White Day

Well it was that quintessentially Japanese miracle of modern marketing: White Day, yesterday.
Only the Japanese could find a way to take all the spontaneous romance out of the most romantic "holiday" of the year.
So on Valentines day the girls have to give the boys the chocolate gifts, be it "giri" (obligation) to those they work with, or "real" indicating true lust, and of course the one disguised as the other both ways.
All the boys have to do is wait until they see what they get, then give a return gift to those who gave them something, and they can pretend it's "giri" if they want to.
So all the fluttery "what will he think of me" nerves for the girls, and none whatsoever for the boys. And no extraneous expense. Life set up for the alpha male as usual in Japan.

In our house Western customs have prevailed, as I like to think it's not "giri"!! But with Mairi we have vowed to keep up as many of the traditions of both cultures until she is old enough to decide she can't be bothered with either. So it was that yesterday she announced that Daddy should be buying us chocolates today "because it's White Day". I'm all for multiculuralism and since we were in Andersen at the time, it seemed like a great opportunity to truly have te best of both worlds. So Daddy joined the long queue at Jean Paul Hevin and this was my booty.
Two red chocolate praline hearts. Such an expression of unfettered love I have never seen.
They were good though.
Mairi got the chocolate squares she loves so we were all happy-cynics and lovers alike!