By Ashley Sim
KUCHING, Feb 12: It’s that time of the year when love is in the air. In preparation for the upcoming day of love and romance on Feb 14, vendors can be seen lining the sides of the streets in Kuching, working quickly to set up stalls and sell a variety of Valentine’s Day gifts from roses, the time-honoured gift, to plush toys of all sizes.
DayakDaily conducted checks around Kuching and discovered that roadside vendors selling Valentine’s Day gifts could be found along Jalan Tun Jugah and in the 3rd Mile radius.
The booth of a particular vendor stationed at Jalan Tun Jugah that caught the attention of DayakDaily was filled to the brim with plush toys, ranging from giant teddy bears to small huskies wrapped in bouquets.
There were also plenty of Stitch plush toys from the animated Disney film ‘Lilo and Stitch’, as well as Mickey Mouse, Crayon Shin-chan, Pikachu, Superman, and other characters.
Depending on the size, the plush toys may cost more than RM100. Here, a medium-sized plushie of Bulbasaur from the beloved Pokemon series costs RM80.
However, red roses are universally considered the quintessential Valentine’s Day gift.
According to a local vendor, a nicely packaged bouquet of six stalks of fresh imported red roses costs RM169.
“With proper care, imported roses can last up to a week or more, and a bouquet can cost between RM100 and RM200 plus, depending on the design and number of additional items,” she added.
She continued by saying that rose prices would be 20 to 40 per cent higher than last year, depending on whether they were domestically grown or imported.
“This year, I had to deal with lower supplies from Cameron Highlands farms, and as a result, we are importing more from countries such as India, China, and Kenya,” she explained.
In addition to selling fresh roses, some vendors here sell a vast selection of soap flower bouquets made with 100 per cent soap ingredients and have a faint soap scent.
There’s no denying the beauty and charm of a fresh floral bouquet, but soap flower bouquets are considered ideal gifts as they will never wilt or lose their freshness.
There are only two days until Valentine’s Day, but if you haven’t already picked up something to spoil your special someone, you can still find a thoughtful last-minute gift from these local vendors. — DayakDaily
