My Roti Valentine

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 14 — “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways.”That was Elizabeth Barrett Browning, Sonnet 43. I wonder if she had to endure a modern Valentine's Day where the ways that seem to count inevitably include some gourmet chocolates, a large bouquet of roses (naturally, their number and colour each have a special meaning that we should have deciphered and assembled in advance), a glossy manufactured greeting card with an equally manufactured message, soft toys and in some cases, some bling bling.

All of this tends to be terribly overpriced — but would you stinge on this special day? Where is the romance? Where is the love? (In other words, where got “show face” if one doesn't spend?)
There should be a simpler way of loving, no? When love works, it ought to be a gentle thing, not an outlandish showcase once a year or a constant barrage of verbal reminders. Love is daily action, and daily practice. Love is a habit and an observance.At least, this is what I have in mind when I think of you, my funny Valentine (and, as the song goes, my sweet comic Valentine). You make me laugh when you tell me there is no dhal without some sambal. You tell me you have never had good roti canai in KL. You tell me that the best roti you had is now half a country away and a pleasure lost in the past. You challenge me without a challenge to find a substitute for this perfect bread – or something better — something that will surprise and satisfy.