirty.
I have to ask this question on the overcommercialisation of Valentines day, as Peter kicked off the debate. Just because it most certainly is overcommercialised, does that mean that we shouldn't observe it? Or does it mean that, like with any other overcommercialised holiday, those who truly wish to celebrate what it classically stands for should do so anyway and to hell with those who only celebrate it on that day?
Christmas is overcommercialised, but that doesn't stop devout Christians (and even not particularly devout Christians) celebrating the birth of Christ, giving gifts and enjoying the family togetherness that you get around that time. A good family will do this all year round and especially then, surely? In the same way, a couple who love each other will surely be romantic in their own way to each other all year round and re-affirm themselves on Valentines day? Rather than not celebrating it because those who don't care so much also do as well?
"I'm a devout football fan, but I won't go and watch my favourite team play, because everyone else does and some of them don't care as much."
Eh?
I'd almost say that I was contradicting my larp argument, but my main thrust of that is not with the fact that I think I care more than other people - I know that's not true. I don't get why people would not want to celebrate something because others celebrate it badly. Show them how it's done, surely?
