echo Love is in the air! This time, Sunway Spotlight brings to you the types of people found in the Sunway Campus during Valentine’s Day! Valentine’s Day is about celebrating your loved ones; it is not just confined to your significant other, but to your friends and family as well! Echo has taken the liberty to ask a few people about their thoughts on Valentine’s Day and how they’re planning on celebrating it. Read below to find out more!
The Hopeless Romantic
Profile
Nickname/Goes by: A
Relationship status: Single
Course: A-levels
Gender: Female
Blood type: AB
- What does love/ Valentine’s Day mean to you?
Showing that you appreciate someone and you care for them.
- Do you believe that you need to love yourself in order to love others? Why?
Yes, but not exactly. I feel like you can also love yourself if someone else shows affection and love to you, so it could make it easier for you to love yourself.
- What do you look for in a partner?/What do you like about your partner?
Someone who matches my personality, or someone who gets me emotionally. Loyal, obviously very loyal. Sweet gestures. Guys with fluffy hair.
- Do you think Valentine’s day is a money-making scheme?
In a way, yes, because of some companies. But, I don’t know. Maybe not. In a way, you’re showing that you care about someone, and you’re probably selling stuff so people can buy and give to their loved ones.
- How are you spending your Valentine’s Day this year?
Alone. Myself and Modern Family. Probably Brooklyn 99, and Andy Samberg. Yes, that’s it.
P.S.
I sit at Brain Forest doing nothing and we can be friends! I have brown hair and I’m very tall.
The one whose head over heels
Profile
Nickname/Goes by: Harry K
Relationship status: Taken
Course: Diploma in Digital Multimedia Design
Gender: Male
Blood type: O Negative
- What does love/ Valentine’s Day mean to you?
It means a lot. It means a reunion of two hearts that I believe were destined to find each other. If you have actually found the person for you, then Valentine’s Day is a beautiful day. It means two people who really like each other come together to celebrate their love and affection. It’s also a good day to take anything forward, like a relationship or something.
- Do you believe that you need to love yourself in order to love others? Why?
I believe that’s very much true, because if you don’t love yourself, how are you going to care for your partner if you don’t care for yourself? Love starts in one’s heart before it goes anywhere else. For example, if you are damaged, you may take it out on your partner. Or if you are not in a relationship, you are just going to rush your partner and the whole relationship would be for nothing, because nothing will come of it. So, if you love yourself, you will love your partner even more. I feel like it’s pretty toxic if you are not healed from the past of whatever to seek someone out, because it’s a lot of torture on them.
- What do you look for in a partner?/What do you like about your partner?
She’s many things I’d say. If I ever needed to count on someone, I’d say it would be her. I mean like, she’s in my emergency contacts, I don’t keep anyone there. So, my partner means a lot to me. She is where my balance derives from. She feels like my other half. I really do love her. She’s nothing but beautiful and kind to me. Anyone would be lucky to have her in your life.
- Do you think Valentine’s day is a money-making scheme?
Perhaps. But, who can complain? It’s a beautiful day. It’s a good way to spend the day with your partner. It’s just some people getting a couple of bucks out of it, which isn’t bad. Plus, it makes it a lot easier and more convenient to get gifts because who’s going to be selling flowers, chocolate and heart balloons. It’s not everyday you get to see that. So, money-making, but also makes our lives easier.
- How are you spending your Valentine’s Day this year?
I’m spending my Valentine’s Day with my partner. I have a few plans. I asked her out to be my Valentine. I got her flowers, even made some for her. I asked her out with flowers. So, I’m definitely going to be spending it with her and whatever I have planned.
P.S.
I honestly believe she’s the best girl for anyone. When I look for a partner, I don’t just see anyone for a temporary stage. It’s usually quite long-term. So, I don’t easily date. If I ever date someone, it’s definitely because I see them not just as temporary, but a good way to further myself, to make me want to be better for them, for myself, for the community, and just becoming an overall better human.
The Sunshine
Profile
Nickname/Goes by: Ann-T
Relationship Status: Single
Course: Bachelor’s of Chemical Engineering
Gender: Female
Blood type: A+
- What does love/ Valentine’s Day mean to you?
To me, love means sacrifice and commitment. It means choosing to put in that effort day after day regardless of how hard things can get, and putting in consistent effort to be there for your loved ones and show them that they are loved. To me, love is also the balance of all aspects in a relationship. On the other hand, Valentine’s Day is a day for me to appreciate the people I love in my life whether the relationship is platonic, romantic or familial. As cheesy as it sounds, I love love love acts of gifting flowers and chocolates to people you adore! I think that it is extremely sweet that we have one day every year to slow down and appreciate those that make our life more beautiful.
- Do you believe that you need to love yourself in order to love others? Why?
Definitely! I believe we need to know ourselves first: our values, interests, likes and dislikes, before we are able to know what we want in our relationships with others. In other words, we need to know who we are, before we know what kind of people we want to surround ourselves with. I also believe that we need to be able to have that personal adoration or love for ourselves before we can have the energy to commit to others. Without it, it would be impossible for us to be good to not only ourselves but to others too.
- What do you look for in a partner?/What do you like about your partner?
I look for a partner who has the same values as me such as honesty, loyalty, respect, kindness etc. I also look for consistency. Someone who will choose to work on our partnership through thick and thin. Of course, I also look for someone who shares similar goals so we can push each other to fulfil our dreams and become the best version of ourselves. I also look for someone who has drive, and preferably someone who is physically active or into sports, as well as someone with whom I can have interesting conversations with. Most of all, I look for someone who matches my energy and lets me be my true self.
- Do you think Valentine’s day is a money-making scheme?
I think Valentine’s day, in essence, is a very meaningful occasion to appreciate the loved ones we have in our life. The gestures centred around it are really cute too! However, it has definitely been capitalised on, just like any other celebration such as Christmas. Regardless of its roots, I feel like Valentine’s day is still a great idea because at the end of the day, what really matters more in life than the love we have for each other? Thus, what better way is there to remind people to spread the love, than on Valentine’s Day?
- How are you spending your Valentine’s Day this year?
I will be buying flowers for my girl friends and giving extra hugs to my friends and family! I might go out with a group of friends for lunch too. Even though I’ll have classes, I certainly won’t miss the opportunity to enjoy the good vibes!
P.S.
Although part of me loves rom-coms from the 2000s like Notting Hill, and I am a big fan of love, I’m currently not looking for any romantic relationships, but definitely more platonic ones. I enjoy spending quality time doing outdoor activities such as hiking or even just chill ones such as cafe hopping on a sunny afternoon with those I’ve known for a long time, or even just those whom I’ve just met and can connect with!
The One with Very Few Words(or monosyllabic)
Profile
Nickname/Goes by: Kay
Relationship status: Taken
Course: ICAEW
Gender: Male
Blood type: B
- What does love/ Valentine’s Day mean to you?
A day where people are reminded that they have a significant other.
- Do you believe that you need to love yourself in order to love others? Why?
Not really necessarily. Because sometimes, you can’t love a part of yourself but just learn to accept who you are as you are.
- What do you look for in a partner?/What do you like about your partner?
Her way of thinking of committing to a relationship. She understands how to maintain a healthy relationship well.
- Do you think Valentine’s day is a money-making scheme?
No
- How are you spending your Valentine’s Day this year?
Not planned
P.S.
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The Profound One
Profile
Nickname/Goes by: Zaid
Relationship status: Single
Course: A-levels
Gender: Male
Blood type: ???
- What does love/ Valentine’s Day mean to you?
It’s celebrating with someone special, regardless if it’s a relationship or it can just be friends as well. It’s spending valuable time with someone that you care about deeply.
- Do you believe that you need to love yourself in order to love others? Why?
Yes, because an important part of loving other people is you have to love yourself before you can give love to other people. If not, that love that you give to another person will be incomplete.
- What do you look for in a partner?/What do you like about your partner?
I look for communication and someone who shares the same mutual respect, as well as someone who is driven by goals, or at least has a target to do in their life. So, the partner doesn’t have to go by beauty standards or anything. It’s someone who I can spend time with, meaningful time, as well as someone who brings joy to me at the same time.
- Do you think Valentine’s day is a money-making scheme?
Yes, because everytime, let’s just say a normal rose will cost you about RM 4, but during Valentine’s Day, it’s hiked up to about RM 8 to RM 10. So, I feel like Valentine’s Day is no longer a special day you spend with someone, but rather, a competition of who buys the most expensive gift.
- How are you spending your Valentine’s Day this year?
Alone and watching Netflix movies by myself.
P.S.
I have tattoos.
The Pragmatic One
Profile
Nickname/Goes by: Y
Relationship status: Single
Course: Master of Marketing
Gender: Female
Blood type: ???
- What does love/ Valentine’s Day mean to you?
A day designed to make couples spend more money.
- Do you believe that you need to love yourself in order to love others? Why?
No, because true love is self-sacrificial. (quite the opposite of self-love)
- What do you look for in a partner?/What do you like about your partner?
Someone not stupid, someone who cares about me and is committed to what really matters in life.
- Do you think Valentine’s day is a money-making scheme?
Yeah, duh.
- How are you spending your Valentine’s Day this year?
Like any other day.
P.S.
Love between two people should not be merely focused on themselves individually; it should be oriented towards something way bigger and beyond themselves in which they can work together towards.
The End
For some, Valentine’s Day is an incredibly special occasion. For others, it’s no different from any other day. Regardless of what type of person you are on Valentine’s Day, stop and smell the roses. Really, you are likely to find roses on Valentine’s Day. In other senses, pause, take a moment, and notice all the forms of love you have in your life, from your friends, family, significant other, and don’t forget to show yourself some love as well!
Written by: Celine, Poorani
Edited by: Caitlin
