12 Feb 2014

February is here again. The uniqueness of this month is derived from it being a month of love. From the very beginning of this month, people have been showering each other with love. This is probably the only time of the year when people express affection towards the ones they love.

The 14th of February is the day. It is the day when everyone dresses to the nines, and the dominating colours are white and red. The social media is awash with details of how one can show affection on this day. Others have gone to the extent of suggesting that people should put up their partners as profile pictures in Facebook, BBM, and Whattssup.

The evening of February 14 is normally punctuated by activities. Those in love will be going to dinners, going out on escapades and sojourning at lodges and hotels that night. Gifts of differing sizes and shapes are going to be exchanged, from lingerie, chocolates, bouquet of roses, phones and cars and many others.

The theme is red, black, and white and red dominates. There is not a shop that is not beaming with red, black and white merchandise; from cups, glasses, t-shirts, all inscribed with love and cupid arrows.

This Valentine’s Day looks like it will not be any different from the ones in the past years. Eateries and high market restaurants across the city will characterized by couples strolling hand in hand, frequently kissing and hugging each other. These activities go on into the late hours of the day as lovers transverse the length and breadth of the town to finish off the day at discotheques.

One of the most popular beauty spas around the city, Shahnazz Herbal is going all out to have a Valentine special treat for its clientele. In an interview, Shahnazz Herbal Spa Consultant, Neo Raphoto said for the entire month of February, the beauty spa encourages couples to celebrate love.

Raphoto said during this month, they will be specialising on massages and even go all out to have couples’ massage training. She said they encourage people to learn the basic about the art and science of massaging. “We teach couples full body massages techniques and at the end of it all give them a complimentary love gift to take home to continue celebrating their love for each other”, she said.

On the other hand, she said the beauty spa is also running a couple’s massage special for them to enjoy the candle lit therapeutic massages at the same time in the same room at P380 per person. As chocolate somehow symbolizes love and normally makes up a love gift, Shahnazz herbal also runs a chocolate facials where they infuse real chocolate and coffee exfoliate scrub to rejuvenate the skin.

Lansmore Hotel, situated at the famous Masa Centre on the Central Business District (CBD), will also not be left out as it has gone all out at its La Touche de Province restaurant to take in couples for a five course meal at only P699 on Valentine’s Day.

Lansmore’s sales and marketing manager,Botho Mogami said, this is quite a giveaway as their normal meal costs P500 per person. This, she said is more of half the normal charge as they want to encourage couples to come and celebrate their love for each other on a special day at quite a reasonable price.

Apart from the meal,Mogami revealed that the hotel’s Absoute Bar at the roof top, will be beaming with action as they have set it out for a single’s night. She said they encourage people to come, especially dressed up in Valentine theme colours to beef up the mood.

She said though it’s a single’s night at the bar, couples are also welcome to mingle. At the bar, she said, entrants will have to communicate their marital status as a way of making the night fun.

She said, they will have the singles wear a green wrist band, and will have an orange wrist band for those whose relationship statuses are complicated while the married ones will wear the red wrist band. As a way to encourage togetherness and sharing among couples, Mogami said, they have their Espretto coffee shop offering a platter for P469.

On the other hand, Nandos has gone all out to impress its customers in an endeavor to set their Valentine on fire through its “Dr Nando” specialty. The food outlet, according to its billboard advertisement, will also have peri –charms available to its lucky customers on Valentine’s Day. ENDS