I read an article two days ago about the Middle East, and their feelings for our beloved (and be-loving) holiday: Valentines Day.
Apparently they don't like it. There are bans and secret police watching store fronts to make sure there aren't displays with red or pink, no chocolate or hearts or signs that V-Day is in their hearts and/or their pockets. Why? Simple: because it promotes sex. Valentines Day is apparently the holiday of sex. I did not know that because I never got sex on Valentines Day. Of course I didn't usually get anything on V-Day...except for breakups. It's a high pressure holiday, people. Anyway, without chocolate, hearts and red on display, I guess there is no fear of anyone having it. Sex that is.
It's sad. Luckily, it didn't impact MY special day here (I'm not talking about sex now, let's move on) and my valentine charmingly surprised me with flowers and a song.
How did you get flowers?... you might ask yourself. Or you might not if you don't know that we live in a compound and can't leave it and that flower delivery doesn't exist. But now that you know that, you would probably ask yourself. Go ahead.
The answer is as follows: You make them.
My special little Valentine is in a barbershop quartet here (yes, you read it right) and the leader of the quartet (my boss, Chuck) suggested they practice a song that they could sing to their valentines. Me, Oni, (both here in Baghdad) and Steve's partner Daniel via skype.
Chris (Oni's husband and also another of my bosses - I have many) told Oni and I to meet in the studio at 3pm to do a video project. I suspected nothing. At 3pm Oni and I were in the studio chatting when the quartet walked in. James and Chris were holding paper flower boquets (very cute!) and then they all busted in to a barbershop love song.
I was BRIGHT RED - embarrassed, and happy to hear that Steve's idea of singing to us in the DFAC had gotten shot down! I mean if I was embarrassed alone in the TV studio, imagine how I would have done in front of a hundred people. No, don't.
Embarrassment aside, it was thoughtful, and lovely. I wish I had been able to capture video of them singing to us with flowers in hand, but I did go with the group later to film them singing to Steve's partner via Skype. Witness the amazing vocals of the Baghdad Barbershop:
And witness this, you mean old secret police: love, romance and of course barbershops rule the day in America. Sex may be a result of this awesome cheesy-ness, but it is not the purpose of the holiday. Let the love in people, let it in.
Apparently they don't like it. There are bans and secret police watching store fronts to make sure there aren't displays with red or pink, no chocolate or hearts or signs that V-Day is in their hearts and/or their pockets. Why? Simple: because it promotes sex. Valentines Day is apparently the holiday of sex. I did not know that because I never got sex on Valentines Day. Of course I didn't usually get anything on V-Day...except for breakups. It's a high pressure holiday, people. Anyway, without chocolate, hearts and red on display, I guess there is no fear of anyone having it. Sex that is.
It's sad. Luckily, it didn't impact MY special day here (I'm not talking about sex now, let's move on) and my valentine charmingly surprised me with flowers and a song.
How did you get flowers?... you might ask yourself. Or you might not if you don't know that we live in a compound and can't leave it and that flower delivery doesn't exist. But now that you know that, you would probably ask yourself. Go ahead.
The answer is as follows: You make them.
My special little Valentine is in a barbershop quartet here (yes, you read it right) and the leader of the quartet (my boss, Chuck) suggested they practice a song that they could sing to their valentines. Me, Oni, (both here in Baghdad) and Steve's partner Daniel via skype.
Chris (Oni's husband and also another of my bosses - I have many) told Oni and I to meet in the studio at 3pm to do a video project. I suspected nothing. At 3pm Oni and I were in the studio chatting when the quartet walked in. James and Chris were holding paper flower boquets (very cute!) and then they all busted in to a barbershop love song.
I was BRIGHT RED - embarrassed, and happy to hear that Steve's idea of singing to us in the DFAC had gotten shot down! I mean if I was embarrassed alone in the TV studio, imagine how I would have done in front of a hundred people. No, don't.
Embarrassment aside, it was thoughtful, and lovely. I wish I had been able to capture video of them singing to us with flowers in hand, but I did go with the group later to film them singing to Steve's partner via Skype. Witness the amazing vocals of the Baghdad Barbershop:
And witness this, you mean old secret police: love, romance and of course barbershops rule the day in America. Sex may be a result of this awesome cheesy-ness, but it is not the purpose of the holiday. Let the love in people, let it in.
Nice work James.
ReplyDeleteSo cool. Nice lead James. You're a regular Baghdad version of Joe Connelly. We'll have to sing some tags later on. I call Bass. Shauri, we can get Dave Ayling and Brian Donovan to fill in the other two parts.
ReplyDeleteSo sweet!
ReplyDelete