The Day Of Flowers And Stuffed Things

I don't like Valentine’s Day. I never did.

Personally, I think it’s beyond conventional wisdom why anyone would want to waste time and money to 'celebrate' this day. What would drive some men to spend money on a bunch of shit that’s just going in the garbage the next day? I mean seriously...overpriced stupid roses and equally stupid stuffed things?

Think about it, does a woman really give a fuck about stuffed things?

And when someone is buying an emo and overpriced Hallmark card or a stuffed thing, they’re not thinking - "Awwww...what a cute card / stuffed thing. I bet Mary / John will love me more because I'm sensitive".

No. They're not.

They're actually thinking “Hey, a card. Mary / John will like this one. I just might be getting some crazy fuck tonight. Yaaaayyy!!!”.

And there are plenty of days such as this one, but none take as much shit as Valentine’s. In some country, this day is made a holiday. Christmas and Easter - I can understand. At least these ones has some clear meanings although obscured and exploited. But fucking Valentine’s Day? Nobody even knows what the hell that’s about. No one is even totally sure who this holiday is supposed to honor. Or honour or whatever.

So whats the deal with this day? Whats up with the flowers and the stuffed things? Why not chocolates in the shape of crazy axes in honor of that Valentine dude who got his head chopped off? Better yet - something radical like chocolates in the shape of his decapitated head, yo!

Yes, Wiki will tell you that it all started with this Christian dude, Valentine.

No. Hold it. There were several of them. Actually, three of them...errr maybe four or seven Valentine's from the days of late antiquity. At least one of them got his head lobbed off because it was cool to get your head on the chopping board. Then there's this legend about one who rode around Europe on a white horse spreading the message of love and shit.

There’s just so many Christian Valentine martyrs and none would qualify to have his own day. And I also read that before the Christians, the good pagans had excessive feasts which included sexual and drinking debauchery around February 14th. This, I think is closer in spirit to what this day is about. Better than celebrating the sorry lives of martyrs with gay names like Valentine , if you ask me. And I'm not implying gay names are bad. But then again, who the fuck knows, right?

This day is about a mix of pagan style party which includes lots of drinking which is good, some crazy fucking on the side and a few dead Christians.

And so, it is with deep conviction that I think the meaning of this awful day was not lost over time but in fact there was never one.

As for me, I'd be at the pub later tonight, getting really crazy drunk. I should be leaving earlier than usual to watch some old Japanese porn.

Waterfall

The trail

Its February and still it rains. If you live within the same longitude / latitude as I do then you know it's been raining for days on end since last November. Nothing new this side of the equator. 'Tis the season, they say.

I didn't do much. Couldn't do much because of the rain and stayed in mostly. And so I bought a book just before the Chinese New Year holidays - 'The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards. Sad, gloomy and well, errr...obnoxiously sappy. But I like. I'm almost done and its one of those that will probably make it to Hallmark's channel if it hasn't already. Perfect read on a gloomy, rainy day.

The only highlights since November was this crazy trip to this waterfall deep in Salako land with the good brothers from borneooutdoorsexploorer.com. It was raining heavily when one of the boys picked me up from my house that morning and it was just pouring mad but I went anyway. I thought it would be a good break from doing Kim Edwards.

Doves

The rain did stop to a drizzle when our motley crew of lunatics arrived at Kampung Jantan afterwards. After a quick breakfast at one of the village shop, we moved out.

Two hours, tops, one of the boys said. And I'm like, okay, I'm cool with two.

We walked through rubber, cocoa and pepper farms which predominates the typical village in this area. I managed to take some photos of these turtle doves taking some time out wondering what manner of stupidity would drive some people to be out on a day such as it was.

And then it rained. And we got lost.

Waterfall

And because the trail suddenly became elusive, what was to be a two hour tops journey became three and a half. At the two hour mark, we finally reached a river which was to lead us to the waterfall. It didn't look good as the water swelled due to the heavy rain while the strong current and the slippery rocks did not permit walking.

Not good at all.

We then took to the forest and made our own trail finding our way through the thick vegetation. Thankfully someone, in the person of me, had the sense to bring along a proper 'parang'. There were crazy thorny vines like ropes hanging from tree to tree and creepers everywhere we turned. It was painful. No. It was more than painful. I was soaked to the bones, freezing cold and my fucking legs were killing me. Occasionally, I heard screams and shouts from the rear, a telling sign someone falling on the slippery path.

But eventually, we saw it. The waterfall. About three and a half hours later.

It was still raining but the sight of water tumbling down from what may be 70 metres up and the sheer force as it hits the pool below was just breathtaking.

John

This here is John. He was not properly attired for the trip. He wore his favourite jeans, long sleeve shirt and leather shoes. He is from Canada and Canadians, I was informed are really fun people. He's here on a job and admits to never been in a 'real rainforest'. Back at the village shop where we met for the first time, I asked him why the jeans and the rest of the disco outfit.

"Errrmm...but I brought my cap", he said. Someone obviously did not brief the guy properly.

That aside, John made it back with some cuts and bruises. He didn't expect to survive and while at the waterfall he contemplated and even welcomed a slow and painful rainforest death. He didn't think he could make it back but he made it of course and seemed to have enjoyed the whole 'real rainforest' thing despite falling and sometimes crawling most of the way.

But all was good.

One of the boys later mentioned that it would have been 'easier' had it not rain but I personally think it was made more interesting because it did. And really, I wouldn't have it any other way.

Two words.

Fucking. Awesome.