For everything cliché that can be said about Valentine’s Day, it’s still a great opportunity to spend time with that special someone. Spontaneity and romance are gifts from the heart, not the wallet, so here are six suggestions for charm and bliss that will leave you with enough leftover cash to buy food next week.
1. Bundle up and see the pandas. Zoo Atlanta offers 50 percent off regular admission through their Cheat on the Chill promotion if the temperatures drop below 45 degrees. Forecasts show temps in the mid-40s all weekend. Even though some animals are not out during the winter, the $9.50 price seems well worth it. If it’s warmer, tickets are still reasonably priced at $14.99 with your college ID. For more information on Cheat on the Chill, visit the zoo’s Web site or call 404-624-9453. Zoo Atlanta is located at 800 Cherokee Ave. SE.
2. Forget the roses. Pick up a bamboo plant, instead. Hardy and easy to care for, bamboo will live on as a symbol of your love long after cut flowers have withered away. Most local florists carry bamboo plants in small, portable vases, but the plants can also be found at local stores like Kroger, Home Depot or IKEA. Be sure to top it off with a mushy, handwritten note.
3. Celebrate the Chinese New Year. On February 14, The Michael C. Carlos Museum will celebrate the Chinese New Year and Valentine’s Day with a performance of “Three Chinese Love Songs” by Bright Sheng. Tickets are $4 and the show starts at 4 p.m. Go early to explore the museum before enjoying the romantic concert performance. For more information, call 404-727-4282. The Michael C. Carlos Museum is located at 71 Kilgo Circle.
4. Draw each other. Set up some romantic candles to get your chiaroscuro on. As weird as it might sound, drawing each other makes for an interesting icebreaker and you will see more of the other person than you did before. Even if you struggled through drawing classes, this will make for a hilarious memory. But don’t laugh too much.
5. Make war, not love. “Dr. Seuss Goes to War … and More” opens on Valentine’s Day at The William Breman Jewish Heritage Museum. Although it may be little off the beaten path when it comes to date-worthiness, the subject matter will definitely keep the conversation flowing. Admission is $5 for students. Check the museum’s Web site for hours or call 678-222-3700. The Bremen Museum is located right next to Spring House at 1400 Spring St. NW.
6. Read some poetry. For that extra special touch, write something yourself. However, if your rhymes are more nursery than lyrical, borrow from the best. Anything from Pablo Neruda’s “100 Love Sonnets” is a fail-safe. From “100 Love Sonnets”: “I love you without knowing how, or when, or from where/I love you simply, without problems or pride/I love you in this way because I don’t know any other way of loving.” Swoon de la swoon!