Valentine's Day

I just wanted to write a quick post about Valentine's Day because it is a huge holiday in Thailand. Everyone, adults and children alike, seems to enjoy celebrating a day that to most Americans is merely a Hallmark holiday. Thai people 100% hold up their reputation of being so kind hearted and loving, and Valentine's Day is just an over the top, extremely enjoyable, outward expression of these characteristics.

In school in Thailand they celebrate a little bit differently. The biggest difference was that no one handed out cards. Most of the schools in Thailand are far to large to hand out cards to all your classmates, so instead they use stickers. They all buy different heart shaped stickers and stick them on the shirts of people they care about. Let me tell you, if you're ever feeling down on yourself, be a teacher in Thailand on Valentine's Day. There is already an infatuation with us because we are foreigners, but that emotion is put on turbo drive on Valentine's Day. All the students want to put a sticker on your shirt and, if you're lucky, give you a rose (real!) or chocolate. Everyone is always wishing you a happy Valentine's Day or showering you with the few words of affection they know in English...teacher we love you, teacher you're so beautiful, teacher is too cute...and so on. It really was an amazing day to be a teacher.

Here is a picture of Andrew and Me after they day was over with our stickers and roses.

After school was over I was lucky enough to spend the van ride home with my favorite Valentine. He is around 5 years old and is in our van every day we come to and from school. If the van ever gets to school before we come outside, he runs out looking for us. Here are two pictures of us enjoying what turned out to be probably one of the best Valentine's Days ever.