What to give and where to go this Valentine's

IT'S Valentine and we do all the pretty foolish things to make the night memorable, exciting, memorable and meaningful. All these in the name of love. Men go the distance to please and to win the lady love. The ways and the means to express the emotion of the heart change with time and historical events but never the passion.

Valentine's Day is said to be an ancient Roman fertility celebration known as festival of Lupercalia. Towards 496 after the death of Christ, with the rise of Christianity, the papacy renamed the festival and then proclaimed it as Valentine's Day in honor of St. Valentine, a priest who secretly performed marriage at the time when Roman Emperor Claudius banned marriage. He thought that that "married men were more emotionally attached to their families, and thus, will not make good soldiers."

These days of wine and roses and unbridled delight and romance, lovers are confronted with the enigma of what gift would appeal to the beloved or how to express that pent up feelings that are repressed by anxiety and stifled by the inability to articulate.

But all is not lost. In the US of A. where we learned much of our commercialism, there are more people who send Valentine's card to the object of their love. Or simply crafting a simple prose that comes from the heart. It is most appreciated for as long as it does not sound corny or plagiarized. Here in the Philippines we are more into flowers -- roses. If you cannot say it in words say it with roses. Rose traders however have priced themselves out of the market but that should not stop one from sending a rose or roses if he so desires. Colors and numbers have symbols and meanings. A single red rose means "I love you." A white rose conveys the meaning of your sincerity. Pink is admiration and saying she has to believe you are that sincere. Yellow means you care and that you are jealous over someone getting better attention than you do.

The better way to do it however is invite the gentle lady, which could either be you wife, your lady friend, a special friend or your family members, to a special dinner. What could be a better place than the new Dos Meztizos which had taken over the restaurant at Pearl Farm Marina, in the coastline of Lanang, along Lizada Drive. The quiet and intimate ambiance of the restaurant is perfect for a Valentine's dinner. They just had a soft opening their prices for the Spanish cuisine, which they specialized in are incredibly affordable. For the kind of intimacy that comes with a carefully selected Latin music the food is great and may even be cheaper than a dozen of roses. Believe me.

If you doubt my true confession, ask anyone who might have gone to the famous Boracay Beach Resort. Dos Mestizos which is ran by Binggoy Remedios whose wife is from Davao City also owns that preferred place in Boracay. Forgot the name but she is the sister of Menchu who is the better half of my friend Mike Inigo. The couple had settled in Los Angeles but Mike and Menchu has been missed so much in Davao.

The event need not be Valentine's for one to taste the delectable tapa and paellas of your choice.

Just the same Happy Valentine's Day! See you at Dos Mestizos at the Pearl Farm Marina.