Valentine's Day in U.S.A

It was Valentine's Day in USA today. Today, because it has already ended in India, so it must be yesterday for many. Anyways, I want to share my experience of the day here, in USA.

Since it is a holiday on Monday, the 16th Feb, so this was a long weekend coming. It is Valentine's Day today, Saturday, made the weekend special. Hence, the result was that all the tickets for buses/flights were long booked. Whether you check for Los Angeles, or Las Vegas, you could not find any seat vacant. Forget cheap tickets, even expensive ones were hard to find. This was the only weekend that was long enough. We were looking forward to it with great expectations. We were thinking of covering atleast one of Los Angeles or Las Vegas. All our plans were drowned now. 

Then, I and Nupur decided to visit the places around. The Santa Cruz beach on one day and San Francisco on the next. Then, we will relax on Monday. But, how can things go as per plan?!!! The weather predictions said it's going to be rainy for these three days. HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ME!!!!  :( 

Now, we were just seeing ourselves locked in our house for the 3 days. The 3 days which were expected to be days of fun and full of excitement were turning out to be 3 days of nightmare and prisonhood. :( :::::(

But, the morning came in with positive hopes. By God's Grace, sun shone and we decided not to waste the opportunity and go somewhere.  Since it was already 12.30 PM so we found it better to go to San Jose Downtown than anywhere else which may require long transit time. So, we two, with our new roommate, started quick and by 1.30 PM we had locked our house door.

All alone here with not even much of friends, I hardly remembered that it was 14th Feb approaching. I did chance remember it, when I remembered the reasons why we were not going anywhere else but Downtown! But when we reached there, a poster here and loads of people on roads made me remember the day's speciality. There were no Heart-shaped balloons outside Malls. There was no frills hanging out of the shops. It was just another day. 

But, the Love.... was in the air!

We had gone to the Egyptian Museum before going to Downtown. There you could find families out. The kids with their parents out for some fun. The parents casually close. A casual hand of the husband around his wife's waist....was changed to hands around her neck, from her back. There were loads of couples who could be seen on roads. No! There was no obscenity or public display of emotions as we obviously expect in USA, for sure. Everything was subtle and beautiful. 

People were simply celebrating the day in the way it was supposed to be. They were celebrating it by being with their loved-ones. They were spending some time with the person who was special to them.

There were flowers... There were beautiful, large, heart shaped ballooons which people had tied behind their cars. Their were young girls, dressed and powdered excessively for the day, hoping to find their special someones! There was an old couple going for a show in the theatre. There was a girlfriend and a boyfriend, with the girl holding flowers in her hand. They were crossing the road to the restaurant round the corner. There were married people spending some quite, happy moments somewhere. And there were families out for some fun! All in all there was Love....simply Love.

No Pomp n Show. No odd eyebrows raising. No malls full of hearts and dressed in red and white. No girls wearing odd skimpy dresses which don't even suit them, but they got to wear coz it's V-day after all!

I think I like the US version of Valentine's Day than the Indianized one. The day truly is beautiful when seen here. And, it is truly shabby and weird somehow in our country, India. We need to see and feel it here once before we try and celebrate it at our place. 

Every culture is beautiful and has the occasions nice if the essence of the celebration is kept intact. Everything has a purpose and a meaning and that shouldn't be lost, if we really want to enjoy it truly.

Happy Valentine's Day!