ONE of my friends calls me a romance addict, so you'd think I'd be a fan of big Valentine's Day dos.
But I'm not.
In fact, I hate how commercial and scientific love is these days.
Valentine’s Day, itself, is a huge money-spending conspiracy.
It’s another "reason" why we should buy roses at $10 a stalk (and at this late date, you’d probably pay a lot more); jostle with other lovey-dovey couples to pay $200 for a steak and a glass of house wine; pay hundreds of dollars for a room at a five-star hotel for a romantic getaway, but end up just being a mallrat on Orchard Road.
I also recently learnt about how some men have been paying "dating coaches", a la Will Smith in Hitch, to teach them the art of picking up girls.
These classes don't come cheap. One of them I know of charges $600 for a weekend's training.
I'm not against people getting help to appear more attractive – look, a hairdresser does the same thing – but I'm worried that the man I fall in love with might just be an A student in the dating classroom.
And then, there's the Internet.
Sites like Match.com work, for sure, but they boil potential boyfriends and girlfriends down to a list of ticks and crosses.
How clinical – and honestly, how unmagical.
One other gem I recently found, titled DontDateHimGirl.com, even takes the "danger" out of meeting a dud.
Former girlfriends write reviews of the flops they have dated – and other women can check out if the man they are thinking of dating may actually be a pervert, cheater or axe-murderer.
I personally love the website – these women are so frank – but I feel sorry for the men too.
Call me a hopeless romantic, but I'm the kind of girl who wants to literally run into the love of my life.
I'd rather smile and walk away if the magic is manufactured or store-bought.
For another perspective on Valentine's Day, read Nic Yong's blog on why he can't find love.