LOUISE

However, I thought I'd make a comparison of my VD 2011 and 2012.

As I was sick on this very "special" day last year I quickly decided to fulfil the myth of the pathetic and sad single woman. I also worked the night before, so I slept in, went to the supermarket and bought all kinds of crap (pop corn, ice cream, soda, garlic bread and so on) and went back home and crashed in the couch. I then spent the entire day and night in my couch eating very unhealthy stuff and feeling quite unsatisfied with my life. I actually was asked out for a Valentine's date by Mark, my best friend in Christchurch, which I turned down due to my scepticism of fake holidays. It also felt kind of unfair to him as he could have made something more useful out of VD than going out for dinner with a friend, so I stayed at home, sick and strangely satisfied combined with unsatisfied. I suppose the most unsatisfying part was being away from a certain person, not the whole "being alone at VD".

I spent the whole day of this years Valentine's Day studying, much more productive aye! However I'm getting sick I believe, and I've been wearing the very attractive combination of sweatshirt, sweatpants, hat and training shoes. Sexy! After studying I went to work to pimp up the bar in the name of love, as Stallarna had a special Valentine's decoration last night. I stayed for a few hours and hung out with the people, and then went home. And now here I am sitting on my bed writing about not very interesting things. I should also mention that I've been eating chocolate, consuming alcohol and I am currently considering watching Lord of the Rings. Hooray!

Oh well, are you inspired by my VD's? If not, hear me as I rant about this cliché non-original stupid day:

First of all, in Sweden ROMANCE IS DEAD! Guys just don't hold the door for girls, men don't nicely ask women out for a dinner and you never have a bartender pouring you a drink saying "it's from the guy over there". Just as much as women don't make their boyfriends breakfast every morning, they stop shaving their legs about a month or so after they started dating and they're not innocent in that cute way any longer.

NO, men only pay for themselves, and if they don't they sure expect to go more round so that the girl can take ne next OR they certainly expect something else in return (you bastards). They come hours late to the date and ask you to "buy something in the cafeteria" meanwhile you wait for several hours for that stupid lunch date. Men don't formally ask you out on proper dates, they get you drunk at the club hoping to score. They only like the girl when she's playing hard to get, and they don't know how to appreciate innocence and feelings.

And girls, you're not much better. You complain when men don't pay for you, but when they actually offer to do so you refuse to let them, because that would mean that you can't take care of yourselves. But this doesn't mean that you don't want them to pay. I have also heard a lot of complaints from my male friends that girls only like guys who treat them like shit. As soon as a man starts caring and loving his girl more intensely, she'll break up with him saying "I need more space". I'm not quite sure of what I should say about that, but I'm actually not surprised at all, and I've seen a few examples like that myself.

So yes, the classic romance is dead. Sure, there is a modern version of romance which includes getting wasted on tequila shots, waking up next to a stranger and sneaking out 7am while trying to figure out from which way you got there. I'm not even kidding, that is how people do it these days and doesn't it just SUCK? I sure think it does.

I bet that if this was the 50's I'd be psyched about Valentine's Day. I'd be sending love letters and poems, and fantasising about the one true love of my life. But the 2012 version of romance is so far away from the romantic romance that it makes me want to puke. The unromantic romance consist of buying your darling a 50 cent worth rose, together with a card and a box of chocolates. "THEY STILL COMBINE THOSE TWO? THE BIGGEST CLICHÉ OF ALL TIME?" you're probably thinking, and yes, unfortunatley that is true.

Going to the movies, out for a dinner and perhaps buying your girlfriend new lingerie is a classic unromantic romance gesture. But really, new underwear probably mean in most cases that "girl, I love you but your panties are getting kind of boring and worn out so here's some new for you (me)" or "oh is that medium size, I was sure they were small (you're getting kinda too fat for the old one's, tubby)".

Well, okay. I exaggerated. Kinda.

No. My American Chris is a very romantic guy. He's the kind of guy who would ask a girl out for a proper date, take her to a nice restaurant and treat her like a princess. My English friend Mark is another very romantic and amazing friend of mine, who spent at least 1,5 hours driving through a whole city searching for PS I love you that I in particular wanted to see with him, and we weren't even dating! And my sister who could put a spell on any man just by hanging out with him for an hour just by being insanely flirtatious, that noone actually dare to be anymore.

And what do I have to say for myself?

I am a VERY unromantic person. I guess I have my moments, but in the end I'm a coward when it comes to "letting people in" and sharing my life with whoever I may be "dating" or whatever it's called nowadays. I never expect a man to act romantic and I scarcely do it myself. Romance is dead, and I am one of the reasons for that to have happened. However I have been thinking about my unromantic life, and whether I should actually drop the act and just take a shot, go for it? Well, I'm at least open to give it a try.

But, you may be wondering why an unromantic person as myself would find it suitable to write about this? Well, as opposed to all the hypocrites I don't pretend to know something about romance in days like VD when in fact I am no more romantic than anyone else, simple as that.

Well. I'm not actually sure if any of this makes sense, and I sure as hell won't proof read it as I'm very tired and will watch Lord of the Rings as soon as I have posted this. Thanks for letting me put my aggrevated cynicism into words.

Lot's of unromantic love