My silence has been due to a hectic beginning to the school year. We are now entering Week 5 of the new term. More students, more classes and even private classes for me added from 7 – 8:30 p.m. has given me little opportunity to post. When returning home so late at night, then spending daytime hours following through with director duties, lesson planning and spending literally hours on my classroom PPTs, I honestly just want to crash with Winnie by the time I get home.

A Surprise: Valentine’s Day

I assumed Valentine’s Day would just make an appearance in my apartment, with my display of cards which I’ve kept throughout the years. After all, this is not a Laos special day at all. I was even lucky enough to receive 2 cards from my mom who sent them with a church visitor last month. She graciously bestowed these upon me with my mom’s specific instructions NOT to open until Valentine’s Day.

I am a good girl. I waited until my February 14th Friday to open. Not at all disappointed and I felt very loved.

Who’d have thought, however, that Valentine’s Day would appear here in Laos besides my apartment? But appear it has!

While not at all a tradition in the country, this day has thoroughly spread throughout larger cities and tourist areas due to the foreigners’ influence.

Every placement as a teacher I’ve had has seen this Christian-founded celebration emerge, with all the commercialized twists and turns along with it. Cards, flowers, candies, red clothing decorated with love symbols, special restaurant food offerings, as well as shops and malls decorated in hearts.

I remember this day was all over Japan many years ago when I taught there (1988), then hit Taiwan in the late 1990’s, China in the 2000’s, and now here in Laos.

As always, I came close to ignoring this day until one of my elementary ed. girls, quirky Vipaphone, brought sticker hearts to class. I say “quirky” as this tends to be her personality.

As the students lined up to enter the classroom on Monday, she gave me this sly, knowing look, pulled out her sparkly stickers and proceeded to place them all over our faces. As a teacher, such distractions before a class is to begin is not exactly the best of actions. I didn’t want to squelch her enthusiasm but next year, that ain’t going to happen. Her Laos stickers, while pretty, kept pealing away from our skin the entire hour. They ended up littered and sticking fast in folded wads to the tile floor, tables, whiteboard, books and even my projector.

My teaching certification was not in elementary education but I will say, I’m learning fast, folks. Those grade-school kids keep one on his/her toes, no matter what country they are from.

How could I not resist to share at least the joy of chocolates with all our 35 students (and staff) for this special day?

Because we don’t have Friday classes, I planned for Thursday (the day before the official day) as our special celebration day.

Thanks to so many monetary donations to the Center from many of you reading this post, in a split second, I am able to release funds into my hands for Center shopping ventures. This one had me loading up on numerous chocolate cookie packets and foil-heart chocolates. At the Center, Shaloom, Santi and I laid them all out and divided up for our classes.

You certainly helped to make this day especially noteworthy to everyone who attended classes.

Connie’s Special Lesson

With Vipaphone’s hint of Valentine’s Day, I created a special lesson for my Level 1 students. We practiced writing sentences concerning Valentine’s Day for hand-made cards. The words and sentences read as followed:

Happy Valentine’s Day! Please be my Valentine. From, _________

After learning to write, we practiced saying and then cards were made.

As the students finished, I pulled them one by one outside the classroom to record giving their Valentine’s greetings. These I posted in our Level 1 Whats App group. (Nothing like your child speaking English to please the parents.)

Afterwards, it was picture time for everyone while holding cards, including myself.

You will notice one adult is with us, Nok, who is an extremely dedicated elementary school teacher. She joins my class for free, wanting to improve her pronunciation and use some of my lessons, to teach her own students. I admire her so much. After a full day of teaching, she comes to my evening class from 5:30 – 6:30. I know she must be tired. Who would want to spend more hours with kids than needed, or even in a classroom? Yet she does so with enthusiasm and great desire to learn.

Am I that dedicated to my profession? I wish.

A Moving Gesture

Before receiving their cookies and chocolates, I explained to my class that they were free to take their cards home with them.
“Give to your mom, dad, grandmother, brother or sister tomorrow to wish them a Happy Valentine’s Day,” I smiled.

But instead of taking home, one by one, I was given their cards to keep for myself.

Only Nok took hers home, most likely to show her students the next day about our special class together. She might even have had her own grade level make their own cards. I’ll have to ask her on Monday.

As you can see below, I certainly felt loved by the end of my evening on Thursday.

How about your Valentine’s Day? As glorious as mine? I do hope so. Have a blessed week! Stay tuned for reports of my unwanted guests (grrrr!!!), some funny stories and more adventures from this country called Laos.