Love You Long Time

One thing about Valentines Day in Thailand... Thai people LOVE it.  The week before February 14th, 7/11 stocks its shelves with an assortment of candy, cards, plastic flowers, and heart stickers featuring phrases like "stuck for you" and other sayings that can be categorized into the awkward translation category.  Central changed the lights on the outside of its enormous mall to feature pink and red and shack shops decorated with hearts and balloons in honor of the day of love.


How did Teacher Chelsea celebrate Valentines Day?!

• Played Barney's "I Love You" song..  on repeat.. until all my kids agreed to sing along
• Handed out hundreds of stickers and instructed my kids to run around campus in search of parents, teachers, faculty, and other students to give the stickers to and enthusiastically say "Happy Valentine's Day! I love you!"
• Had a party in class featuring dried prawn crackers and seaweed snacks as well as Thai pop love songs to dance to
• Instructed my after school special class to make Valentines Day cards featuring either an elephant or a giraffe.. up to students
• Canceled out all my hard work at the gym that evening by having a ice cream banana dessert for dinner.. nothing says Valentines Day like dessert, especially an ice cream sundae!
• Embarrassed to admit it but Emily and I spent the evening after the gym and dessert for dinner watching "The Bachelor".  Yelling and getting frustrated with bachelor Ben and how lame he is (I'm sorry but he's just plain boring!) seemed to make me feel better about my v-day evening
• Best part of the day: I had 26 amazing little valentines that showered me with plastic flowers, cheap chocolate, homemade paper cards, hugs, kisses,  "I love you TEECHA"s, and "Teecha Chelsea beeaautiful!". What can I say, I'm either easy to please or they sure know how to win over their farang Teacher Chelsea's heart! Take notes, guys!   

Earlier this week, one of my student's moms spotted me standing on the side of the road waiting for the songtell to catch a ride home.  She pulled over and instructed me to hop in and said she'd give me a ride. Mom's English is pretty good and it was obvious she wanted to practice, as well as figure out my life and play the "20 questions with Teacher Chelsea" game.

"Excuse me, Teacher. Where you go?"

"I go to the Pullman, go to exercise."

*Mom leans over to translate to the nanny. They both think its hilarious that I exercise.**

"Teacher, are you married?"
**I have been asked this question numerous times by parents and I nearly choke and die every time I'm asked and have to take a few seconds to pull myself together**

"No no, Teacher Chelsea not married."

"Excuse me, Teacher. How old are you?"
"I am 24."

"OH! Teacher, I have one baby at 24!"

**Mom is a mother of three now, a 11, 6, and 2 year old. But she's flattered by the fact she looks much younger and could possibly still look my age**

"Excuse me, Teacher Chelsea. You have boyfriend?"

"No, no boyfriend"

"But teacher, you are so beautiful!"

**It seems that Thai people think only ugly girls are single***

  

I often find myself in awkward conversations with Thai people where I'm not sure what to say so I either just smile or laugh and just let them ask all the questions

"Teacher Chelsea, you like Thai boy?"

"Ummmm, **awkward silence** Teacher Chelsea like farang boys."

"Hahahaha." *says to nanny in Thai that Teacher Chelsea not like Thai boys and finds it hilarious*

"Teacher Chelsea stay one more year in Khon Kaen?"

"No, Teacher Chelsea leave Khon Kaen in March."

"Teacher Chelsea go home to America?"
"Teacher Chelsea move to Australia!"

"WOOOOOW! Teacher Chelsea go find farang boyfriend in Australia!"

Thank you Thai Mama for the advice.

Heart rice and red curry getting us ready for vday

Card for T. Chelsea

HAPPY VALENTINES DAY!