With the novel coronavirus keeping people off the streets, love is not exactly in the air ahead of Valentine's Day on Friday.
But it does not have to be a drab occasion. There are still ways to celebrate the day, even if nCoV means "no cash on Valentine."
Here are some "novel" (pun intended) ideas to make Valentine's Day 2020 a memorable one - for all the right reasons.
Hit the beach for sun, sea and sand this Valentine's Day. Photo: LPU
1) Watch movies. Play
(again and again!) your CDs of old, familiar love songs. As VRS has been
saying (at the risk of sounding like, you gussed it, a broken record),
there's nothing like old familiar songs (especially love songs) to make
Valentine's Day extra-special, songs that have in one way or another
something to do with episodes in our lives.
For instance, Taylor Swift's "Love Story," The Supreme's "Baby Love," Minnie Riperton's "Lovin' You," The Righteous Brother's "You've Lost That Lovin' Feelin'," Madonna's "Justify My Love," Celine Dion's "The Power of Love," Whitney Houston's "Greatest Love of All," and Foreigner's "I Want to Know What Love Is."
The Terminal, Touch & Go, Answering Machine, Escape (The Pina-colada Song), Him and Let's Get Crazy Tonight by singer-writer Holmes are arguably some of the greatest hits of the '70s and '80s; while I'd Really Love To See You Tonight, Love Is The Answer, Just Tell Me You Love Me, Sad To Belong, We'll Never Have To Say Goodbye Again, What's Forever For and Where Do I Go From Here, etc., were among the Top 40 hits of the '70s and '80s and remained popular until the '90s, were the products of the musical talents of Coley, the other half of the popular '70s-'80s duo England Dan and John Ford Coley.
The Biggest Part of Me, You're The Only Woman and The Key To You are just four of the top hits of Grammy Award-winner Pack, the lead vocalist and guitarist of Ambrosia.
Several big hits performed by lead vocalist Jimi Jamison, such as The Search Is Over, Ever Since The World Began, Moment of Truth and Eye Of The Tiger.
Relive that famous spaghetti kiss from ‘Lady and the Tramp’!
2) Set a Facebook, Instagram and Twitter day to look greet your loved ones. Send them personal messages.
3) Go online shopping. You can have practically any gift imaginable shipped right to your doorstep!
4) Face the world confidently with a beautiful heart! Visit Bohol's cosmetic surgeon Dr. April Lumuthang-Froilan of Touch of April General and Cosmetic SurgiCenter ( 4th floor, Lim Hong Khu Medical Arts and Wellness Center) and Dr. Armi Judy Piollo (3rd Floor, Tagbilaran Community Hospital). Touch of April General and Cosmetic Surgicenter gives 20% discount in some services in celebrating Valentine's Day.
5) Have a make-over! Change your hair and make-up. Find the perfect dress! Call Bebei Tagoctoc, EP Relampagos, Jonathan Ucat, Ramil Dolauta, Donna Vitos, Rolly Ingking and Ryan Sines. For the latest collections, see Mikee Andrei, EJ Relampagos, Charlow Arbasto,Omie Auza, Maximiel, Aileen Pasagad, Kim Villamor, Christian Relator, Christian Bustrillos, Nikki Simporios, Ryan Sadudaquil, La'doie Aquino and Rose and Paul Ranara.
Your VRS with veteran journalist Ric V.
Obedencio at Garcia Hernandez town, where the public beach is a favorite
place for locals to escape the weekend heat. Rather than fine sand,
the shoreline is riddled with smooth, white pebbles and remains of
bleached corals. Photo: Helen Castaño
6) Have a food trip, coffee break. Visit
Figaro Coffee Company- Bohol (located across the University of Bohol), Lantaw, Bohol Bee Farm, Tarsier Botanika, Bring House and Gerarda's.
7) Go for a hike together. Couples who hike together stay together—or something like that. With Valentine’s falling on a Friday this year, that gives you a whole weekend’s worth of opportunities to get your hearts pumping—for real.
8) Hit the beach for sun, sea and sand! Bohol just abounds with gorgeous beaches from north to south, east to west.
9. Give her fresh flowers. Red rose has an impact!
10. Watch the sunset at K of C to remember your love story.Remember, the first stab of love is like a sunset, a blaze of color -- oranges, pearly pinks, vibrant purples.
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This is not fake news: Residents of Garcia Hernandez are apprehensive of the presence of an international cargo vessel from China which has been docked here since Friday to load limestone.
According to the village chief Joeritz Baybay, although the 22 Chinese crew members were not allowed to disembark from the vessel, several residents of Barangay West Canayaon were opposed to its presence in the village due to the threat of 2019 novel coronavirus (nCov).
MV Fortune Tiger came from China and arrived at the waters off Barangay West Canayaon on Feb. 4 to load limestone at the town's Philippine Mining Service Corporation (PMSC).
Baybay said the personnel of BOQ and municipal health office boarded the ship to check on the health of the crew.
Since none of the crew members showed symptoms of the nCov, the vessel was allowed to drop anchor on Friday morning.
Barangay officials carefully monitor the activities of the Chinese crew.
Still, the presence of Chinese crew members, who were wearing masks, didn't sit well with many of the residents in the village.
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Thanks for your letters, all will be answered. Comments welcome at leoudtohan@yahoo.com, follow leoudtohanINQ at Twitter /Facebook.