Valentine's Day has been my favorite holiday to celebrate here in Thailand so far. Mainly because it is the first "western" holiday my students have actively participated in. Alexis and I decided to be festive and wear red and pink to school, and we even passed out home-made valentine's cards with mini M&Ms inside to our co-workers in the office. I wasn't expecting much in return, because it is a western holiday, but I was pleasantly surprised when Eye and Ice, two of the student teachers in our office, placed stickers on my shirt and explained that in Thailand, if you "love" your friends you give them a sticker to wear on their clothes. I was happy with the two stickers I received from them, little did I know they would be lost in a sea of pink hearts within the hour.
The second I stepped out of my office, students were flying at me with stickers, saying "Teacha Love You!" Students I didn't even teach were sharing their sticker love and I was absolutely loving it. There was a very happy vibe throughout the school. Girls were walking around with roses and HUGE stuffed animals from their boyfriends. (Thai students are not allowed to show any sign of affection in school, so it was strange to see a boy give a girl flowers and stuffed animals, then turn around and walk away. No hugging, no kissing- I don't think they can even hold hands in school. Very different from American teens!) Some students spelled words out on their shirts with all of their stickers and some even jazzed up the rims of their glasses. I was so happy with the simplicity of the stickers, I was almost moved to tears when a small M.1 student came running at me in the hallway and gave me a single red rose. I was so happy I hugged her! Hopefully not violating any school rules of showing affection! I received three more roses throughout the course of the day and each one made my smile bigger and brighter. I only spend 40-50 minutes a week with these students, but they went out of their to think of me on Valentine's Day. It was really sweet.
For my classes on Valentine's Day I kept it simple- games, games, games. "The Hot Seat" is a crowd pleasing game where I randomly select a student to sit in the "hot seat" (a chair facing the rest of the class) and write an English phrase, movie, or famous person on the board. The class then has to explain to the student in the hot seat what I wrote- in English, without saying the words. 75% of the time they end up yelling everything in Thai, but the students enjoy the game so I let it slide.. In my M.1/3 class the students put me in the hot seat and explained "a beautiful young woman who wears a pink shirt in the winter." I wasn't trying to be arrogant, but I was wearing a pink shirt so I guessed myself- I got it right! I turned around and the students had written a special note to me saying "We will remember you forever :)" SO CUTE! I have one more class with them next week, but it was adorable nonetheless. My other classes enjoyed hangman, a word search, and some failed attempts at the hot seat. Some students even gave me Lindt chocolate truffles ! Overall, Valentine's Day was an extremely memorable holiday that I shared with my students. I can't believe that as of today, February 19th, I only have 3 more days of teaching!! Where did the time go??? I will be sure to write another post about my final reflections on teaching, and I also have some cultural observations to share. This week is final exams week, so we have lots of free time in the office- aka lots of time for blog writing !
"The Hot Seat" The students put me in the hot seat and gave me a surprise message!
My shirt was covered in stickers from Thai students who "loved" me
Flowers, Cards, and Stickers- a very happy Valentine's Day for teachaaa Shannon :)
Hope everyone back home had an enjoyable Valentine's Day as well!! Another western holiday has come and gone and I haven't been able to share it with friends and family. It is a bit of an odd feeling, but I will be home in less than 2 months and I am very much looking forward to it! Love and miss you all- SEE YOU SOON! <3
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