What’s on the horizon after Christmas and New Year? Valentine’s Day — that one day devoted to celebrating love. It’s for everybody. But this year, take a slight detour. Do something for yourself if you’re single, or for that dearly beloved of yours.
Make tawgi (mung bean sprouts). My friend Nelda, who is blissfully single, regularly makes her own batch of tawgi. She eats it raw as part of her BLT sandwich or stir-fries it with garlic, oyster sauce and sugar to taste. This Valentine’s Day, she plans to give away tawgi to friends with a simple message: Let love continue sprouting.
Street food sampler. Street food is portable cuisine — faster than fast food — and unafraid to use every part of the animal, from head to foot. This year, forgo bar-hopping. Instead, hop from one street food stall to another in your neighborhood and sample grilled meats. For a semi-restaurant feel, try Sugbo Mercado, Larsian BBQ, Pungko-pungko sa Fuente, Puso Village or Tuslob Buwa in Guadalupe.
Siopao, siomai only. Take this challenge. Commit yourself — or you and your buddy for life — to limiting all meals and snacks to siopao and all varieties of siomai. A playful exercise in restraint, or indulgence, depending on how you look at it.
Mr. or Miss Clean. Home alone on Valentine’s Day? Single with nowhere to go? Play your favorite rock music and clean your house. Take out all your hurts on the dust and grime that may be the cause of your misery. Not only will moderate cardio reduce your stress, it will leave you with a clean house, too.
Laughter medicine. Watch comedy films on Netflix with the people you love. Prepare some finger foods and drinks to seal the deal. Laughter, after all, is still the best medicine.
Choco it. Buy a small layer of chocolate cake to share with your loved one as you retrace how you met and revisit the years in between.
Go outdoors. Whether it’s heading to a trekking spot to watch the sunset, swimming at the beach, or sitting around a bonfire while sipping ice-cold rum and cola, mark Valentine’s Day with the four classical elements: earth, water, air and fire. They are the building blocks of life — and love.