Couples Edition
More than just another excuse to spoil your significant other, Valentine’s Day is a celebration of love. For couples, there’s a sort of pressure to have it more romantic, more exciting, and more memorable than the last. But, with it being right in the middle of a school week this year, couples will have to choose between having their Valentine’s Date on the weekend or finding a way to cram it into a hectic Tuesday night. Thankfully, there are tons of activities out there that could make for an amazing two to three hours with your favorite person in the world or, if strung together, a whole day date to remember for years and years to come (no pressure). Here’s a list of date ideas that all couples can opt to incorporate into their Valentinian festivities:
- Try out a new sport
This is could be especially exciting for couples that love working out together. Instead of the usual gym date or jog around a park or subdivision, trying out a new sport could be a great way to bring some excitement and adventure into your Valentine’s Date. If you guys have never gone, think a couple of hours of archery at Arrowland or rock climbing at Climb Central Manila. These activities could be a great opportunity for both of you to learn more about both the sport and each other while releasing your inner Legolas and Tauriel or Tarzan and Jane. Both options are a bit pricey, at around Php 500 a head, but, who knows, if it becomes a regular thing, you both can look back at Valentine’s Day 2017 as the beginning of your newfound passion as a couple.
Arrowland can be found on the 5th Floor, Fashion Hall, SM Megamall, Quezon City, while Climb Central Manila can be found at The Portal Greenfield District Park, United St, Mandaluyong, Metro Manila.
- Marathon your favorite movies
Almost everyone has a list of movies that have influenced who they are in one way or another. Not only can sharing them with your significant other be one of the most romantic ways to get to know more about them, but also the most fun and relaxing. Whipping up a home-cooked meal (or ordering take out, no judgement), and snuggling with each other while Before Sunrise or Good Will Hunting plays will surely help ease both of your school-related stress and provide the couple’s downtime you both need this Valentine’s Day. And, who knows? By the end of it, you might also have one of your partner’s favorite movies on your list too. Our personal picks: The Lord of the Rings or Star Wars (the original trilogy).
- Roadtrip to Tagaytay
We know it’s cliché, but the destination is a classic for a reason. If you have the time (and the gas and toll money) to take a roadtrip trip to Tagaytay, there are loads of places to visit for your weekend Valentine’s Date. Grab dinner and coffee at Bag of Beans, prepare for a cute picnic in Nuvali, visit the Mahogany Market for some bulalo or flowers for your date, or avail of a couple’s massage at Sonya’s Pampering Salon. Nothing screams effort like taking your partner out on a daytrip and taking the time to plan an amazing date out of town will surely make this Valentine’s Date one for the books. Just don’t forget to roll down the windows on the drive back home.
You can find Bag of Beans at General Emilio Aguinaldo Highway Mendez Crossing West, Tagaytay City, Mahogany Market at Mahogany Ave, Tagaytay City, and Sonya’s Pampering Salon at Barangay Buck Estate, Alfonso, Cavite.
- Visit an art gallery or museum
If your partner’s not an out of town type (or frankly, ‘di pinayagan) consider taking them to a museum or an art gallery for Valentine’s Day after class! There’s a little bit of everything for everyone. You can opt for the National Museum, Metropolitan Museum of Manila, Cultural Center of the Philippines, Ayala Museum, The Mind Museum, or the Museum of Contemporary Art and Design among others. Even if you aren’t the museum type, strolling around and viewing art can be a fun, intimate experience for any couple. It’ll give you both an opportunity to find out what tickles their artistic nerves as well as appreciate how much Philippine art has to offer.
You can find National Museum at P. Burgos Drive, Rizal Park, Manila, Metropolitan Museum of Manila at Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas Complex, Roxas Boulevard, Manila, Cultural Center of the Philippines at CCP Complex, Roxas Boulevard, Magdalena Jalandoni, Malete, Pasay, Ayala Museum at Avenue Corner De La Rosa Street, Greenbelt Park, Makati, The Mind Museum at J.Y. Campos Park, 3rd Ave, Taguig, and Museum of Contemporary Art and Design at Ground Floor, Benilde School of Design and Arts Campus, Dominga, Malate, Manila.
- Romantic dinner
Not surprisingly, last on the list is a classy, romantic dinner for you and your date. This is arguably the best way to spoil your significant other and, if you plan it right, it could be one of the best meals you’ve ever had. Paramount is picking an amazing restaurant for your special evening. In Quezon City, there’s Ninyo, which is just along Esteban Abada, and has delicious full course meals along with great reviews. You could also try Van Gogh is Bipolar in Maginhawa, or Lemuria, which is around ten minutes from Greenhills. If you’re thinking of venturing to Makati, Your Local, Blackbird, and Made Nice Supper Club are all fantastic choices – though you may have to power through the traffic if you plan on coming from school. At the end of the day, though, it’ll all come down to you researching on the best restaurant for your date (and your wallet). Just remember to make reservations.
You can find Ninyo at 66 Esteban Abada St, Loyola Heights, Quezon City, Van Gogh is Bipolar at 154 Maginhawa, Diliman, Quezon City, Lemuria at 5 Julieta Cir, Quezon City, Your Local at Esteban, Legazpi Village, Makati, Blackbird at 6752 Makati Ave, Makati, and Made Nice Supper Club at Esteban, Legazpi Village, Makati.
Don’t forget, though, that the most important part of your Valentine’s Day Date is, of course, your date. As much as these items on the list can help make your date memorable, what trumps them all is making sure you both enjoy each other’s company, and find ways to let each other know how much you mean to each other. If you can’t make any of these suggestions work because of schedule, budget, or parental struggles, never underestimate the beauty of a nice, romantic home cooked meal. Sometimes, that’s all you need to make your Valentine’s Day perfect.
Singles Edition
For most singles, Valentine’s is a miserable period of withstanding repulsive candy grams; droopy, perishable flowers; questionable public declarations of couples’ unending “love,” and pink-hued, heart-shaped, sickly sweet everything—plastered on cards, billboards, chocolate boxes, and monogrammed on teddy bears’ tummies. For others, it’s nothing more than an opportunity for couples to gloat about their un-singleness. Wittily dubbed as “Singles’ Awareness Day” and contrary to popular belief, the season of love is not mutually exclusive to these enamored individuals—the celebration extends to singles, as well. Here’s a list of things that all singles out there can opt to incorporate into their Valentinian festivities:
- Drink your sorrows away
A common image attached to singles on Valentine’s Day are sad souls scorning every motif of love and public affection—but in reality, the only thing that needs to be bitter this Valentine’s day is alcohol. There’s no shame in turning to the ever reliable pint of beer to wash away your worries and replace them with inebriated bliss. Break out the whiskey and unwind after a long, hard day of enduring gag-inducing scenes of swooning couples holding hands and other offensive gestures. That being said, you can always count on the fact that a glass of wine (or two) will never break your heart.
You can grab a drink at Walrus Katipunan, along 318 Katipunan Ave, Quezon City; Tortuga Katipunan on 41A Esteban Abada St, Quezon City; Papu and Mamus along Xavierville Ave, Quezon City; or Drew’s on Rosa Alvero, Loyola Heights, Quezon City.
- Dress up your pet and invite him/her for an elaborate dinner
For those desperate for companionship on this day of love and affection, dogs are, after all, man’s best friend. In our hurry, we often forget that these domesticated creatures need some tender loving care, too. What better way to make your furry, feathery, or scaly friends feel loved by including them in your Valentine’s plans? Spend hours in your finery decking you and your pet out in your ritziest clothing, and prepare an elaborate dinner for two with none other than your pet. Though this idea may seem daffy for some, orchestrating a night specially dedicated to these dogs, cats, fishes, or whatever species your pet may be, is a failsafe method to ensure you’ve got a date on Valentine’s eve. It makes a great story to tell the next day—technically, you didn’t spend Valentine’s alone—so be sure to take a couple snapshots to add to your keepsakes. It’s also been said that food tastes much better when in good company, be it man or mutt.
- Watch a movie alone
Today’s society heavily imposes a set of unwritten rules deemed socially acceptable or horrifically inappropriate. One example of such social taboos is the prospect of going out in public—alone. We often fall victim to the notion that if an individual spending time roving public vicinities unaccompanied, this person is immediately branded as lonesome and sad. Break the stereotype of unhappy singletons by celebrating the month of love by showing those clingy couples that you can still have a great time, single-handedly.
There is something oddly poetic about watching a movie at the cinema alone. It allows you to move at your own pace, without the pressures of pleasing and dancing attention to a companion. To achieve the quintessential theatre experience, you must at least work up the nerve to watch a movie alone. It is between you and the film. Cinemas provide a certain seclusion and lack of visibility that does not burden you with the paranoia of being spotted alone. Bask in your contented loneliness. After all, they say that a person is most himself when alone.
- Family first
It’s easy for singles to feel suffocated after seeing all the gushing couples on Cupid’s holiday, seated so close that they might as well merge into the same entity. If you’re still spiteful over being partner-less, there are many ways to salvage the season of love. Why not spend the day with the people who’ve had your back since the day you were born? No one ever mentioned that Valentine’s was strictly reserved for romantic love—familial love is something just as deserving to be celebrated as well. Take out the old ‘rents to a classy restaurant, and relish the time you have with them while your attention is yet to be occupied by a significant other. On the bright side, you can always count on your family to love you when no one else will.
- Singles assemble
Being single doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be spending Valentine’s cooped up inside your room, tucked away from the rest of the world, binging on Netflix and sugar (though if that’s how you want to spend it, to each his own). Though solitude can be liberating, merriment is twice amplified when in good company. Gather round your fellow singles and celebrate Valentine’s as a group. The roster of activities is endless: Up for a challenge? Get those cranial gears going as you unlock mind-boggling riddles in Mystery Manila’s many puzzle rooms, the nearest branch situated just in Libis. While couples gain weight over excessive Valentine’s chocolate, keep fit by participating in numerous physical, team-friendly activities, such as power-boxing at Elorde Gym, and bowling at Celebrity Sports Plaza. If your tastes lean more towards the grandiose, invite all your single friends and throw a party made expressly for singles, by singles. It’s not only a great way for everyone to bask in their independence and “I-don’t-need-no-man” badge of honor–it could also be an avenue for you to meet your potential partner for next year’s Valentine’s, you never know.
Elorde Gym is on Katipunan Ave, Project 4, Quezon City, while Celebrity Sports Plaza is smack in the middle of Delta Dr, Matandang Balara, Quezon City. The nearest Mystery Manila from campus is in Libis, specifically, Unit 9A JW Plaza Building, 195 Eulogio Rodriguez Jr. Ave, Bagumbayan, Quezon City.
Whether you’re a satisfied single or proudly in a relationship, Valentine’s Day is for everyone to enjoy. Instead of groveling at your lack of a significant other, or agonizing over the perfecting the ideal date, take time to relax and savor this special time of year made just for you and your loved ones.