"I love you."

Guy: "I love you"
Girl: "I love you too"
(Couple look at each other's eyes, locked in warm embrace and mmmmmmuah smack!)

Just how important is this phrase "I love you." And Just how often is it uttered? Especially in a less expressive culture like ours?

We get a lot of the above scene, thanks to reading all those teenage romance novels and romantic movies but how is it like in real life? Are guys more 'shy' to utter it? Are girls more eager to hear it? Is it a gender difference thing or a culture thing, whether its uttered or not?

These are questions MG is asking herself today. You see, I don't think many of us grew up in homes where everybody runs around saying "I love you." Mr MG has said it ? times (*count count count*) err.. use one hand oso can count. Claims he's "shy" wor. He says action speaks louder than words. He says always say oso meaningless if the action says otherwise. So how to tell if my Mr MG loves me? Hmmm... ok lets see,

• he switches on/off my handphone for me when we are going out and makes sure my batteries are charged. (Haha. this one oso counted. Little things counts mah.)
• he goes out and buys me a headband when he sees mine is broken
• he tries to make me laugh when I'm upset
• once he tagged along with his lady colleagues to a costume jewellery warehouse sale and bought some for me (oh the jewellery is not important to me but the act of tagging along with the female colleagues to do a girl thing like dungu like that. haha.)
• he refrains from shouting back at me when I'm shouting at him (really ha, this Mr MG got very good self control wan. Can speak calmly to people even when people shouting at him)
• he always makes sure I don't forget important stuff cos I'm a "tai tou har" (tai tou har = big head prawn/forgetful)
• ada banyak lagi (theres a lot more) but I won't bore anyone reading with little details, I keep in my heart lah

One of the rare times he said it was during our wedding. As according to the Chinese custom, he could not collect the bride and had to go through all the bride's "chi mui" (chi mui = sisters and girlfriends) first. Second sister asked "Why do you want to marry my sister?" and Mr MG said "Because I love her very much!" Aiyoh, MG inside the room "kam tong toh seh" (very touched). Buden hor, some eager young nephew or niece chose that exact moment to bang into the video camera wor. Sob sob sob. So MG kenot play it over and over again, no more evidence, all wiped out liao accept in the head and heart.

I know Mr MG loves me lah but then still I'd like to hear it more often. I know the man more than 10 years but has heard it less than 5 times! (Hmm... that averages less than once in 2 years. Aiyoh!) I oso seldom say wan becos shy mah. Write maybe easier lah but to say it feel a bit one kind. Maybe its our culture.... or maybe its just us.

Is saying or hearing "I Love You" all that important? I'm not sure........ What do you think? Click on the link to take MG's mya KPC Poll.