Of all the things you are expected to celebrate in the ridiculous calendar of life events, nothing creeps up on you more than Valentine’s Day. Though many people nowadays claim they don’t care for such a cliché occasion (half of them are lying), you discover that deep down inside there exists a small desire in everyone that your special someone might just want to do something cool for you on this day of lovers.

Now comes my 2 cents worth on Valentine’s. If you’re hoping that this one day in a year can make up for the rest, then honey, you are sadly mistaken. No amount of romance and schmaltz can take place of a good relationship. But if my significant other does decide to treat me at a spa or buy me jewelry heck I’d be lying if I said I won’t be delighted all the same.

So if you’re a last minute person or a little thoughtless or just plain broke but you want to score some brownie points with your mate check out our Plan B Romance ideas.

What to Do

Breakfast Surprise

Too many people make the mistake of thinking dinner is the only meal of the day primed for romance. Take the pressure off the night and instead show up at her doorstep or in the bedroom with breakfast. Maybe it’s tosei from her favourite place or a packet of nasi lemak from a place that sells out by the time she goes to work. This year Val’s day falls on a Monday so just get up early and make her a lovely cup of coffee served with heart-shaped eggs on toast. Send her off to work fortified and with a big kiss.

I Love Lunch

Not an early riser? Don’t worry- there’s lunch. Make a pack lunch and insert a silly love note in the lunchbox. Or better still, you can order from her favourite restaurant and have it delivered at his/ her workplace. If you work nearby- show up and take her out for lunch at a place you both love. Spontaneity sometimes can be the most romantic thing.

Night Crawlers

If you still want the night ambience, cooking dinner is romantic in itself. Prepare a simple meal (or get someone to cook for you and pass it off as your own) and just kick back and relax. You can also do a Romantic FoodCrawl as street food needs no reservations. Start off with gazing into her eyes by the flickering fires of your favourite satay place or bring a small candle and light it on the table as you slurp down noodles by the street. You can also grab some burgers and eat it while looking view-gazing up at Bukit Damansara or Bukit Antarabangsa. For dessert, her favourite ais krim potong you thoughtfully brought along in a cooler.


Bring a candle along to your favourite street-side grazing ground

Gastro-Hunt

This actually takes a bit of prep work but costs hardly a thing. Devise a food treasure hunt for your love. Write clues that lead her to different food places. Use eateries that mean something to the both of you. Like where you had your first date, or the burger joint where you blurted out you love her, or it could even lead her to the meal she ate before you proposed to her. Every time she finds a spot, reward her with another clue. This is not only a delicious quest; it will also let her relive your happy moments together.

"Pay attention to the little things..."

What to Give

Favourite Things

Yeah you can make her a mixed CD or draw her a picture but we think food gifts are lovely because it will eventually become a part of them. Do a little package of all her favourite things. A small pouch of her favourite tea, her favourite snack, perhaps gourmet belacan if she’s that kind of girl. It shows that you pay attention to all the little things she loves.

Love Letters

No one takes the trouble to hold a pen and write a good old-fashioned love letter anymore- and what a shame! A love letter is one of the most romantic things a person can get. Go a step further. Write lines of why you love her or get verses from her favourite poems. Then make love letters and insert lines as you fold them. Get it? Love letters in love letters. Show up with a large tin of the stuff. She can crunch on them and read how much you love her, love letter by love letter.

Food Favours

Give her the ability to ask Food Favours of you. Give her some favour vouchers (tailor-made for her of course) with conventional things like ‘homemade hot chocolate’ and ‘breakfast in bed’ to quirky ones like ‘go out in the rain to get food’ and ‘ask roti canai dude if you can toss a roti’. She has a year to use these favours. Careful with this though because this gift does literally last all year so keep to your abilities and don’t do this unless you’re really sincere.

Best of all, pretty much all of the above can be done at the last minute or if you are not too hot on Valentine’s like me, can be done any day of the year. Afterall we all have to eat and making sure someone eats well and wonderfully is one of the most fabulous ways of saying ‘I Love You’.

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