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Can Buy Me Love on V-Day

Anything to get your’s special one’s heart going lub-a-dub, only two times as fast, and more importantly, without having to break the bank.

Going by the number of shops displaying wares customised to suit the occasion and the number of gift-hunters flocking in on the eve of this day dedicated to ‘love’, on Sunday the mood across the city is certainly pink.

We caught Francis Cavada getting a bouquet of flowers made for his wife Yolanda Javier. When asked about his plans for the day, Francis said he never misses Valentine’s Day, as it gives expression of love a special meaning.

His message for Yolanda was that he hoped she can love him despite all bad things in the world and with him and that nothing would change her love for him.

When asked if he says it with roses every year, he said, “Not really. But flowers, something special, a nice dinner, should do it.” It would, for most of us!

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While flower shops are doing 
brisk business, preparing for Valentine’s Day seven to 10 days in advance, most dealers say the business is almost the same as last year, or in some cases, a little down.

Byju Nadshan of May Flowers in Karama says they stand to make around Dh50,000 in sales for Valentine’s Day, which include orders for delivering flowers locally and internationally.

“Without a doubt the flowers in demand are roses, Dutch roses, imported from Holland. We order around 5,000 to 7,000 more roses more for the occasion than we do normally. And, in the week before Valentine’s Day, the demand for roses goes up 200 per cent at least.”

But when asked about the business being lukewarm, given Dubai’s overwhelmingly cosmopolitan character, shop manager of Eden Flowers Makdoom A said, “It’s the lingering effect of the economic crisis, due to which many families have moved back to their home countries.” That there is another financial angle to this was pointed out by college student Prashanth, who is ditching flowers for a simple card and chocolates for his sweetheart. He said that an average bouquet costs from Dh80 to Dh250, which is too much as flowers wither away.

So be that as cute as it may, the real treat has to be bigger. Shabana D’Mello, who works for UAE consulate, was scouting for ideas to make husband Macklon feel special. “Ill get the flowers along with a cute teddy, to set the tone. We plan to do something special, may be go out... He’s my world, anything to make him feel special.”

Isn’t it sweet? How about chocolate, then? Ask Patchi’s Ashfaq Ganguly and he’ll tell you the flavour of the season is smooth, rich, creamy but not very dark, and simple, without nuts or crackers and such. Elaborately decorated heart-shaped sweet treats in red, heart-shaped boxes adorn displays at various shops. And then, there are bakeries and pastry shops making customised chocolates and cakes for the occasion. Ganguly too said that sales were almost on par with those last year.

While chocolates are a ubiquitous sweet treat on most occasion, most go for designer labels for the special day, with a desire to get it just right — the chocolate, texture and feelings.

Fazl D. didn’t mind shelling out Dh400 for a small but lovely hamper, saying, “It’s in vogue, and trendier than traditional sweets or desserts. It feels specially amazing when you pass it on later to your friends and they ask you who’s present was it.”

And well, for those itching to really SAY something can go for greeting cards, which are funny, serious, and even cheeky this season. Our pick this season are pop-up cards and musical ones.

Said Fatima, a UAE national, who was recently engaged while going through cards for her fiance, “I want to make it a special day for my husband-to-be. I will probably surprise him by decorating his car with tiny hearts, recording a message in my voice and sending him a card.” When asked about youngsters like her taking to this international phenomenon, she said, “I am taking this step only after I got engaged as this is not a part of our culture. It’s a day when you can express your love.”

And well, who’d thought unromantically bookish ones are difficult to conquer? Cupid’s got an armour of books too, with The Rules of love by Richard Templar, 10,000 ways to say I love you by Gregory J. P. Godele to those for mushy hearts like the sublime Love poems of Rumi and Love poems by Carol Ann Duffy to the more erudite Love letters of great men and women, not to mention the likes of Seduction, apart from classics like Erich Segal’s Love Story.

Gayson Montalbo of Magrudy’s, which put up a special display for Valentine’s Day, said, “We’ve seen sales in this section pick up, for books can be kept and enjoyed forever.” With such baffling choices, one thing is sure: it’s as much fun hunting for gifts for your beloved as it is receiving them.

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Readers' Comments:

The concept is now going in a different direction. V day lost it’s purity now a days and it became commercial for the stores. It is time to ban V days celebration in the present format. - Gopakumar, Sharjah

ROSES ANYONE? THE ‘Big Day’ has finally arrived and one needs to come up with some flowers or gifts for your valentine, even if it’s a last minute job. Arrangements can often be coupled with balloons and chocolates. All you have to do is to get in touch with one of these websites to place an order online that is if you are not likely to personally pick and choose your Red Roses at the nearest florist. logta.com I flowersdubai.com I flowersforuae.com I dxbflower.com I emiratesflorist.com Irosesdubai.com

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