Yesterday was Valentine’s Day; a day to honour some Christian martyrs that later turned into a day to celebrate romantic love.
In Singapore, it is the norm for the guys to present their love interests with gifts such as flowers (typically roses), or other gifts.
In Japan, it is the opposite – girls are expected to give out chocolates including to their coworkers or classmates.

Yesterday, I was on the giving end for the first time in my life. With a fellow female colleague, we went shopping for ingredients and wrappings for our intended gifts. There were many like-minded shoppers, and the stores had a special space targeting us. Those spaces were easily recognisable by their generous use of pink, and likewise, the truffles we made ended up wreathed in pink. It was an experience to partake in the girly “custom”, from making my first successful attempt at making dessert to distributing them to the males in the office, and one that I would like to experience again next year and only one year later.

Ying Tong (Rose & strawberry flavoured white chocolate in photo above from the boss :D)