A chance to display affection

• Expats’ Plans

 

14 Feb 2013: Love is in the air and expats in the City have made elaborate plans to spend some quality time with their loved ones. Metrolife talks to a few of them to find out what’s on the charts for this Valentine’s Day.

 

Mick Smith and wife Nicki, who’re from the USA, will be going out for dinner and spending time together. Ask an excited Nicki about their plans and she says, “It’s Mick’s birthday the day before, so we do all the special stuff and give each other gifts on that day.” She adds with a smile, “I’m letting Mick take me out to one of our favourite places this time. And since the kids will be with friends, we will get to spend some couple time, just the two of us.”

 

Beth Balan, an expat from the UK, is looking forward to spending quality time with her husband. Beth says, “There was a time when we used to be extravagant with our celebrations, but now, some intimate time with each other is what we give more importance to. I work in a shop which has Valentine’s Day discounts on, and I’d like to be away from all the hustle bustle of this day.” Beth adds, “It’s also close to our anniversary and so, whatever time we have together, we’ll be spending it indoors and I’ll be cooking my husband a nice meal.”

 

Matt Mizell and wife Libby, from the USA, have been married for 15 years, and they’ve celebrated a lot of Valentine’s Days together. This year, they’ll be spending it at home with their 3-year-old son. Libby says, “For the many years that we’ve been together, we’ve done many exciting things. We’ve enjoyed great dates, gone bowling, gone to different countries and had a lot of other adventures together on this day. But now, our son is old enough to understand different celebrations and special days, and we’ll be spending the day together at home with a nice dinner.”

 

Loic Lecomte, from France, feels that it’s a fun opportunity to display and celebrate love. Loic, who’s on a business trip on the day, is not sure how he and his wife Anouck will be celebrating.

 

He feels, “Valentine’s Day, as such, is a concept purely commercial — but the fun associated with it can’t be overlooked. We all need excuses to make some time for our dear ones. It’s a nice chance to have a great dinner outside, or surprise someone with gifts and express love.”

 

Natallia Khanna, from Belarus, opines, “I think the day is more about business making. To me, love is something that should be celebrated everyday. There should be more celebrations related to love, rather than keeping it to one day.” She adds, “It’s not an Indian festival — unlike, say, Holi or Deepavali — and thus, celebrating it here doesn’t really mean anything.”