Valentines in the Valley
February 14 is my birthday, not Valentine’s day. When
some people have already buried Feb. 14 in their calendars to oblivion, I am (un)fortunately
mandated by my own being to celebrate the same. The fact is, my name came from ‘Val’entines
day, which further added ‘Red’ to (intentionally) highlight the color of the
heart. “Adu la angot!” expressed my unmarried friend whose name is “Mary”.
The Valentine season as they say
is a time of victors and victims for those who volunteer and vie for the
cupid’s arrow. Depending on who you ask; it is either a valuable volition, or a
virulent vexation, usually a failure to honor a verbose vow, or simply a
violation from the romantic villain. For the veterans of the game who have
endured such vicissitudes of fate brought by said valentine madness, it is just
another vacant day not in vain. Since, as “V” said: “the value and veracity of
such shall one day vindicate the vigilant and the virtuous”.
Obviously, such fad is economic
more than cultural. February is the gain season for our rose and flower farmers
in La Trinidad, the better time for our coffee shops and restaurants, and an
opportunity for many of our local gift shops to exploit. Money is meant to be
used and shared after all.
For those who want to spend a
romantic time in the valley, you can hike and have a picnic at Mt. Yangbew, or
at Mt. Kalugong eco-park. You can also visit Jeffrey Visaya’s garden at Brgy.
Bahong/Alapang and spend the day with their plants and flowers. Of course our
town is teeming with great coffee shops. Hunt them all from Km.3, Km.4, Km.5,
Km.6, to Brgy. Poblacion. For those who prefer to go out at night, La Trinidad
has a cowboy bar lane in Km.6 (from Oldwest to Cowboy town).
***
The “Eternal Student” book
published to cap my 30 years of existence (kuno) is out. I dedicate them to my
supportive kapamilya and friends. I planned to consign copies to local
bookstores and offer them for a cause – following a tradition that calls for us
to share what we have in order to welcome more ‘blessings’.
