Good Things On Capitalist Victimized Day

This year's V's Day fell on Monday. Some people in the office (even my colleague with 8 years of marriage) left much earlier so they could take their loved ones out for a romantic evening, whatever that was. For my stingy company, of course, it was an act of energy saving which has been long expected from the workers, for there were less people chatting on the net, or leaving the computer on till late, or talking on the phone very long as usual. And since they had to leave early, they made the use of their working time very efficiently. No taking 3-hour lunch to go pirated DVD hunting in Glodok whatsoever.

When driving my colleague home from attending a V's party at some hotel, it was 10 PM and the traffic was a bit clearer than it was 3 hours before. Having been driving in Jakarta for my entire adult life, I've come to know pretty well the Jakartan drivers' attitudes. But last night - I don't believe this myself! - nobody seemed to be in a rush as to cut out lanes, get constantly ahead of everybody, or get impatient at slow drivers. In fact, everybody was slow driver last night! There were only very few cars taking the fastest lanes. People were having the tendency to have a joy ride. (Even on Sunday or at midnight hours of any given days, I was still given lights or honks whenever I tried to have a joy ride!)

I was almost sure the guys in those slow cars burst I-love-you-would- you-be-my-girlfriend line to their female companions. Or at least they tried to gather the guts to spill the line out. It wouldn't have been so hard, though, because all radio stations were playing love songs at that moment, that it very much helped them build such romantic mood, so the girls they were with couldn't say anything else other than 'yes'. Even for lovers in those slow cars, I bet they didn't feel like going home and calling it a day too quickly on that very special occasion created by capitalism.

That's why they all had a joy ride like I did. I wasn't even in love but it's kind of therapeutic to sing along to the love songs being played on the radio at the top of my lungs.

When I was in bed, a friend of mine texted me saying that he was amazed to find his favorite road-side soto place was so empty at 11 PM, which on any other days at that hour it was always full. Much to his surprise, all the soto items were still complete, as if nobody came to that place but him. Couples usually eating there that night might have preferred going to fancier places.

Oh how I love V's Day!