Love is in the air
On the 12th of June, a sunday this year, Brazil celebrates Lovers' Day. It is different from Valentine's. It is not a day for friends, or loved ones in general. It is the institutionalized date exclusively for the romantically inclined. Restaurants in Rio become euphoric. It is a day when every single table is taken by couples, wine bottles should dutifully ordered in demonstration of deep feelings and special menus become available, many times featuring (supposedly) aphrodisiac ingredients like quail, peanuts, cashews and the such. (No, we don't exactly excel in subtlety). It is a busier day for restaurants than Mother's Day, the official day to take the lady of the house away from the stove and the sink. After all, what could possibly be more romantic than standing with your significant other in a line for two hours, while waiting for another couple of love birds to vacate a table?
I will be happily spared of witnessing all these throes of passion, for I will be in Florida, where the date is just a sunday like others. Otherwise, I wouldl be staying in my home, comfortably curled on bed, totally devoted to reading "He is Just Not that into you" or something equally deep. It is not simply that I don't have anyone to buy me a candlelit dinner in some overpriced Italian restaurant. To tell the absolute truth, believe it or not, I was never too much into institutionalized dates to show affection and share a heart shaped sponge cake. They have always sounded kinda phony to me. They lack any spontaneity, and many times become a bothersome burden to all involved. I love getting little things from Belle for Mother's Day. She either makes them or she spares cents here and there and get me something from the school thrift shop. This time I got an angel. It comes from the bottom of her heart. Luiz and Bernardo give me handmade cards and drawings. There is more truth and feeling there than in anything they could buy me from a shop.
The thing is, I like to be surprised, and dates quite often spoil the fun. And I like to make out of date surprises to. Like sending a book to a friend, or getting chocolate coins for my kids out of the blue, or yet getting a dozen brigadeiros (small chocolate balls like truffles) and distributing to my co-workers in a deadline day. One of the most unforgetable gifts I ever got was from a girl who works in another section of my company, someone I have very little contact. She had a bad headache and complained about it while having a drink of water. I brought her excedrins. Days later she showed up with a small package containing those cute little soap bars and liquid soap. She wanted to thank me for helping relieve her pain. That was so sweet. I like out of date flowers and any out of date gifts, wine bottles, dark chocolate candies and anything that shows me that affection has no particular date to be celebrated.
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