Monday, February 07, 2005
The 3 hour long, once a week lecture for my EMT class in on Mondays. Today, while we were listening to a lecture about diabetic emergencies, one of the students (ironically enough) collapsed from low blood sugar. I suppose he picked a great time and place to pass out, being surrounded by 30 EMT's in training, as well as a veteran paramedic. His girlfriend, who was another student in the class, as well as our instructor, seemed to take good care of him.
Speaking of couples, I went grocery shopping the past weekend, and noticed Valentine's day paraphernalia on sale throughout the store, mostly in the form of sweets and flowers. I must say that I have some objection to a day dedicated to lovers... after all, if the relationship they are in is a functional one, then these couples are rewarded every day, making a lover's day somewhat extraneous. No, what we really need is a day devoted to all the singles of the world.
For example, in Korea people of my generation and younger will celebrate Valentine's day. However, exactly one month after Valentine's day, Korean young adults also celebrate Singles' day. On this day, groups of single friends get together for a night out. Those friends who are in relationships are not invited. As if in defiance of all the lovers that surround them, these groups of single friends will spend the night doing the most unromantic thing imaginable: they go out for cheap Chinese food. (Knowing Korean youths, I suspect there is also karaoke and heavy drinking afterwards, but these are also rather unromantic activities.)
I believe that just as young Koreans adopted Valentine's day, this most Western of holidays, we in America should now adopt Single's day. To all single people out there, I encourage you to pick a day in March, get together with all your single friends, and go do something really fun and unromantic. Go out for Chinese food. Go buy up all the leftover V-day candy and eat until you turn blue. But do something. Singles deserve a day to themselves, too.
Speaking of couples, I went grocery shopping the past weekend, and noticed Valentine's day paraphernalia on sale throughout the store, mostly in the form of sweets and flowers. I must say that I have some objection to a day dedicated to lovers... after all, if the relationship they are in is a functional one, then these couples are rewarded every day, making a lover's day somewhat extraneous. No, what we really need is a day devoted to all the singles of the world.
For example, in Korea people of my generation and younger will celebrate Valentine's day. However, exactly one month after Valentine's day, Korean young adults also celebrate Singles' day. On this day, groups of single friends get together for a night out. Those friends who are in relationships are not invited. As if in defiance of all the lovers that surround them, these groups of single friends will spend the night doing the most unromantic thing imaginable: they go out for cheap Chinese food. (Knowing Korean youths, I suspect there is also karaoke and heavy drinking afterwards, but these are also rather unromantic activities.)
I believe that just as young Koreans adopted Valentine's day, this most Western of holidays, we in America should now adopt Single's day. To all single people out there, I encourage you to pick a day in March, get together with all your single friends, and go do something really fun and unromantic. Go out for Chinese food. Go buy up all the leftover V-day candy and eat until you turn blue. But do something. Singles deserve a day to themselves, too.
