How I Spent Valentine's Day at 36, Single & Living Alone in China

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0:00

Today is Valentine's Day in China. As a

0:03

single man living alone, I still picked

0:05

out some flowers and cooked a special

0:08

lunch for someone very important.

0:12

>> Dear,

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>> later that evening, I went out for

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dinner alone, surrounded by couples

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everywhere.

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And somehow I still had a great time on

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my own

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[music]

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>> because today I had someone very special

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to celebrate with. [music]

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>> Hi, I'm Zaza. Today is Chinese

0:35

Valentine's Day as a proud single guy

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living alone. I'm not sitting this one

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out. I'm actually prepping a Valentine's

0:45

gift for someone mysterious.

0:49

Come along and let's see how this goes.

0:59

Today is Chishi Festival, the

1:01

traditional Chinese Valentine's Day.

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>> Early in the morning, shops were already

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decorating to get into the festive

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spirit.

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Wow,

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flowers.

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Today is the busiest day of the year for

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flower shops.

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On a day like this, one rose goes for

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around $2 a stand.

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By comparison, flowers at the

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supermarket are cheaper, though the

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variety is pretty basic.

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And what goes perfectly with flowers?

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The festival exclusive cake.

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>> Even though this holiday has nothing to

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do with me, a single guy, I'm still

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cooking a feast for someone very

3:00

important in my life.

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Goodbye.

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I even bought some more fruit.

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Fantastic.

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>> [snorts]

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>> Today I'm making a super popular dish,

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braised pork belly.

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>> [whistles]

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>> Look at my belly. I'm not pregnant.

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Believe it or not, this is my very first

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time purchasing fresh flowers.

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Wow.

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Happy Valentine's Day.

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Turns out flowers really can broaden

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your mood.

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Since I can't stand pig hair, I decided

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to remove and discard the skin entirely.

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Heat. Heat.

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Heat. Heat.

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Wow.

10:10

dear.

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Flowers, lunch, everything is outside

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now. Let's wait for the special

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mysterious someone.

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Wow.

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Who's send me flowers.

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Dear Zaza, happy Valentine's Day. Love

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you forever.

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From Zaza, [laughter]

11:00

it's me.

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Happy Valentine's Day.

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>> Yes, these flowers are for myself and

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also for you watching. No matter what,

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always remember loving yourself comes

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first.

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[snorts]

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This is how I stay single and happy

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through a sense of ritual. Solo life

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doesn't mean sloppy life. Every day

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deserves a little effort.

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At night, couples everywhere head out

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for their dates.

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I'm going to find a nice place to have a

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romantic dinner, too.

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>> [music]

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>> Hallelujah.

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Hallelujah.

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Looks like every romantic spot is taken

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by couples.

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>> Oh, sure.

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>> So, I came to eat hot pot alone and the

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staff kindly brought me a companion doll

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to keep me company.

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Right now is peak mushroom season.

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They're at their most flavorful.

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Oh my god.

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I love my

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speech.

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As someone from northern China, my

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favorite hot pot dipping sauce is sesame

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and peanut blend.

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Yeah.

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>> Oh my god.

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There you go.

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I'm wondering

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>> [laughter]

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>> Yeah.

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The staff thoughtfully offered me a

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complimentary lemon ice cream.

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Wow.

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[music]

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>> [music]

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[music]

19:02

>> Happy birthday.

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[music]

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>> [music]

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[music]

19:25

>> She won't

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She

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[music]

19:37

[singing]

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[music]

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[singing]

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[music]

19:49

>> Tonight I treated myself to a solo date.

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lang. [music]

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Rainbow.

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[music]

20:05

[singing]

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[music]

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[music]

20:20

[singing]

20:25

I shall [music] see you.

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[music]

20:38

foreign.

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[music]

20:52

[music]

20:57

[music]

21:04

>> [music]

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>> China.

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[music]

21:25

[music]

21:28

[singing]

21:31

[music]

21:33

I need your

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[singing]

21:40

[music]

21:50

[music]

21:59

heat. [music]

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>> [music]

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[music]

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[music]

22:28

>> Not a fear with separation.

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I want to get

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[music]

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you

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[music]

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my [music]

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>> [music]

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[music]

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[music]

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[singing]

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[music]

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>> Maybe happiness isn't about finding

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someone to share your life with. Maybe

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it's about learning to love the life you

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already have. [music and singing]

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>> [music]

23:33

[singing]

Interactive Summary

Ask follow-up questions or revisit key timestamps.

This video features Zaza, a man living alone in China, celebrating the Qixi Festival (Chinese Valentine's Day) by treating himself to a day of self-love and ritual. Rather than viewing his single status as a negative, Zaza cooks a special meal, buys himself flowers, and enjoys a solo dinner, emphasizing the importance of practicing self-love and maintaining a sense of ritual in daily life.