With Valentine’s Day less than a month away, some of you in the Middle East may be trying to get your romantic affairs in order. If you are romantically unattached you may be hitting up some pick-up spots or scanning the dating sites (such as the popular www.datingsites.org) in pursuit of a partner.
And those of you that are already involved with someone may be planning (hopefully not too frantically) for your Valentine’s Day eve. It’s hard to plan a Valentine’s Day evening or date that isn’t too cheesy since the holiday of love tends to take romance over the top. Chocolates are a cliche (and, frankly, not healthy or locally produced in most cases), flowers are overdone (and have a negative effect on the environment, unless you’re giving your sweetheart a potted flower plant), and red and pink streamers are not for everyone.
Not to be the Grinch that stole Valentine’s Day, but there are other options out there – especially if you take a unique Middle Eastern approach to your date.
Explore the great and romantic outdoors. The Middle East may not be home the stereotypical romantic locales of Paris or Rome, but it has beautiful spots to visit nonetheless. Lebanon and Israel have Mediterranean coastlines, Egypt is blessed with the Nile River, and Jordan and Syria have an abundance of national parks. An outdoor picnic in any such outdoor settings would surely set your date apart from the (overdone) norm.
If your date is not a fan of eating outdoors, though, there are other things you can do outside. You can go for a romantic walk or bike ride (both Beirut and Tel Aviv currently have sea-side bike paths), or spend an evening at an eco-tourist destination. Think an eco-tourist guesthouse is the opposite of romantic? Think again – candle-lit rooms, delicious fresh food and stunning locations often characterize these spots.
Enjoy a meal that is considerate towards both your date and the environment. One thing that Valentine’s Day has gotten right (despite the fact that it is usually done over-the-top) is a romantic, delicious meal. Making a romantic meal doesn’t mean that your fillets have to be heart-shaped, or that your cake has to be dyed red or pink, though. Delicious, considerate food that requires time and thought to prepare is at least equally (if not much more) romantic.
Consider preparing an eco-considerate local and organic meal, sourced from the best that the Middle East has to offer. Try cooking something more daring than your usual fare, whether it be homemade Baba Ghanoush or a hearty Jerusalem artichoke soup. (Word to the wise: check to see if your date has any eco-dietary restrictions or allergies first.)
(This post was written by Green Prophet’s Karen Chernick to help spread the green message throughout the Middle East)