Shyanne WangSo it’s the day after Valentine’s Day and you’ve just realised it when your best mate asked you what you did yesterday for the girlfriend. Your answer, “Er, nothing, why?”. Her answer, not answering the phone.
Now that you’ve officially forgotten the 1 day of the year universally dedicated to love, your other half is probably fuming mad. If she hasn’t already yelled your ear off, this UrbanWire writer is here to save the day.
Getting Through
Step number one, call. If you haven’t already called 100 times in the last hour, your hour begins now. If the sincerity doesn’t touch her, the 100 times her phone rings will irritate her enough to pick up and tell you to stop. Any response is better than none, right?
The whole truth and nothing but…
Now that you’ve got her on the phone don’t lie and say you had a whole day planned but your cat died or something of the same, apologise. It’s true sorry can be the hardest word and you might be baffled at the extent that you will have to make amends for forgetting Feb 14.
Myth: Girl is upset that Boy forgot Valentine’s Day
Truth: Girl is upset that Boy forgot Girl was his Valentine.
Truth is, the girl is not so much upset that you forgot V-Day, as she’s distraught at the prospect that you might be looking for another Valentine. So, assure her you just forgot and that you’ll be eternally grateful if she’ll give you a chance to make it up to her.
Fresh Ideas
They say that diamonds are a girl’s best friend, but face it, those rocks don’t come cheap. So, here’s an insider’s secret, the way to a woman’s heart is also through her stomach. Don’t turn up a day late and come armed only with chocolates and roses or you might find yourself back at square one.
Think of what she really likes, dig deep. More likely than not, she’s been dropping hints all month long.
Plan it
The least you can do to make up for something is to replace it. Plan an entire day just for her, noting all her likes and dislikes. It may be old school, but a picnic is hard to beat for a venue that’s tops on value (free) and romantic impact. Just take a leaf from a story in The Sunday Times about a polytechnic student who laid out a 2-course dinner he cooked metres from the lapping waves of the East Coast beach. He also serenaded her with a song strummed on his guitar.
But don’t take the advice blindly. If you’re sweetheart is Ms Beach Babe, Sentosa or East Coast Park might be a good bet, but if you’re dating Ms I’m-petrified-of-the-sun, who’s likely to curse the irreparable sun damage you’re doing to her, maybe you should reconsider, or at least wait till sunset to get the party going.
A safe alternative location is The Botanic Gardens, with enough shade and beautiful flowers to distract her. That it’s a stone’s throw from town gives you a good fall back plan. Just note the weather and its effect on food, keep the iced tea in a cooler and try to keep cucumbers out of the menu as they turn bad fast under hot weather.
Handmade
Nothing screams sincerity more than serving something hand made. But if you’re no Jamie Oliver, pick something that’s easy to put together and won’t land anyone in trouble for making it, or for taking it. Simple finger foods like sandwiches, sushi and salad are easy to throw together and can end up looking quite impressive. Tune in to AFC’s Chef at Home, for some inspiration. An easy way to spiff up a meal is to have dessert and what better way then to end off a meal with cake.
Baking amateurs fear not, The Icing Room is here. Located at the basement of Jurong Point’s new wing, the shop allows you to create that 1 in a million design with your own hand. So that there’s no threat to food safety, the Bread Talk people provide both the cake and icing, as well as the decorative bits that allow you to go as low key or as elaborate with the designs as you wish.
At a mere $13.80 for a delicious vanilla mix fruit cream cake, your handmade or apology-ridden decorated cake is bound to be a success. And this was this UrbanWire writers’ go at it.
Element of Surprise
Now that you’ve got everything planned, the next thing is to surprise her. The easiest way to do that is to be over the top. No need for a hot air balloon ride (okay, this option no longer exists for Singapore, with the DHL balloon gone) or fireworks, just ask her out on the pretence of a less elaborate affair, only to arrive on the scene with a basket tied to a bunch of heart shaped balloons.
Nothing is more surprising that when she has low expectations. For those extra brownie points, you might also want to stage this surprise in front of her friends, preferably in a public area, like school perhaps. Nothing pleases a girl more than to be the envy of many.
Some other ideas
To make things just that much sweeter, you can fashion the surprise into a quest for her to find you with cards and clues (just make sure the thrill at the end is worth all her trouble). Or perhaps an original poem just for her or buying that set of his and hers tops to wear on that day.
Parting words
Whatever the case, if none of the above seem to appease your Valentine, try, and try again. Alternatively, you can belatedly join the anti-Valentine’s celebration, Black Day and somewhat celebrate your newfound singledom.